North East Wales Emergency Duty Team

1. North East WalesEmergency Duty Team

2. Agenda • Welcome and introductions Susan Lewis • Purpose of the meeting Susan Lewis • Project overview Vicky McCourt • Governance and accountability – open discussion

3. Proposal • To form a single, out of hours emergency social work team for Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham

4. Project overview • Building on Business case developed by external capacity • Project management capacity provided by SSIA • Project Board chaired by Susan Lewis • Operational task and finish groups • Regular bulletins

5. Current Position • FCC and DCC operate out of hours teams using day time social workers who are then on call from home. Separate rotas for adults and children’s services. • Wrexham have a dedicated EDT team (4 SWs plus manager) who commence work at 4.30pm until 9am (plus week ends and bank holidays)

6. What do they do? Provide an emergency social work response outside normal office hours • Initial assessment over the phone • Provide advice and information over the phone and refer on to day time teams • Refer to other agencies e.g. NHS, Police, Housing, Women’s Aid etc.. • Carry out a visit and more detailed assessment which may result in immediate action or stabilise situation until next working day • Act as an ‘Appropriate Adult’

7. Why? • Social services departments have long provided emergency social services outside normal office hours. • No one piece of legislation defines a local authority’s responsibility for providing out of hours services but it is defined or implied in a range of legislation, including the Mental Health Act and the Children Act. • Emergency provisions in legislation relate to the urgency of the service user’s situation, not to the time of the referral. • While it is not feasible for SSDs to provide the same level of response at all hours, they need at least to be able to discharge their minimum responsibilities. (from SSIW)

8. Activity levels – callsAv. number of calls / month Overall total: 390 / month (97 / week)

9. Activity levels –VisitsAv. number of visits / month Total visits of 55 per month ( 14 per week) i.e. 14% of calls result in a visit.

10. Why change? • Current system in Denbighshire and Flintshire criticised by external inspections • Not comply with SSI standards • Struggle at times to cover rota (for adults social workers have to be ASW)

11. Proposed NEW EDT • Team will comprise Regional Coordinator, Team Manager, 11.5 social workers and admin support. • 3 social workers on duty up to midnight; 2 after midnight • The team will use the existing office base in Wrexham • Exploring option of ‘hot desk’ in North

12. Analysis of Expenditure Estimated budget for new service: £600,000 (to be 3 way split for first 3 years) However, current expenditure is under estimated as management and other costs (eg travel) are hidden

13. How’s it better? • Dedicated team – not on top of day job • Calls answered directly by social worker • Provide first step in development of extended hours services • Cost effective collaboration • Will meet all SSI standards • Appropriate adult duties for children and young people transferring to YOTs • Consistency of response • Potential for sharing of resources • Basis for further collaboration in other areas of service

14. Proposed management of the new service • Wrexham to be the host authority • Underpinned by a formal partnership agreement • Operational Management Group • Partnership Management Board – • Annual reports to individual councils