Aberdeen Integration Update
March 2015
Issue 12
Welcome...
...to the March edition of the Aberdeen Integration Update. This is issue 12 of
the Update so its first birthday coincides with the last issue of the Partnership
Newsletter. It’s worth noting that the Parnership Newsletter’s last issue is also its
100th issue. The Partnership newsletter’s template of communication across all
sectors of health and care in Aberdeen has played a key part in progressing
joint working. We’d like to thank everybody who has contributed to making the
Partnership newsletter a success and we hope that this Update can also reach
its 100th issue in such fine fettle.
Councillor Lesley Dunbar,
Chair of the Shadow Integration Joint Board
Update from the Chief Officer
I am delighted with the progress of our integration endeavours
and recognise the ongoing contribution by many colleagues
from across different roles and sectors. The integration of our
health and social care functions will not be without its
challenges but I would wish us to focus on the opportunities
that it offers to deliver effective, person centred services.
A significant integration milestone was passed earlier this
month with the submission to the Scottish Government of our Integration Scheme before the
prescribed deadline. We now await feedback on this and whether we need to revise any
particular elements. Our attention now turns to the development of our Strategic Plan and
we wish to hear your views on what matters and what our plan should say. Given the
demographic and financial projections doing nothing is not an option so what should we
continue to do and what should we do differently? All views and opinions welcomed.
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As of 1st April Tom Cowan, currently Head of Adult Services in SC&WB will become Head of
Joint Operations. We are also endeavouring to clarify what our third tier management
structure looks like to give our integrated functions the best platform from which to operate.
On 31st March the CHP as a delivery structure will cease to exist and it is anticipated that on
the 1st April the governance of its functions will be delegated by NHS Grampian to the
shadow Integration Joint Board. I recognise the positive and effective contribution by the
CHP to the wellbeing of our local population and look forward to the integration authority
carrying out those functions to the same high standards.
Finally, a vote of thanks to Sandy Reid (Senior Service Manager at the Health Village) for his
sterling contribution over the years to the Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership
Update. The editorial baton is being passed on and I look forward to many more editions
reporting our integrated developments and achievements.
Judith Proctor
How Your Views are Making a Difference
We are starting to develop a model of staff participation that, we feel, is allowing staff from
across sectors to have an influence on how the Shadow Integration Joint Board (Shadow
IJB) is working and on the decisions it is making.
The heart of this model is the cycle of monthly Integration Workshops for staff and Shadow
IJB workshops that are now taking place. Our aspiration is to have a close dialogue between
these two workshop cycles so that information and influence can flow in both directions.
This is a direct and ongoing relationship between frontline staff and primary decision makers
that we want to continue and build upon.
The best illustration of the success of this model so far is how our Partnership arrived at its
vision and values. Ideas were initially generated by the Shadow IJB back in June 2014
(when it was still the Transitional Leadership Group). The draft vision and values were then
taken to the December 2014 Integration Workshop
where colleagues gave strong and helpful views. When
the vision and values went back to the Shadow IJB they
“When the vision and
made significant changes based on what they heard
values went back to
from their frontline colleagues.
The vision changed from “A caring city community
working together to enable people to achieve healthier
lives” to, “A caring partnership working together with our
city communities to enable people to achieve fulfilling,
healthier lives”. These changes were driven by the
suggestions from the December Integration Workshop.
Even more significantly, there was only one common
the Shadow IJB they
made significant
changes based on
what they heard from
their frontline
colleagues”
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value between the Shadow IJB and frontline colleagues after the June and December
workshops. When the Shadow IJB reconsidered the values in light of what their colleagues
had said in December, they ended up with four out of five values being common. Plus, the
highest-rated value from staff (person-centred) ended up being the highest rated value by
the Shadow IJB. And it previously hadn’t been in their top five!
What we’re currently doing is by no means perfect, however. We will strive to allow
opportunities for staff who find it difficult to get along to the Integration Workshops (e.g. via
our Integration Conversations) to get involved. And we want to do considerably more work
in giving our wider communities the chance to learn about and influence Integration.
We hope, however, that we are making a good early effort at giving people a say about
Integration. If you have any suggestions for what else we may do, though, it would be great
to hear them – please contact our Development Facilitation Team at
[email protected]
Integration Workshops
These workshops are a great way to find out what’s happening in integration in Aberdeen
and also to influence what’s happening in integration in Aberdeen. The workshops run from
12 noon. – 1.45 p.m. with a light sandwich lunch being available from 12.00 and the
session proper starting at 12.15 p.m.
If you are able you can attend as many of the workshops as you like. Each workshop will be
on different topics and will build on the work done at previous session. The scheduled dates
for the upcoming workshops are:
25 March, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
29th April, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
27th May, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
24th June, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
26th August, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
30th September, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
28th October, Star Room, Beach Ballroom
We will present an integration update at each of these workshops and answer any queries
that you might have about our integration journey. There will be other topics on relevant
health and care matters and an opportunity to discuss these within the context of health and
social care integration. Booking a place on each workshop via
[email protected] is essential.
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Report from February’s Integration Workshop
February’s workshop saw an update on integration in Aberdeen by Kevin Toshney followed
by a presentation by Tom Cowan, Head of Service for Adults in Aberdeen City Council. Tom
spoke about the role and history of social work both nationally and locally and provided food
for thought about how integration would both challenge and benefit social work.
The workshop session asked people to think about the 9 national health and wellbeing
outcomes. Participants were informed that the Scottish Government will be prescribing
indicators to measure the outcomes. There will also be room, however, for us to have local
indicators to sit alongside these. It is these local indicators that the findings from the
workshop will contribute to in the future. People were asked to carry out 2 exercises. The
first was a group, table-top exercise to ask people how they felt patients/service users would
benefit if our partnership was meeting the outcomes perfectly. The second was an individual
exercise to ask people what they thought would constitute success in their job/service and
what could be measured to demonstrate this success.
If you would like a copy of the report from the February Integration Workshop, please contact
the Development Facilitation Team at [email protected]
Integration Conversations
We are keen to increase the extent to which we are talking with people about the integration
of health and social care in Aberdeen. One of the ways in which we hope to do this is to
offer people ‘integration conversations’.
These integration conversations are being
offered by our Development Facilitation
Team. This is a team of staff who are in post
to facilitate the process of health and social
care integration in Aberdeen. The
conversation will be a fairly informal
opportunity for you to hear a bit about how
integration is progressing in Aberdeen, ask
questions and give your views.
We hope that one of the advantages of this
kind of dialogue is that the Development
Facilitators will be able to come to you. So if
your team, group, service or organisation
would like take part in one of these
integration conversations, please contact the Development Facilitation Team at their email
address [email protected] . Alternatively you can call Gordon Edgar on
555574. The Team will do their best to plan the conversation to your requirements.
Let’s talk!
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What’s New This Month?
Summary of the National Integration Implementation Group Meeting held on
January 28, 2015
During the meeting, members:
1. Were provided with an update on the progress with regard to submission of
integration schemes - two had been formally submitted
2. Agreed that statutory guidance should be written on localities, with input being
provided from the Integration Implementation Group Members
3. Received an update on and discussed the Outcomes guidance
4. Were given an outline of the Core Suite of Indicators which all Integration
Authorities will be required to report on. Additionally the Scottish Government will
be publishing a measurement framework
5. Heard that a National Integration Event will be held for leadership cohort to focus
on people’s experiences and perspectives
6. Were informed that the NHSScotland Event will be held on June 23 and June 24,
2015 in the SECC with the main theme being leading for integration
The Scottish Health Council have just completed a significant piece of work under the
‘Stronger Voice’ project where they have carried out a range of engagement activities
with nearly 1200 people across Scotland to establish how service users/patients/
carers and the public can be better involved in health and care services. Follow this
link to the suite of reports that are available around this work.
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