Achieving Change 555a & 555b
The consultation phase for Achieving Change 555a & 555b has now come to a close. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has provided comments and questions throughout this process, either directly or through Trade Union colleagues, helping to shape the final proposal – along with those who helped develop the proposal before the formal consultation.
It’s been fantastic to see the level of engagement during the consultation process, with people attending focus groups and sessions facilitated by Trade Union colleagues. There are some further sessions scheduled over the next couple of weeks with more planned as we move into the implementation phase to ensure we continue to deliver the changes in partnership with staff. Your views and engagement are really important and will continue to shape our implementation and ongoing development of Adult Social Care in Sheffield.
The change documents have been updated to reflect the proposals that we’ll be taking forward into implementation, which have now been agreed with the Trade Unions. Detailed guidance for the preferencing which is part of achieving change 555a has also been produced, along with the office-based location for each of the new teams. These documents can be found here
Details of the feedback received during the consultation can also be found on ELMA
Here are some common themes
- In Achieving Change 555b, more clarity was needed on the progression route for Social Care Practitioners. Although the progression route is still to be agreed, it will be similar to AYSE, and existing experience and alternative qualifications will also be considered for progression. Apprentice routes will be agreed as part of the progression route design. Level 3 Care Managers will move directly to the Social Care Practitioner Level 2 job description, with no impact to salary, as they’re already in grade 7 posts.
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Safeguarding expectations within the new Social Care Practitioner job descriptions were queried. It was felt there should be clarification about what level of complexity Social Care Practitioners will be expected to deal with. We’re producing and engaging about practice guidance to explain what the expectation is regarding safeguarding for all roles within Adult Social Care and will now take the Social Care Practitioner job description for final approval at the corporate grading panel.
- There were queries about the inclusion of Mental Health Social Workers in the changes to job descriptions in Achieving Change 555b, and the omission of equivalent Grade 6 roles. We are going to additionally consult with both groups of affected mental health staff and their union representatives about whether to include them at this stage. Regardless, we remain committed to mental health social work being a specialist and valued function going forward.
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Preferencing within Achieving Change 555a was also a common theme. Preferencing guidance has been produced and individual queries answered.
- We’re committed to making the preferencing process as fair and open as possible, but it was also requested Trade Union representatives attend preferencing panels to act as a ‘critical friend’. At the request of Trade Unions, we have included the opportunity to ask for a preferencing decision to be reviewed if you feel a mistake has been made or it needs to be reconsidered.
- The overall approach to launching the Achieving Changes was felt to be initially rushed, with sessions scheduled as short notice. Responses to questions and updates to FAQs were also delayed at points. We’ve taken this feedback onboard and hope to improve how we communicate and deliver the next phases of the change programme. We also extended the consultation period to reflect this initial feedback to enable all staff to participate and engage in the process.
Equalities Impact Assessment. We’ve undertaken an equalities impact assessment and the document outlining this again can be found on ELMA. This is an ongoing process, and we’d value your comments and thoughts about how the changes may impact staff, customers and their families, partner organisations and other groups. If you’d like to help develop the Equalities Impact Assessment, please contact AHSCComms@sheffield.gov.uk.
Service Manager Preferencing
Service Manager preferencing was completed this morning, and we're delighted to say that these have been allocated to:
- Living and Ageing Well, North – Community, Care Homes: Michael Feely
- Living and Ageing Well, South – Community, Response and Enablement: Jo Pass
- Adults with a Disability – Residential, Nursing & Supported Living, CHC Team: Julie Pronesti
- Adults with a Disability - Provider Services: Tony Middleton
- Adults with a Disability – Community, Direct Payments Review Team - Vacancy
Permanent recruitment to vacancies will follow in due course, and we remain grateful to Barbara and Kathryn who continue to act up into Service Manager roles.
Next Steps
We’re now moving on to preferencing for Achieving Change 555a. Details are in the preferring guidelines, but we’ll be following these phases:
- Team Managers preferencing submissions, 17 – 24 October
- Team Manager allocation, 25 October – 3 November
- Social Worker & Care Manager preferencing submissions, 4 – 14 November
- Social Worker & Care Manager service allocation, 15 – 24 November
- Social Worker & Care Manager team allocation, 25 November – 7 December
If you’re included in one of the preferencing pools, you’ll receive an invite based on the timeline above to make your preferencing submission.
We feel these will be a big step forward in improving the outcomes for the people we work with and all our experience of work. As always, any queries or comments can be sent through to AHSCComms@sheffield.gov.uk – and we will continue to listen to your feedback. Thank you all for your ongoing hard work and dedication to the people we support.
 Please find below headline messages from Senior Officer meetings in the last two weeks.
Strategy Leadership Board – 26 Sept
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Improvement and Delivery Planning. Jo Wright set out an overview of how we bring together and deliver related work. This includes the Delivery Plan, outstanding actions from the One Year Plan, Budget Implementation Plans (BIPs), existing change programmes, and new initiatives for example around our organisational values, as well as how this connects with individual service plans. There is lot to deliver and SLB discussed the importance of finding ways to align this in the most effective way. Jo and the One Year Plan team are to come back with the next iteration.
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Local Plan. Michael Johnson and Simon Vincent briefed SLB on the latest draft of the Local Plan, in advance of Member engagement including through Local Area Committees. Approval of the Local Plan will be a significant milestone. It will cover how the city will deliver accessible and adaptable new homes, expectations around carbon reduction and sustainable design, and affordable housing.
Corporate Leadership Team – 26 Sept
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Reflections on budget - discussions at Committees, 2023/24 current position and next steps. CLT noted that early committee discussions were valuable in preparing for 2023/24. Further work is required to finalise a balanced budget for next year; energy costs are forecast to create additional pressure. Next steps include discussion at Strategy & Resources Committee to manage the cross-over between individual committees.
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Accommodation review. CLT received a brief from Tom Smith and Ben Brailsford on the strategic accommodation review. The council needs to move towards a focused, properly maintained, legally compliant set of buildings, in the right places, delivering what our customers need. Manager and staff engagement will be critical, as well as consideration of how we put our communities in the driving seat for some of the decisions.
Our Sheffield Board – 27 Sept
- This was the first meeting led by the new Chair of our Sheffield Board, Ajman Ali (Executive Director for Operational Services).
- The Board noted the status of current change programmes including delays in the Better Repairs programme (relating to the Total mobile system) and around payments for direct debits (customer portal issues for SMEs). Out of 146 risks being tracked only 13 have been reviewed regularly; project managers will be contacted to review risks.
- The Board received a brief from IT on hybrid working progress and future plans. Significant progress has been made but there is more to do. There was agreement that links could be strengthened with the accomodation strategy and staff wellbeing and engagement, and that we need to describe to staff the vision for the future work environment. In the short term, consistent principles around ways of working should be developed and shared with staff.
- Ajman noted that the Board has a leadership role around staff and culture and suggested that the Board considers regular communication with the wider organisation, for example through livestreams, or regularly inviting staff guests.
- The next Board on 11 October will consider in the round options for how change resources will be prioritised over the next 4 years.
Strategy Leadership Board – 3 Oct
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Food Strategy. Jess Wilson from Public Health set out the plans for the City's Healthier, Fairer, Greener Food Strategy. Many residents can't afford a healthy diet. Diet is commonly framed as an individual behaviour issue, but social and environmental factors strongly shape those choices. Actions in the strategy are therefore focused on structural solutions to what is a structural problem. There are links with work around the Cost of Living. There is strong Member interest across all parties. SLB agreed that the Food Strategy is cross-cutting and should be seen as a city strategy, not just a council strategy.
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Use of social media. Social media remains a relatively new phenomenon and it is important that staff are aware of how to use social media appropriately and in line with the statutory restrictions on politically restricted posts. Current guidance will be circulated to those officers. The comms team can provide further advice and guidance.
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Race Equality Commission – Sheffield City Council action plan. The Sheffield City Council action plan in response to the REC report is in development and scheduled to be discussed at December’s Strategy & Resources Committee. There has been strong engagement across portfolios, and it is important that this is a quality piece of work that does justice to the findings of the REC. SLB discussed areas to prioritise and agreed that the Strategic Equalities and Improvement Board (SEIB) would oversee and sign off the action plan before it is presented to committees.
Corporate Leadership team – 3 Oct.
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Future Sheffield. Kate Josephs briefed CLT on the proposals emerging from the Future Sheffield programme. Heads of Service will be briefed on 12 October.
Performance & Delivery – 4 Oct
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School inclusion. Tim Armstrong updated the board. Sheffield school attendance remains poor and was a priority in the One Year Plan. Vulnerabilities of children not in school are greater than for those who are. The data shows that substantial issues and complex needs underlying absence, and close working with health and mental health services is important. Lots of work is underway to improve Sheffield performance, for example an attendance campaign is in place, city wide KPIs are being established, and wide engagement across portfolios.
- A new ‘Team around the family’ approach linked to key geographical areas and targeting reducing inequalities is a positive development. DfE have given positive feedback about our approach. The Board were very pleased to see clear direction and timescales, (notwithstanding the limitations over council direct influence and control given the volume of academies in the city).
- The Board also discussed the enforcement approach including orders linked to intervention plans, further strengthened communications setting out the impact of absence to support behaviour/culture changes. Close working with services that have direct contact with families e.g., housing, repairs, environment teams, is essential, as well making connections with Cost-of-Living work.
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Risk. Samina Mahmood attended for Helen Molteno to provide an overview of Strategic Risk Management. Corporate risks have been reviewed in line with the principle of holding risk at the lowest levels, and there are now 16 risks in the Corporate Risk Management Plan. The Board supported this approach. The next level for risk management is at Portfolio level; given recent changes in the People portfolio leadership team, the risk team will work with People PLT to ensure everything is being covered. The Board felt that the current housing compliance risks and our response should be highlighted and referenced in the narrative.
 Thank you to those who were able to attend the Bitesize Dementia Learning Session on Dementia Day Activities on 29 September. If you weren’t able to attend, or would like a refresher, you can view the recording on Dementia Day Activities (sharepoint.com)
- Dementia Day Activities
- Presenters: Age UK Sheffield, Darnall Dementia Group, Care2Care, SheffCare, Sheffield City Council Practice Development
Recordings of the 4 previous Bitesize Dementia Learning Sessions from September are available to watch on Working with people with Dementia (sharepoint.com):
- What is Dementia?
- Presenter: Dementia Advice Sheffield/Enrichment for the Elderly
- What does ‘Dementia-friendly’ mean to you?
- Presenters: Sheffield City Council Dementia-focused Occupational Therapist and Sheffield City Council Information Service
- What can you do to support people with Dementia?
- Presenters: Dementia Advice Sheffield and Sheffield City Council Commissioning Service for People Keeping Well Dementia
- What can you do to support Dementia carers?
- Presenter: Sheffield Carers Centre
Karen with her husband, Kevin
Dementia Day Activities Overview Leaflet
The ELMA Adult Social Care Manual Dementia Day Activities (sharepoint.com) has been updated to include:
- A new quick overview leaflet of Dementia Day Activities services
- Eligibility criteria
- Referral routes
- Support provided (including personal care and transport)
- New maps showing areas covered, providers and locations
- Costs and days of the week
- Information for completing a Dementia Day Activities CPLI
Please take a look and familiarise yourself with the information.
Remember: Referrals go via Brokerage – no need for you to contact providers yourself!
 Practice Quality Standards - Update
Over the past few months, you’ll have heard how the Practice Quality Standards will help us to make the Adult Health &Social Care Vision and Strategy real, giving staff a tangible way of bringing the vision’s outcomes to life.
You might be thinking: “When do I see these Practice Quality Standards”?
To complement the materials, we’ve previously shared (the video, the Practice Quality Standards posters and the website) and we’ve been working hard on creating a handy E-book that you can keep with you and use in your daily practice. It’s going to be crammed full of ideas as to how you can start to make the standards happen in your work, no matter which area of Adult Health & Social Care you work in.
We hope that you’ll want to bring it to supervision, to team meetings, to team away days, and that it will stimulate conversation and reflection so we can all see how we can start to use the standards to make things better for the people we work with.
So watch this space, it's coming very soon! In the meantime, here’s a refresher of what we’ve created so far:
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Poster G:\People\information_and_advice\ahsc_vision\docs\ASC Practice Quality Standards.pdf
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A4 handout: G:\People\information_and_advice\ahsc_vision\docs\ASC Practice Quality Standards.pdf
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Video: G:\People\information_and_advice\ahsc_vision\docs\Final Practice Quality Standards video.mp4
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HTML page: G:\People\information_and_advice\ahsc_vision\main.html
 COVID – 19 Booster
You can now book a booster as a social care worker.
This is because you may have direct contact with people at higher risk from coronavirus (COVID-19).
 Safeguarding Awareness Week 2022
Our prevention work over the last 15 years has helped to reduce accidental house fires to historically low levels. But in common with most other Fire & Rescue Services nationally, recent years have seen a slight increase in fatal accidents.
We are committed to making South Yorkshire Safer & Stronger and have a duty to promote fire safety, particularly to those who are the most vulnerable or experience barriers in accessing our services, but we know we cannot tackle fire safety issues alone.
Analysis of each incident has found common factors involved in almost of all our recent fire deaths, such as hoarding, social isolation, and substance misuse and mental health problems. For reasons such as these, many house fire victims were already known to at least one other agency. Sadly, in most cases, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue was not one of these agencies.
Most of these deaths could have been prevented but we need your help.
As part of Safeguarding Awareness Week for November 2022, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is offering some open sessions for our Partner Safer South Yorkshire Referral Training on MS Teams for current and potential partners.
We will also be delivering sessions looking at Hoarding, Emollients and Air Flow Products – Know the fire risks.
Sessions will be bookable through Eventbrite and places are limited.
To book onto a session please follow the links below:
Please do not share these links outside of your organisation as they are not public facing sessions.
Eventbrite Booking - SYFR Safer South Yorkshire Referral Training
Eventbrite Booking - SYFR Hoarding, Emollients & Air Flow Products - Know the Fire Risks
Useful contacts
Toni Tranter – Partnership Manager E: ttranter@syfire.gov.uk
Peter Jones – Partnership Officer (Sheffield/Barnsley) E: pjones@syfire.gov.uk
Nichola Rodgers – Partnership Officer (Doncaster/Rotherham) E: njrodgers@syfire.gov.uk
General referral and training enquiries – safe&well@syfire.gov.uk
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