Redlands Liberal Democrats

Reading health matters

I've already trailed a number of the items that were discussed at Scrutiny this evening.

We had a big agenda: 16 items spanning a wide range of health, housing and community care issues in Reading.

We kicked off with our scrutiny review of the local ambulance service which we launched after the recent 'weak' rating by the Care Quality Commission. This was trailed on BBC Radio Berkshire and Reading 107fm.

The Trust representatives appeared to be feeling bruised after getting criticised by three local authorities within South Central Region about performance in rural areas (notably Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire).

We focussed on Reading issues (obviously) including questions about staffing, rising demand (5% in the last year)and how performance could be improved.

I'm grateful to Darren Bridgman, of the Bracknell Blog who attended the meeting and asked about staffing issues.

The other big item on our agenda was CQC's annual performance inspection of the Council's Community Care service.

As I mentioned recently there has been a step change in RBC's performance in this service area following last year's disappointing 1* rating.

The service is now rated 'performing well' by CQC. The star rating system has been dropped - councillors from all sides agreed tonight that this system had not benefited Reading (with it's focus on box-ticking).

HHCC Scrutiny Panel has played a key role in this turnaround: asking questions designed to get to the bottom of long-standing issues and driving improvement after years of complacency from Labour in Reading.

There are still two major areas where perfomance in this service lags behind other authorities: timeliness of social care assessments and delayed discharges from hospital.

I have actively campaigned for action on these issues in recent years.

And tonight I requested an update report be brought to our March meeting on how these issues are being tackled.

I pressed officers about the financial sustainability of the administration's plans for improving social care. With rising demand and increasing cost pressures this is a major issue. Inspectors noted in their report:

'Councillors and officers are clear that this [policy] was a planned, authorised and budgeted overspend to enable the council to deliver on ambitious plans. HOwever, it is important that in future years the improvements achieved in 2008/9 are sustained within the agreed year start budget allocation.'

This approach has been Labour's policy for years and I'm not convinced it's sustainable in the current financial climate. We need to anticipate demand better and redesign services to get the most for the residents - both in terms of quality and to achieve better value for money.

One of the other issues we discussed in detail at the meeting under the health bracket was so-called 'Talking Therapies' - a pilot programme introduced in Reading by the mental health trust, Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, last November.

This programme won funding for improved access to psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for people living in the Reading area.

Berkshire West PCT was one of 32 PCTs to pilot this project and it has been a terrific success.

We are very in lucky in Reading to get the chance to trial this programme. Media reports this week suggest it could be rolled out across the UK soon.

I put this issue on the agenda as I know that we must tackle poor mental health in Reading if we are going to improve public health and improve the quality of people's lives generally.

Earlier in the year I led a scrutiny review into concerns about mental health services for young people after local resident, Paul Farmer raised concerns with me as Chair.

Hospitalisation and medication are appropriate for some medical conditions, but not for all of them or for all patients.

This programme is specifically designed to help people suffering depression and anxiety disorders in Reading. 

Sadly these problems are very common - up to 15 per cent of the population suffer from these problems at any one time.

The 'Talking Therapies programme' is a radically different approach that is being rolled out in Job Centres, community centres and family centres across Reading.

And it is already having a really positive impact: 51% of patients who have been through the programme have recovered (50% is the national average). Other benefits that have been identified include:

• Better health and wellbeing
• High levels of satisfaction with the service received
• More choice and better accessibility to evidence-based services
• Helping people stay employed and able to participate in daily life better

There is clearly demand for these services in Reading - 1348 referrals have been received from doctors in the Reading area and 900 patients have been treated.

The team delivering the therapies are multi-lingual encouraging participation from people from a range of backgrounds and faiths.

i'm really pleased to see it is being extended: to include a 'Saturday Clinic' in Reading Walk-in health centre from Jan 2010. An employment co-ordinator and advisor is starting this month and a Post Natal Depression service is starting (also this month) in Whitley family centre.

Self-referral will soon be open to all and the Service is moving to a permanent base in Shinfield health centre from 16 December.

Access to good quality healthcare is a major issue in many parts of Reading so it's great to see these services at last being made widely available.

There has been much in the news this week about the link between poverty, worklessness and poor mental health.

Research has shown people living in deprived areas have been shown to suffer more severe mental and other health problems.

This can have a big knock on effect on other areas of people's lives - such as finding work.

In the past councilling and access to CBT has historically been in short-supply: expensive and limited to those who can afford it.

But programmes like this need to be extended to more people if we are going to find ways to reduce the number of people suffering from mental health problems and the issues that are closely linked to them.

Tackling these problems go to the heart of dealing with some of the major public health and quality of life issues in Reading.

To quote the experts on this health area we should be looking to support and sustain a 'mentally healthy' population in Reading.

These are not problems that can be solved over night we need to be imaginative and look at 'whole system' and 'whole person' or holistic - approaches.

We hear a lot about partnership working but there is no way that these public health issues can be tackled by one agency. They have an impact on all of us one way or another and they impact on health spending and Council spending in our area.

With this in mind, I will be writing to the Local Strategic Partnership highlighting this programme and urging RBC and Berkshire West PCT to continue to support it so that this good work can continue and more local people can gain access to this vitally important service.

I also plan to write to the Health Minister Andy Burnham drawing his attention to the success of this scheme and calling for continued financial support for it in the future.

Hexham Road: Time for a reality check, Evening Post

I've now had a chance to discuss issues raised by the Post in it's article on children drug dealing on Hexham estate with residents, Police and Council officers and it appears as I feared that this sensationalist article does not paint an accurate picture of life on the estate.

It would not be appropriate for me to go into detail here about what the Police told me about the case or the circumstances aroudn it. However what we did agree is that more work does need to be done to ensure we have an active Police presence on the estate.

This is something that local people and the Lib Dems have long been calling for and the Police acknowledge that we are not there yet.

I  have been campaigning some time to address this problem, with RBC, with a view to setting up a permanent base either on or near the estate. I am meeting officers shortly to try and speed this up.

I can report however, following discussions this week with RBC on the issues raised by the Post article on the ongoing work being done on the estate by RBCto reduce crime and reduce anti-social behaviour:

• The Neighbourhood Wardens actively patrol this area including carrying out block inspections and pass on any drug intelligence to TVP, the nuisance team and ASBAG'S - the wardens are also trained to remove discarded needles.

• The Youth Engagement Service is working on a number of projects based a Hexham Community Centre which have been very popular with local young people
• In conjunction with Groundworks RBC are looking at possible sponsorship of 6 local children from estate to attend residential outward bound/team building course. This work will be targeted at young people who have, for example, a sibling who is known within the youth criminal justice system.
• There are regular meetings of the Neighbourhood Action Group - local people have not identified drug dealing as being a priority issue to be dealt with (This is also reflected in the recent Hexham survey)
• The Nuisance Team is carrying out weekly Nuisance surgeries at Hexham Community Centre
• Tasking meetings are held every month, which the Nuisance officer & Neighbourhood Officer attend. This provides an opportunity of information sharing and discussing any concerns of individuals/areas.
• Joint visits are made with the Nuisance Team and PCSO or Neighbourhood officer as appropriate.
• An Anti-Social behaviour Groups (ASBAG) is held monthly, chaired by TVP
• Regular Estate Walkabouts are held involving local people, Neighbourhood officers and PCSOs
• There is CCTV on estate and we are working with TVP to highlight "hotspot" areas and to see if cameras are focussed on the 'right' areas.

It's fair to say that a few years ago the picture may not has been as rosy and Hexham estate did not get the attention it deserved by the Labour councillors for the area.

However, as a letter to the Evening Post acknowledged the active campaigning by the Lib Dems in the area has meant that the Council is now doing much more for local people on the estate, and the area is improving and will continue to improve, I am sure of it.

Drugs on Hexham Road

Hexham Road has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons today, with news of the arrest of a 13 year old for dealing hard drugs.

The Lib Dem team, working with the Council and the Police have been working hard over the past few years with local residents to change perceptions about Hexham Road, and articles like this obviously make that job more difficult.

However, there is clearly still a lot of work to be done to get drugs off the estate, and we are not in any way complacent.

In light of this, I have written today to senior officers in the Council, and Inspector Kevin Sinfield to seek reassurances on behalf of the local community that everything that can be done to tackle drug dealing in and around the estate is being done.

I feel it's important to underline the fact that while it is a cause for concern, this arrest is an isolated incident and does not reflect the neighbourhood as a whole. Although it is easy for journalists to magnify problems in Whitley, we know that drug-dealing is sadly a problem in many parts of Reading.

The local media have a responsibility not to increase stereotyping of places or communities. This latest article follows another negative article about Whitley which was published in the Post last November.

I know from speaking to people that that article upset a lot of people living and working in the area.

What today's article fails to mention is the strong community spirit on the estate, which I notice every time I talk to people who live there. The majority of children and young people on the estate are law-abiding and it does them a disservice to imply all local children are involved in drugs or crime.

As I have said before, the important thing is to improve opportunities for local people, particularly young people living on the estate so that they have equal chances to get on in life as people living in more prosperous parts of town, and real choices about what they do with their lives.

With the Council's Thriving Neighbourhoods Programme off the ground, and the recent survey of South Reading residents now completed there is a real opportunity for life to help make life better for local people.

And by that I mean improving access to a good education and better healthcare.

Both Labour and Tory governments have failed the people of South Reading and I'm glad that at last improving quality of life (and life chances) for people in South Reading is at the top of the Council's agenda in Reading.

Because let's be honest, drug dealing is closely linked to poverty and we cannot reduce drug dealing without tackling poverty, and the reasons young people turn to drugs.

This is about not only about the need to increasing Police presence in the area (to increase community confidence),  but also the Council taking active steps to improve facilities for young people and support for families.

We are very lucky to have an excellent youth worker from RBC on the estate, based at Hexham Rd Community Centre. His regular evening activity sessions for local young people are really popular and must continue.

A recent survey of Hexham Road estate revealed that the number one concern for local people is lack of Police in the area. The need for more visible policing is something I have actively campaigned on through my roles on the Safer Reading Campaign, North Whitley Neighbourhood Action Groups and as Chair of the South Reading Safer Forum.

The Neighbourhood Police team has undoubtedly made a difference, but we still need a Police base in North Whitley.

Hopefully soon the Evening Post will have more positive stories to write about Hexham Road.

Until then, we will continue to work hard to reduce the damage done by drugs to our communities by campaigning to ensure that the Police and the Council are putting in the necessary time and resources into the estate.

If you have concerns about drug dealing in any part of Redlands please ring crimestoppers free on 0800 555 111 or report crime via the online form.  If you would like to report any issues to the Neighbourhood Police Team please contact 08458 505 505.

News from nowhere

The Reading Chronicle online has picked up my comments about the recent Safer Communities inspection. The Chron's new website is still some way behind the Evening Post's effort, in my view. Let's hope the folks at the Chronicle get more news items online soon. I always enjoyed the Editor's blog although that seems to have stopped (I think it coincided with a change of editor!).

Anyway, from my point of view as a local activist it's a pity that local newspaper journalists come and go so quickly, usually after you've just built up a good relationship with them, shown them ward, flagged up some issues. I guess it's inevitable in a career where local newspapers are a stepping stone to bigger and better things. On a positive side I've met a lot of nice young journalists as a Councillor and most of them haven't got too cynical about Reading life (yet!).

I seriously considered journalism for a career when I graduated, but the years of work-experience and low pay that are part of the deal put me off. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to have done it and I envy those with the patience to stick at it. But after 4 years at University I had run enough debts that made the idea of having to rely even more on the Bank of Mum and Dad did not appeal.

Anyway, the decision was made for me when I was offered a job in Reading that meant I could afford to move out of my parent's house. And the rest, as they say is history!