Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Julie Cooper, Heesom, Jones and Parker.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on

Resolved:     That the minutes of the last meeting held on 3 December 2018 be agreed as a correct record.

To receive feedback from members of this committee who attended the meetings of the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee

Agreed:         That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2019 be agreed as a correct record.

Sergeant McGrath provided an update to councillors on Monkey Dust, which is a Class B drug and a chemically produced cathinone. It is usually sold as a white / off-white crystalline powder. There is currently no capability to test for Monkey Dust within Staffordshire Police and therefore it has to be sent to a laboratory for testing. There is no Home Office approved kit to test in custody.

Monkey Dust is cheap to buy and has strong effects in small doses.  Effects include delusions and hallucinations which have been known to lead to risk taking behaviour, agitation, elevated heart rates, paranoia, combative behaviour and a compulsion to redose.

The first seizure in Staffordshire was in August 2016 and there has been high profile media reporting on users and perceived availability of the drug.  The incidence of drug related police call outs had decreased significantly since Christmas 2018 following actions abroad to close down the supply chain and work with partners locally to identify suppliers and users, which led to police operations and enforcement action resulting in a number of arrests and seizures from properties where Monkey Dust had been found. 

There have been no formal reports of the drug being used within schools and the community led Time to Change initiative has assisted in informing the community how to report suspected involvement in drugs and in disseminating information.

The Police and Crime Commissioner has written to the Home Office to request reclassification of Monkey Dust to a Category A drug and it is hoped that this will also influence them to invest in the provision, and supply, of a testing kit for use by all police forces.

Fergus Lees from One Recovery, the service commissioned to deliver substance misuse support in Staffordshire, informed councillors how the drug was considered to be addictive and whilst it had been described as prevalent locally, there had been very few referrals to the service.  There have also been no referrals to Staffordshire T3’s young person service to provide support around the use of Monkey Dust.

Members commented on the strength of successful outcomes from the Partnership working in the borough. 

Sergeant McGrath added the police welcomed the opportunity to attend the meeting to present factual information and dispel myths regarding use and availability of the drug locally.

Agreed:         That the Cabinet Member be requested to write to the Minister at the Home Office responsible for drug classification to ask that Monkey Dust be classified at Category A, a copy of the letter to be sent to the Staffordshire Commissioner for Police Fire and Crime.

Representatives from the North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Stoke on Trent Clinical Commissioning Group presented to members on proposals to deliver services differently and transform health and social care within Northern Staffordshire.  The consultation focussed on community based services in Newcastle under Lyme, Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands. 

Members were concerned that the preferred Option 6 had the appearance of being the most cost effective due to none of its costs being highlighted and there being no investment and expenditure costs recorded.  However, from the information contained within the other documents provided costs for this option amounted to £4.3m per year by 2022/2023 for care home costs.  Given this, Option 5 would actually be the most cost effective in the long term based on the presentation and all the supporting documents provided along with the presentation with an investment cost of £1.5 m.  The slide presentation was therefore considered to be incorrect and misleading.

Members also raised concern at the ability to make sure those patients who received their day to day care in the care homes (as set out in Option 6) were given the same level of care expected and set by the NHS.  Whilst the CCG Group could commission staff to check on a monthly basis the standards of care being provided it would be more difficult to ensure this standard was upheld on a day to day basis as compared to it being provided in hospital, reasoning that the majority of staff that would be responsible for the care of these patients in the home were not trained by the NHS nor under their continuous supervision.  Also a comparison of the amount of training that goes into the individual providing most of the day to day care in care homes compared to a hospital is hugely more intensive for hospital staff and in line with the standards set by the NHS.

Members concluded that it seemed illogical for the CCG to choose Option 6 as the most suitable option as not only does Option 5 it appear to be the most cost effective method but also because it is the most suitable approach to ensure that the standard of NHS care is upheld.

.

Agreed:         That the consultation be noted.

In accordance with a request from members the Executive Director – Operations outlined the results of the Active Lives Children’s Survey undertaken by Sport England. According to the survey the amount of physical activity and sports that young people do within the Borough schools is similar and at times better than the national average.  Schools appear to be assisting young people to get more involved with sports and physical activity to a level which is very close to the national average and sometimes better for both indoor and outdoor activities.

However, Borough engagement outside of school in outdoor sports is lower than the national average.

In addition it was reported the early year’s district profile identified specific obesity levels across the Borough with a possible link to the deprivation index.

Members felt that the Walk to School initiative should be expanded with help and assistance from the resources used for the Walking Bus within the County Council 

To build on the work of the Borough Council and partners and to help inform ongoing work to engage would be participants in a compelling way that can enact behaviour change, support has been offered from the County Sports Partnership (SASSOT).  The work would involve various partner organisations as having a shared responsibility.

Agreed:         That the Cabinet be requested to look at the link between obesity and deprivation by ward and, together with partner organisations co-ordinate the development of a Borough wide strategy to improve take up of out of school sport and physical activity opportunities by young people.

The Scrutiny Officer noted that a report on safeguarding and a review of the work programme were due to be considered by members at the June meeting.

Councillor Gardner asked that a representative from Keele University student support service be invited to attend this meeting to explore how to work together and join up services within the Borough.

Any member of the public wishing to submit a question must serve two clear days’ notice, in writing, of any such question to the Borough Council.

There were no questions.

The Chair introduced Johnny Dee Sparkes, a student from Keele University who was on placement with the authority until May and had completed an analysis of the Active Lives Survey.

19 June 2019.