Agenda item

At its meeting in July the Director had presented a report on Winterbourne View and the Board requested that an update report should be presented to every second meeting.

Members were reminded that Winterbourne View was an Acute Treatment Unit (ATU) for Adults with Learning Difficulties in South Gloucestershire that had been the subject of a serious case review.

The Director reported that Bromley had seven residents accommodated within hospital settings, admitted under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act.  Admissions under this section of the Mental Health Act provided a statutory framework for review with a minimum frequency of 12 months and gave each patient a named manager, local clinician and ensured patients received an Annual Care Management Review in addition to the Care Programme Approach Review.

Bromley had commissioned a joint group of CCG and LBB commissioners with the Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT) Joint Team Manager looking at the requirements of the Winterbourne View programme and to ensuring targets were delivered. It also works to ensure adequate planning for ATU users who wish to return home following discharge or who wish to settle in the locality of where they have been admitted. In addition advocacy services local to the person in the STU are engaged to ensure that patient views are heard.

The opening of a private ATU at the London Autistic Centre by Glencare provided in safeguarding alerts resulting in close scrutiny by LBB, the CCG, NHS London and NHS England.  Neither LBB nor Bromley CCG had any patients placed within the service, nor had any placements ever been made there.  The primary provision for local patients was Atlas House run by Oxleas Foundation Trust.

The Chairman commented on the numbers of acronyms used in the report and suggested that a glossary of terms be produced.  Members of the Board asked that the first acronym in reports is written in full but that the acronym can be used thereafter.  The Director agreed to take responsibility for producing the glossary.

Councillor Jefferys sought clarification in reference to 4.10, the opening of a private ATU at the London Autistic Centre by Glencare stating Bromley had closer scrutiny of the safeguarding alerts.  The Director explained this was scrutiny in a wider sense and not a specific role of Bromley. However as the local authority in which the facility is located, Bromley had a responsibility for ensuring safeguarding was effective. The management of the unit was accountable to the chair of the local adult safeguarding board for the safe operation of the facility.

In defining the client group the Director explained that it referred to both adults and children.  However clients with severe challenging behaviour amounted to less than 1% of those on the autistic spectrum. He added that, had there been a proactive approach, all the patients at Winterbourne could have been identified and treated before they reached adulthood;

RESOLVED that the report is noted and a further updated will be presented to the Board at its meeting in March 2014.