Richard Webb Archives - The Stray Ferret

Adult social care finances “precarious” due to hospital discharge costsConcern over North Yorkshire Police’s decision not to attend all mental health call-outs

North Yorkshire Council has said it will ensure “suitable provision” is in place for authority-run services amid concern over police no longer attending all mental health call outs.

The government published an agreement with police and NHS this past week, which said forces would no longer attend callouts unless there was a “risk to life”.

The new approach aims to free up force time in order that those experiencing a mental health crisis are “treated by the most appropriate agency”.

However, the initiative has been met by concern with some council officials pointing out that some mental health services are already under pressure.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire Council’s adult care director, said that while the scheme, called Right Care Right Person, had “good elements” to it, it seemed to ignore the challenges that NHS services face.

In a post on his social media, he said:

“It seems to ignore the unprecedented challenges that many NHS mental health services are facing to deliver current services, let alone absorb more crisis work.”

2/3 local implementation. However, 3 key points for me: 1) it seems to ignore the unprecedentes challenges that many NHS #mentalhealth services are facing to deliver current services, let alone to absorb more crisis work, 2) it needs to engage with councils as a whole, not just https://t.co/RGC5oJTixv

— Richard Webb (@RichardWebbNY) July 28, 2023

He added that the scheme needed to “engage with councils as a whole” as there were implications for young people, housing and public health.

The Stray Ferret asked the council how this agreement would affect services run by the local authority.

In response, Abigail Barron, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director of prevention and service development, said:

“We are working closely with the police and health service partners to ensure that suitable provision is in place to support anyone experiencing a mental health issue.”

North Yorkshire Police said it had been operating the Right Care Right Person approach since January.

The initiative itself was first devised by Humberside Police in 2019 and was later adopted by other forces across the country.

At the time, Mike Walker, assistant chief constable at North Yorkshire Police, said:

“Our commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our communities is not changing and we will still attend where there is an immediate risk to life or a risk of serious harm.

“However, when agencies call us about issues which do not meet the threshold for police intervention under the Right Care, Right Person model, we will signpost them to the most appropriate service to take primacy.

“This puts the individual at the very heart of our decision making and means that a police officer is often not the right person to be providing this care.

“In some cases, we may need to deploy alongside medical or mental health workers where those agencies need to take primacy but there is still a risk to those involved.

“We realise this will mean some big changes for some of our partners, who have become used to calling us to help in these situations.

“That is why we have been working with mental health care providers, NHS representatives, local authorities and the ambulance service to let them know about our plans and give them plenty of time to make changes to the way they work.”

District care homes reduce services after unvaccinated staff forced to leave

Some care homes in the Harrogate district have had to cut back services because unvaccinated staff left rather than having covid vaccines.

The government made it mandatory for all care home workers to be vaccinated by November 11. It said this would protect people being cared for.

Richard Webb (pictured), corporate director for health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, told a media briefing this week that nine staff out of 2,000 at council-run care homes had refused to have the vaccine and therefore either had been redeployed or had their contracts terminated. Five of these were in Harrogate.

“That has caused some issues for us. We are obviously trying to replace people who have left us and that has meant we have had to downscale temporarily some of our day and respite services as people know them.

“We’ve put alternatives in place but that might be in a different location to your normal location for a break so we are in touch with families about that.”

Mr Webb said there were 500 care providers in total across North Yorkshire, adding:

“We’ve had approximately 240 people out of 20,000 who decided not to have the vaccination. Again, unfortunately they will be leaving social care. But overall that’s an incredible record and compares very well with many other places across England.

The county council began a social care recruitment drive Make Care Matter to plug the staff shortfall. Mr Webb said it had so far generated 170 applications and that 31 interviews were coming up and 14 people had been appointed to jobs.He said there would be a second recruitment phase after Christmas.

North Yorkshire care homes prepare for ‘cautious’ return to visiting

A “cautious and vigilant” approach will be used to ensure indoor care home visits can take place across the Harrogate district from tomorrow.

North Yorkshire County Council has written to all care providers to emphasise the importance of allowing visits, but adapting guidance to suit each setting.

Under government guidance, each care home resident can have a nominated visitor, and the county council is encouraging care homes to make the visits “meaningful” – at least 30 minutes. Trips outside with relatives should be particularly supported, the letter said.

Richard Webb, NYCC’s director for health and adult services, said:

“We must be cautious to keep everyone safe because past experience shows that the easing of restrictions can also lead to an increase in cases. We are still under national restrictions and so we need to be cautious and to avoid becoming complacent.

“The national covid-19 vaccination roll-out is also great news and the number of people who have received a vaccine so far is very encouraging.

“However, the vaccine’s main purpose is to prevent or reduce risk of death and serious illness. People who have been vaccinated can still catch or transmit Covid-19. New variants of Covid-19 may also be resistant to the vaccine and present new risks so we need to remain careful and vigilant.

“Everyone will need to co-operate to make indoor visiting a success. All visits will need to be planned and residents, families and friends are asked to be mindful that everyone will want their ‘fair turn’ for visits. This may initially limit the numbers of visits that are possible.”

Designated visitors will need to wear PPE and follow each home’s individual rules for safe visiting. Areas should be set aside with good ventilation and limiting the need for walking through other areas of the building.

Guidance suggests visitors can hold hands with their relative, recognising the increased risk of transmission, but discourages other close contact such as hugging. Care homes will still be able to allow “essential care givers” to offer personal and other care in some situations, where a resident’s illness or needs make it better for them to be supported by a family member.

Visiting will be cancelled in care homes which have outbreaks of covid cases, but essential care givers should still be able to visit, along with those seeing relatives nearing the end of their lives.

The council said its approach will continue to be guided by care home residents and their families as well as staff. Cllr Michael Harrison, executive member for adult services and health integration, said:

“We believe it is important that everyone who lives in a care setting should be able to see their loved ones and to take trips out into the community if they want to.

“Many providers have been working to support safe visits and this will step up a gear as indoor visits are allowed. Our job is to work with providers and give all the support we can to make sure this can be done safely to avoid any resurgence in Covid-19 infections.

“As before the lockdown, any arrangements for visits and trips must be consistent with national and local Covid-19 rules so that people are as safe as possible.”

Social media campaign to defy lockdown raises concern

Harrogate district businesses will be fined if they defy the national lockdown to take part in the ‘Great Reopening’.

Those leading North Yorkshire’s coronavirus response have picked up on a growing movement on social media. Organisers encourage people to approach shops and restaurants in their area with posters.

They are concerned of the impact on coronavirus infection rates and the NHS if people take part this Saturday.

Ten thousand people have joined the national group called the ‘Great Reopening’ on messaging app Telegram.

Richard Webb, director of adult care at North Yorkshire County Council, told a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum meeting that the council, police and other agencies would not hesitate to take action.

He said:

“Yesterday we were made aware of a campaign doing the rounds across the north of England which urges business to have what they’ve called a great reopening on January 30.

“First of all, can I thank all North Yorkshire businesses for complying with the closure requirements during lockdown. I know how tough it is for so many businesses both economically and on your health and wellbeing.

“My plea to all businesses is to ignore this campaign. There will be no great reopening on January 30. I would ask that you continue to act as you have been doing throughout this lockdown and before that and that we fight together this deadly virus.

“My warning to those who choose to take part in this campaign, the enforcement authorities the police, trading standards, environmental health and others will have no choice but to take enforcement action against you.”

Health chiefs call for patience on Harrogate district vaccines

Senior health officials in North Yorkshire have appealed for patience over the vaccination programme amid concern by some people about a lack of information.

Vaccination for the Pfizer-BioNTech jab got underway this month at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.

Several people who have been inoculated have told the Stray Ferret the process was smooth and efficient.

But we have also received numerous calls and emails from people wondering why they haven’t heard anything yet. Some have parents in their 90s.

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents agencies involved in tackling covid, urged people to be patient at a media briefing today.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services, said the NHS was working “as quickly as possible” to administer the vaccine and that residents should wait to be contacted by their GP or local NHS trust.

Mr Webb added:

“Our colleagues in the NHS are working around the clock to prepare to receive the latest batches of vaccines. Please be patient, it’s a massive logistical issue.

“They are moving as quickly as possible to get people vaccinated.”

The media briefing also revealed there has been a big increase in the number of people being tested at the covid testing centre in the Dragon Road car park in Harrogate.

Matthew Robinson, senior resilience and emergencies officer at North Yorkshire County Council, said that on December 21, 280 people were tested at the site, the highest daily total to date.

This is more than double the figure of some previous weeks, which reflects the growing spread of the virus.

From December 21-27 over 1,200 covid tests took place.

Council director resigns from art festivals board over devolution conflict

The director of health and adult services for North Yorkshire has resigned his role as a trustee of Harrogate International Festivals because of a conflict over devolution.

The Festivals put its support behind the east/west model for two unitary authorities in North Yorkshire, as advocated by the seven district councils including Harrogate Borough Council.

However, Mr Webb’s employer, North Yorkshire County Council, favours a single unitary authority for the county, causing him to stand down from his role as a trustee. Following his resignation, Mr Webb said:

“I resigned as a trustee of Harrogate International Festivals following a board decision to support the east/west local government re-organisation bid by district councils.

“Whilst I am personally a strong supporter of the county council’s bid for unitary status, and believe it is the best way forward, the reason for my resignation from the festivals board was to ensure I avoided a conflict of interest.

“I absented myself from the board discussion on local government re-organisation, so that any conflict was avoided and I resigned once the decision had been taken. I had a series of constructive discussions with Fiona Movley, the chair of the Festivals, and we were both clear that there was no alternative course of action that I could have taken.

“Harrogate International Festivals does a great job and I wish them well for the future.”

Paying tribute to Mr Webb for his long-standing commitment to the festivals, CEO Sharon Canavar said:

“Richard has resigned from the board in line with appropriate conflicts of interest policies.

“He remains a great supporter of HIF, and we are immensely grateful for his contributions whilst a trustee. There was certainly no animosity and all handled in a positive manner.”

Harrogate International Festivals’ board includes an observer from Harrogate Borough Council. Its patron is HRH the Prince of Wales.

Both CEO Sharon Canavar and chairman Fiona Movley added their names and comments to the document in support of the district councils’ proposals.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Webb and North Yorkshire County Council for a comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

It is not the first time the document has caused conflict because of the names attached to it.

Other organisations to have been included North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lisa Winward and Chief Fire Officer Andrew Brodie of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Both were quoted as saying they supported the east/west model for two unitary authorities.

However, a joint statement from both was issued by the office of the police, fire and crime commissioner this week. It said:

“There has been disappointing and incorrect representing of our positions – and it is therefore only right and fair that we have the opportunity to clearly set out our position.

“We lead two of the emergency services which operate across North Yorkshire and the city of York – and work best when we work together across that area. The strength of this approach has been demonstrated throughout this year in our collaborative response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The ultimate decision about which model we may operate under in the future is not for us to take – this is a political decision. Our ongoing priority, whatever the outcome of the current debate, is to continue keeping the residents, businesses and visitors in North Yorkshire and York safe.

North Yorkshire tier downgrade next week unlikely, say health chiefs

North Yorkshire’s leading public health experts have cautioned against hopes the county could be downgraded to tier one before Christmas.

The government is due to review the tier system next week.

North Yorkshire, which is in tier two, has a seven-day average infection rate of 103 people per 100,000. This is considerably below the England average of 151.

The Harrogate district’s average is even lower at 93. It fell sharply in the second half of November but has stabilised lately.

Some local areas have seen virtually no infections for weeks but pubs and restaurants have stayed shut because of the tier restrictions.

This morning Richard Webb, director of adult care at North Yorkshire County Council, told a media briefing of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents key groups in the fight against covid, that case figures were “relatively stable”.

But he said they were still higher than he would like and the county needed to continue to get them down.

Mr Webb said:

“I suspect we may well see caution prevail just simply because everyone is worried about a spike in the New Year.

“But, let’s see. It is all to play for.”

Meanwhile, Dr Lincoln Sergeant, director of public health at the council, said he hoped the county will be downgraded after Christmas.

He added the county needed to get infections down.

Dr Sergeant said:

“It’s important for us to keep the momentum going. I think we can aim for getting to tier one, it’s certainly within possibility if we keep momentum going and if we keep working together.

“But we should not be disappointed if that doesn’t happen before Christmas.”

The briefing also revealed seven sites across North Yorkshire are expected to start offering the coronavirus vaccine from next week.

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the body which buys medical services in the county, said it will reveal the location of the sites once they are finalised.

North Yorkshire could enter tier two this week

North Yorkshire could move into tier two coronavirus restrictions by the end of the week, according to the county council’s director of health and adult services.

Richard Webb said this morning the situation in the county was “hanging by a thread” due to rising infection rates.

The Selby and Harrogate districts are particular problem areas, with seven-day infection rates of 230 cases and 203 cases per 100,000 people respectively.

Average infection rates in the county remain below the England average of 220 cases per 100,000.

But they are rising, which prompted Mr Webb to issue the warning at today’s weekly press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies that tackles emergencies. He said:

“The situation in North Yorkshire is now hanging by a thread. We are currently in tier one but that is really on a knife edge.

“We may even be in a situation at the end of this week where we move into tier two restrictions. But we are hoping that we can prevent that.

“We want to stay in tier one. It is better for livelihoods and for economic wellbeing. Today we are asking people to act now to save lives more than ever.”

Mr Webb said it would be up to the government to decide North Yorkshire’s fate.

People in tier two areas are prohibited from socialising with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting.

People in pubs and restaurants can only consume food and drink while seated. Takeaway food can only be bought after 10pm if ordered online or by phone.

The press briefing also revealed that Harrogate District Hospital has 12 coronavirus patients – three of whom are in intensive care.

Care home visits in district may be allowed after October

North Yorkshire County Council may allow visits to care homes after this month following a backlash from upset relatives.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at the council, wrote to care homes this week advising them to halt routine visits throughout October.

This prompted some members of the public, as well as Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, to say visits should be allowed to go ahead.

At a press briefing yesterday, Mr Webb said the council would set up a working group with relatives and care home providers to investigate ways that allowed people to visit homes after this month.

One possible solution, he said, would be to allow a nominated person to visit.

But Mr Webb added he “could not make any promises”.

One Harrogate resident, whose 99-year-old mother has dementia and is in a local home, contacted the Stray Ferret to say care home residents deserved better. She said:

“It is sheer cruelty and tragic to not address this problem and leave our loved ones to live out their last days alone and severely depressed, as is happening now.

“What we desperately need is adequate testing, which would enable one key visitor, who should be tested and treated in the same way as staff, to be allocated with unlimited access to each resident.’

The resident was critical of Mr Jones’ suggestion to Parliament that visits could take place behind glass screens or windows.

She said it would add to the confusion and frustration felt by residents with dementia, adding:

“It would most likely seriously distress them and add to the cruelty of this situation.”

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