Adult, Community Services and Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel
Wednesday 24 June 2009
ADULT, COMMUNITY SERVICES & HEALTH OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY PANEL
24 JUNE 2009
PRESENT: Councillors Mrs Endacott (Vice Chairman – in the Chair), Baskerville, Mrs Kemp (substituting for Councillor Meadowcroft), Lenton, Mrs Luxton (substituting for Councillor Mrs Evans), Majeed, Mrs Proctor and Mrs Yong
Also Present: Councillor Dudley
Officers: Mr Abrahamson, Mr A Brown, Mr A Scott, Mrs M Kirby and Mr M Taylor
PART I
01/09 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN
- RESOLVED UNAMINOUSLY: That Councillors Meadowcroft and Mrs Endacott be elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively of the Panel for the ensuing Municipal Year.
02/09 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs Evans, Meadowcroft, Mrs Napier.
03/09 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None
04/09 PERSONALISION WITHIN ADULT SOCIAL CARE
Members considered the report that was due to be submitted to Cabinet on 25 June 2009 on the development of personalised care services for adults in the Borough. Members were advised that Local Authorities were required to introduce personal budgets for all persons who were eligible for publicly funded community-based social care and support. Members noted progress made by the Transforming Social Care programme board, which had been charged with delivering the requirements of personalisation.
Members were advised that it was proposed that a limited scale live implementation of the core element of personalisation, known as “self-directed support”, be carried out in order to test and refine the process in advance of a full-scale implementation. Self-directed support would begin with all new referrals into the older peoples service group from 1st December 2009 and would be progressively introduced to other adult service groups between February and April 2010. In order to allow for a comprehensive evaluation of the phased implementation and to refine the process as appropriate, the conversion of the balance of existing service users to self-directed support would not begin until July 2011.
A draft contribution policy and guidance had been produced detailing how people with an assessed need for Social care would be charged for non-residential care services. The draft policy would go out to consultation in the Summer, with a report back to Cabinet on the results of that consultation in October 2009. Members expressed concern that the draft policy and guidance had not been issued to members of the Panel and requested that the matter be deferred from Cabinet to enable the Panel to formally consider the document. However, the Lead Member explained that he was reluctant to defer the item from Cabinet due to the need to progress with the consultation exercise. Notwithstanding, it was therefore agreed that draft Policy be considered by the Panel at its next meeting.
The Lead Member for Adult and Community Services and the Officers then responded to a number of questions. Members were advised that further work was required on the support process and further detailed proposals would be brought back to the Panel in due course. It was confirmed that all people receiving self-directed support during the trial period would be closely monitored and reviews would be carried out on a more frequent basis than usual to ensure that the system was operating successfully and an individual’s budget was being spent appropriately. Members were advised that the cost of the new arrangements would be neutral to positive and that the report would be amended accordingly.
RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Cabinet be advised that the Panel endorses the recommendations, in principle, subject to any comments from the Panel following detailed consideration of the draft Policy at its meeting to be held on 7 July 2009. Also, Cabinet to be advised that the Panel would be reviewing the draft policy and its implementation on an ongoing basis.
- RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion takes place on item 6 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 of part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.