Issue - meetings

- report of Shona McFarlane, Director of Health and Wellbeing

(as considered by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care on 23^rd July, 2012)

Consideration was given to a report presented by Shona McFarlane, Director of Health and Wellbeing, Neighbourhood and Adult Services, concerning the range of day care services for adults and older people with a learning disability. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care report ‘Day Services Review’ dated 13 February, 2012, outlined savings targets for the Council’s Day Care Services, which included a savings target of £150,000 for Learning Disability Day Care Services.  The report identified options to achieve this savings target and outlined the need for further work in respect of the longer term personalisation of Learning Disability Day Care Services, to ensure that they aligned to local and national strategic direction and provided value for money.

The report included proposals to: -

·        Change the provision of meals in the Day Care Centres;

·        Staffing restructures.

Reference was also made to Minute No. 18 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Adult Social Care held on 23^rd July, 2012, concerning the review of Learning Disability Day Care Services and the savings target.

Discussion ensued, and the following issues were raised: -

·        Assurances were requested from the Director of Health and Wellbeing that the proposed staffing restructures would continue to mean that service users had their care plans met and that they were safe whilst accessing Day Care Centres;

·        Communications with staff groups and unions;

·        Communications with service users;

·        Skill development opportunities for service users were within the proposals;

·        Stakeholder responses to the consultation were being responded to by Health and Wellbeing Service Managers and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care;

·        The proposals did not have any implications for the Partner organisations that worked within the Day Care Centres but they had been made aware of them. 

The Director of Health and Wellbeing confirmed that the proposals aimed to have least impact on those who accessed front-line services. 

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and the background and history to this issue be noted.

(2) That the proposals to achieve the financial savings for the Learning Disability Day Care Services during the current 2012/13 financial year, as detailed in the report now submitted, be approved insofar as the Health Select Commission was concerned.

(3) That the proposed report to Cabinet Member, Adult Social Care, outlining the longer term strategy for the Learning Disability Day Care Services, be submitted to a future meeting of the Health Select Commission.