Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to a report of the Business Finance and Commissioning Manager on a requirement to develop and enhance the information and advice available to people who self fund their care.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection included the following issue as an area for improvement in its 2006/07 Annual Performance Assessment of Social Care Services for Adult Services for Rotherham.

‘Completing the work to establish how many self funding people access services without an assessment to judge whether there is a need to further promote the availability of assessments’.

The report gave an update of the progress to date and set out an Action Plan (Appendix 1) to improve support provided to self funders.

People who self fund their care are entitled to have an assessment of need.  A range of support mechanisms are in place to assist people to make an informed decision.  There is a requirement to develop and enhance the information and advice available to self funders.

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment of residential and nursing care provision identified that there are 320 people in care homes who fund their own care.  Of these, 118 (37%) accessed the service with a needs assessment, 202 (63%) people made their own arrangements. 

The Directorate needs to do more to assist the majority of these self funders who take up residential care placements without having an assessment.

A more detailed survey of self funders is being undertaken to inform how the Directorate can improve the support it provides to self funders.

There are a number of initiatives in place to support self funders in Rotherham.  These include:-

v     Access to the Deferred Property Scheme

v     An independent advocacy service specifically for people entering or living in residential care

v     A Nursing and Residential Care Information Directory booklet

v     Information on the Council’s website

The impact of these initiatives and the implementation of the Action Plan will enhance the support already provided to people who self fund their care.

There is a risk that failure to improve support to self funders could impact on the Directorate’s Performance rating and the Council’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) rating.

Members raised questions with regard to:-

-                       Out of Authority placements

-                       Independent advocacy service and rate of referrals

-                       Social Worker caseloads and role of In Care Team

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2)  That the Action Plan (Appendix 1) be agreed.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Health and Wellbeing which set out progress on the implementation of the Intermediate Care Review.

The Adult Board endorsed the recommendations of The Intermediate Care Review on 11^th October 2007.  Subsequently the Joint Commissioning Team has developed an implementation plan, aimed at achieving the key objectives set out in the review. 

Despite some delays due to the failure to appoint to the newly agreed Joint Service Manager post, remedial actions are now in place to bring the plan back on target.

The report summarised progress with regard to:-

v     Establishment of pooled budget arrangements

v     Joint Commissioning arrangements

v     Service reconfiguration

Particular reference was made to the service reconfiguration and complete review of the Community Rehabilitation Team. 

One Member referred to the need to progress the Sheltered Housing Review as a matter of urgency and to the role of Wardens and Home Carers in preventative work.

Resolved:-  (1) That the implementation of the Intermediate Care Review be noted.

(2) That a report on pooled budget arrangements and percentage split between the Local Authority and Rotherham Primary Care Trust be reported to Members prior to acceptance.

(3)  That the report be submitted to the Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel.

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

The Director of Health and Wellbeing gave a verbal report on the current situation with regard to investigations into allegations of incidents at residential homes.

The meeting was informed of staffing issues and the timescale of the investigations.

Members raised a number of questions which were responded to by the Director of Health and Wellbeing.

Resolved:-  That the verbal report be noted.

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information which could reveal the identity of an individual).