Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 April 2008 were approved as a correct record.

This item was deferred until the next meeting on 9 June 2008.

Kim Curry, Director of Commissioning and Partnerships presented the submitted report in relation to the outcome of the tender for Domiciliary Care Services.

The contract structure for Domiciliary Care (independent Sector) was reviewed in 2007, in order to improve efficiency and capacity.  Arrangements had been made to tender for 7 block contracts based within the Area Assembly boundaries, for a 3 year period with an option to extend for up to 2 more years.  The split was made based around activity in each area as follows:

• Wentworth North                   900 hours per week
• Rotherham North                   900 hours per week
• Wentworth South                   800 hours per week
• Rotherham South                   800 hours per week
• Wentworth Valley                   700 hours per week
• Rother Valley West                500 hours per week
• Rother Valley South                600 hours per week

It was agreed that no single provider should be awarded more than 3 contracts to maintain a healthy market which could deliver the quantity and quality of services required now and in the future.

There was interest expressed by 21 companies, 16 of whom submitted full tenders.  An assessment process, assigning 50% of the score to price and 50% to quality, was applied and a shortlist of 6 was produced.  These companies were invited to attend a selection panel consisting of 3 Commissioning and Contracting Officers, a senior Operational Officer and 2 members of the public invited to act as “Independent Advisors”.

The panel agreed to the contracts being offered to the following providers and appropriate checks had been completed regarding financial viability, Health and Safety and operational references.

• Wentworth North                   Nestor Healthcare (Medico)
• Rotherham North                   Careforce Group
• Wentworth South                   Careforce Group
• Rotherham South                   Careforce Group
• Wentworth Valley                   Allied Healthcare
• Rother Valley West                Claimar Care Group PLC
• Rother Valley South                Claimar Care Group PLC

A beneficial outcome of the review and tender process was that the independent sector domiciliary care market would be in a better position following this tender to accommodate the move towards a 65% (independent sector) 35% (in-house sector) split for the provision of home care which was approved by Elected Members in December 2007.  Some of the unsuccessful bidders for contracts had decided to continue to work within Rotherham on a spot contract basis and these were CSCI registered and would be monitored continually to ensure quality standards were continually improved.  A fixed price for the financial year had been agreed with these providers and an annual uplift formula written into the contract to offer flexibility whilst minimising risk.

The percentage of work with the independent sector would increase as a result of the tender process and this would assist market stability by offering more guaranteed work to successful contractors.  Rotherham MBC would retain flexibility by keeping 25% or more work under spot contracts to facilitate the development of a competitive and sustainable market by utilising a number of providers on a variety of contractual arrangements.  This was recognised by CSCI as good practice.

The increased number of providers would improve prospects by attracting new workers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Shona McFarlane, Director of Health and Wellbeing, presented the submitted report in relation to the Excluded Adults Employment Plan.

The Service Plan 2007-10 had given a commitment to developing a Welfare to Work Strategy within Neighbourhoods and Adult Services in 2007/8. This had now been updated and revised to come in line with corporate and more modern terminology, which would now be known as an Excluded Adults Employment Plan.  She outlined the developments and actions that had been taken during the year and the approach for the further and ongoing development of supporting disadvantaged and excluded individuals into employment.

Each of the services within Adult Services had a plan or strategy that identified employment as a key development activity.  The Joint Learning Disability Service had in place a developed and recently revised Employment Strategy.  In the case of older people and people with physical disabilities, their actions in relation to employment were embedded in the Opening Doors and Older People “Wellbeing in later Life”.

The plans had been revised and brought together to form one plan for Neighbourhoods and Adult Services (NAS), and this would be developed further over the next year, with the Head of Learning Disability Services taking a lead on its development and delivery across the whole of NAS, with the intention of persuading and influencing employers to recruit from excluded groups.

Members welcomed the report but expressed concerns that Rotherham MBC should be leading by example.  It was felt that this issue had been raised on a number of occasions and that no progress had been made.  A request was made that the report be presented to the next meeting of CMT to remind them of their commitment to this.

Resolved:- (1) that the content of the report be agreed

(2) that commitment be made to the employment of people from excluded groups within NAS

(3) that an update report on achievement be brought to meeting in March 2009

(4) that this report be presented to the next meeting of CMT.

Resolved:- (1) That representation by Members on outside bodies for 2008/9 be as follows:

Monthly Visits of Inspection to Adult Services Establishments

• All Members of the Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel
• Senior Advisor, Adult Social Care and Health
• Advisor, Adult Social Care and Health
• Chair, Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee
• All Cabinet Members
• All other Members of the Council

Renewal or Discharge of Guardianship Order Panel

• Councillor Kirk, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health
• Chair, Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel
• Vice-Chair, Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel

Contracting for Care Forum

• Councillor Kirk, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health
• Senior Advisor, Adult Social Care and Health
• Chair, Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel

Champion for Older People, Adult Protection and Vulnerable Adults

Councillor Hodgkiss

Champion for Carers

Councillor R S Russell

Champion for Learning Disabilities

Councillor P A Russell

Community Liaison Group for WathWood Hospital

Councillor Gosling

Learning Disabilities Partnership Board

Councillor P A Russell

Regional Forums of the National Executive of the Homecare Council

Councillor Doyle

Rotherham Advice and Information Network – Board of Management

Councillor Jack

Rotherham Alcohol Advisory Service

Councillor Burton and Service Manager, Mental Health

(2) Representation on the Domestic Violence Forum and Rotherham Women’s Refuge be considered at the next Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel.

THE CHAIRMAN AUTHORISED CONSIDERATION OF THE FOLLOWING 2 ITEMS IN ORDER TO PROCESS THE MATTERS REFERRED TO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY

Mark Scarrott, Service Accountant (Adult Services) presented the submitted report to inform Members of the Revenue Outturn position for the Adult Social Services within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate for the financial year 2007/08. 

The 2007/08 approved cash limited budget of £63,255,905 included an additional one-off budget allocation approved by Cabinet of £974,000 to address service pressures report earlier in the financial year.  Budget adjustments had also been made to take account of the additional cost of Job Evaluation/Single Status during 2007/08.

The net Outturn for the service for 2007/08 was £63,046,206 which resulted in an overall net underspend of £209,699 (-0.33%).  The underspend had increased by £102,415 since the previous budget monitoring report, but this was largely due to a reduction in the overspend on older people’s residential care and independent home care budgets and a further underspend on extra care housing.

The revenue outturn position for Adult Social Services were listed within the report and the main variations within each service were summarised as follows:

Older People

The main pressures during the year were an increase in demand for Domiciliary Services over and above budget due to demographic pressures and a shortfall against budget in income from charges due to a reduction in the number of clients paying towards the cost of the service.  There were also pressures experienced in relation to achieving a number of voluntary and community sector savings which had been agreed as part of the budget setting process for 2007/08.  There were also underspends on independent sector residential care due to a net reduction in placements.

Learning Disabilities

The underspend within the service was mainly due to delays in planned transition placements from children’s services, increased income from Continuing Health Care funding and delays in the start up of new supporting living schemes.

Physical and Sensory Disabilities

The main pressures were due to the increase of both number and cost of residential placements and increased demand for home care and direct payments.  The pressures in relation to achieving a number of voluntary and community sector savings were reduced by the additional one-off budget allocation made as part of the revised estimates process.

Mental Health Services

An increase in demand and cost of independent residential care placements and Direct Payments during the year had resulted in an overspend within the service.  However this had been reduced by a number of efficiency savings being made, which included non recruitment to vacant posts and reviews on a number of service level agreements with providers.

Commissioning, Quality and Performance

Slippage on employee costs throughout the service and a one-off RBT ICT affordability charges had resulted in an underspend on this area.

Members referred to the amount of £42k which was 20% of the underspend which could be carried forward into 2008/09 as agreed at The Cabinet meeting on 9 April 2008.  They asked whether it would be possible to allocate these monies to reintroduce the talking newspapers and talking books.  The Director of Commissioning and Partnerships suggested  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Mark Scarrott, Service Accountant (Adult Services), presented the submitted report to inform Members of the Capital Outturn against approved budget for Adult Services for the 2007/08 financial year.

The capital outturn for Adult Services for the financial year 2007/08 was £11,217,415 against an approved budget of £11,675,047, resulting in an overall underspend of £457,632.  The underspend related to know commitments in 2008/09 for the further development of the two new residential homes at Rawmarsh and Dinnington.

Mark provided a brief summary of the Outturn position for each of the following projects:

• Adult Services – Older People
• Adult Services – Learning Disabilities
• Adult Services – Mental Health
• Management Information

The Chair expressed concern about the relocation of Rothercare.  The Director of Commissioning and Partnerships suggested that an update report be produced for Members and submitted to the next meeting on 9 June 2008. 

Resolved:- (1) That the 2007/08 Capital Outturn report for Adult Services be received.

(2) That an update report in relation to the relocation of Rothercare be submitted to the meeting on 9 June 2008.

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 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

Members considered a petition which was submitted from users of the Turning Point Day Programme at Sherwood House.

Janine Parkin, NAS Commissioning Manager, reported that though Sherwood House was owned by Rotherham MBC, it was leased out by Turning Point, and had previously been a residential rehabilitation unit for people with alcohol problems.  Until the end of March 2008 the PCT had commissioned a Structured Day Programme for people with drug and alcohol problems with Turning Point and RDASH, and this had operated out of Sherwood House. 

In December 2007 the PCT gave three months notice on the contract for service, as it had not met the expectations in the service specification.  The Joint Turning Point/RDASH Day Programme was terminated in March 2008.  Rotherham MBC did not contribute to the costs and have therefore not been formally involved in decommissioning the programme.

The PCT and Rotherham MBC would continue to meet the needs of all the individuals affected by the closure of the programme, and the Drug Treatment Joint Commissioning Group would agree a new service specification and a new tender process in the next few months to commission improved “wrap around” services.

Resolved:- That the petition be noted.

THE CHAIRMAN AUTHORISED CONSIDERATION OF THE FOLLOWING ITEM IN ORDER TO PROCESS THE MATTER REFERRED TO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY

Kim Curry, Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, presented the submitted report to the Cabinet Member on a proposed service development by a not for profit organisation, which may affect Rotherham Services.

Resolved:- That the concerns of Officers be noted.

Resolved:- That the next meeting be held on Monday 9 June 2008 commencing at 10.00 am.