Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Jackie Warburton
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Minutes of the previous meeting held on 27th April, 2009 Minutes: Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting held on 27th April, 2009 be approved as a correct record. |
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Champion for Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairment Minutes: Consideration was given to a report which sought approval for the creation of a Champion for Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairment and to nominate a member to undertake the role.
Resolved:- (1) That the Cabinet Member agrees to the creation of a Champion for Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairment
(2) That Councillor Frank Hodgkiss be nominated to undertake the role. |
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Representation of the Council on Outside Bodies 2009/10 Minutes: Resolved:- (1) That representation by Members on outside bodies for 2009/10 be as follows:
Monthly Visits of Inspection to Adult Services Establishments
Renewal or Discharge of Guardianship Order Panel
Contracting for Care Forum
Domestic Violence Forum
Champion for Older People Councillor Walker
Champion for Carers Councillor R S Russell
Champion for Learning Disabilities & Safeguarding Adults 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) That representation on the Rotherham Women’s Refuge be considered at the next Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel. |
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Home Closure Rothwel Grange Additional documents: Minutes: Shona McFarlane, Director of Health and Wellbeing presented the submitted report which advised Elected Members of the outcome of the recent consultation exercise that had been undertaken at Rothwel Grange regarding the in principle decision to close the home.
Consultation had taken place with residents, relatives, staff and trade unions on the proposals over a period of approximately 6 weeks to ascertain their views on the proposed closure. There was considerable understanding from all those consulted, why this home could no longer continue to operate as a viable service. This was due in the main to low occupancy levels and the upgrade costs that would be required to fully meet Care Standards Act 2000 requirements.
Whilst there had been concerns raised by all those likely to be affected by the proposals, relatives had advised that they wished for residents to be moved to a new home of choice as soon as possible.
Staff members and their Trade Union representatives had raised concerns in relation to redeployment opportunities. 1 to 1 meetings had been held with staff on site the first week in May to explore staff preferences and available options that may be open to them upon the closure of the home. A protocol for these meetings was agreed with the Trade Unions and Human Resources consistent with the Council Policy on redeployment of staff.
A social worker had been allocated at the request of all the relatives to undertake a review of the needs of all residents to facilitate the transfer of all long stay residents to new homes as a matter of priority.
A question and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and discussed:-
Resolved:- (1) That the closure of Rothwel Grange be finalised
(2) That the closure of Rothwel Grange by December 2009 be approved
(3) That the transfer of Intermediate Care Provision to a unit within one of the new residential care homes by December 2009 be approved
(4) That a further report be presented to the Cabinet Member in relation to relocation of staff following the closure of Rothwel Grange. |
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Minutes: Shona McFarlane, Director of Health and Wellbeing presented the report which provided an update on the ‘Access All Areas’ launch event which took place on 27th March, 2009 at the Silverwood Miners Welfare Centre in Dalton.
“Access All Areas” is a scheme which provides 30 day work placement opportunities to disabled people which can be worked either as 6 full weeks or over a longer period on a part time/flexible basis depending on the needs of the individual and the Department. There were currently 46 placements available across RMBC and partner organisations.
The Access All Areas event was arranged following discussions between the Health and Wellbeing’s Learning Disability Service and Strategic Human Resources. It was organised on a ‘market stall’ basis and people with a disability or supported disabled people were invited to attend the event on a ‘drop-in’ basis.
Stalls were operated by a range of organisations offering placements:
In addition the following organisations had offered placements but were unable to attend the event:
A number of other agencies attended the event to answer questions, provide information and promote their services:
Following expressions of interest, made on the day, assessments for each individual were made to determine which would be the most appropriate placement.
Members welcomed the report, but expressed concerns about whether employers would take advantage of disabled people and asked whether there were measures in place to monitor them. It was confirmed that Strategic HR would be responsible for monitoring employers.
Members felt that it would be beneficial to receive regular updates in relation to this and it was agreed that these would be presented every six months.
Resolved:- (1) That the report be noted and the projects intentions supported
(2) That Elected Members commit to offering a range of work placement opportunities for disabled people across the directorate
(3) That the Cabinet Member receives 6 monthly updates in relation to this. |
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Personalisation Plan and Action Plan Additional documents:
Minutes: Tom Sweetman, Innovation Manager gave a powerpoint presentation in respect of Personalisation.
The presentation drew specific attention to:-
A question and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and discussed:-
Resolved:- (1) That the Cabinet Member support the Personalisation Plan and the work being undertaken in respect of it
(2) That further consultation be undertaken with customer to progress the Plan
(3) That a report be presented to the Adult Services and Health Scrutiny Panel in October/November 2009. |
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Revenue Outturn Report 2008-09 Additional documents: Minutes: Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Adult Services) presented the submitted report to inform Members of the Revenue Outturn position for the Adult Social Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate for the financial year 2008/09.
The 2008/09 approved cash limited budget of £69,738,124 included an additional one-off budget allocation approved by Cabinet of £997,000 to address services pressures reported earlier in the financial year.
The net Outturn for the service for 2008/09 was £69,697,361 which resulted in an overall net underspend of £40,762 or -0.06%. This represented an increase in the underspend compared with the last budget monitoring report which was largely due to additional income from Transport contracts and a further underspend on extra care housing.
The main variations within each service area can be summarised as follows:
Commissioning & Partnerships (+£34k)
There were a number of under and overspends within this service area, mainly around the income budget pressures in respect of performance and planning posts transferred from Neighbourhoods. These were offset by a number of management actions including additional income from health, non-recruitment to vacant posts and maximising grant funding.
Assessment & Care Management
Older People (Independent) (-£856k)
The overall underspend within this service area was in respect of a number of vacant social work posts, an overall underspend on the Intermediate Care pooled budget and an underspend on independent Home Care budget due to delays in the implementation of shifting the balance of domiciliary care from in-house provision, as a result of the extended consultation period with employees and Trade Unions.
Physical and Sensory Disabilities (+£265k)
The main pressures during the year were a continued increase in both number and cost of residential placements and a further increase in demand for direct payments, which was reduced by an additional one-off budget allocation as part of the revised estimates process.
Independent Living (-£129k)
The underspend within this head of account was a result of the reconfiguration of Extra Care Housing provision and the review of existing resources with the opening of the third unit at Bakersfield Court in February 2009.
Health and Well Being
Older People (In-House) (+£808k)
The main overspend during the year was within In-House Home Care services due to the delays in implementation of shifting provision to the independent sector to 65%, agreed as part of the budget process for 2008/09. As at the end of March the market share in the independent sector was 58%. This overspend was reduced by a one-off supplementary estimate, underspends within in-house residential care due to delays in moving to the two new units which opened in February 2009 and also an underspend within in-house transport services due to additional income from contracts.
Learning Disabilities (-£277K)
The overall underspend within the service was mainly as a result of 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 due to difficulties in obtaining suitable accommodation.
Mental Health Services (+£113k)
The overspend within ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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Capital Outturn Report 2008-09 Additional documents: Minutes: Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Adult Services) presented the submitted report which informed Members of the Capital Outturn against approved budget for Adult Services for the 2008/09 financial year.
The Capital Outturn for Adult Services for the financial year 2008/09 was £8,687,786 against an approved budget of £9,112,781, which resulted in an overall underspend of £424,995. The main variations from budget were underspends on the two new residential care homes at Rawmarsh and Dinnington and slippage on developing supported living schemes in Mental Health Services.
The following information provides a brief summary of the Outturn position for each project:
Older People
The construction of the two new residential care homes was completed during the year and both homes became fully operational in February 2009.
The procurement of Assistive Technology equipment including lifeline connect alarms, low temperature sensors and fall detectors would enable more people to live independently in their own homes. The spending profile was revised during the year and the balance of unspent funding carried forward into 2009/10 to meet future commitments.
A small balance was carried forward from 2007/08 from the specific grant for Improving the Care Home Environment for Older People allocated by the Department of Health to improve the environment within residential care provision. The grant had been allocated mainly across the independent sector however, a small balance remained and had been carried forward into 2009/10.
Adult Services - Learning Disabilities
The refurbishment at Addison Day Centre was completed during the year funded from the Council’s Strategic Maintenance Investment fund. The refurbishment at REACH Day Centre was delayed due to insufficient funding and would now commence early in 2009/10.
Adult Services – Mental Health
A large proportion of the Supported Capital Expenditure (SCE) allocation had been carried forward due to difficulties in finding suitable accommodation for the development of supported living schemes. Suitable properties continued to be sought and spending plans were being developed with our partner, RDASH. Further options were being considered to provide more intensive supported living schemes with a range of providers and to fund a range of new assistive technologies for mental health clients, which would allow clients to live in the community with access to 24 hour support.
Management Information
The final balance of the Improving Information Management Grant was fully used during the year to develop Electronic Social Care Records working with the Council’s Strategic Partner, RBT.
A new Social Care IT Infrastructure grant was awarded in August 2008. This grant had been carried forward into 2009/10 to also fund the development of Electronic Social Care Records which was scheduled to be completed by the end of July 2009.
Resolved:- That the 2008/09 Capital Outturn report for Adult Services be received. |
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The Supporting People (SP) Programme Additional documents: Minutes: Tim Gollins, Strategic Commissioning Manager presented the submitted report in relation to the Supporting People (SP) Programme.
As part of the 2008/09 Local Government Finance Settlement Ministers announced changes to the funding of the Supporting People grant.
For 2009/10 the SP programme would be paid as an unringfenced named grant. Lifting the current ringfence from the grant meant paying funds to local areas without the current grant conditions.
As the grant remained a specific named grant for a further year (2009/10) there would be some grant conditions applied, although these would not state how the funding should be spent. Communities and Local Government were shortly to consult on the revised grant conditions.
A package of measures was being developed to support LAs during this period of change, including a financial modelling tool, which would provide evidence at a local level on the financial benefits of investment in housing support.
An Audit Commission report was due out in the spring of 2009 to inform LAs on the content of the transition package.
In 2010/11 the grant would be paid as part of the Area Based Grant which would mean the funding would be delivered in one single payment made to council’s each month. From 2010/11 the SP programme would not exist as a separate named funding stream.
The implications of the changes meant that from April 2009 governance structures for the programme grant could change, and that there were opportunities to commission services that had previously been outside the remit of Supporting People.
SP Commissioners consider that current Commissioning Group governance structures should continue during 2009/10 to make sure that fair and transparent decisions continued to be made about allocations of funding available, and pursue delivery of the agreed 2008-13 strategic priorities.
Resolved:- (1) That it be noted that there will be a seamless transition to governance arrangements for the Area Based Grant from April 2009
(2) That it be noted that the currently established commissioning structures for Supporting People are to be maintained until March 2010 to deliver the 2008-13 Supporting People Strategy. |
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Voluntary and Community Sector Review Additional documents:
Minutes: Tim Gollins, Strategic Commissioning Manager presented the submitted report which summarised the contract review process for the voluntary and community contracts held by Neighbourhoods and Adult Services and the recommendations and main findings.
The services identified at Appendix 1 were all contracted on a block basis. This meant that the council purchased the service on behalf of the customer who was then offered a place on the service. This mechanism for customers accessing services was not personalised and in some instances needed to be changed. This was a recommendation for Sense Supported Living, Age Concern Handyperson Service and Crossroads Sitting Contract.
A second set of contracts needed their service specifications tightening to be outcome led, after which a tendering exercise would be undertaken in order to deliver better value for money. These contracts were Age Concern Advocacy, the Carers Forum, Alzheimer’s Support Group, RNIB Information Service.
The contract for Sense required full renewal of cost and volume purchase basis because of the essential function of the service performed, RNID Communications Service needed to be re-contracted and the RNID equipment services needed to be re-organised as demand and complexity meant the current specification and operating model required updating. This would be done in partnership with RNID over the next year, resulting in a revised service which could be tendered.
A key factor in the review was strategic relevance of the services in light of personalisation in particular and the approach to deciding this as led by a set of working priorities. Over the next six months these working priorities would be revised and replaced by a comprehensive strategic commissioning approach, which was being developed in partnership with the Voluntary Sector led by Voluntary Action Rotherham.
Resolved:- (1) That the content of the report and the work being undertaken by each provider on their contract be noted.
(2) That the work being undertaken to develop a strategic commissioning framework for the VCS be noted. |
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Exclusion of the Press and Public 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 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the Council)).
Minutes: 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 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended. |
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LAC (DH) (2009) 3 – Charges for Residential Accommodation Guidance - Amendment No 28 (herewith) Minutes: Shona McFarlane, Director of Health and Wellbeing presented the submitted report in relation to charges for residential accommodation.
Resolved:- That the report be received and its content noted. |