Agenda and minutes

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th February 2010 be approved as a correct record.

The Director of Health and Wellbeing presented the submitted report in respect of the closure of the Millennium Day Centre, the impact of service delivery and the way forward for this service over the next year.  The report also set out proposals for the relocation of the Talking Newspaper Service to alternative premises by April, 2010.

The Millennium Day Centre relocated to Parklea as a result of the closure of the substantive worksite on the 22^nd December 2009.  The relocation had been successfully undertaken despite some limitations with the building for delivering rehabilitative services.  The Learning Disability Services were due to vacate the premises by the end of February, 2010, which would enable the rehabilitation service to be delivered in accordance with the service level agreement and specification set out by the Joint Commissioning Team. 

The NHS Rotherham Capital Board had indicated that they were prepared to release £300,000 in capital funds to assist with the upgrade of the Millennium Day Centre subject to remedial works being completed by the Local Authority on the water and the heating at a cost of £125,000.  To date no schedule of dilapidations had been served on the Council.  The schedule of dilapidations would set out the remedial requirements that the Council may be liable for under the terms of the lease.

The circumstances in relation to the lease arrangements for the Millennium Centre and the Talking Newspaper tenancy were as follows:-

• The RMBC lease of the Millennium Day Centre will expire on 31^st March 2010.
• The Talking Newspaper occupied this centre based on a licence that coincided with the above leasing arrangements.
• Talking Newspaper’s occupation of the premises ceases on 30^th March 2010; although it was not a requirement to give them official notice, it was felt that it would be courteous to do so.
• The Talking Newspaper had a legal right to remain in occupation until 30^th March, 2010.  The room they occupied had been specially adapted to enable them to function, including a separate recording studio that was sound proofed and additional electrical sockets had been installed to enable them to deliver their core business.  Any move to another building would take up to 2-3 months to facilitate, at an indicative cost of around £15,000.
• It was proposed that they remained in occupation of the rooms at the Millennium Centre until 30^th March, 2010 and a decision was made on their future; they had been advised to use bottled water and toilet facilities had been made available for them at the adjacent Breathing Space building. 
• This would provide them some security for the centre until it was handed back to the NHS/PCT officially in March, 2010 and any heating and rental cost would be offset against any potential relocation costs for moving the Talking Newspapers operation with immediate effect.
• Weekly checks had been put in place to review the situation and to ensure that the building was maintained and we meet out obligations under the lease.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care reported that he had recently completed the Council’s e learning course on Safeguarding.

It was agreed that all Members of the Council be offered the opportunity of studying this course.

The Cabinet Member commended the arrangement, implemented after the idea had been raised via the Council’s employee suggestion scheme, whereby information posters are displayed in the male toilets in Council-owned buildings to raise awareness of prostate cancer and providing a contact telephone number for medical advice.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 (as amended March 2006) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Resolved:- That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (information relating to financial or business affairs).

The Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods and Adult Services presented the submitted report in respect of setting in-house residential accommodation charges for 2010/11.

The Council has a statutory duty to set a maximum charge for residential accommodation provided in Local Authority homes which had to reflect the costs of providing residential care including expenditure such as running costs and management overheads.

The report detailed the proposals for increasing the charge to service users for the provision of in-house residential care for the 2010/11 financial year, taking account of inflation.

Resolved:- (1) That the charges for in-house residential accommodation, set out in Appendix 1 of the report now submitted, be agreed.

(2) That these charges be effective from the 4^th April, 2010.

Further to Minute No. H71 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Health and Social Care held on 7^th December, 2009, discussion took place on the progress made against the recommendations of the 2008 social care Annual Performance Assessment (APA) inspection and process for Rotherham conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Specific reference was made to:-

- budget and service-related issues (eg: occupational therapy);

- the inspection’s recommendation relating to the number of people with a physical disability and/or sensory impairment who are helped to live at home;

- partnership working with NHS Rotherham.

Resolved:- That the progress update be noted.