Agenda and draft minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest made at the meeting.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th February, 2014.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th February, 2014, be approved as a correct record.

The notes of a meeting of the Rotherham Learning Disability Partnership Board held on 17^th January, 2014, were submitted for information

Consideration was given to a report presented by Jacqui Clark, Operational Commissioner, which provided information on Community and Home Care Service activity and quality for the period 1^st October to 31st December, 2013.

The report provided information on activity levels and quality monitoring outcomes for 2013/14 for services delivered by the Community and Home Care Services Framework.

Further information was provided on the framework activity, monitoring of quality, including concerns, defaults and embargos and an overview of concerns.

Discussion ensued with the following raised/clarified:-

-          Work was being undertaken on the reasons for 216 leavers from Independent Home Care

-          The 34 investigated concerns had included missed calls, equipment moving and handling, medication issues, delay/failure to report an incident, records, quality of care, staffing issues and management

-          Analysis was being undertaken of the “15” minute calls

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That the report be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the Contracting for Care Forum.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Jacqui Clark, Operational Commissioner, which provided an update on the annual report on residential care activity for the period 1^st October to 31st December, 2013.

The report provided information on occupancy levels and quality monitoring outcomes for 2013/14 for services delivered by independent and in-house residential and nursing care homes.

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

-          Vacancy levels were adequate to meet surges in demand over the Winter period

-          Relatively high occupancy rates in Dual Registered Care Homes providing Dementia care

-          Positive outcomes by providing lengthier rehabilitation sessions was evidenced by the percentage of people discharged from intermediate care to residential care remaining low at 2%

-          36 of the 130 new concerns had been substantiated and included inadequate care records, delay in reporting issues, environment/equipment, finance, medication, quality of care and staffing

-          Request to have a pharmacy technician in the 2 Local Authority residential homes as a pilot to ascertain information regarding medication waste

Resolved:-  (1) That the report be noted.

(2)   That the report be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the Contracting for Care Forum. 

Consideration was given to a report presented by Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Neighbourhoods and Adult Services), which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to the end of March, 2014, based on actual income and expenditure to the end of January, 2014. 

It was reported that the forecast for the financial year 2013/14 was an overspend of £538,000 against an approved net revenue budget of £72.803M. The figures contained within the report included the recently approved funding for Winter pressures together with funding towards achieving Public Health outcomes.  Compensatory forecast underspends within the remaining NAS Directorate was reducing the overall forecast overspend further to £124,000.  The main budget pressures related to the delayed implementation of a number of budget saving targets including Continuing Health Care funding and the review of In-house Residential Care.  

Management actions continued to be developed by budget managers to bring the forecast overspend in line with the approved cash limited budget.

The latest year end forecast showed a number of underlying budget pressures which were being offset by a number of forecast underspends:-

Adults General

·         A slight underspend based on estimated charges including savings on training budgets and additional funding for HIV

Older People

·         A forecast overspend on In-House Residential Care due to delays on implementation of budget savings target and recurrent budget pressure on Residential Care income

·         Recurrent budget pressures in Direct Payments, however, client numbers had reduced since April together with a reduction in the average cost of packages

·         Underspend on In House Transport

·         Forecast underspend on Enabling Care and Sitting Service, Community Mental Health, Carers’ Services, and planned delays on the recruitment to vacant posts within Assessment and Care Management and Community Support plus additional income from Health

·         Overspend on independent sector Home Care which had experienced an increase in demand since April

·         Overspend on independent residential and nursing care due to delays in achieving the savings target for additional Continuing Health Care income, however, additional income from property charges was reducing the overall overspend

·         Forecast savings on in-house day care due to vacant posts and moratorium on non-pay budgets

·         Overall underspend on Rothercare due to slippage in Service Review including options for replacement of alarms together with additional income plus Winter pressures funding for Telecare equipment

·         Minor underspends in other non-pay budgets due to moratorium on non-essential spend

Learning Disabilities

·         Slight underspend on independent sector Residential Care budgets due to review of high cost placements.  Work was ongoing with regard to Continuing Health Care applications and an internal review of all high cost placements

·         Forecast overspend on Day Care due to a delay on the implementation of Day Care Review including increase in fees and charges plus recurrent budget pressure on transport

·         Pressures on residential and nursing care contracts with SYHA resulting in forecast overspend.  However, Service reconfiguration to Supporting  Living in February and March would reduce the pressure in 2014/15

·         Overspend in independent sector Home Care due to increase in demand over  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.