Minutes:
(1) Councillor Gilding asked why had the Rotherham Music Service had its funding cut by £55,000?
Councillor S. Wright explained that Children and Young People’s Services were facing a significant budget deficit. This meant that all departments within the Directorate have had to examine their budgets to determine where, if any, savings could be made.
(2) Councillor Fenoughty asked were there any proposals for Council Tax rises due to the financial mess that we were in?
The Leader explained that the budget discussions were only just coming to a conclusion, but pointed out that any increases above 3% would be capped by the Government. Rotherham would do everything in its power to ensure Council Tax was kept down.
(3) Councillor Cutts referred to Hellaby’s application for Parish Status which commenced in December, 2005 with the Community Plan being completed within eleven months. In 2007 a public survey was undertaken and in 2008 they were asked to delay until the new boundaries alterations were considered. He asked when could the Council now conclude to establish this new Parish at Hellaby?
Councillor Hussain reported that an invitation was given to Members for an update on the Parish Boundary Review which took place on 13th November, 2009.
Councillor Hussain reported that consultation was taking place until 18th December on the draft recommendations under the parish review, including the recommendation for a new parish of Hellaby. The Council would in the new year determine its final recommendations after considering the consultation responses and, after consulting the Electoral Commission, would make an order to give effect to the changes. The final recommendations, including the creation of any new parishes, should be determined fairly early in the new year. However, elections to any such parishes would almost certainly be held in May, 2011, along with elections to existing parishes.
(4) Councillor Kaye referred to the recent successful inspection and asked to what did the Cabinet Member attribute the success?
Councillor Doyle attributed the success of Adult Services to strong political and managerial leadership following the restructuring. This leadership had led to a clear set of priorities, totally focused on service users. This leadership developed and supported a professional and committed workforce passionate about supporting vulnerable people and this leadership had been prepared to make tough decisions which have ultimately led to improved satisfaction and quality of life for residents.
Indications were given on how better use of the resources available had allowed the Council to deliver more for less and achieve an excellent rating and these included:-
· Investigating an additional 275 safeguarding referrals during the year and training 2,000 staff to make people safer and feel safer.
· Social workers undertaking an additional 1,297 pieces of activity compared to the previous year meaning that we are able to change care packages as and when people’s lives change.
· We have reduced the average length of stay in ‘intermediate care’ services from 55 days to 35 days meaning that people are going home quicker and staying at home which is where the vast majority of people want to be.
· 837 vulnerable people were given help through assistive technology such as bogus caller alarms targeting the elderly.
· The Consultation Cafe involved over 250 users of Meals on Wheels in a direct consultation - 97 % satisfaction rating from our customers.
· An additional 1,168 disabled people were provide with minor equipment this year to help them to continue to live independently,
· Waiting times for Occupational Therapy assessments has improved from 20 months to 7 weeks,
· The Council is helping 132 more people to live at home and carried out 219 more assessments on carers than last year,
· High levels of customer satisfaction for services,
· There have been significant improvements in waiting times for new social care assessments and care packages, and there was a reduction of 54 older people admitted to permanent residential and nursing care last year as they were able to remain at home.
Of the seven areas the Quality Care Commission have scored, four of these were rated as ‘performing excellently and three areas were rated ‘performing well’. No outcome areas have been rated less than ‘performing well’. This was a significant improvement since 2007 where only one area was rated ‘Excellent’ and three areas were rated ‘Adequate’. The Quality Care Commission report showed evidence of improvement across every outcome area and this continued the improvement trajectory.
The Council wanted to continue to do an excellent job of delivering services within the resources available. There were areas that could be improved upon and the annual assessment had given an opportunity to take stock and refresh thinking in some areas.
The key areas of strength affecting people using the services noted within the report were:-
· Working with partners, the Council could demonstrate improvement in the differences in how healthy people were.
· The Council had a range of information on healthy living and the activities to promote health.
· The Council could demonstrate positive end results for people who used intermediate care and reablement services.
· Provision of assistive technology to promote the safety and well-being of people in their own homes.
· The Council’s work with other organisations in reducing crime and making people feel safer.
· The Council’s approach to customer services and the way they listened to customers.
· The Council’s approach to working with carers and setting up systems that supported direct payments for carers.
· The development of a single point of contact through Assessment Direct.
· The high number of direct payments for carers.
· The attainment of the Cabinet Office Customer Service Excellence and compliance with Level 5 of the Local Government Equality Scheme.
· Implementing the neighbourhood ‘no calling zones’.
· Improving access for older people from BME communities.
· The Council’s systems and processes to support and advise the people of Rotherham and carers in accessing employment and managing their finances.
· The Council had raised the profile of adults safeguarding and made good progress in raising awareness.
· The Council could demonstrate that it managed incidents of institutional abuse and poor standards of care.
· The council could demonstrate that it was fulfilling its duties as a supervisory body in relation to the deprivation of liberty standards.
Areas for improvement included performance on assessments, reviews and waiting time for care packages. Action had already been put in place to improve the performance this year as well.
(5) Councillor Cutts asked when the Council equated itself to Manchester United in the Premier League, were the assessors “Care Quality Commission” aware of the complaint in their audit and he asked could he have sight of the Council’s submission and evaluation of his eight widows to the Quality Commission?
Councillor Doyle was pleased to provide Councillor Cutts with a copy of the full Quality Care Commission report, which provided a very comprehensible analysis of the services, informed by many things including a two week inspection that took place in July this year. The report did conclude that services were performing excellently within the resources available. This judgement took into account the handling of complaints.
Councillor Doyle reiterated that he did meet with the press last week who wanted to know a lot more about this judgement on staff retention and recruitment and was asked specifically asked by one of the reporters whether we were a Burton Albion or a Manchester United. Of course Councillor Doyle answered that Rotherham were more like Manchester United, but assured Members that there was no gloating. He was pleased to receive the recognition for the hard work put in by thousands of people, unsung heroes who dedicated their lives to helping vulnerable people in Rotherham and hoped that Members would join him in thanking everyone who provided services to vulnerable adults in the borough for their dedication and hard work.
(6) Councillor Cutts asked about the expectation for completion of works on the Imperial Building being early in the year, that these circumstances would allow fitting out and stocking ready for trading before Christmas and he asked what was the revised completion date or had any of the intended tenants given back word?
Councillor Smith explained that the refurbishment of the ground floor of Imperial Buildings was completed earlier this year (April, 2009). The ground floor shop units were left as basic shells pending potential occupiers committing themselves to taking units and specifying what fit out they wanted.
Out of four prospective tenants, one of them withdrew because the shop unit could not be fitted out by the time she specified. The other three still planned to go ahead, with one of these opening this week – a boutique fashion shop. In addition ROAR (Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance), had signed to take units inside the building as art exhibition space.
(7) Councillor Cutts asked what precaution and protection was being given to ensure that the Grade II Listed Hall at Firbeck was retained to avoid the repeat of last year’s Grade II Listed Building (Greasbrough Chapel) being demolished?
Councillor Smith reported that Firbeck Hall was a substantial Grade 2 listed country house which, since the mid 1990's, had been in the ownership of Mr. Glen Saint.
Successive Council Conservation Officers have kept up a dialogue with the owner, particularly in recent years as its deteriorating condition had begun to cause alarm. In the Spring of 2005 the building suffered the theft of practically all its roof lead leading to significant water damage. The Conservation Officer met the owner on site and carried out a detailed inspection of the building. On his insistence, emergency roof repairs were carried out to prevent further ingress of water. A 24 hour security presence was also put in place to prevent further illegal access. Since this date both the Conservation Officer and his assistant have kept up a dialogue with Mr. Saint, the owner of the building, and his foreman.
On the 1st May, 2009, a warning letter was sent from the Conservation Officer to the owner expressing concern at the condition of the Hall, the West Lodge and the Stable Block. Mr. Saint agreed to immediately initiate a programme of emergency repairs. Since then, there had been the added problem of a recent fire to the roof of the Hall. Following a site visit by officers the roof had now been covered and a general clean up had taken place throughout the Hall.
In addition to dealing with the owner of the Hall Conservation Officers were also:-
· Working closely with Friends of Firbeck Hall Group. The Assistant Conservation Officer recently visited the Group in Firbeck in order to answer questions and outline the Council’s strategy.
· Engaging in preliminary negotiations with a third party who had a proposal for the redevelopment of the Hall. These discussions were at an early stage, but have so far been productive not least because they have brought the owner together with a potential developer.
· Involving English Heritage. Council Officers recently acted as facilitators for an on site meeting at which the owner, the potential developer and Giles Proctor from English Heritage were present.
Comparisons with Greasbrough Chapel were difficult to make as this was the result of undermining of the Chapel during the building of adjacent houses leading to a partial collapse and the subsequent condemning of the building as unsafe which was not the situation at Firbeck.