To receive apologies for absence (to include reasons, where appropriate) from Members /Officers.

Apologies for absence were received from the following Officer for the reason so stated:

Councillor LC Morgan - Holiday

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including Whipping Declarations)

The following Declarations of Interest were made:

Councillor D Sage declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 5 – Draft Budget Consultation 2016-17 as he is in receipt of a care package.  Councillor Sage withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Councillor N Farr declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 – Draft Budget Consultation 2016-17 as she is employed as a Social Worker in mental health services in a neighbouring authority.

Councillor N Clarke declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 – Draft Budget Consultation 2016-17 as her son is a seasonal lifeguard at Rest Bay.    

To receive for approval, the minutes of the meeting of the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 11 November 2015

RESOLVED:     That the minutes of the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 11 November 2015 be approved as a true and accurate record.

The Scrutiny Officer presented a report which detailed the items to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee to be held on 11 February 2016 and sought confirmation of the information and invitees required for the subsequent meeting to be held on 6 April 2016. 

Conclusions:                  

The Committee noted the topics to be considered at the meeting on 11 February 2016. 

• Members requested that the item on Prevention, Wellbeing and Local Community Co-ordination which is scheduled for the meeting on 6 April includes information on Communities First, including a presentation on outcomes for individuals and groups to evidence how lives have been improved as a result of the programme and what provision will be in place moving forward.
• Members requested that the item on Direct Payments be scheduled as the second item for the meeting 6 April 2016 and should include information on how many people are purchasing services from the Authority and what type of services are being purchased.

Members requested that an item on Bryn Y Cae be added to the Forward Work Programme.

Invitees:

Susan Cooper Corporate Director – Wellbeing

Cllr P White - Cabinet Member Adult Social Care Health and Wellbeing

Jackie Davies, Head of Adult Social Care

Aaron Norman - Finance Manager, Social Services, Wellbeing, Resources and LARS

The Scrutiny Officer introduced a report, the purpose of which was to present the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-17 to 2019-20, which includes a financial forecast for 2016-20 and a detailed draft revenue budget for 2016-17. 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing set out the context for the draft budget proposals in Adult Social Care.  She stated that the majority of the budget reduction proposals will happen over a period of time due to the need to transform services and not solely in 2016-17.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that the biggest issue in making budget reduction proposals was to ensure sustainability of services.    

The Committee requested an explanation of the effects of the more favourable Local Government Settlement on the budget reduction proposals.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that in relation to ASC1 which related to the focus of local authority homecare on specialist and complex care, the budget reduction proposal had been reduced by £107k due to it being a complex service.  She stated that a framework agreement had been approved whereby the Council had 13 providers of homecare services.  The Council would however retain the more complex homecare cases, with the more generic and less complex homecare cases having the support of external providers from the framework agreement.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that two companies on the framework agreement are new to the Council.  She also informed the Committee that the tenders had been evaluated with a greater emphasis placed on quality as opposed to price and that it was essential that providers arrive with service users on time.  All providers will use a call monitoring system.  The Committee questioned why the Council could not retain all its homecare services in-house as the Social Services and Wellbeing Act promotes direct payments.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that steps had been taken to transform and re-model homecare services for some time and there remained significant work to be done in relation to direct payments.  She stated that there is a vibrant market of homecare providers the Council can call on and the remodelling of homecare services is part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) proposals.  The Cabinet Member Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing informed the Committee that maintaining homecare services would not realise the savings required in the MTFS. 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that in relation to ASC2 which related to support to increased independence through enablement and progression of Learning Disability Services that the budget reduction for 2016-17 was now £40k and not £180k as originally forecast.  She stated that it was important that time is taken so that service users can make the right choices on the support they require.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing also informed the Committee that the Learning Disability Services team had recently been the subject of an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

To consider any items of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.