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)

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Invitees

Claire Marchant - Corporate Director Social Services & Wellbeing

Councillor Nicole Burnett - Cabinet Member for Social Services & Early Help  

Jackie Davies - Head of Adult Social Care

Carol Owen - Provider Service Manager - Support at Home/Accommodation Services

Jane Lewis - Operational Services Manager 

The Corporate Director Social Services & Wellbeing introduced the report and advised that it was important to report regulatory reports in respect of Social Services & Wellbeing, which were pertinent to the remit of this Scrutiny Committee. She paid tribute to the Head of Adult Social Care, as responsible individual for the service, to the staff and frontline workforce as well as the Provider Service Manager - Support at Home/Accommodation Services and Operational Services Manager attending the meeting. The Head of Adult Social Care then presented the report.

The Cabinet Member for Social Services & Early Help thanked the Officers present for the report and the positive comments from people that were cared for. She felt that the Authority’s care workers needed to be given the upmost credit, wanted to pass on her thanks, and said how proud she was of everybody.

Members asked the following:

A Member noted that the report was a welcome read and noted the pleasing extract at point 4.3 of the report. As Members, it was easy to scrutinise and criticise at any given time, but when inspections and reports as good as this were received, credit should be passed on to everybody in the Service.

A Member also stated that she was proud of the fact that the Authority had a very good record for looking after everyone. She noted that sickness levels, normally without the Pandemic, were quite high in the care profession, which was understandable. She asked how the sickness levels had faired during the pandemic.

The Head of Adult Social Care explained that there were times, since the pandemic started, where it did peak. Some of the teams were 25% staff down with some of that actual sickness, some off with Covid-19 related sickness and some isolating because of the track and trace process. In the care sector there was always with direct care staff higher figures, although what was able to be done throughout the pandemic was to look at the workforce as a whole, with staff prepared to go and work in different settings in order to cover those sickness levels. The Head of Adult Social Care did not have the sickness levels, but in adult services, the position was slightly above what it was in the previous year and that was with the Covid-19 situations. There were parts of the service where there were low levels of sickness and others where there were whole teams on the sick at certain times. What the report evidenced was whilst there were levels of sickness, the service continued to deliver everyone’s care and support plan and was able to cover all of the services that were in place.

A Member noted the areas for improvement at 4.7 and asked how these had been addressed. The Member also noted at 4.8 the wording ‘need to know basis’ and asked for an explanation.

The Head of Adult Social Care explained that Regulation 60, notifications under the regulations, there was very clear criteria of when CIW should  ...  view the full minutes text for item 137.

The Chief Officer – Legal, HR & Regulatory Services submitted a report, the purpose of which was to request the Committee to nominate one Member as its Corporate Parenting Champion to represent the Committee as an invitee to meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

The Chairperson invited nominations, following which it was

RESOLVED:                        That Councillor P J White be nominated to represent Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2 as an Invitee to meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

The Chief Officer – Legal, HR & Regulatory Services submitted a report, the purpose of which was to request the Committee to nominate one Member to sit on the Public Service Board Scrutiny Panel.

The Chairperson invited nominations, following which it was

RESOLVED:                        That Councillor P J White be nominated to represent Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2 as an Invitee to meetings of the Public Service Board Scrutiny Panel. 

The Senior Democratic Services Officer – Scrutiny presented the Committee with the proposed draft outline Forward Work Programme (Appendix A) for discussion and consideration; requested any specific information the Committee identified to be included in the items for the next two meetings, including invitees they wished to attend; requested the Committee to identify any further items for consideration on the Forward Work Programme having regard to the selection criteria in paragraph 4.6; and asked the Committee to note that the proposed draft Forward Work Programmes for the Committee would be reported to the next meeting of COSC, with the comments from each respective Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee, following consideration in their June Committee meetings.

Members of the Committee discussed the following:

A Member asked if the report on the Social Services and Wellbeing Strategic Programme coming to the committee in July, could cover how the service was going to operate this coming year in terms remote and home working and what that might mean for the service and/ if it would be opening up at any time.

Members of the Committee asked for updates on the following

1. What is happening regarding remote/ home / face to face working for Members in the coming year?

2. Staff have had DSE’s for working from home but what about the requirements for Members to complete DSE’s?

3. Has consideration been given for Members to have the appropriate length of meetings / breaks?

A Member raised the issue that there had not been a response to the questions requested in the previous meeting regarding Safeguarding.  The Chairperson advised that it would be raised with the Directorate in the next Officer Planning Meeting, that timely responses were needed.

There were no further items identified for consideration on the Forward Work Programme having regard to the selection criteria in paragraph 4.6, and this could be revisited at the next meeting.

There were no requests to include specific information in the item for the next meeting.

RESOLVED:          That the Committee considered and agreed the proposed draft outline Forward Work Programme in Appendix A and noted that the proposed draft Forward Work Programmes and any feedback from the Committee would be reported to the next meeting of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

To consider any item(s) 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.

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