To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P John and E Venables.

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 interest in agenda item 5 – Community Services Phase 2 as he was in receipt of home services.

Councillor N Farr – declared a personal interest in agenda item 4 – Western Bay Draft Commissioning Strategy for Care Homes for Older People 2016-2025 as she was employed as a Social Worker in adult social care in Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.

To receive for approval, the minutes of the meeting of the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 19 July 2016.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 19 July 2016 be approved as a true and accurate record.

Jacqueline Davies, Head of Adult Social Care

Carmel Donovan, Group Manager Older People

Councillor Philip White, Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health & Wellbeing

The Head of Adult Social Care outlined the development of the draft regional Western Bay Care Homes Commissioning Strategy for Older People including its objectives and commissioning priorities, the current consultation process and that this was the Committee’s opportunity to comment on the document.

The Group Manager Older People explained that the current draft strategy had been subject to a public consultation between 6 May and 3 August. This included a regional consultation event and public surveys as well as direct email responses. This had resulted in approximately 300 comments which were being responded to and incorporated into the final version of the strategy. Final approval of the document would be sought from partner organisations by the New Year. Members of the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee were being consulted on the document because it was still in the development phase.

The Group Manager Older People outlined the vision and the objectives of the draft commissioning strategy, the key characteristics of the marketplace, the regulatory environment and the commissioning intentions of the members of the Western Bay Partnership.

There were new regulations due to be enacted during the next twelve months and the draft strategy needed to take account of the new duties and responsibilities of those pieces of legislation. The impact of these changes would be in a further report to the committee scheduled for 21 February 2017. 

The Group Manager Older People reported that in Bridgend the budget in 2016/2017 included £8m for residential care and £11m for community based and non-residential services. The cost of delivering social care continued to rise however the service would continue to strive to manage within the overall budget and ensure that the financial implications of the strategy were managed within the context of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The Committee questioned if the officers were in a position to share some of the consultation responses with the committee. The Group Manager Older People explained that a matrix of consultation responses was being developed regionally, each authority would be asked to comment and all three would be brought together complete with comments to be presented to each authority.

One of the aims of the commissioning strategy was to build strong collaboration between the Health Board and Local Authority partners to include formal partnership arrangements such as pooled budgets. The Committee questioned if all partners were sharing budgets or if some were reluctant to participate. The Head of Adult Social Care referred to new responsibilities by April 2018 and that legal and financial colleagues were working to establish how exactly it would work. There was a pooled budget which was closely monitored to ensure all elements were clearly controlled.

The Committee questioned how the objectives of the draft commissioning strategy would be monitored. The Head of Adult Social Care explained that performance management tools were being developed and a number were already in place. When they were finalised they would be reported back to Committee.

The Committee questioned how many care  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

Jacqueline Davies, Head of Adult Social Care

Carmel Donovan, Group Manager Older People

Michelle King, Integrated Community Services Manager

Councillor Philip White, Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health & Wellbeing

The Head of Adult Social Care introduced a report updating the committee on the development and progress of new short-term and long-term approaches to Community Services developed in response to the implementation of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) 2014. The report explained how the development of short-term and pre-emptive approaches to information, advice and assistance, would affect the organisation of services for people who needed managed care and support at home and long-term care in residential or nursing care settings.

Members received a video presentation showing a resident talking about his experience at Bryn y Cae home for Older People.

The Head of Adult Social Care reminded the Committee of the Western Bay Optimum Model, “Integrated care describes the coordinated delivery of support to individuals in a way that enables them to maximise their independence, health and wellbeing” and explained that a detailed report would be brought to Committee in January.

The Head of Adult Social Care explained that within the Directorate, there were a number of teams providing long term managed care and support and they also supported people in care home placements. In order to offer clarity of roles and responsibilities, it was necessary to realign the existing social work resources into teams supporting short term, pre-emptive and preventative services based within the Community Resource Team and into long-term managed care and support services, based within the Integrated Community Networks. This would be completed during the next few months.    

The report included a table summarising progress since January in delivering the optimal model in Bridgend. There were some aspects to be developed such as Acute Clinical Response where additional funding was required to move from a 5 day to a 7 day service. Also further work would be carried out in the Support and Stay for people with Dementia area, by the mental health directorate and community services to develop the right model for people with dementia. 

The Head of Adult Social Care outlined the potential opportunities to extending the service and the anticipated potential benefits for people living in Bridgend County Borough.

Members asked for the contact telephone number for the Common Access Point. The telephone number was provided, 01656 642279. This was available on the BCBC website and in the Regional Directory of Services. There was also an out of hours service and a mobile response service. Calls were redirected to another number to access these services out of hours.

Members referred to improvements working with other bodies eg Care and Repair and the importance of sharing expertise in different areas. There was a real role in signposting people to the right area and excellent relationships had been built with partners. The Head of Adult Social Care explained how  a Bridgend patient in a Neath Port Talbot hospital could be referred to the Common Access Point, have access to a social worker who would then liaise with Care and Repair in Bridgend on the patients behalf.    

The Committee asked if it would be possible  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

The Scrutiny Officer presented a report which detailed the items to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee and sought confirmation of the information and invitees required. An alternative date was being arranged for the next meeting instead of 8 November 2016 because of a clash with another meeting, the new date to be confirmed. 

A report on Secure Estate (Parc Prison) was due to be submitted to the November meeting however a pilot scheme was running in September and October and feedback from this pilot would not be available until a later date. It was suggested that Day Services for people with learning disabilities due to be considered at the 21 February meeting be brought forward to November and Secure Estate be deferred to the 21 February meeting. 

RESOLVED

The Committee noted the items to be considered at the next meeting and agreed the changes and the new items proposed by the Scrutiny Officer.      

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.