(a)  Question from Councillor Sorrel Dendy to the Deputy Leader

“From the 1 April 2017, local authorities have been able to charge a premium of up to 100% of the standard rate of Council Tax on long-term empty homes and second homes in their areas. Could the Deputy Leader please tell me if it has been considered by Cabinet at any point during their term/terms of office at the Authority?”

(b)  Question from Councillor Altaf Hussain to the Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help

“Last year the ABMU Health Board said it was “doing everything possible” to deal with the increasing demand for its services during the winter period. This included opening more beds, holding more clinics and working closely with Social Services. Will the Cabinet Member inform Council what plans this Authority has in place to support the ABMU Health Board with managing and minimising the demand for its services, and in turn, reducing the implications for the residents of the County Borough which are likely to occur this winter.”

Question from Councillor S Dendy to the Deputy Leader 

From the 1 April 2017, local authorities have been able to charge a premium of up to 100% of the standard rate of Council Tax on long-term empty homes and second homes in their areas. Could the Deputy Leader please tell me if it has been considered by Cabinet at any point during their term/terms of office at the Authority?”

Response from the Deputy Leader

The Deputy Leader wished to reassure Councillor Dendy that he and his Cabinet colleagues are giving this issue much thought and consideration.

He reminded Members that they would be aware that Labour councillors stood for election on a manifesto commitment to “Bring long term empty homes back into domestic use”.

He stated that increasing council tax levied against empty homes could be one of many levers the Council could consider using.

He informed Council that Cabinet members together with Scrutiny Chairs recently received a housing solutions presentation by the Housing team which highlighted the many challenges to be overcome.  The Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing have set up a taskforce of key officers from across the Authority, to consider additional actions to tackle these issues.  To enable a one Council solution to this complex issue, a proposal to create a dedicated empty properties officer is being considered, to build on the good work we are undertaking and develop a fresh approach, which will be a combination of reward and enforcement.

Councillor Dendy asked a supplementary question whether there is a timescale for the task force to look at empty properties and the proposal to create a post to look at empty properties and whether it would also look at empty commercial properties and land banking.  The Deputy Leader informed Council that the working group will be led by the Leader and would consider empty commercial sites.  The Leader confirmed that the working group will consider commercial sites which would be looked at as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.  He stated that there was a need to ensure that empty properties are brought back into use and he referred to the grants that are available for property owners to bring properties back into use.  The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations referred to the properties which had been brought back into use in Nantymoel and Pontycymmer. 

Councillor Baldwin asked whether a holistic approach would be adopted to tackle the problem of empty properties.  The Leader confirmed that a holistic approach would be taken which was the reason why officers from all Departments of the Council would be represented on the working group and key partners would be engaged. 

Councillor Walters questioned whether one officer would be sufficient to tackle the extent of empty properties that exist.  The Leader stated that the impact of the role on the Department would be considered.  He also stated that the role of the empty properties officer would also consider the support available to property owners and that legal powers would be used as a last resort.

Question from Councillor A Hussain to the Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help  

“Last year the ABMU Health Board said it was “doing everything possible” to deal with the increasing demand for its services during the winter period. This included opening more beds, holding more clinics and working closely with Social Services.  Will the Cabinet Member inform Council what plans this Authority has in place to support the ABMU Health Board with managing and minimising the demand for its services, and in turn, reducing the implications for the residents of the County Borough which are likely to occur this winter?”

Response from the Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help  

The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Helpinformed Council of the winter resilience planning across Bridgend, in that the Health Board’s Primary Care and Community Services maintain constant efforts to maintain flow through its services to ensure maximum capacity is made available daily, a significant part of which are integrated with Bridgend CBC social care and wellbeing services.  He stated that this is one element of a whole system that underpins Secondary Healthcare performance across the region.  The annual Flu campaign continues and the Public Health message encouraging uptake has been important in our winter preparations, as is the “Choose Well” campaign.  It serves as a reminder that all have a role to play in safeguarding hospitals through the Winter and every other time during the year, to ensure hospital services are available to those that require their specific intervention.

He stated that the specific Bridgend component to support the Winter planning and resilience, which has been enhanced since last Winter, is now embedded in usual service provision and includes:

·                       Domiciliary  care/Home care as an embedded 7 day service 

·         The provision of Acute Care team (ACT) in the community providing rapid response and intervention to support patients in their own homes, including care homes.  This is a core component of the “optimal model” for the integrated Community Resource Team (CRT) implemented through Western Bay. These services are consultant led and operate 7 days a week

·         ACT Bridgend are offering more services to enable to people to remain at home where it is appropriate to do so, such as Intra Venous therapies, sub cutaneous fluid therapy.

·         ACT Bridgend have developed a referral pathway with the Care of the Elderly team in Princess Of Wales Hospital to facilitate earlier discharges by undertaking clinical reviews/ interventions in the community rather than keeping individuals in hospital. Requests include restarting medications, monitoring responses to treatments, reviewing blood tests to review of clinical condition in very frail patients. Before this pathway, these patients would have remained in hospital. This can facilitate improved bed availability.

·         ‘In Reach Coordinators’ from the CRT will continue to work from the Princess of Wales site to offer and support earlier discharge from the Better@Home service until the Short Term Assessment Services can commence.

·         Telecare continues to support people to remain in their own homes for longer periods with the support of 24/7 Mobile Response Team who will respond to pendant and sensor alerts. This can prevent the need to call for 999 emergency services, thereby supporting better outcomes for people who fall and ensuring ambulances are not used inappropriately.

·         Implementation of the Directed enhanced service for Care Homesto support regular GP review to enable people to remain at their care home and prevent patient deterioration which could trigger an admission.

·         An additional OT resource in Short Term Assessment and reabling service for people living with Dementia- Bridgeway;  this will improve access and flow through the service.

Furthermore, from a preventative and awareness raising perspective:

·         ACT Bridgend have met Welsh Ambulance Service Trust colleagues to update their knowledge on the interventions they are able to deliver and the referral pathways.

·         ACT Bridgend have met GP’s updating them of services available, this is resulting in an increase in GP referrals to ACT, as an alternative to people presenting at hospital.

·         ACT Bridgend, linking in with Anticipatory Care within the GP clusters to assist in the development and delivery of anticipatory care plans. Again, offering alternatives to presenting at hospital, where those plans are in place.

In addition:

·         Roll out the ‘I Stumble’ training programme in care homes across the Local Authority, to avoid and reduce the number of falls and conveyances to hospital.

·         Maximising the benefit of the Diarrhoea &Vomiting pathway developed between WAST and our community services at the end of last winter, to support prevention of un-necessary admissions to hospital. 

·         Increased community pharmacy capacity at weekends and bank holidays for medication dispensing. Primary Care has commissioned 8 pharmacies to open on a Sunday to provide greater access, while 122 pharmacies are open on a Saturday across ABMU Health Board.

·         Maximise the benefit of the (IT) mobilisation programme for community staff by releasing staff capacity for clinical/ hands on patient care.

The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help stated that anumber of these schemes/ plans may be targeted at providing increased support and capacity for our frailty services, where we can predict that there will be an increased call on our unscheduled care services over the winter months.  He informed Members that they had been supplied with a copy of the Regional Winter Resilience Planning document that Western Bay partners have worked on under the leadership of ABMU HB.

The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help also referred to a FOI request from Age Concern and commented that the matter should have been raised directly so that it could have been addressed by the Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing who undertook to look at the request. 

Councillor Hussain asked a supplementary question requesting reassurance that older persons would receive an assessment and the right level of support in order to avoid bed blocking.  The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help gave that assurance and stated that the plan is a year round plan.  He also stated that a lot of good work is undertaken to ensure there is care at home in order to avoid bed blocking.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed Council that the Directorate has a good relationship with the ABMU and that the Council performs well with DETOC with performance in the top quartile.  She also informed Council that a carers event had recently been held where the views of carers had been sought to shape the future strategy. 

Councillor Spanswick commented on the excellent facility at Bryn y Cae and asked whether there are plans to expand provision.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing confirmed there are plans to expand provision at Brackla.  The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help informed Council that the Council’s work on reablement services has been recognised as an exemplar.