Agenda and minutes

Cllr Mrs. D Jones stated that in the absence of the Chair of Cabinet Scrutiny Committee it had been suggested that she Chair the meeting. The Committee was unanimously in favour.

Members considered the report that sought Member approval on a specific option for the future provision of residential care.

Members were advised that the report should not be considered in isolation but this was part of a journey or a story in relation to the modernisation of adult social care. The Director of Social Care, Health and Housing stated that residential care was now the least preferred option among individuals as they wish to remain in their home.

The Director advised that over the past few years due to the contract with Gwalia the Council has been spending £1m on beds that have not been used as the contract stated that the Council would purchase 95% of beds that are available. As part of phase two the Council has guaranteed to purchase 80% of available beds. From 1^st April 2022 a new guaranteed number of beds will need to be confirmed for the last phase of the contract. The Director stated that regardless of where the residential care beds were the Council had a duty to manage the whole of Social Services in an efficient and effective manner.

Members noted that there were possibly alternatives for the Arwelfa but the Director stated that no specific proposals had been submitted during the consultation period.

Officers were asked whether there would be capacity to look after all individuals in their homes should the care homes close. Further clarity was required on whether the persons age was a factor i.e. 65+ or 85+. The Director confirmed that there would be sufficient capacity as the Council would keep the situation under constant review to ensure supply met demand.

In relation to continuous review Members asked what would happen if following a review there was a residential care shortage. The Director stated that there would not be a shortage because supply constantly exceeds demand. The Director continued and gave an example that the average number of people per 100,000 population in residential care homes was 614 in 2014 and this had fallen to 467 in 2015. The current figure for Neath Port Talbot was 600 per 100,000 population.

Members asked whether option one contained within the report could be selected with a stay of execution to find an alternative. It was confirmed that nothing concrete had been received during the consultation process and it was only verbally that it had been mentioned that plans were a possibility. The Council could not afford to continue to wait for a plan to come through.

Members noted that within the report it was stated that the funding that may have been available to the Council in 2012 is no longer available and they asked for clarity on this. The Director stated that since the contract was signed the budget for Social Care Health and Housing had diminished by a fifth and therefore the money no longer exists.

Members asked whether the proposals within the report were due to the savings of within the Forward Financial Plan.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.