Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms A/B - Neath Civic Centre. View directions

Contact: Stacy Curran 01639 763194 Email: s.curran@npt.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

The following member made a declaration of interest at the start of

the meeting:

 

Councillor C. Galsworthy                She is a personal assistant and has dispensation to speak and vote.

 

2.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Minutes:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 3rd December 2020, be approved.

3.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny

To select appropriate items from the Cabinet Board agenda for Pre-Decision Scrutiny (Cabinet Board reports included for Scrutiny Members)

Minutes:

The committee chose to scrutinise the following cabinet board items:

 

Annual Update on the Supporting People Local Commissioning

Plan

 

Members were presented with an update on the annual Supporting People Local Commissioning Plan, as detailed within the circulated report.

 

The Committee commended Neath Port Talbot Council’s IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisors) team, due to them being in receipt of a 2021 High Sheriff of West Glamorgan Award for their work in supporting victims of domestic violence throughout the pandemic.

 

Members were pleased to see the inclusion of case studies within the plan. They also commended the inclusion of the suggested actions from the service users which were detailed on page 27 of report.

 

The Committee noted that before the start of the current pandemic, the Council was under Welsh Government direction to produce a new 4-year Housing Support Programme Strategy by the end of 2020, superseding the Supporting People Local Commissioning Plan, this would have also addressed all Council spend on homelessness prevention and other housing related support activity. However, due to the pandemic the Council was offered an extension to produce the new strategy. Officers clarified that the extension was until the end of 2021 and not 2022 as detailed within the report.

 

Following this information, members discussed the opportunity to have further involvement in scrutinising the development of this strategy at earlier stages. Officers welcomed the approach and confirmed that this approach would be included in the development stages.

 

Discussions took place around the intervention of homelessness within Neath Port Talbot. Officers informed members that due to the impacts of the pandemic homelessness was still a concern within Neath Port Talbot. It was noted that the Councils strategy on homelessness needs to consider the prevention of homelessness in the first instance.

 

Members discussed that there was no central referral point for mental health or domestic abuse cases and asked for clarity. Officers confirmed that this was currently on their agenda and would be considered as part of the remodelling of Adult Services.

 

Members highlighted their concern on the accessibility to the consultation page on the Neath Port Talbot website. Officers confirmed that they would look in to this and rectify the issue. 

 

Following scrutiny, the committee was supportive of the proposals to be considered by cabinet board.

 

Quality Assurance Framework for the Provision of Learning

Disability and Mental Health Supported Living Services in Neath

Port Talbot.

 

To present Members with the proposed Quality Assurance Framework and seek approval to conduct a 90-day public consultation.

 

Member’s requested that officers reconsider their approach at easy reads, due to the content of them being too advanced. 

 

The Integrated Impact Assessment was discussed, officers provided reassurance that if there were to be any negative impacts identified that these impacts would be brought back to a future meeting for discussion.

 

Following scrutiny, the committee was supportive of the proposals to be considered by cabinet board.

4.

Forward Work Programme 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes:

Members noted that the format of the Scrutiny Forward Work Programme had been updated to include all Scrutiny Committees, enabling members to have an overall insight of the areas that were being scrutinised across the Council. It was also noted that the Cabinet Forward Work Programme will be referenced on future Scrutiny Agendas to consider pre-scrutiny.

 

Officers requested further clarity around the request for a report on the Impact of dischargers from hospitals on the availability of care packages, an update on Delayed Transfer of Care (DTOCS). Members agreed to delay the item to a future date following a discussion, gathering further clarity of the specific detail members require to be included within the report at a future Forward Work Programme session.

 

Following the discussion, members noted the Forward Work Programme.

5.

Access to Meetings

Access to Meetings to resolve to exclude the public for the following item(s) pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

that pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

 

6.

Update Report on Housing Options and Homelessness (Exempt under Paragraph 14]

Minutes:

Members were provided with an update on the impacts that Covid-19 has had on Housing Options and Homelessness within Neath Port Talbot, as detailed within the private circulated report.

 

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

 

 

 

7.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Private Item/s

To select appropriate private items from the Cabinet Board agenda for Pre-Decision Scrutiny (Cabinet Board reports enclosed for Scrutiny Members)

Minutes:

The committee chose to scrutinise the following private cabinet board items:

 

Disabled Facility Grant Waiver

 

Members received information in relation to a disabled facility grant waiver request as detailed within the private circulated report.

 

Following scrutiny, the committee were supportive of the recommendation to go to Cabinet Board.

 

 

Future of Trem Y Glyn Residential Care Home

 

Members were provided with an update of the future of Trem Y Glyn Residential Care Home, as detailed within the private circulated report.

 

Following scrutiny, the committee were supportive of the recommendation to go to Cabinet Board.