Agenda and minutes

The Chairperson welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The following Member made a declaration of interest at the start of the meeting:

Councillor Charlotte Galsworthy    Re: Items 7 - Establishing a Managed Account and Payroll Support Framework as she is a Personal Assistant (PA) for her mother.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2022 were approved as a true and accurate record.

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

The Committee chose to scrutinise the following Cabinet Board items:

Establishing a Managed Account and Payroll Support Framework

The Committee were provided with a report which was seeking approval to undertake a process to establish a Framework of approved providers, who would be able to appropriately support Direct Payment recipients with Managed Account and Payroll activity.

Members queried what the current waiting time was to change accounts from managed to direct payments, or vice versa. It was confirmed that this takes very little time and was not an issue for Officers within the Directorate. The Head of Adult Services mentioned that the issue with direct payments was relating to obtaining a Personal Assistant (PA).

Officers were asked to provide information relating to the current waiting times for assessments for direct payments, and how long it takes for a PA to be found and matched with a service user. It was noted that the service was up to speed with the assessments, however it was difficult to provide a definitive timescale of the waiting times. The Committee were informed that there was an issue in trying to obtain PA’s in the first instance; this was the same across all forms of care, including residential and domiciliary care. It was added that part of the delay, if there was a delay, was pertaining to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, putting training in place and where insurance was required.

Following scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposal to be considered by the Cabinet Board

Procurement of a Specialist Domiciliary Care Framework

Officers delivered a report for Members to consider approval to undertake the process to establish a Framework of domiciliary care providers, who would be able to appropriately deliver specialist domiciliary care and use this Framework to purchase individual packages of specialist domiciliary care.

The circulated report highlighted that this framework will include providing mental health care; Members asked if this included those with dementia. Officers explained that the Directorate had a routine framework that was already in place for the older age group (over 65’s); this framework was applied to the individuals in this age group who had age related frailty, dementia and/or disabilities.

Members were informed that the report before them was in relation to an additional, specialist framework which would apply to working age groups, and children and young people; this framework will assist those with learning disabilities and mental health, as well as providing a range of children and young people services.

It was detailed in the circulated report that presently the number of adults with complex needs receiving specialist domiciliary care in their own home was relatively low; Members queried why the numbers were so low, and asked if the data collection on domiciliary care would improve in the future. Officers explained that there was currently a small number of people with learning disabilities and mental health that receive domiciliary care in their own homes; a lot of people with learning disabilities and mental health currently  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Members were reminded of the Adult Services Member Induction session scheduled for 17 November 2022, and the importance of attending this session was highlighted.

The Forward Work Programme was noted.

Any urgent items (whether public or exempt) at the discretion of the Chairperson pursuant to Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

No urgent items were received.

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.

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 Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

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

The Committee chose to scrutinise the following private Cabinet Board items:

Development of Step Up and Step Down Services

Members received a report in relation to the proposed development of Step Up and Step Down Services.

Following scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposal to be considered by the Cabinet Board.