BOROUGH OF POOLE
MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OVERVIEW GROUP
TUESDAY 10TH MAY 2005
The meeting commenced at 7.00p.m and concluded at 9.35p.m.
Members Present:
Councillor Bulteel (Chairman)
Councillor Mrs Hillman (Vice-Chairman)
Councillors Ms Atkinson, Mrs Dion, Mrs James, Matthews, Meachin, Rampton, Smith, Miss Wilson and Wretham
Other Members Present:
Councillor Wilson
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
There were no apologies for absence.
2. MINUTES
RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 22nd March 2005 be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
UNANIMOUS
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councillors Matthews and Rampton each declared a personal and prejudicial interest in items 5(b) and 5(c) as their respective wives were employees of Adult Social Services (Provider).
Councillor Bulteel declared a personal interest in item 5(c) as an employee of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation.
Councillor Meachin declared personal interest in item 5(a) as a non-executive Director of the Poole Primary Care Trust.
4. URGENT BUSINESS
The Head of Adult Social Services (Commissioning) informed the Overview Group of an urgent matter regarding the Audit Commission’s inspection of the Supporting People Service in July 2005. He requested that Members of the Community Support Overview Group and Community Support and Education Scrutiny Committee meet together for a briefing at the end of June to receive an update on the Supporting People Service in preparation for the inspection. The Committee Clerk was asked to arrange a suitable date / time.
5. LOOKING FORWARD
(a) Private Sector Housing Renewal Programme Update – 2005/2007
The Head of Housing and Community Services presented his Report which provided information on the current situation regarding private sector housing renewal in Poole, the aspirations of the service in developing the Programme, and the options that were proposed to develop the Programme over the next two years.
In presenting this Report, the Head of Housing and Community Services delivered a visual presentation (slides attached) which provided further information on the following key points:-
· the Private Sector Housing Renewal Programme was supported by a Government Office of the South West bid of £375,000 a year to bring homes to the “Decent Home Standard”;
· the “Home Health and Safety” grant programme also supported the Private Sector Housing Renewal Programme, involving a contract with Help and Care which was helping to minimise accidents in the home and consequently the Primary Care Trust would be approached to see if it could contribute towards the Programme;
· there were proposals to introduce an emergency grant programme, to raise 70% of vulnerable households in the private sector to the “Decent Homes Standard” by 2015. in line with Government expectations and to develop a viable funding regime for private sector renewal;
· the funding options proposed to help facilitate the Private Sector Housing Renewal Programme.
The Overview Group was then invited to express its views on which option the Council should choose.
In doing so, the following observations were made and further clarification sought:-
(a) whilst a programme of £375,000 was being requested of the Council each year to support this Programme, the Head of Housing and Community Services could not guarantee that this would achieve the 70% Government target by 2015;
(b) there were concerns that the programme would not benefit those most needing help in bringing their property up to the “Decent Home Standard” due to the costs to clients in applying for the scheme
(c) reassurance was requested that officers were being proactive in identifying those homes most in need of this financial support;
(d) referring to paragraph 5.3 of the Report, concerns were raised that the client groups defined in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s guidelines could exclude certain vulnerable groups from benefiting from this Programme, and further information was requested on who would be eligible and who would not;
(e) Members felt that the Report provided insufficient information for the Overview Group to choose which of the four funding options should be further developed. A request was made for a follow up report, to include further information, including a response to the issue raised in (d) above, and details on whether or not the Primary Care Trust would contribute towards the Programme;
(f) Members felt that option 3 - to offer a loan without charging interest would be inappropriate and irresponsible of the Council;
(g) loans would be offered on a first come, first serve basis, which certain Members felt could further deter those most vulnerable and in need of this assistance;
(h) concerns were expressed that the Council would be generating a huge deficit with a year on year loan of £375,000 to support this Programme, and further reassurance was requested that the loan costs would be fully repaid over a reasonable time period.
In conclusion, having fully considered the four options proposed, the Overview Group unanimously requested that a further report be submitted giving:
· additional information on options 2 and 4 in particular
· further information on which client groups would be eligible for this loan, bearing in mind rules relating to benefits and pension credit
· confirmation on whether or not the Poole Primary Care Trust would contribute towards the Programme
RESOLVED that
(i) the Head of Housing and Community Services report back to the Overview Group providing:
· additional information on funding options 2 and 4
· further information on which client groups would be eligible for this loan, bearing in mind rules relating to benefits and pension credit
· confirmation on whether or not the Poole Primary Care Trust would contribute towards the Programme
(ii) the innovative contract developed with Help and Care, funded by the Private Sector Renewal Programme and Supporting People to address the hazards of trips and falls in the home be noted.
UNANIMOUS
(b) Report on Recruitment and Retention Issues Across the Community Support Theme
Having each declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item, Councillors Matthews and Rampton left the room and took no part in the discussion or vote.
The Head of Personnel and Training Services presented this Report, highlighting that the “race for talent” relied upon the effective recruitment of key roles and retention of employees. He referred to the national shortage of qualified staff in services within the Community Support theme, the underlying factors for this shortage and suitable strategies to address the shortage.
The Head of Personnel and Training then guided Members through the various ways in which Senior Managers were proposing to address current challenges with regard to recruitment and retention, and invited Members’ views on this matter.
Members discussed the factors affecting recruitment and retention, including whether or not the Council compared well with neighbouring authorities and other public sector employment. A suggestion was made that improved terms and conditions comparable with other public sector organisations should be developed, although negative competition should be avoided.
Suggestions were also made that the way in which the Council liaised with local businesses and the Job Centre Plus scheme should be further developed to ensure that the Council was taking a proactive approach in attracting the right applicants.
The issue of sickness absence was also discussed, and officers were asked to also be proactive in this area in offering initiatives to combat both mental and physical stresses early on.
In conclusion the Overview Group agreed to note the points made in the Report, and requested that the Head of Personnel and Training and other Heads of Service within the Community Support theme take on board Members’ suggestions.
RESOLVED that
(i) the issues raised in the report be noted;
(ii) the Heads of Service involved in recruitment and retention within the community support theme be requested to take on board the following suggestions from the Overview Group:-
· improve, where appropriate, employment terms and conditions to make them comparable with other public sector organisations, whilst avoiding negative competition
· the way in which the Council liaised with local businesses and the Job Centre Plus scheme should be further developed to ensure that the Council was taking a proactive approach in attracting the right recruits
· regarding sickness absence, officers should be proactive in offering initiatives to combat both mental and physical stresses early on.
(iii) a further report on progress in implementing actions and providing details on levels of vacancies be requested for submission to the Overview Group in early 2006.
UNANIMOUS
(c) Social Care Workforce Plan
The Strategic Training Manager (Social Services) presented the Report of the Head of Adult Social Services (Provider) highlighting that the development of a Workforce Plan for social care had been commissioned by the former Policy Director (Social Services) at the end of the Municipal Year 2003/2004.
In presenting this Report the Strategic Training Manager delivered a powerpoint presentation (slides attached) which provided further information on the following points:-
· a definition of workforce planning
· the reason for the development of a Workforce Plan
· the key issues involved in developing a Workforce Plan and in implementing the Action Plan
· background statistics on workforce in the Council
· some of the challenges in delivering the Workforce Plan
During the ensuing discussion, Members suggested a number of ways in which the Workforce Plan and its supporting Action Plan could be further refined, including the request that Sections 3.10 and 3.12 of the Workforce Plan be revised to include reference to the settlement of Alderney and Newtown which had previously been recognised as areas of deprivation and social exclusion.
Further clarification was then given by the Head of Adult Social Services (Provider) regarding workforce turnover in the independent sector, as compared with the public sector, and the Government grants that had been made available to the social care sector for the purposes of training.
The Head of Adult Social Services (Provider) suggested that further discussions were needed to ensure that these grants were deployed in the most cost-effective way, perhaps through pooling the resources of local social care agencies.
Members were also informed that current training arrangements with Bournemouth & Poole College was not providing the level of training required, and that consequently, Adult Social Services (Provider) were taking advantage of better quality training in the private sector, which unfortunately meant higher training costs.
Further reassurance was given that the Government target that 50% of the Borough’s social care workforce be qualified at NVQ2 level or more by 2006 was achievable through the training of current assessors, which thereby increased the assessor base.
The Community Support Portfolio Holder then expressed her reservations with regard to the Workforce Plan and asked for reassurance that, in further developing the draft Action Plan, this include clear, transparent and tangible performance targets and outcomes. The point was also made that many roles within social care had transferable skills and that this should be a factor which was carefully dealt with in the Workforce Plan.
Noting these points, the Head of Adult Social Services (Provider) stated that the Action Plan was still very much in its developmental stage and that officers would take on board all suggestions made by Members, that the Plan would include clear and measurable outcomes, with:-
§ clear performance indicators
§ an improved training strategy in response to officers’ requests and relevant to officers’ employment
In conclusion, noting the further clarifications of the Head of Adult Social Services (Provider) the Overview Group agreed to recommend to the Community Support Portfolio Holder that the Social Care Workforce Plan be adopted and that the draft Social Care Workforce Plan be approved.
RESOLVED that
(i) the Community Support Portfolio Holder adopt the Social Care Workforce Plan;
(ii) the Community Support Portfolio Holder approve the draft Social Care Workforce Action Plan;
(iii) officers be requested to submit a progress report on the action plan to the October 2005 meeting of the Community Support Overview Group.
UNANIMOUS
(d) Update on Benefit Take-Up
The Head of Revenue and Benefits Services presented the Report, referring Members to their requests made at the January 2005 Overview Group meeting, that an update on benefit take-up be provided. He also highlighted the importance of this local authority function and how key health partners in particular recognised it as a contributory factor in improving people’s overall health and wellbeing.
The Research Officer, Strategic Planning, then delivered a powerpoint presentation on benefit take-up (slides attached) which provided further information on the following:-
· the varied benefit take-up campaigns which had been carried out by other authorities, including Newcastle City Council, Dover District Council, Devon County Council, Lancashire County Council, Derbyshire County Council, Bedfordshire County Council, Newham Borough Council and Greenwich Borough Council;
· the summary of good practice that had been derived from this survey of other local authority campaigns
· statistical data of those of a working age in Poole receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit.
· statistical data of those elderly people in Poole receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit.
The Head of Revenue and Benefits Services then highlighted the Services’ current activities to increase benefit take-up, which included partnership working with the Pension Service. He also referred to the fact that, despite bids to the Department for Work and Pensions in 2004/2005 not being successful, the Service was intending to continue its activities to increase benefit take up. He highlighted how one way in which this would be progressed was through partnership working with Doctors’ Surgeries, and referred to the fact that a time limited project had been developed concerning how such work could be funded.
Reference was also made to the promising results of the recent Council Tax billing scheme, where all receiving a Council Tax bill had been asked to seek advice on whether or not they would be eligible to receive benefit, with 600 responses out of a 50,000 circulation indicating that many would qualify.
The Head of Revenue and Benefits Services suggested that, once the service had received sufficient information in order to support a good news story in this regard, suitable publicity would be distributed in order to stimulate further take-up.