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ADULT CARE AND HEALTH CABINET PANEL
15 JANUARY 2009
M I N U T E S
ATTENDANCE
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
K J Coleman,M Coxage, M Downing, D Hewitt (Chairman), D W Hills, N Hollinghurst, D E Lloyd, A M R Searing, L J B Spencer
Upon consideration of the agenda for the Adult Care and HealthCabinet Panel meeting on 15 January 2009as circulated, copy annexed, conclusions were reached and are recorded below:
Note: No conflicts of interest were declared by any member of the Panel in relation to the matters on which conclusions were reached at this meeting except for the declaration made by M Downing (Item 4 refers).
PART 1
ACTION1. / CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.1 / D E Lloyd substituted for S M P Newton and A M R Searing substituted for T Price for this meeting only. Apologies were received from B J Lamb and A S M Witherick.
2. / MINUTES
2.1 / The minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 4 December 2008 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
3. / PUBLIC PETITIONS
3.1 / There were no public petitions.
4. / ADULT CARE SERVICES STANDSTILL BUDGET 2009/10-2012/13
[Officer Contact: Iain MacBeath, Assistant Director – Performance and Business Support
Tel: 01992 556363]
4.1 / M Downing declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in this item as a director of Hertfordshire Community Meals.
4.2 / The Panel received the standstill budget position, capital programme bids and strategic compasses for Adult Care Services. Members heard about the pressures for change impacting on the budget, most notable of which is the anticipated pressure arising from changes in demography and likelyfuture increase in demand for adult care services. The budget also presented cashable efficiency savings of £9.873 million, giving a 2009/10 standstill budget after efficiency savings of £284.053 million, and presented capital programme bids of £9.455 million. Sarah Pickup, Director of Adult Care Services, presented the budget and provided the Panel with detailed information on each of the cost pressures facing the service and areas where efficiency savings have been identified.
4.3 / Arising from discussion of the budget the Panel endorsed the joint working with partners such as HPFT which has enabled efficiencies to be identified. In relation to the strategic compasses it was noted that assessment waiting times remain an area for improvement and the Panel asked that a report on this be brought to a future meeting.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
4.4 / recommended the base budget to Cabinet and noted the proposed capital programme;
4.5 / thanked Adult Care Services officers for a comprehensive report, and for working to identify savings in the face of increasing pressures on the service’s budget;
4.6 / requested that a report on assessment waiting times be brought to the Panel. / Mark Lobban
5. / UPDATE ON HOMECARE SERVICES
[Officer Contact: Guy Pettengell, Acting Head of Contracts
Tel: 01438 844269]
5.1 / The Panel received a report which provided an update on the current performance of the home care block providers and an assessment of the general risk associated with each provider; the actions taken to minimise potential impacts created by winter pressures and the framework put in place to provide additional capacity over the Christmas period; and the ongoing work planned to support the development of the homecare contracts on an ongoing basis.
5.2 / Guy Pettengell, Acting Head of Contracts, presented the report and detailed the current situation in respect of each of the block providers. In particular it was noted that the number of concerns per month associated with Supporta Care has decreased considerably: their current risk level is now assessed as low, with significant improvements in service having been achieved. Concerns remain about the performance of Care UK, and the Panel heard that this provider has been given a timeframe within which to remedy the issues identified: failure to comply could lead to the immediate termination of the contract, and the Panel heard that a contingency plan for this eventuality has been prepared.
5.3 / In relation to CCS and Plan Personnel, the other two providers assessed as ‘high’ risk, the Panel heard that recent staff changes at CCS have led to improvements in capacity and a reduction in complaints:the Contracts Unit has recently conducted a two day audit on Plan Personnel and the compliance report will form the basis of an action plan to be used to address the identified areas of concern.
5.4 / The Panel also heard about plans to launch a countywide recruitment campaign for care assistants, developments in the monitoring of providers - including a new two day audit schedule for services where specific issues have been identified - and plans for forthcoming provider meetings to review the previous year and reiterate the requirements of the contract.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
5.5 / noted the report, and thanked officers for the work done in minimising the potential impacts caused by winter pressures and providing additional capacity over the Christmas period, and working with providers to achieve improvements;
5.6 / requested that update reports continue to be brought to the Panel. / M Lobban/
G Pettengell
6. / DATE OF NEXT MEETING
6.1 / Thursday 5 February 2009 at 10.00am in Committee Room B.
Andrew Laycock
CountySecretary
090115 Minutes
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