Agenda and minutes

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declarations of interest were received:

Minutes of the meeting held on 22 December 2010

RESOLVED:  

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 December 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being that advised of progress in the implementation of national requirements to address the issue of health inequalities for adults with Learning Disabilities as outlined in "Valuing People Now" 2009 and "Six Lives" 2009; that outlined the NHS Northwest's response to the Learning Disabilities Health Self-Assessment undertaken by NHS Sefton and the Health Sub-Group of Sefton's Learning Disabilities Partnership Board; and indicated that a decision on this matter was required as the Department was accountable for the quality of delivered services for adults with a Learning Disability via the Sefton Learning Disability Partnership Board and for health care issues via NHS Sefton.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report on Learning Disability Health Care in Sefton be noted; and

(2)       the work of Sefton's Learning Disabilities Partnership Board Health Sub-Group and NHS Sefton on progress made to promote improved health outcomes for people with Learning Disabilities in Sefton be supported.

Report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being on the proposal to use the ICT Strategy Capital in conjunction with the Adult Social Care Infrastructure grant to support the implementation of a new Client Management Database.

The report indicated that capital funding was required to develop the IT infrastructure to:

·                 improve information sharing between health and social services

·                 improve the management records of vulnerable adults and streamline the financial systems

·                 improve the statutory obligation to safeguard vulnerable adults throughout the borough

·                 support mobile and flexible working to reduce costs and improve service delivery; and

·                 improve and streamline management information to assist service planning and budget management

and that the funding was predominantly aimed at transformation and was specifically aligned to changing the way the Council worked as an organisation and to build capacity for the future.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)          Cabinet be recommended to support and approve the scheme to develop the Adult Social Care IT infrastructure as detailed in the report; and

(2)      it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but, unfortunately, had not been included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.  Consequently, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Health and Social Care had been consulted under Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet Member/Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because the Council had to meet deadlines for the implementation of a solution for producing electronic assessments/self directed support plans.

Report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being, advising of an "expressions of interest" exercise to be undertaken with suitable providers who would be able to assume responsibility for all or part of the work currently placed with Sefton New Directions (SND) if the need arose.

The report indicated that in October 2010, the Council wrote to SND inviting them to enter into negotiations in respect of its charges for Day Care, Re-Enablement, Supported Living and Outreach Services; that this request intimated that, from 1 April 2011, Sefton would terminate the block payments for the contract and, as with all other contracted providers, pay only for the work SND undertook; that this work would be reimbursed at rates currently paid by the Council to the rest of the independent sector in Sefton; and that this initiative would provide the requisite savings approved in the Council's MTFP and, to ensure that the Council had demonstrated that it had explored all avenues to meet the fiscal targets, the Cabinet Member was asked to note that the Strategic Director would commence a process to invite expressions of interest from suitable providers who would be able to assume responsibility for all or part of the work placed with New Directions should the need arise.

RESOLVED:  

That the Cabinet be requested to note the contents of the report and the actions taken by the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being.

Joint report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being and the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

Further to Minute No. 45 of 22 December 2010, the Cabinet Member considered the joint report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Well-Being and the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director seeking approval to enter into a Deed of Novation to transfer the Anchor Home Improvement Service across to the Mears Group; and indicating that a decision on this matter was required as the value of the work for minor repairs and adaptations and small repairs exceeded £100,000.

The report indicated that, following a review of the service, Sefton Adult Social Care Directorate recommended the withdrawal of the provision of the small aids service from 1 April 2011 which would result in a saving of £31,200 as there was an increasing choice for clients within Sefton to access a variety of small aids through various suppliers; that the Occupational Therapy and Equipment Service already ensured effective signposting - promoting choice and independence; and that when the budget position was clarified, a revised specification for the services would be developed and tendered for within the financial year 2011/12.  The Mears Group were aware of this intention and acknowledged this before the transfer was implemented.

The report concluded that a working party of officers from the Council and NHS Sefton would continue the regular performance meetings with the manager of the Home Improvement Service and continue to monitor the delivery of the present contract; and that a further update report would be submitted to the Cabinet Member in six months.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)      the Cabinet Member approves the Novation Agreement to be signed and sealed by the Interim Head of Corporate Legal Services to enable the transfer of the undertakings for the provision of the Home Improvement Service from Anchor Home Improvement Service to the Mears Group until 31 March 2011 with the possibility of an extension of the contract until 2012 (pending a re-tendering exercise); and

(2)      the discontinuation of the funding of the small aids service from 1 April 2011, resulting in a saving of £31,200, be approved.