Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Linda Cluskey and Brian Clark OBE, Healthwatch Sefton.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

In accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Council’s Code of Conduct, the following declarations of personal interest were made and the Member remained in the room during the consideration of the item:

Minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd January 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2024, be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Programme Director, Shaping Care Together, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospital.

The Committee considered the report of the Programme Director, Shaping Care Together, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust.

Kate Clark, Director of Strategic Clinical Reconfiguration, Mersey and West Lancashire Hospital Trust, was in attendance to present the report and to respond to any questions from members of the committee.

Members of the committee asked questions/commented on the following:

·       Timescales for the Shaping Care Together Programme

·       The current situation regarding patients waiting for beds at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital due to system pressures.

·       How the Shaping Care Programme work was assisting with primary medical pressures.

The Committee notes that an informal meeting on the Shaping Care Together programme was due to take place on 27^th February and that an update on Primary Medical Care was due to be brought to a meeting of the committee in 2024/25.

RESOLVED: That

The update be noted

Report of the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

The Committee considered the report of the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, that provided an update about the work of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Sefton. The report outlined details of the following:

·       Integrated Care Board 2024/25 planning

·       Latest NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Board meeting due to be held on 28^th March 2024

RESOLVED:

That the update be noted

Report of the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

The Committee considered the report of the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, that provided data on key performance areas for North and South Sefton

RESOLVED:

That the information on Health Provider Performance be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director,  Integrated Life Course Commissioning.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health and Cheshire and Merseyside ICB Place Director on Sefton New Directions which was a wholly owned Council company.

The report provided detail on current performance of Sefton New Directions Limited, a wholly owned council company, to ensure effective scrutiny by members and provide assurance that the councils interests and the services and goods provided to residents, are safe and well managed and provide good value for money.

Eleanor Moulton, Assistant Director, Integrated Life Course Commissioning, was in attendance to present the report.

Members of the committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       The Fraud and Bribery Policy and the reasons for its existence

·       Trade Unions and if they are recognised by New Directions

·       The managed deficit

·       Reablement services

·       Real living wage for New Directions staff.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)  The content in the report was noted

(2)  A site visit for members to James Dixon Court be arranged for 2024/25

Report of the Assistant Director, Integrated Life Course Commissioning.

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director, Whole Life Commissioning, updating on the development of the Sefton Carers Strategy 2024-2027. The report was being presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the consultation approach.

Eleanor Moulton, Assistant Director, Whole Life Commissioning, was in attendance to present the report.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following matters:

·       How the strategy reflects that pensioners and children are also carers

·       Isolation amongst young carers

·       Include the aims of the strategy within the first few pages

·       The training available to carers and how respite care places are funded if they attend training away from home

·       Work that could be done in schools to identify if a child may be a young carer.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  The process of consultation and engagement was noted in relation to the Carers Strategy; and

(2)  The Carers Strategy and Action Plan to be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when the consultation has concluded; and

(3)  The Committee noted the establishment of a Carers Partnership Board

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer submitting the most recent update reports from the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care, and the Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing, whose portfolios fell within the remit of the Committee.

The Cabinet Member update report – Adult Social Care, attached to the report at Appendix A, outlined information on the following:

·       The Care Quality Commission (CQC) Assurance Update for Adult Social Care

·       Strategic Commissioning

o   Domicillary Care

o   New Directions

o   Care Homes

o   Fee Setting

o   Quality Monitoring

·       Hospital Winter Pressures

·       Adult Social Care Budget

·       Adult Social Care Complaints and Compliments and MP Enquiries

·       Principle Social Worker Update

·       Performance and key Areas of Focus

o   Long Term Activity Trends

o   Admissions into care reablement

o   Self-directed support and direct payments

o   Employment

o   Housing

·       Workforce, including learning and development

·       Learning Disability and Autism Team

·       Approved Mental Health Professionals

·        

The Cabinet Member update report – Health and Wellbeing, attached to the report at Appendix B, outlined information on the following:

Public Health

·       We’re Here Campaign

·       Suicide Audit 2019-2021

·       Smoking Recommission and Vaping

·       Food and Drink Advertising Policy

The report also contained an update on Leisure in the Borough including leisure facilities and school and active travel initiatives.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member update reports be noted.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that sought to:

·       review the Committee’s Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2023/24

·       to identify any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan;

·       seek the views of the Committee on the Programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for the remainder of 2023/24;

·       receive an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

·       receive an update on the Joint Cheshire and Merseyside Scrutiny Committee, established to scrutinise the work of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board; and

The following appendices were attached to the report:

·       Appendix A – Work Programme for 2023/24;

·       Appendix B – Latest key decision forward plan items relating to this overview and scrutiny committee.

·       Appendix C – Draft programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for 2023/24

Members noted that the following informal meetings would be added to the work programme:

·       North West Ambulance Service

·       Shaping Care Together Programme

·       Adult Social Care budget

·       Public Health Performance Framework

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Work Programme for 2023/24, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be noted;

(2)   the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period  be noted;

(3)  the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted; and    

(4)  the update on the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System Joint Health Scrutiny Committee; and

(5)  informal meetings on the North West Ambulance Service, Shaping Care Together Programme, Adult Social Care Budget and Public Health Performance Framework be added to the Committee’s programme of informal meetings.