Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all in attendance to the July meeting of the Scrutiny Board (Adult Social Care).

To declare any personal / prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81 (3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct.

Councillor J Chapman declared a personal interest in the following items on the basis that she had a relative who worked in private industry as a homecare worker;

• Agenda item 8, Leeds Strategic Plan Performance Report for Quarter 4 2008/09 (Minute No. 21 refers);
• Agenda item 9, Leeds Safeguarding Adult Partnership Board Report 2008/09 (Minute No. 22 refers);
• Agenda item 10, Independence Wellbeing and Choice Inspection Action Plan: May 2009 (Minute No. 23 refers); and
• Agenda item 11, Personalisation – Update to Terms of Reference and Appointment of co-opted Member to the Personalisation Working Group (Minute No. 24 refers).

A further declaration of interest was made at a later point in the meeting (Minute No. 21 refers).

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillors F Robinson and A Taylor; and Co-opted Member, Sally Morgan.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th June 2009.

Subject to an addition under Minute No. 4, Apologies for Absence, to reflect the fact that Councillor Gabriel had submitted her apologies to the meeting.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th June 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Minute No. 10 – Determining the Work Programme 2009/10

It was reported that further work had been undertaken to incorporate suggested work areas.  Terms of reference would be brought back to the Scrutiny Board meeting in September 2009.

Minute No. 12 – Inquiry into Major Adaptations for Disabled People – Draft Report

The Board was advised that the final inquiry report was being presented to Executive Board in August.  The outcome would be reported at the Scrutiny Board meeting in September 2009.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the 2008/09 Annual Report of Leeds Local Involvement Network (LINk).

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which presented the 2008/09 annual report of Leeds Local Involvement Network (LINk).

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, Joy Fisher, co-chair of LINk, and Emily Wragg, LINk Co-ordinator, to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments.

The Board was informed that LINk played an important role in addressing some of the issues experienced by service users.  It was reported that LINk had established a work programme focussing on a range of issues, including:

·  Communication;

·  Equality – how partner organisations interact;

·  Maternity services;

·  Access to GP’s;

·  Services for people with learning difficulties; and

·  Services for people with mental health needs.

The Chair invited questions from the Board and in brief summary, the main areas of discussion were:

·  Clarification about how LINk was financed.  It was reported that LINk was funded by the Department of Health up to 2011.

·  Acknowledgement that there was a need to provide a detailed financial breakdown, which it was agreed would be provided prior to the Scrutiny Board meeting in September 2009.

·  It was requested that the finalised work programme be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Board.

·  Members noted an amendment to page 20 of the report that the ‘£27,964 spent during the transitional period from April to September 2009 prior to the Host organisation being appointed’ should in fact have read from April to September 2008.

·  Clarification that membership of the Steering Group was open to all service users.  It was agreed to forward details about how to join to the Principal Scrutiny Adviser.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and information appended to the report be noted; and

(b)  That a detailed financial breakdown and finalised work programme be circulated to members of the Scrutiny Board.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement which outlines progress against improvement priorities relevant to the Board at Quarter 4 2008/09.

Further to Minute No. 100 of the meeting held on 8^th April 2009, the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report which presented the quarter four performance results for Adult Social Care.

The following information was appended to the report;

• Adult Social Care Action Tracker Summary (Quarter 4 2008/09);
• Health and Wellbeing Action Trackers (Quarter 4 2008/09); and
• Adult Social Care Performance Indicator Report (Quarter 4 2008/09).

The Chair welcomed Councillor Harrand, Executive Member (Adult Health and Social Care) and the following officers to the meeting;

-  Dennis Holmes, Deputy Director, Strategic Commissioning, Adult Social Care; and

-  Marilyn Summers, Senior Performance Manager, Planning, Policy and Improvement.

Marilyn Summers, Senior Performance Manager, presented the report and updated the Board with revised performance information as follows;

PI Ref: LSP-HW2b(ii) (the percentage of staff employed by independent sector registered care services in Leeds that have received some training on protection of vulnerable adults that is either funded or commissioned by Leeds Adult Social Care) – Confirmation that the information had been provided and the data quality column had been amended from red to green;

PI Ref: NI125 (achieving independence for older people through rehabilitation/intermediate care) – Confirmation that the full year result had been revised from 84.6 to 91.9;

PI Ref: NI130 (social care clients receiving self directed support per 100,000 population aged 18+) – Confirmation that the full year result had been revised from 155.7 to 163.03;

PI Ref: NI 136 (people supported to live independently through social care (all adults)) – Confirmation that the information had been provided and the full year result was 3,988;

PI Ref: NI145 and NI146 (adults with learning difficulties in settled accommodation / adults with learning difficulties in employment) – Confirmation that the information had been provided and the data quality columns had been amended from red to green; and

PI Ref: CP-OP51 (reduce the number of older people who are admitted to residential and/or nursing care per 10,000 population aged 65 or over) – Confirmation that the information had been provided and the full year result was 71.

Key performance issues were highlighted and in brief summary the main areas of discussion were:

·  Concern about the absence of data in relation to NI149 and NI150 (adults in contact with secondary mental health services in settled accommodation / adults in contact with secondary mental health services in employment).  It was advised that the data was collated by the Partnership Foundation Trust and had not yet been provided.  The Board was informed that the data would be available at the end of the month.

·  Concern that some of the information and data was meaningless - Members emphasised the importance of being provided with figures as well as percentages.

·  Concern that members of the public were unable to make sense of the information provided.  It was acknowledged that there was a need to provide further explanation on some of the information provided.

·  Concern about data that was not due to be reported being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Adult Social Services presenting the second annual report of the Leeds Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board.

The Director of Adult Social Services submitted a report which presented the 2008/09 annual report of the Leeds Safeguarding Adult Partnership Board.

Dennis Holmes, Deputy Director, Strategic Commissioning, Adult Social Care, and Chair of the Leeds Safeguarding Adult Partnership Board attended the meeting and responded to Members’ questions and comments.

In brief summary, the key highlighted points were:

·  Members asked for information about what tangible benefits the Leeds Safeguarding Adult Partnership Board had brought to residents who may have been subject to abuse.  Members noted the appointment of a new Head of Safeguarding, Hilary Paxton and progress made in relation to training and development.  It was reported that a range of senior statutory body representatives had attended the Board meetings. 

·  Members highlighted the increase in referrals and queried the resource implications of this.  It was advised that whilst safeguarding was a priority area, further additional resources were not envisaged.

RESOLVED – That the report and information appended to the report be noted.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which provides the Board with information relating to the performance of Adult Social Services against the action plan.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which provided the Board with information relating to the performance of Adult Social Services against the objectives outlined in the Independence Wellbeing and Choice Action Plan.

Appended to the report was the following information;

-  Minutes of the Proposals Working Group Meeting held on 20^th July 2009; and

-  Leeds Independence, Wellbeing and Choice Inspection Action Plan Summary Report May 2009.

Members expressed concern that action against 24.3 of the Action Plan (a new process for identifying investment and measuring the quality and impact of workforce development will be introduced in the 2009/10 planning cycle.  New reporting process will be introduced) had not been completed on time.  The Board was advised that action had not been completed due to other dependencies identified within the report.  It was agreed that Graham Sephton, Deputy HR Manager, would be asked to provide the Proposals Working Group with a summary report outlining some of the main issues.

RESOLVED – That the report and information appended to the report be noted.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which updates the Board on the revised terms of reference and invites the Board to agree the appointment of a further Member to join the working group.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which updated the Board on the revised terms of reference for the inquiry and invited the Board to agree the appointment of a further Member to join the Personalisation Working Group.

The terms of reference were appended to the report for Members’ information.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, John Lennon, Chief Officer – Access and Inclusion, Adult Social Care, to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments.

The main areas of discussion were:

• Acknowledgement of the scale and scope of the transformation agenda, particularly in relation to the Government Office target that 30% of social care users signed up to an individual budget by 2011 (Currently 5.6.% in Leeds).
• Issues around affordability and flexibility, especially in terms of enabling users to maintain their independence.
• The need to ensure that an appropriate range of services were available, particularly in terms of influencing providers to offer services outside of traditional commissioning to meet individual needs.
• Confirmation that there was an option for users to revert back to their original care package.
• Clarification about what steps had been taken to ensure that advice about the range of services on offer was unbiased.  Members discussed the range of support services on offer, particularly the Social Care Management resource.
• Clarification about whether individual budgets met the needs of all users.  Members were advised that work was being established to assist those with complex needs, particularly the early implementer scheme and development of a resource allocation system.
• Concern about the closure of day centres, particularly as the closures reduced the choices available to individuals.  It was agreed to arrange a special meeting on Thursday 20^th August 2009 to look into this matter further.
• Concern about whether internal structures remained robust enough.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and information appended to the report be noted;

(b)  That the terms of reference may incorporate additional information, subject to the Scrutiny Board or Working Group identifying any further scope for inquiry within the area of personalisation;

(c)  That Councillor Kendall be co-opted to serve on the Personalisation Working Group; and

(d)  That a special meeting be scheduled to take place on Thursday 20^th August 2009 to look at the future of day service provision and the issues around the closure of day centres.

To receive a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which outlines the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the remainder of the current municipal year.

A report was submitted by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development, which detailed the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the remainder of the current municipal year.

Appended to the report for Members’ information was the current version of the Board’s work programme, an extract from the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1^st August 2009 to 30^th November 2009, which related to the Board’s remit, together with the minutes from the Executive Board meeting held on 17^th June, 2009.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser, Sandra Newbould, provided the Board with an update on the work programme as follows:

·  The Board had agreed to schedule a special meeting on Thursday, 20^th August 2009 at 2.00 pm (pre-meeting for Board Members at 1.45 pm) to look into issues around the closure of day centres.

·  Performance Report for Quarter 1 2009/10 – revised position to be reported at Scrutiny Board meeting in September 2009.

·  Road safety for mobility scooters users – information to be circulated to the Scrutiny Board.

·  LINk to provide the Scrutiny Board with a detailed financial breakdown and finalised work programme.  Information to be forwarded to Board Members via e-mail.

·  Volunteers were required for Members to serve on the Mental Health Working Group.  Meeting dates to be agreed.

·  Due to demands on the Scrutiny Board’s workload, Proposals Working Group to meet every 2 months after September.

RESOLVED –That subject to the comments raised at the meeting, the work programme be approved.

To note that the next meeting of the Board will be held on Wednesday 9^th September 2009 at 10.00am with a pre meeting for Board Members at 9.30am.

* Thursday, 20^th August 2009 at 2.00 pm with a pre-meeting for Board Members at 1.45 pm

Wednesday, 9^th September 2009 at 10.00 am with a pre-meeting for Board Members at 9.30 am.

* Special Meeting

(The meeting concluded at 12.20 pm).