Agenda and minutes

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

The following items were submitted and accepted as supplementary information for consideration during the meeting:

·  Item 7 – Better Lives for the People of Leeds: The Future of Day Services for Older People (minute 34 refers):

-  Adult Social Care briefing paper: Request for Scrutiny

·  Item 8 – Fundamental Review of NHS Allocations Policy (minute 34 refers):

-  Letter from the Leader of Council to the Chair of NHS England – 30 August 2013

-  Leeds CCGs’ position statement

-  Presentation slides from Ian Currell, Director of Finance (West Yorkshire Area Team), NHS England

The above documents were not available at the time of the agenda despatch, but would be made available to the public on the Council’s website. Copies of the papers were also made available at the meeting.

It was also reported that under agenda item 9, Work Schedule (minute 35 refers), it had been intended to present a draft work schedule at the meeting.  However, due to competing demands, this was not available.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests declared to the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor S Varley.

There were no substitute members in attendance.

It was also reported that, due to a prior and long-standing engagement, apologies had been received on behalf of the Executive Board Member (Adult Social Care) in respect of consideration of Better Lives for the People of Leeds: The Future of Day Services for Older People (minute 33 refers). 

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 31 July 2013.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 31 July 2013 be approved as a correct record.

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting information in relation to the future of day services for older people in Leeds.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report that outlined a number of decisions in relation to the future of day services for older people in Leeds had been taken by the Council Executive Board’s at its meeting on 4 September 2013. 

It was reported that the Executive Board decisions had been subject to a period of call-in, which had passed, and the decision could now be implemented.  It was also reported that, quite separately, a request for scrutiny has been received that, in-part, related to the Executive Board decision around day services for older people. 

The following information was appended to the report: 

-  Report of the Director of Adult Social Care presented to Executive Board at its meeting on 4 September 2013 (including background documents)

-  Relevant extract from the draft minutes of the Executive Board meeting held on 4 September 2013

-  A Request for Scrutiny submitted by GMB (which in-part, relates to the Executive Board decision on Day Services for Older People).

A briefing paper, responding to the issues raised in the ‘Request for Scrutiny’, was provided by Adult Social Care and submitted as supplementary information.

The following representatives were in attendance to help the Scrutiny Board consider the matters before it:

-  Sandie Keene, Director, Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council

-  Dennis Holmes, Deputy Director, Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council

-  Jon Smith, Regional Officer, GMB Trade Union.

The GMB representative was invited to address the Scrutiny Board and made the following points:

·  Acknowledged there was significant cross-over with the decisions related to Residential Care, which would be the subject of a separate call-in meeting later in the day.

·  The main concerns related to:

-  Information not available during the consultation process; and

-  The content of the Executive Board report – which formed the basis of the Executive Board decision – and specifically information not made available to Executive Board prior to its decision.

·  The number of staff affected by the decision was highlighted as an example of the type of information not available during the consultation period and not detailed in the Executive Board report. 

Representatives from Adult Social Care were invited to respond and made the following points:

·  The Executive Board report had been prepared on the need for day and residential care services, and within the context of the Council’s current financial landscape.

·  While staffing issues were important and a consideration for Executive Board, they were not fundamental to the decision.

·  The outcome of consultation with staff was presented to Executive Board.

·  Until a final decision had been made, it was difficult to provide accurate information on the number of staff affected. However, this was detailed in the supplementary information provided to the Scrutiny Board.

·  Now a clear mandate has been provided by Executive Board, Adult Social Services had given an undertaking to support all affected staff.

·  Members were reminded that the Executive Board decision had been informed by one of the largest consultations undertaken by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting information in relation to the fundamental review of NHS allocations policy.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report introducing a range of information associated with NHS England’s fundamental review of NHS allocations policy. 

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser gave a brief introduction to the report and outlined that when NHS England was launched on 1 April 2013, it announced it would conduct a fundamental review of NHS allocations within its first few months. The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) had now reported its recommendation in this regard, with details published by NHS England on 15 August 2013.

It was also outlined that a series of regional workshops (to take place during September 2013) had been launched for Clinical Commissioning Groups, Commissioning Support Units, NHS England and other stakeholders.  The purpose of the workshops was to discuss current thinking and to hear views about the allocations process and proposals for the future. 

The report set out the following summary points from the information published by NHS England:

·  Regionally, the North of England sees a reduction of 3.84% (approx. £722 million);

·  Midlands & East England sees an increase of 3.51% (approx. £660 million);

• London has a reduction of 2.25% (approx. £222 million);
• South of England sees an increase of 1.78% (approx. £283 million);
• Locally in Leeds, if implemented this would appear likely to result in an overall reduction in CCG allocations of around £84 million;
• There would be similar impacts across West Yorkshire (ranging from a £2.3 million reduced allocation at Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG to £43 million reduction for Wakefield CCG); 
• If implemented, all CCGs across Yorkshire and Humber would experience a reduced allocation.

The report also highlighted that the allocation information currently available provided only a partial picture, as there was no indication of allocations for direct commissioning at area team level (i.e. for primary care and / or specialised services). 

The following information was appended to the report to assist members consideration of the issue:

-  Fundamental Review of Allocations Policy – letter to stakeholders;

-  Fundamental Review of Allocations Policy – Technical Guidance;

-  Working paper on CCG 2013/ 14 allocations – indicative target allocations and distance from target.

The following information was submitted as supplementary information:

-  Letter from the Leader of Council to the Chair of NHS England – 30 August 2013;

-  Leeds CCGs’ position statement;

-  Presentation slides.

The following representatives were in attendance to help the Scrutiny Board consider the matters before it:

-  Ian Currell, Director of Finance (West Yorkshire Area Team), NHS England;

-  Dennis Holmes, Deputy Director, Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council.

The Director of Finance (West Yorkshire Area Team) was invited the address the Scrutiny Board and go through the pre-prepared presentation slides.  In summary the following points were highlighted:

• The published information, now presented to the Scrutiny Board, was a result of national policy work: As such, local NHS Area Teams had no involvement in drawing together the proposals.
• There was no existing national formula for distributing funding to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

To consider the Board’s work schedule for the forthcoming municipal year.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report that outlined the on-going development of the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for 2013/14.

The report reminded the Scrutiny Board that, at its meeting on 21 June 2013, members had identified the following themes to form the broad direction of its work programme for 2013/14:

·  Narrowing the Gap;

·  Service quality;

·  Urgent and emergency care;

·  Progress / implications associated with achieving NHS Foundation Trust status;

·  Information flows/ data sharing

It was also highlighted that at its meeting on 31 July 2013, the Scrutiny Board also considered and agreed to undertake further work around the following requests for scrutiny:

·  Men’s health;

·  Dermatology; and,

·  Children’s Epilepsy Surgery.

Work to translate these issues into a more detailed work schedule was continuing.  However, it was highlighted that the Principal Scrutiny Adviser was unable to present a more detailed written schedule at this time and further reflection on the matters considered elsewhere on the agenda would also be needed. 

The Chair suggested that, due to the timescales involved, it would be necessary to have some initial focus on issues associated with the NHS allocation policy discussed elsewhere on the agenda.  The Chair also suggested that the Board should focus its efforts on Narrowing the Gap and increasing Physical Activity – although the precise methodology needed to be confirmed.

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the information presented and discussed at the meeting. 

(b)  That the work schedule should have some initial focus on issues associated with the NHS allocation policy (as set out under the previous item (minute 35 refers)).

(c)  That the Scrutiny Board should focus its efforts on Narrowing the Gap and increasing Physical Activity, with a report setting out a proposed methodology presented to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Board. 

Wednesday, 30 October 2013 at 10.00am (Pre-meeting for Board Members at 9.30am)

Noted that the next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, 30 October  2013 at 10.00am (with a pre-meeting at 9:30am for members of the Scrutiny Board).

(The meeting concluded at 12:15pm)