Council notes with serious concern the recent Adult Social Care Independence, Wellbeing and Choice Inspection and the Annual Performance Assessments for both the Adult Social Care and the Children’s Services Departments. Council further notes that the Adult Social Care department has been judged to be inadequate and that the performance of the Children’s Services department has significantly deteriorated to the extent that it is now only rated as adequate.
Council is very concerned that all three inspection reports are extremely critical of this Council’s ability to safeguard vulnerable people and protect them from exploitation and abuse. Furthermore these reports call sharply into question the capacity of the current Council leadership.
This Council believes that these inspection reports show that this Administration is failing in its primary responsibility to protect people. This Council believes that the people of Leeds deserve the best and not inadequate and barely adequate services.
Council therefore resolves that:
1. In order to ensure proper accountability both the Adult Social Care and Children’s Services Scrutiny Boards should not be chaired by members of the administration; putting an end to this administration’s practise of scrutinising itself.
2. The Chief Executive should bring a paper to the Executive Board reviewing the effectiveness of partnership arrangements between the Adult Social Care and Children’s Services Departments and the NHS, and voluntary Sector in Leeds.
3. The Executive Board member for Adult Social Care should stand down from his position with immediate effect and the leadership within the Children Services Department should immediately demonstrate that it has the competence, ability and capacity to tackle the key weaknesses within the department.
D COUPAR
Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor Coupar seconded by Councillor Mulherin
Council notes with serious concern the recent Adult Social Care Independence, Wellbeing and Choice Inspection and the Annual Performance Assessments for both the Adult Social Care and the Children’s Services Departments. Council further notes that the Adult Social Care department has been judged to be inadequate and that the performance of the Children’s Services department has significantly deteriorated to the extent that it is now only rated as adequate.
Council is very concerned that all three inspection reports are extremely critical of this Council’s ability to safeguard vulnerable people and protect them from exploitation and abuse. Furthermore these reports call sharply into question the capacity of the current Council leadership.
This Council believes that these inspection reports show that this Administration is failing in its primary responsibility to protect people. This council believes that the people of Leeds deserve the best and not inadequate and barely adequate services.
Council therefore resolves that
1 In order to ensure proper accountability both the Adult Social Care and Children’s Services Scrutiny Boards should not be chaired by members of the administration; putting an end to this administration’s practise of scrutinising itself
2 The Chief Executive should bring a paper to the Executive Board reviewing the effectiveness of partnership arrangements between the Adult Social Care and Children’s Services Departments and the NHS, and voluntary sector in Leeds.
3 The Executive Board member for Adult Social Care should stand down from his position with immediate effect and the leadership within the Children Services Department should immediately demonstrate that it has the competence, ability and capacity to tackle the key weaknesses within the department.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Harrand seconded by Councillor Golton.
Delete everything after ‘notes’ and replace with:
‘…the five of the seven areas of practice within the Adult Social Care directorate where the performance of council officers is assessed as ‘good’;
Adult Social Care performance on improved health and wellbeing is rated as good,
Adult Social Care performance on improved quality of life is rated as good,
Adult Social Care performance on making a positive contribution is rated as good,
wellbeing is rated as good.
Adult Social Care performance on freedom from discrimination and harassment is rated as good,
Adult Social Care performance on economic wellbeing is rated as good.
The Council accepts the assessment of performance in ‘maintaining personal dignity and respect (including safeguarding)’ as ‘poor’, and acknowledges the actions that have been taken both before and after the August inspection to improve performances; and notes the unprecedented investment in these services planned in the department’s proposed budget for 2009/10.
The Council further notes the conclusions of the recent APA report for Children’s Services in Leeds. This Council both welcomes OfSTED’s recognition of positive improvements in outcomes for Leeds children and also those areas where more rapid improvement is needed. Council notes in particular the actions taken to improve performance in those areas of concern, and the year on year increase in investment in Children’s Services to achieve the goals of the Children’s Plan
The Council further notes that the arrangements for the appointment of Chairs of Scrutiny Boards were unanimously agreed by full Council at the 2008 Annual Meeting and that proposals for any revision to present arrangements should be discussed through the usual channels
The Council recognises the increasing strength of the partnership arrangements with NHS Leeds, the Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the Police, the Probation Service, and the Voluntary Sector and the importance of all such bodies in the improvement of safeguarding services to both adults and children in Leeds.’
A further amendment was moved by Councillor A Blackburn seconded by Councillor D Blackburn.
Delete all after:
“Council notes with serious concern the recent Adult Social Care Independence, Wellbeing and Choice Inspection and the Annual Performance Assessments for both the Adult Social Care and the Children's Services Departments.”
And add
“Council believes that the results of the inspection and assessments show the need for the introduction of an Advisory Committee to the Executive Board, covering all aspects of Social Care both for adults and children. Council, therefore, requests the Chief Executive to bring a paper to the Executive Board setting out proposals to put this into operation.”
The amendment was carried, the further amendment was lost and upon being put as the substantive motion it was
RESOLVED - That Council notes that five of the seven areas of practice within the Adult Social Care directorate where the performance of council officers is assessed as ‘good’;
Adult Social Care performance on improved health and wellbeing is rated as good,
Adult Social Care performance on improved quality of life is rated as good,
Adult Social Care performance on making a positive contribution is rated as good,
wellbeing is rated as good.
Adult Social Care performance on freedom from discrimination and harassment is rated as good,
Adult Social Care performance on economic wellbeing is rated as good.
The Council accepts the assessment of performance in ‘maintaining personal dignity and respect (including safeguarding)’ as ‘poor’, and acknowledges the actions that have been taken both before and after the August inspection to improve performances; and notes the unprecedented investment in these services planned in the department’s proposed budget for 2009/10.
The Council further notes the conclusions of the recent APA report for Children’s Services in Leeds. This Council both welcomes OfSTED’s recognition of positive improvements in outcomes for Leeds children and also those areas where more rapid improvement is needed. Council notes in particular the actions taken to improve performance in those areas of concern, and the year on year increase in investment in Children’s Services to achieve the goals of the Children’s Plan
The Council further notes that the arrangements for the appointment of Chairs of Scrutiny Boards were unanimously agreed by full Council at the 2008 Annual Meeting and that proposals for any revision to present arrangements should be discussed through the usual channels.
The Council recognises the increasing strength of the partnership arrangements with NHS Leeds, the Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the Police, the Probation Service, and the Voluntary Sector and the importance of all such bodies in the improvement of safeguarding services to both adults and children in Leeds.
On the requisition of Councillors Gruen and Taggart the voting on the amendment was recorded as follows:
YES
Anderson, Andrew, Bale, Barker, Bentley, Brett, Campbell, A Carter, J L Carter, Castle, Chapman, Chastney, Cleasby, Downes, Elliott, Ewens,
Mrs R Feldman, R D Feldman, Finnigan, Fox, Gettings, Golton, Grayshon,
Hamilton, Harker, Harrand, Harris, Hollingsworth, W Hyde, Kendall, Kirkland,
Lamb, Lancaster, Leadley, Lobley, Marjoram, Matthews, Monaghan, J Procter, R Procter, Pryke, Rhodes-Clayton, Shelbrooke, Smith, A Taylor,
Townsley, Wadsworth, Wilkinson, Wilson
49
NO
Armitage, Atha, Blake, Congreve, Coulson, Coupar, Davey, Dobson, Dowson,
Driver, Dunn, Gabriel, Grahame, Gruen, Hanley, Harington, A Hussain, G Hyde, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jarosz, J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Lyons,
A McKenna, J McKenna, Morgan, Mulherin, Murray, Nash, Ogilvie, Parker,
Rafique, Renshaw, Selby, Taggart, E Taylor, Wakefield, Yeadon,
40
ABSTAIN
Beverley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Parnham,
4
On the requisition of Councillors A Blackburn and D Blackburn the voting on the further amendment was recorded as follows:
YES
Beverley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Elliot, Finnigan, Gettings, Grayshon, Leadley, Parnham,
9
NO
Anderson, Andrew, Bale, Barker, Bentley, Brett, Campbell, A Carter,
J L Carter, Castle, Chapman, Chastney, Cleasby, Downes, Ewens,
Mrs R Feldman, R D Feldman, Fox, Golton, Hamilton, Harker, Harrand,
Harris, Hollingsworth, W Hyde, Kendall, Kirkland, Lamb, Lancaster,
Lobley, Marjoram, Matthews, Monaghan, J Procter, R Procter, Pryke,
Rhodes-Clayton, Shelbrooke, Smith, A Taylor, Townsley, Wadsworth,
Wilkinson, Wilson,
44
ABSTAIN
Armitage, Atha, Blake, Congreve, Coulson, Coupar, Davey, Dobson, Dowson,
Driver, Dunn, Gabriel, Grahame, Gruen, Hanley, Harington, A Hussain,
G Hyde, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jarosz, J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Lyons,
A McKenna, J McKenna, Morgan, Mulherin, Murray, Nash, Ogilvie,
K Parker, Rafique, Renshaw, Selby, Taggart, E Taylor, Wakefield and Yeadon,
40
On the request of Councillors Gruen and Taggart the voting on the substantive motion was recorded as follows:
YES
Anderson, Andrew, Bale, Barker, Bentley, Brett, Campbell, A Carter, J L Carter, Castle, Chapman, Chastney, Cleasby, Downes, Elliott, Ewens, Mrs R Feldman, R D Feldman, Finnigan, Fox, Gettings, Golton, Grayshon, Hamilton, Harker, Harrand, Harris, Hollingsworth, W Hyde, Kendall, Kirkland, Lamb, Lancaster, Leadley, Lobley, Marjoram, Matthews, Monaghan, J Procter, R Procter, Pryke Rhodes-Clayton, Shelbrooke, Smith, Taylor, Townsley, Wadsworth, Wilkinson, Wilson
49
NO
Armitage, Atha, Blake, Congreve, Coulson, Coupar, Davey, Dobson, Dowson, Driver, Dunn, Gabriel, Grahame, Gruen, Hanley, Harington, Hussain, G Hyde, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jarosz, J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Lyons, A McKenna, J McKenna, Morgan, Mulherin, Murray, Nash, Ogilvie, Parker, Rafique, Renshaw, Selby, Taggart, E Taylor, Wakefield, Yeadon
40
ABSTAIN
Beverley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Parnham
4
(Council rose at 12.25 pm)