Agenda item

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting a draft Scrutiny Board response to the proposed closure of The Green.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which presented a draft Scrutiny Board response to the proposed closure of The Green.

The following were in attendance:

-  Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Executive Board Member (Health, Well-being and Adults)

-  Cath Roff, Director of Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser briefly introduced the report and the Chair provided the following background information for members’ consideration:

·  In January 2016, the Scrutiny Board had received and accepted a request for scrutiny around the proposed closure of The Green.

·  The Scrutiny Board had agreed to consider the issues in more detail through a working group, which met in March 2016.

·  Details of the working group meeting, along with an initial draft consultation response were presented to the Scrutiny Board at its meeting on 19 April 2016.

·  Following comments from the Executive Board member, the Director of Adult Social Services and members of the Scrutiny Board at that meeting, a redrafted consultation response was now submitted for the Board’s consideration.  The redrafted response took account of the comments made at the previous Board meeting, alongside further information presented by the Care Quality Commission to the Scrutiny Board. 

·  The purpose of the meeting was for the Scrutiny Board to:

o  Consider its draft response and recommendations (as presented); and,

o  Taking account of any further advice from the Director of Adult Social Services and the Executive Board member, agree its final response.

The Chair acknowledged the significant budgetary pressures and challenges facing the Council and Adult Social Services.

In addressing the Scrutiny Board, the Director of Adult Social Services provided a range of information, including:

·  Taking current occupancy levels into account, alongside the impact of implementing a national living wage, the closure of The Green would generate savings of £278,000.

·  The current and future budgetary pressures on Adult Social Services and the ‘potential squeeze’ on preventative services (which currently accounted for approximately £15M from a £200M net budget).

·  The national access to care requirements within the Care Act 2014.

·  A current review of staffing being undertaken.

·  Potential financial pressure on the Third Sector in Leeds.

In addressing the Scrutiny Board, the Executive Board Member made a number of comments, including:

·  The Council’s continued attempts to protect services provided by Adult Social Services in a very challenging financial environment.

·  The significant demographic pressures facing Adult Social Services.

·  The consultation launched in the autumn of 2015 was a genuine attempt to listen and gather views on the proposals set out in the Executive Board report in September 2015.

·  The consultation responses were being analysed and would be presented to Executive Board in June 2016.

Representatives of the petitioners were in attendance and invited to address the Board.

The Scrutiny Board had a lengthy and wide ranging discussion on the draft report and the information and advice provided at the meeting.  Some of the key areas of discussion were:

·  The lengthy and genuine consultation process.

·  Clarification on the revisions to the draft response following the meeting on 19 April 2016.

·  Significant issues of balance between cost, quality of services (in the independent sector) and the impact on existing residents and their families.

·  Potential financial implications on other service areas within Adult Social Services.

·  Assurances regarding the quality of care from the independent sector in Leeds.

·  Recognition that the views of the Scrutiny Board formed part the wider consultation, the results of which would be reported to the Executive Board at the time of decision.

·  Social wellbeing factors within the local community.

·  The Localism Act 2011, particularly in relation to concerns about local consultation and decision making.  A response regarding this was sought from the Director of Adult Social Services.

Prior to the Board agreeing its response and recommendations, and following a request from the Chair for any further and final advice, the Director of Adult Social Services confirmed the points of clarification and issues around factual accuracy had been addressed in the re-drafted response presented to the meeting, and following an open debate, there was no further advice she wished to provide to the Scrutiny Board.

Following a further brief discussion, the Board was asked to consider two separate amendments to the draft recommendation, as follows:

·  To include a further recommendation to assess the potential implications on the Adult Social Service’s ‘preventative budget’.

This proposed amendment failed due to not being seconded.

·  To remove the ‘for a minimum of 2 years’ section from the recommendation.

This proposed amendment was seconded but not supported when put to the vote (Votes for – 3; Votes against – 6; Abstentions – 1).  The Chair requested for his abstention to be noted.

The Board then considered and voted on the original draft recommendation set out in the draft report.  The votes were as follows: Votes for – 8; Votes against – 0; Abstentions – 2. The draft response and associated recommendation were therefore agreed.

RESOLVED –

That the draft consultation response, as presented, be submitted to the Director of Adult Social Services, with the following recommendation:

That any decision regarding the long-term future of The Green be deferred for a minimum of 2 years, in order to:

a)  Re-consider the comparative costs of provision as the impact of a national living wage takes effect, alongside the requirements of the Care Act 2014.

b)  Assess the occupancy levels achieved through positive promotion of The Green to local residents and beyond.

c)  Re-assess the overall ‘quality landscape’ across the care sector in Leeds and specifically the quality of alternative nearby provision in the independent sector.

Following the discussion, the Chair thanked all those present at the meeting for their attendance and contribution to the discussion.