Agenda item

To receive and consider two requests for scrutiny, alongside a report from the Director of Adult Social Services setting out the background and findings of recent consultation regarding proposals on the future provision of Council care home and day-centre services. (Report to follow).

The Head of Scrutiny submitted a report which presented two requests for scrutiny, alongside a report from the Director of Adult Social Services setting out the background and findings of recent consultation regarding proposals on the future provision of Council care home and daycentre services.

The following information was appended to the report:

-  Better Lives for Older People – Day Centres for Older People – Consultation Report (June 2016)

-  Better Lives for Older People – Residential Care for Older People (June 2016)

-  Day Centre Service User Profiles (as at 15/06/16) and Alternatives

-  Resident Profiles (as at 15/06/16) and Alternatives

-  Better Lives Service Review – Potential Savings – Residential Care and Day Centres

-  Summary of all centres – Post Consultation Contact 24 December to Date

-  Request for scrutiny dated 19 May 2016 in relation to Siegen Manor Care Home, Morley.

The following were in attendance:

·  Councillor Rebecca Charlwood (Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adults)

·  Cath Roth (Director of Adult Social Services) – Leeds City Council

·  Shona McFarlane  (Chief Officer: Access and Care Delivery) – Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council

·  Anna Clifford (Programme Manager) – Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council

·  Mark Phillott (Head of Commissioning (Contracts and Business Development)), Adult Social Services, Leeds City Council

·  Linda Newsome, Presenting the request for scrutiny in relation to Siegen Manor Care Home

·  Keith Spellman, Presenting the request for scrutiny in relation to the proposed closure of all three care homes, with a particular emphasis on Middlecross Care Home.

The Board received the requests for scrutiny in relation to Siegen Manor Care Home and the proposed closure of all three care homes, with a particular emphasis on Middlecross Care Home.

The Board considered and discussed the report from the Director of Adult Social Services. 

Some of the key areas of discussion included:

·  Historical practice in tender evaluations around the weighting of cost and quality.

·  The need to ensure that effective commissioning of services and monitoring arrangements were in place.

·   General concern about perceived poor standards of provision in the independent sector compared to Council provided care.

·  The quality landscape specifically in the vicinity of the three care homes proposed for closure.

·  The high level of response to the consultation and the overwhelming response not supporting the proposed closures.

·  The quality of the public consultation process.

·  Increased budget pressures on Adult Social Services.

·  Assurances that residents who moved elsewhere would not be worse off financially, nor in terms of the quality of service provided.

·  The Board was advised that while cost comparisons were based on revenue expenditure, capital expenditure was needed to refurbish Council Care homes to bring them in line with modern facilities.

·  Making best use of provision, i.e. provision of dementia day care services.

·  Concerns about how some CQC inspection outcomes  were reported – specifically in terms of the lack of judgements around the ‘impact’ on services.

·  Comparisons with other decisions made by the Council, with specific reference to the disposal of school buildings.

·  Plans for the reuse or disposal of surplus buildings that may arise from future decisions.

Prior to the conclusion of the discussion, members of the Scrutiny Board agreed that in the main the Board had sufficient information to consider in making any statement on the proposals and consultation outcome: The exception being an outline of any plans for the reuse or disposal of surplus buildings that may arise from future decisions.

RESOLVED –

(a)   That the Board establishes a sub-group to consider the information presented and issues raised in more detail address some of the issues that had been raised.

(b)  That an outline of any plans for the reuse or disposal of surplus buildings that may arise from future decisions be made available and presented to the sub-group meeting of the Board.

(Councillor P Truswell left the meeting at 2.55pm during the consideration of this item.)

(The meeting was adjourned at 3.40pm and reconvened at 3.50pm.)