Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which provides information and guidance to assist the Board in developing a work programme for 2008/2009 that is focused on strategic issues.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report providing Members with information and guidance to assist the Board to develop its work programme for 2008/09.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information, comment and consideration of the meeting:-

(i)  Board’s Terms of Reference

(ii)  Core information on relevant aspects of the:-

·  Local Area Agreement

·  Leeds Strategic Plan and Council Business Plan (2008 -2011)

·  Corporate Assessment Actions 2008

·  Corporate Performance Management information (Pls), including identified areas of improvement

·  Details of any planned review of key policies and strategies (including those items which make up the Council’s policy framework)

·  Outstanding issues from previous municipal year

(iii)  Current Forward Plan and minutes of last Executive Board meeting held on 14^th May 2008

For additional information, Members were also provided with a copy of the Adult Social Services Business Plan (2008/09).

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Councillor P Harrand, Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Adult Health and Social Care;  Sandie Keene, Director of Adult Social Services and Lindsay Richardson, Directorate Support Manager who were in attendance to help the Board’s consideration of its work programme for the coming year and to respond to any questions raised by Members regarding the information presented. 

Councillor Harrand outlined some of the pressures on the Adult Social Services Department for the coming year and also raised some topics for possible scrutiny by the Board.

The Director of Adult Social Services summarised the key activities and priorities of the Department for the year ahead, which included:

·  The Personalisation agenda – which included service quality and the level of choice and control of service users;

·  The forthcoming inspection of Older People’s Services – which would include a focus on preventative services and safeguarding arrangements

·  Income generation for Community Care Services

·  Older People’s Day Care

·  Implications of new Mental Health legislation

·  Implications of the government publication ‘Valuing People Now’ on services for people with Learning Disabilities

·  Preparation of a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – aimed at identifying the needs of the city, alongside proposals to jointly meet those needs with health service providers

Following detailed discussions, the Chair thanked the Executive Board Member, the Director of Adult Social Services and Lindsay Richardson for their attendance.

RESOLVED -  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted and, along with the comments and information presented at the meeting, be considered as part of the Board’s determination of its work programme, identified elsewhere on the agenda. 

Note:  Councillor P Ewens and Councillor T Murray joined at the meeting during discussions on the above item.