Agenda item

The Adult Social Care & Housing Medium Term Service & Resource Plan (MTSRP) Update is presented for consideration by the Panel:

(1)  To ensure all members of the Panel are aware of the context for Service Action Planning

(2)  To enable comment on the strategic choices inherent in the medium term plan

(3)  To enable issues to be referred to the relevant Portfolio holder at an early stage in the service planning and budget process.

The Panel is asked to:

(1)  Comment on the update to the medium term plan for Adult Social Care & Housing 

(2)  Identify any issues requiring further consideration and highlighting as part of the budget process for 2014/15

(3)  Identify any issues arising from the draft plan it wishes to refer to the relevant portfolio holder for further consideration.

The Chairman invited Jane Shayler to introduce the report.

Jane Shayler took the Panel through the report by outlining that the first part of the report is the same to all Medium Term Plans presented to PDS Panels.  The whole Council is required to make additional savings of £4m in 2014/15 in order to balance the books.

Appendix 1 of the report sets out the additional Adult Social Care and Housing savings details for 2014/15.  Page 51 of the report shows the additional savings of £500k and £280k.  Jane Shayler gave, as per the report, an update on the additional savings.

The Panel made the following points:

The Chairman pointed to page 44, and the bullet point about Integration Transformation Fund (ITF) and asked if £9.8m is all that this Council will get from the government.

Jane Shayler responded that those figures were not confirmed yet.  The ITF detailed guidance, by the Department of Health, is expected to be available mid- December this year.  The finance officers have made some reasonable assumptions on the amount that is likely to be allocated to this area.  That is based on the experience of how the national allocation usually converts to local allocation for B&NES.  It is an informed estimate though the Council and Clinical Commissioning Group cannot be absolutely certain until the the funding allocations and detailed guidance are issued. Jane Shayler reminded the Panel that the ITF does not come into effect until 2015/16.  The challenge is that every area has to agree plans for the investment of that fund by the end of this financial year.  There is a process to navigate those plans through – the plans do need to be signed by the Clinical Commissioning Group, the Council, NHS England  area team and the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Jane Shayler said that the figure of £9.8m is the best estimate of how much will be available locally as is the maximum of £1.2m which represents new money into the local health and social care system.

The Council is already receiving funding in support of demand pressures in the health and social care system, which is usually referred to as “Section 256” money.  The Section 256 money is already invested in services, such as re-ablement services, 7-day social work services, and some therapy services in the hospital and similar.

Jane Shayler informed the Panel that one of the significant differences in the ITF is that it will go into a pooled budget is likely to be administered by the local authority.

The Chairman read out Risk & Opportunities section on page 45 and said that the section should be more focused on B&NES than London though it is a measure on what might happen in this Council.

Jane Shayler reminded the Panel that an update on the Care and Support Bill is scheduled for January 2014 meeting of the Panel.  On national level, most local authorities are saying that although they welcome the changes in the Bill/Act it does also represent an additional financial burden for local authorities.  There will be pressures on the local authority and any other organisations that work on behalf of the local authority to deliver adult social care.  The most significant provider of adult social care services in this area is Sirona, who are likely to undertake higher number of assessments of carers’ needs.

The Chairman said that the Panel’s task is to scrutinise the Medium Term Plan but there are limitations because if the Panel wants to amend anything then it has to be compensated from somewhere else. 

The Chairman commented that information provided on pages 49-53 is denial of services and loss of frontline services.

Councillor Organ commented that a lot of good work had been done by officers to identify savings and it should not be understood as a guess work. 

The Chairman acknowledged the good work done by officers but he was not comfortable with the proposed reduction of services for the most vulnerable people.

The Chairman said that the Panel made a resolution last year that the current administration should offer more support to Adult Social Care and Housing Services.

Councillor Clarke agreed with the Chairman’s comments and said that the Panel should continue to support the same position they had last year.  Councillor Clarke said that the Panel should recognise that it is very difficult to alter the current plan but Adult Social Care and Housing need to be handled in different way.  The Panel should make it clear that they do not think that one size fits all type approach is satisfactory.

It was RESOLVED the Panel were uncomfortable with officers being obliged to implement the cuts that have an adverse effect on the most vulnerable. 

The Panel also AGREED to send the message to the Cabinet, in particular to Cabinet Member for Resources, to identify funding elsewhere in the Council to support Adult Social Care and Housing.