Meeting documents

157 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

158 EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE

The Chair(person) drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out on the Agenda.

159 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Malcolm Hanney declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in item 10, as Chair of the Primary Care Trust.

160 TO ANNOUNCE ANY URGENT BUSINESS AGREED BY THE CHAIR(PERSON)

There were no items of urgent business.

161 QUESTIONS FROM PUBLIC AND COUNCILLORS

Councillor Caroline Roberts had given the appropriate notice of her request to ask a question of an Executive Councillor. The text of the questions and responses is contained in a Q&A document which is attached to the minutes electronically once finalised.

Councillor Caroline Roberts asked a question regarding the two headed man junction A39/B3116. Councillor Sir Elgar Jenkins responded.

Councillor Caroline Roberts asked a question regarding the spending on the bollards in Milsom Street. Councillor Sir Elgar Jenkins responded.

162 STATEMENTS, DEPUTATIONS OR PETITIONS FROM PUBLIC AND COUNCILLORS

Councillor Sarah Webb made a statement regarding public conveniences. She made a plea on behalf of the Seven dials public convenience in Monmouth Street and referred to further cost savings which she felt had not yet been fully considered. (A copy of this statement was passed to Councillor Rosemary Todd and has been placed on the Minute book).

Joy Davis and Councillor Tony Cox indicated their wish to make their statements when agenda item 10 was reached.

163 MINUTES: WEDNESDAY 7TH APRIL 2004

On a motion from Councillor Jonathan Gay, seconded by Councillor Hanney, it was

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 7th April 2004 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair(person)

164 CONSIDERATION OF SINGLE MEMBER ITEMS NOW REQUISITIONED TO COUNCIL EXECUTIVE (Report 9).

There were no such items on this occasion.

165 IMPACT OF THE POTENTIAL CLOSURE OF TYNDALE AND WOODSIDE REGISTERED CARE HOMES (Report 10).

Joy Davis made a statement as a staff Member at Tyndale, as well as as a UNISON representative. She urged Members not to close Tyndale and set out her reasons for this.

Councillor Tony Cox made a statement regarding Tyndale, as Ward Member for Bathavon North, and referred to the petition that had already been presented to Council. (A copy of this statement has been placed on the Minute book.)

Chris Price made a statement calling for the needs of elderly people to be respected and the number of moves to be kept to a minimum.

Richard Gurney from UNISON expressed the Union's wholehearted support for the new build but urged that existing homes should be kept open as long as possible so that staff confidence would not be lost.

Councillor Francine Haeberling introduced this report by assuring staff and Trade Unions that no redundancies were planned as all staff would be needed. She thanked all those who had taken part in the consultation meetings or signed the petition. She acknowledged the trauma associated with moving but gave her assurance that there had been no ill-effects from the move of residents from Greenacres.

Councillor Francine Haeberling explained that, at the start of this process, only one move had been envisaged but circumstances had now made it unsustainable to proceed with the status quo. It was important now to move on quickly and to make the transfer as smooth as possible.

Cllr Paul Crossley expressed his support to the proposals and looked forward to the exciting opportunities that the Re-provision programme would deliver. He confirmed that these decisions were not taken lightly and recognised the difficulty in moving frail, elderly people. He stressed the paramount importance of respecting the needs of residents in any move. He also hoped that staff would benefit from the continued career opportunities that would be presented.

Councillor Nicole O'Flaherty welcomed the comments of Councillors Francine Haeberling and Paul Crossley to allay any concerns she may have had regarding job security.

Councillor Sir Elgar Jenkins echoed the earlier comments made and the Executive's awareness of the trauma associated with any move, but confirmed that they were looking to the medium and long term benefits of an improved service for everybody.

Before moving to the vote, Councillor Paul Crossley asked Members to confirm that they were all assured that the Resident's assessments had been taken into account in coming to their decision. This confirmation was given.

Rationale for the Decision

As well as making reference to exciting service developments this report sets out the financial backdrop against which the Social and Housing Services Department needs to manage its budget over the coming 2/3 years. It is clear from the information available that, as well as being in line with the "direction of travel" for the overall re-provision process, closure action at this stage is central to creating a balanced budget for 2004/5 and 2005/6.

It is also true that the closure of two homes at this stage would represent a significant opportunity for re-investment and would allow resources released to be better employed across the remainder of the service to act as an important springboard to the greater change process in older peoples services in Bath and North East Somerset. In addition the Commission for Social Care Inspection requirement to staff remaining homes to levels that meet current residents needs means that the closure of these two homes is necessary.

The rationale for choosing Tyndale and Woodside care homes is set out in the report to the Executive Member for Social Services dated December 16^th 2003 (listed as a background document to this report).

Finally, and as part of the overall move towards a new service model, the Council needs to invest resources strategically in training and development to prepare staff for the delivery of a quality service in the new Community Resource Centres.

In the light of these combined factors, a period of consultation has been undertaken and this report records the impact on residents and staff of the potential closure of two well loved and respected Registered Care homes.

Experience from this authority and elsewhere shows that residents, relatives and staff rarely find it easy to whole-heartedly support the kind of changes suggested here. However, unlike closures elsewhere these changes are part of a larger plan to provide for older people in Bath and North East Somerset a leading edge service, which will create for them a much expanded and enhanced care continuum.

The vast majority of those consulted in the process leading up to the decision to re-provide all the authorities registered care homes were fully supportive of the plans presented by the Social and Housing Services Department. Residents, relatives, staff and Trade Unions alike are clear that the end goal is not only worthwhile but also represents a major step forward for the care of older people in the authority. There will be a paper going to the Council in May that will update on the EPH reprovision and the current cost projections and consider enhancements to the original specifications (subject to funding) to reflect the increased opportunities afforded by the in-reach nursing structure and a need to make additional provision for EMI.

All the current residents have participated in an individual community care assessment the results of which are available to the Executive as an exempt appendix. They indicate that each resident's needs can be met in alternative provision. . For those preferring a move to the independent sector, funds are available within the Council's normal fees policy. This report also makes it plain that the Council's remaining care homes have more than enough permanent vacancies to accommodate all the residents from Tyndale and Woodside who wish to transfer to another council registered care home. Many residents have already visited these homes and made their preferences known.

The majority of residents and their relatives in the two homes have already begun to plan for change and are ready to undertake this even though they would obviously prefer not to be engaged in the process ahead of being able to move to the new Community Resource Centres (CRC's). Some of those who have decided to move to the independent sector have enquired about whether, in the fullness of time, they could return to one of the new CRC's. Officers have made it clear this will be possible should they decide they wish to return once the authorities newly provided care homes are open.

The Authority's officers have a good reputation and much experience in helping older people through providing sensitive, dignified and caring support to move in the context of necessary closures. Any move of home will be managed at a pace dictated by the individual resident and in line with their Community Care Assessment and Care Plan and where appropriate the wishes of their relatives and/or friends.

In conclusion, the closure of Tyndale and Woodside would present an opportunity to contribute towards a balanced Social and Housing Services budget in the short term, consolidate staffing levels and occupancy rates across the rest of the service (thus making best use of scarce resources) and in addition release resources to be invested in increasing staff training and qualification levels up to the standard required to deliver higher levels of care (including nursing care) in the re-provided service.

On balance therefore, and despite some opposition from important stakeholders, officers believe consideration should be given to closing these two homes at this time.

Other Options Considered

The only other options are not to close one or both homes. The service and financial implications contained in the main body of the report show why these are not being recommended. In essence, it would not be possible to start the new "extra care service" at St Johns Court and meeting the mandatory staffing requirements would lead to an inevitable significant overspend in the staffing budget and seriously impede the ability to prepare and train staff for the new services.

On a motion from Councillor Francine Haeberling, seconded by Councillor Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED, in the context of the Elderly Persons Homes Re-provision programme;

(1) To approve the closure of Tyndale and Woodside Registered Care Homes, subject to the Council re-confirming its support to the Re-provision project at its meeting on May 13th;

(2) To require officers to implement a programme of resident transfer in line with their assessed care needs and indicative placement outcome preferences;

(3) To require officers to undertake a process of formal personnel action to engage staff, trade union and service management to achieve staff redeployment as set out in the report; and

(4) To require officers to make best use of and/or secure the vacated properties in order to maximise the eventual capital receipt to assist in the financing of the overall programme.

166 LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2004/2005 (Report 11).

Councillor Tim Bullamore welcomed the expenditure on the Lansdown Lane crossing but raised concerns about a particular street lighting issue which a resident had repeatedly asked to be addressed. Councillor Vic Pritchard later suggested that this might be able to be taken forward as a community safety initiative and asked Councillor Tim Bullamore to contact him.

Rae Harris raised the issue of shared use of scarce space and what happened where there was conflict between two areas eg; a cycle route in Queen's Square.

Councillor Caroline Roberts asked a number of questions regarding the Overview & Scrutiny report on the public realm and whether this would influence spending decisions, and the £25,000 for the Park and Ride Newsbridge Lansdown extension.

Councillor Sir Elgar Jenkins introduced the report and responded to some of the points and questions that had been raised. With regard to the public realm, Councillor Sir Elgar Jenkins acknowledged that there was no currently no budget for this and hoped that the City Centre Working Party would be looking for some solutions. He explained that regular monitoring against progress would be taking place and hoped for a clear indicative programme in the future to manage conflicting demands.

Councillor Rosemary Todd welcomed the elements of monitoring and long-term planning so that the Executive could be seen to be rational and transparent in the prioritisation of projects. She regretted that funds had not been allocated this year to major drainage schemes. With regard to the public realm, Councillor Rosemary Todd made reference to the Streetscape Manual that was being produced.

Executive Members welcomed the initiatives that would improve road safety and discussed various individual sites.

Rationale

The programme is designed to provide the best balance to achieve the Council's objectives on transport and meet the requirements of the Local Transport Plan. This plan sets out the rationale for the priorities contained in the programme.

The programme is in line with the Government's allocation of funds for "Integrated Transport" and "Highway Maintenance".

Other Options Considered

None.

On a motion from Councillor Sir Elgar Jenkins, seconded by Councillor Rosemary Todd, it was

RESOLVED

(1) That Members approve the Detailed Capital Programmes in Appendices 1 and 2 of the report; and

(2) That Members grant delegated authority to the Head of Transporation, Access and Waste Management, in consultation with the Executive Member for Transportation and Highways, to alter the capital programme as may prove necessary during 2004/2005 within the overall budget allocation.