Agenda item

The Cabinet Member will update the Select Committee on any relevant issues. Select Committee members may ask questions on the update provided.

Councillor Vic Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health addressed the Select Committee. A copy of the update can be found on their Minute Book and as an online appendix to these minutes, a summary of the update is set out below.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Charter

The MND Charter is a statement of the respect, care and support that people living with MND, and their carers, deserve and should expect. The Charter was launched by the MND Association in March 2016 and was created to raise awareness and campaign to improve services at a local level.

Councillors can play a vital role in supporting people living with MND and their carers and can influence the planning of services that those living with the disease rely on in our local community (i.e. social care, housing adaptations, carers assessments, health care, public transport). So far, 37 councils have adopted the MND Charter and by adopting the Charter in B&NES, we can publically demonstrate our support.

As the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health I am seeking the Select Committee’s support and endorsement for adoption of the MND Charter.

Capital Grant for the Purchase of a Drug and Alcohol Recovery House

Developing Health and Independence (DHI) successfully bid for £750,000 of national funding from Public Health England to buy an 11-bed drug and alcohol house currently leased from Knightstone Housing.  DHI are funding the balance of the purchase price and all on-going running costs.  No costs will be borne by the Council. 

B&NES Council supported the bid.

The house is used to provide a safe and secure environment for B&NES residents who need a residential dry-house environment to enable them to overcome drug and alcohol dependence. 

A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed between the Council and DHI to safeguard the premises in perpetuity for this use and ensure the continuation of an important local service.

Developments in the Domestic Abuse Housing Related Support Sector

After a procurement process the contract for Domestic Violence Refuge and Resettlement services has been awarded to Julian House. The service will provide 10 beds of refuge space in Bath and support for women and children leaving the hostel to resettle in their own accommodation for up to 6 months. This support will help ensure that the women and children are settled, safe and linked into community services and support networks that they need to continue their recovery from the effects of domestic abuse.

By recommissioning this service, we will deliver better value and have therefore been able to release £30,000 p.a. which will be invested in the Serena House Complex Needs Domestic Abuse Refuge service for women and men. This service which is based in Keynsham and Midsomer Norton, was set up in partnership with Curo, DHI and Julian House with an initial investment of £100,000, secured via grant funding following a successful bid to the Government’s Domestic Abuse Fund in 2015.

In February 2017, in response to a successful bid, B&NES was awarded £100,000 from DCLG’s Violence Against Women and Girls’ fund to set up an ‘Enhanced Advice and Resettlement Service for Domestic Abuse’. This project will lead to better outcomes and experience of services for clients affected by domestic abuse.

The funding will be used to employ a specialist Domestic Abuse Housing Advisor in the B&NES Housing Options and Homelessness team, and a partnership/resettlement worker will be employed by Julian House to support domestic abuse clients who are moving back into and out of B&NES from neighbouring Local Authorities.

The Budget

B&NES is due to receive an extra £5.6m in funding for adult social care across the next three years following an announcement at the recent Budget.

Guidance on the use of the funding is expected later this month from the Department of Health as demand continues to grow.

The Director of Integrated Health & Care Commissioning stated the funding was non-recurring and should be used to best effect to achieve sustainability.

Councillor Pritchard informed the Select Committee that Andrea Morland had recently passed away. He spoke of how she had led the Mental Health Team with such strength and said that she was a ‘truly exceptional lady’.

Councillor Paul May proposed that the Select Committee send their condolences to her family.

The members of the Select Committee agreed with this proposal and gave their support for the adoption of the MND Charter.

The Chair thanked Councillor Pritchard for his update on behalf of the Select Committee.