Agenda item

Cabinet Member Update

The Cabinet Member(s) will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update provided.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Alison Born, Cabinet Member for Adults addressed the Panel, a summary is set out below and a copy of the update will be attached as an online appendix to these minutes.

 

System pressures

Since our last meeting, the recent wave of the Omicron variant of Covid has caused significant additional pressure to the health and social care system. This intensified over the Christmas period due to high case numbers, staff absences and the additional capacity needed to deliver the booster programme. The local health and social care system has continued to work together very effectively.

 

Proud to Care Campaign

 

The Proud to Care campaign is one of a number of initiatives that have been developed to try to address the shortfall of care staff in the local area. It aims to celebrate the work of carers and to attract more people into the sector. Following an initial recruitment fair, held in the Guildhall in September ’21, a further event was held at Bath University and another is planned for this Friday at Midsomer Norton Town Hall. The recruitment fair will provide an opportunity for potential recruits to meet with a range of local employers and representatives of Bath College who can provide information on job vacancies, apprenticeships and other training opportunities.

 

Community Health and Care Services

Following the unexpected announcement on December 1st that Virgin Care had been sold to Twenty20 Capital and re-branded as HCRG, as decision was made to pause the planned contract extension. This was to allow time for comprehensive due diligence to be undertaken on the new provider and for commissioners to reflect on the implications of the change of circumstances.

The Chairman commented that he was concerned that transformation and modernisation would lead to a reduction in services.

Councillor Born replied that a great deal of this work was around how people can potentially receive services in a different way with involvement from the 3rd sector ahead of statutory provision.

The Chairman asked how much of the £4.6m from government in terms of recruitment and retention would be allocated to Social Workers for an increase in their pay.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that in respect of modernisation, one element of that is the Transitions Service which is trying to make sure that when young people move into Adult Services that they are able to stay local and have an independent approach to their services.

She added that a providers meeting had been held to discuss the best way to get the funding to our frontline services. She added that for every uplift they would seek for this to result in the minimum payment of £10.50 per hour for carers.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked for it to be confirmed whether the Virgin Care / HCRG contract extension had been signed or not.

Councillor Alison Born replied that the contract extension has not been signed.

Councillor Hardman asked that the questions she has submitted regarding HCRG, alongside those of Pam Richards, be responded to as soon as possible. She added that she felt that the Panel should meet at some point during February to discuss this matter following the result of the ongoing investigation.

She asked if the Council had considered the option of insourcing.

Councillor Born replied that she was prepared to look at that option. She added that she felt that it was difficult to commit to a February meeting at this point.

Councillor Hardman asked what was meant by the term ‘overprescribing of care packages’.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that this was about making sure that people have the prescribed care they require and said that to establish that an audit of reablement cases had taken place.

Councillor Paul May commented that a Panel previous to this one looked at the provision of services over a number of years. He proposed the following resolution.

This committee is concerned about the impact of the ownership change re the health and care contract. This relates to the most vulnerable in our community. We seek the detailed information as soon as possible.

Councillor Hardman seconded the resolution.

 

Councillor Rob Appleyard stated that he shared the concerns over how this situation has occurred and questioned what would happen if the contract was not extended as we need to ensure that services and provision is maintained.

 

He added that the staff involved need to be protected, encouraged to stay and be shown how their roles can be developed.

 

Councillor Gerrry Curran said that he was prepared to wait to see the answers from the questions raised before calling for a further meeting of the Panel.

 

The Director of Adult Social Care said that she recognised that the timescales involved were tight, but would seek to answer the questions raised by the end of this week and that the investigation results would be available in either the first or second week of February.

 

Councillor Andy Wait said he would like the Panel to hold a meeting on this issue as soon as was practically possible.

 

Councillor Joanna Wright asked if they were penalties if services within the contract are not provided.

 

Councillor Born replied that there are contract penalties in place and that advice was also being sought in that respect.

 

The Chairman asked if it was true that B&NES has the worst figures across the country in terms of deaths in our Care Homes.

 

Councillor Born replied that she thought that this information related to deaths from Covid and that unfortunately it was true that the figures in this respect were high in comparison to deaths in hospital. She added that Public Health are investigating on our behalf alongside Bristol University to check the recorded figures and provide context.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Born for her update on behalf of the Panel.

 

The majority of the Panel RESOLVED to approve the resolution proposed by Councillor Paul May. Two members of the Panel abstained from voting.

 

This committee is concerned about the impact of the ownership change re the health and care contract. This relates to the most vulnerable in our community. We seek the detailed information as soon as possible.

 

Councillor Dine Romero, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture stated that she would respond in writing to questions that had been submitted to her. A copy of her update will be attached as an online appendix to these minutes.