Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

Disclosures of interest – Chris Holley and Mark Child.

To receive the notes of the previous meeting and agree as an accurate record.

The Panel agreed the notes as an accurate record of the meeting.

Actions:

·       Send best wishes from the Panel to Tony Beddow who is recovering from an operation.

Questions must relate to matters on the Agenda and will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

No members of the public were present at the meeting.

Two questions were received from a member of the public prior to the meeting.  To be dealt with via email.

Deborah Reed, Interim Head of Adult Services

Deborah Reed, Interim Head of Adult Services went through the Performance Monitoring Highlight Report, focussing on the main issues and answering questions.  Dave Howes, Director of Social Services also attended.

Discussion points:

·       Planned Future Developments to the Report (page 58) – A timeline for future developments is now included in the performance report.  This was requested by the Panel at its meeting in August 2018.

·       Timeliness of response to safeguarding issues (page 10) – In August targets were not met as a number of staff were on holiday.  The Panel expressed their concern and suggested the Department look at introducing a rota for leave to ensure safeguarding percentages do not fall at this time of year. The Panel was reassured that urgent responses are dealt with on the same day.  Informed that there may be a move to one safeguarding team in the future.

·       Local Area Coordination (page 21) – The report states that there has been ‘a suspension of introductions in one area’.  This is a concern for the Panel.  Informed this statement is historical, a member of staff is off work but arrangements have been put in place.

·       Gowerton Local Area Coordinator has been seconded from the Fire Service.  This secondment is being cancelled due to financial pressures.  The Panel expressed their dismay.

·       Graph ‘Main Presenting Issues -Local Area Coordination’ (page 21) -Panel observed that isolation is by far the largest issue.  This is a frightening figure.

·       Delayed transfers of care (page 24) – There was a significant worsening in numbers of individuals delayed due to waiting for package of home care with notable deterioration in August and September.  This is a concern for the Panel who feel the Service is not getting on top of this.

·       Allied has withdrawn from the home care market in Carmarthen and the company will cease to exist, across the UK, after 14 December 2018.  The company currently provides over 700 hours of care in Swansea.  One of the options is for existing companies that work with the Authority to take over the work, as well as the staff responsible for the work.  This is likely to cost more so there will be more pressure on the budget.  Recruitment and retention in this area is very difficult.  This is a serious concern for the Panel who want an update on this issue at the next meeting.

Actions:

·       Panel to be updated at next meeting on withdrawal of Allied from the home care market.

Deborah Reed, Interim Head of Adult Services

Deborah Reed briefed the Panel on the Audit Report and answered the Panel’s questions.

Discussion points:

·       The Panel was informed that the Authority was not asked by Wales Audit Office to provide any information for the audit or to participate in the Audit.

·       The Department will be working towards the recommendations over the next 15 to 16 months and propose they provide a written response now for the Panel on the current position with the recommendations, then to do a follow up in March/April 2019 showing how they are improving.

·       There is some evidence that the service is starting to reduce spending in this area this year, and getting more control over its budget.

Actions:

·       Circulate briefing note to Panel on WAO Report - current position on recommendations

·       Add to work programme ‘WAO report on commissioning of accommodation services for people with learning disabilities- Follow up on recommendations’ (March/April 2019)

Dave Howes, Director of Social Services

Dave Howes, Director of Social Services briefed the Panel on the recommendations made to Cabinet to inform a new list of social services charges for 2019/20 and informed the Panel that Cabinet has agreed the recommendations.  There will be an inflationary increase of 5% for all social services charges.  There are no new service charges to apply for 2019/20.

Invoices for residential care and day care services following last year’s review of charges have only just been sent out so it is too early to judge the impact yet.

The Panel considered the work programme.

ABMU are attending the Panel meeting in January.  

Actions:

·       Pre-meeting to be arranged before January’s Panel meeting to prepare.

·       Panel to provide questions for January’s Panel meeting.

a) Response from Cabinet Member (25 September 2018 meeting)

b) Response from Western Bay 1 (25 September 2018 meeting)

c) Response from Western Bay 2 (25 September 2018 meeting)

Letters received and considered by the Panel.

Actions:

·       Panel to respond to public question 1E asked at the Panel meeting on 25 September 2018.