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Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3A, Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Liz Jordan 01792 637314 

Items
No. Item

1.

Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.

Minutes:

Disclosures of interest – Chris Holley.

2.

Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips

Minutes:

No declarations were made.

3.

Minutes of Previous Meeting(s) pdf icon PDF 319 KB

To receive the minutes of the previous meeting(s) and agree as an accurate record.

Minutes:

The Panel agreed the minutes of the meeting on 17 December 2019 as an accurate record of the meeting with agreed amendments to the first two bullet points at the top of page 2. 

4.

Public Question Time

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

Minutes:

No questions were asked by members of the public.

5.

Update on how Council's Policy Commitments translate to Adult Services pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Mark Child, Cabinet Member for Care, Health and Ageing Well

Dave Howes, Director of Social Services

Minutes:

Mark Child, Cabinet Member for Care, Health and Ageing Well attended to update the Panel on progress to date with the delivery of the Council’s policy commitments in relation to Adult Services.

 

Discussion Points:

·         Commitment 104 - Progress has been made on this.  It was previously amber but is now green.  Panel member requested a copy of the procurement document for recommissioning of domiciliary care services. 

·         Commitment 57 – Five more Local Area Coordinators have been appointed and have started work.  CM is confident all areas will have a LAC by 2022.  Head of Service will share with the Panel the current position with LACs, once the information has been received. 

·         Commitment 94 – Issue raised that beds are not always available when carers want nursing respite, and it takes a long time for requests for respite in the external sector to be responded too.  Informed there is a limit to the number of respite beds available but trying to build into contracts a quick response to queries about availability of respite.

·         Commitment 83/97 – Panel queried if people in sheltered housing have the same access to care as people living in their own homes.  Informed people in sheltered housing are treated no differently to people in their own home.  The Council provides the same level of care to anyone wherever they live.  Panel also queried if the Council is going to provide any extra care developments or rely on the private sector.  Informed there are no plans for the Council to provide extra care provision. 

·         Commitment 83 – confirmed the Commissioning Strategy is regional so includes NPT.  Swansea Council works within this strategy. 

·         Commitment 102 – Panel queried what the date is for getting the Charter set up.  Informed the desire was to have a good way of working and the Council may achieve this without having a Charter. 

 

Actions:

·         Head of Service to email copy of procurement document for recommissioning of domiciliary care services to Cllr Jardine. 

·         Head of Service to provide panel members with current position on LACs when available.

6.

Director's Annual Review of Charges (Social Services) 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 114 KB

Dave Howes, Director of Social Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Dave Howes, Director of Social Services briefed the panel on the annual review of charges.

 

Discussion Points:

·         Panel asked about the process for recovering debts.  Director agreed to provide further details about the process, particularly information about if bailiffs are used.

·         Panel queried if the wording on demands has been changed for Social Service’s demands.  Informed that a change to the wording has been requested and this will be followed up.

·         Point 4.5 – Panel queried if the increase/introduction of charges had an adverse effect on use.  Informed the Council has not seen a significant drop in use of day services (even though a charge has been introduced) but use has changed.  Panel informed further work needs to be done on categorisation of services.

·         Panel unsure how income generation is achieved from Direct Payments.  Following discussion confirmed it is not technically income but is an abatement. Direct payments are not used to purchase Council services, used to purchase external services. 

·         The number of financial assessments has not led to the increase in income.  The introduction of charges in the past 2 to 3 years has led to the increase in income so it has had its intended purpose.  In 2019/20 the increases are inflationary increases so there is no need for public consultation.   

·         No new charges are planned in terms of personal care.  However, the Department will routinely consider if there are any additional services that are not included in current arrangements.  

·         Additional income streams the Department is looking for are outside the Council, for example, Welsh Government, Health Board, replacement for European funding.

 

Actions:

·         Further details about the process for recovering debt, including any use of bailiffs, to be provided to the Panel.

·         Follow up if request for change to wording for Social Services demands has been implemented.

7.

Performance Monitoring pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Alex Williams, Head of Adult Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Alex Williams, Head of Adult Service briefed the Panel on the performance monitoring report for October/November 2019.

 

Discussion Points:

·         Council is not currently meeting the corporate target for number of carers identified.

·         Panel would like built into the CCIS system a way of recording the reasons why assessments are declined.  Head of Service to ask if this is possible.

·         Panel queried the length of time between an individual Wanting an Assessment and Receiving an Assessment.  

·         Panel queried why there is such a difference between the number of people Wanting an Assessment and the number Receiving an Assessment. 

·         From 1 February the Council has the responsibility to threshold safeguarding enquiries for the Health Board via the Common Access Point.  This will be challenging.  Panel will want to keep an eye on this.

·         Panel queried what the position is with the legal change in relation to the Mental Capacity Bill and the impact of this.  Head of Service to provide briefing note when available.

 

Actions:

·         Head of Service to ask if a way of recording the reasons why assessments are declined can be built into the CCIS system.

·         Head of Service to respond to queries on Wanting an Assessment and Receiving an Assessment.

·         Panel to receive briefing note on position with legal change over relating to the Mental Capacity Bill and impact of this, when available.

 

 

8.

Work Programme Timetable 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 249 KB

Minutes:

Work Programme received and considered by the Panel.

9.

Letters pdf icon PDF 183 KB

a)    Letter to Cabinet Member (17 December 2019 meeting)

Minutes:

Letter considered by the Panel.  Response expected by 3 February 2020.

Letter to Cabinet Member pdf icon PDF 351 KB

Cabinet Member Response pdf icon PDF 495 KB