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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 5, Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Liz Jordan 01792 637314 

Items
No. Item

1.

Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.

Minutes:

No disclosures of interest were made.

2.

Notes of previous meetings pdf icon PDF 238 KB

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel agreed the notes of 11 December 2018 and 11 February 2019 as an accurate record of the meetings.

3.

Public Question Time

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

Minutes:

No questions were asked by members of the public.

4.

Adult Services Complaints Annual Report 2017-18 pdf icon PDF 143 KB

Julie Nicholas-Humphreys, Corporate Complaints Manager

Minutes:

Julie Nicholas-Humphreys, Customer Service and Complaints Manager attended to present this item and answer the Panel’s questions. 

 

Discussion points:

 

·       There is no link between the change in process for recording complaints and the increase in number of stage 1 complaints received.  No specific reason has been found for increase in number of complaints. However a lot more is being done to encourage people to make a complaint if their needs are not met.  The Authority has also strengthened its advocacy arrangements for children and will be doing so for adults.  The Authority has seen an increase in the number of complaints but not generally an increase in the number of complaints upheld.

·       The Authority has a mechanism for recording complaints against third party providers.  If any trends are identified the Director/Head of Service is informed

·       A high number of complaints have been upheld in community support teams.  This is a difficult area so it is not a surprise to the Director.  This is an area the Authority could learn from.

·       Independent investigators are chosen by the complaints officer depending on if they have undertaken something similar previously etc.  It tends to be case led.

 

5.

Update on how Council's policy commitments translate to Adult Services pdf icon PDF 150 KB

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

 

Minutes:

Councillor Mark Child, Cabinet Member for Care, Health and Ageing Well attended to present the report and answer the Panel’s questions.  Cabinet Member feels the Authority is making good progress on all of the commitments.

 

Discussion points:

 

·       CM feels Authority is struggling with 2 areas in relation to Adult Services commitments.  Commitment 104 - struggling to find providers to come in and provide the service; and commitment 57 - can see significant growth but will struggle to place a local area coordinator in every area of Swansea.  The Panel’s concern is consistency as many LACs are funded by partners so funding is not permanent and can be removed at any time.  Panel queried why this commitment has been rated as green when the CM doesn’t think we will have full coverage of LACs.  CM believes the RAG rating is for progress. 

·       Commitment 95 – Panel queried whether we are at the stage where we understand legal and financial responsibility.  CM feels progress has been made on some areas but not as much as he would like.

·       Commitment 102 – no timeline stated.  Panel queried when Charter would be completed.  CM confirmed it is nearly complete but is dependent on the Public Services Board timetable.

·       CM was informed that there are no target dates in the report.  CM is hopeful all will be completed in this electoral term (by 2022).

·       Commitment 105 – it states in report that Workforce Development Plan will be completed by May 2019.  Panel will look at this later in the year.

·       Commitment 104 – This is part of it.  Will need to look at commissioning strategies to identify if enough of a different offer has been stimulated.  CM would rate this as amber as some progress has been made.

 

 

Actions:

·       Add to work programme item on Workforce Development Plan (date tbc)

 

6.

Performance Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Deborah Reed, Interim Head of Adult Services

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Dave Howes, Director of Social Services attended to brief the Panel on the performance monitoring reports for December 2018/January 2019 and answer questions.

 

Discussion points:

 

·       Long term domiciliary care – It is hoped that the new commissioning arrangements will make a difference from May 2019.  Not sure if there will be any more carers than there are now.

·       Review of allocated clients – Should be trying to make improvements across the board.  All teams are improving but at different rates.  There is still a lot to do.

·       Panel felt it would be more useful to have trends shown in performance reports rather than ‘spot’ figures.  This request to be taken back to the department

·       Residential reablement – there is concern that there may be more capacity than demand for this service

·       Timeliness of response to safeguarding issues – figures are concerning as they have drastically reduced.  Need to identify why this is happening and inform Panel 

·       Temporary Placements – concern about very low level of discharges to Continuing Health Care (CHC) funded placements. Continuing to engage with Health Board to achieve equitable distribution of CHC funding across Western Bay.  Also relooking at Authority’s strategy for negotiating funding of new placements with HB.   

 

Actions:

·       Department to inform Panel the reason for reduction in performance for ‘timeliness of response to safeguarding issues’

·       Request to be made to Department to show trends in performance monitoring reports rather than ‘spot’ figures.

7.

Work Programme Timetable 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 101 KB

Minutes:

The Panel considered the work programme.

8.

Letters pdf icon PDF 131 KB

a)    Convener’s letter to Cabinet Member (11 December 2018 meeting)

b)    Response from Cabinet Member (20 November 2018 meeting)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Letters received and considered by the Panel.

Letter to Cabinet Member (19 February 2019 meeting) pdf icon PDF 268 KB