Issue - meetings

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities providing an update on the short-to-medium term actions for developing the home care market and of future joint commissioning priorities for home care.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 11’ is filed with these minutes.

Arising from the discussion, the following comments were made:

i)             The Committee was pleased to see that some stabilisation had now taken place, and agreed that it was essential to ensure that previous mistakes with providers were not repeated.  The County Council wanted to work with providers who had a strong local presence and had the ability to provide stability and attractiveness to staff.  Where problems had arisen previously, it had been largely due to the fact that providers had been unable to recruit and retain staff.  In order for this to occur, it would be necessary to improve the conditions of employment for staff, and although there had been improvements, the service needed to remain an attractive means of employment.

ii)            In response to a query around measuring service user outcomes, it was important that these were defined by service users.  Communication with carers was seen as essential in order to provide useful feedback as to what they required from the service.

iii)           The Cabinet had decided not to sign up to a joint Sustainability and Transformation Programme (STP) with Health and agreed that this should be an NHS document with the County Council as a consultee.  The CCGs had recently published a refreshed paper on Better Care Together and the policy statement had now been published on the CCGs website with an updated statement around the STP.  Work continued on some of the work streams in the original STP development, in particular the reconfiguration of hospital beds and integrating health and social care services at the point of delivery.  The County Council was also working with Leicestershire Partnership Trust (LPT) to develop an integrated reablement and intensive support service, which would bring together the HART reablement service and the Intensive Community Support service within LPT and it was hoped that this would be operational by October.

RESOVLED:

(a)  That the report be noted;

(b)  That a further update be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.