Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities which informed members on the current status of the Adult Social Care Strategy 2016-2020 and the associated Commissioning Intentions and Market Position Statement. A copy of the report, marked “Agenda Item 9” is filed with these minutes.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting the Cabinet Lead Member for Adult Social Care, Mr. Dave Houseman MBE CC. In introducing the report, the Cabinet Lead Member highlighted unprecedented financial challenges facing the Council and the Department. The Council had been able to lever in £21.8 million of funding through the Social Care Levy, however this was likely to be £1 million less than the projected growth in demand for services. For this reason, the priority was to work towards reducing demand for services and to protect residents by providing the right level of service required with signposting to other care providers as appropriate.

In response to questions raised, members were advised as follows:-

(i).  The promotion of healthy lifestyles was important in minimising the need for social care service use. Key partnerships with the NHS were in place to continue to deliver messages around healthy lifestyles to communities;

(iii). Service delivery needed to be responsive to feedback from service users in order to ensure the best possible service could be provided. Services also needed to be integrated so that the right support could be delivered at the right time. This approach had led to some of the lowest levels of Delayed Transfers of Care in the country;

(iv). Leicestershire had a higher proportion of self-funders compared to neighbouring authorities, which posed a risk for the Authority in the event that they experienced financial difficulties. Work was currently being undertaken to quantify the likely impact this could have. The Committee was assured that each case was assessed individually. This included the availability of support in an alternative care home  or remaining in the same residential care setting with the family covering the difference between funding provided by Adult Social Care and care home fees;

(v). The Department intended to engage further with the provider market to better understand its dynamics and improve the outcomes for the residents. This would be addressed via more detailed Market Position Statements which would be presented to the Committee in future;

(vi).The Care Quality Commission State of Care Report 2014/15 did not report any inspections of service providers in Leicestershire as being “outstanding”. The Committee was assured that the Quality Improvement Team worked with the providers to ensure safe outcomes for customers and that  the number of placements requiring improvement would be investigated by officers and be the subject of further reports to the Committee;

(vii).  The Unified Prevention Board aimed to cater for those who required additional support in respect of housing and management of finances. Members were advised that a new Strategy focused on preventing, reducing, delaying and meeting need at the right time, was being developed so that crisis situations could be avoided; 

(viii). The County Council’s social care provision was supported by funding from the NHS through the Better Care Fund (BCF). The County Council received £17 million Protection of Social Care Services as part of the BCF’s integration of social care and health services, as well as additional Adult Social Care funding equating to £6 million. The Council also worked closely with the Clinical Commissioning Groups and provider trusts to ensure the patient flow through the system for effective discharges. Members were advised of the current work being undertaken on the NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan due for completion by the end of June 2016, which would include furthering of the Service’s partnership with the NHS;

(ix). Providing help for working age disabled adults was one of the Department’s priorities and a new role of “Working Age Adults Lead” had recently been established  to support delivery of this objective.

RESOLVED:

(a)    That the Adult Social Care Strategy 2016-2020 and the associated Commissioning Intentions and Market Position Statement be noted;

(b)    That an outcome of the work on the NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan, as part of the NHS planning guidance, be reported to a future meeting of the Committee;

(c)    That a report on the Department’s progress in supporting working age disabled people into employment be provided to a future meeting.