Meeting documents

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Mrs C Bowditch, Mr W Clark, Ms C Driver, Miss D Garton and Mr GRPM Roberts. Dr S Haraldsen was substitute for Mr GRPM Roberts.

To report and note changes to the membership of the Board.

It was noted that the following change had been made to the Board membership:-

Ms C Driver had replaced Mr M Hawkins as a member of the Board.

Members are invited to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)     Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and

            (b)     Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority.

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

            (a)     The landlord is the authority; and

            (b)     The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)     That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the area of the authority; and

(b)     Either –

         (i)        The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

         (ii)       If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A "disclosable pecuniary interest" is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED, that the press and public not be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Advisory Board – Adults held on 28 March 2022 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2022 be agreed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

To receive a presentation by Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) gave a presentation on the Adult Social Care Strategic Position which included the following areas:-

·      Current Position

·      System Coordination

·      Residential Care

·      Support at Home Services Cumbria Care

·      Day Services Cumbria Care

·      Day Services Independent Sector

·      Commissioning Update

·      Social Care and NHS Plans

·      ASC into Promoting Independence

The Chair commented about Recruitment and Retention and when people on Jobseekers Allowance had been identified as potential employees were they automatically given an interview.

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) noted that there was a joined up approach with Department of Work and Pensions and the NHS.  The Assistant Director - Provider Services remarked that the link with the Department of Work and Pensions enabled the opportunity to stream people through.  There were more job adverts within Job Centres, the difficulty was being competitive with salary and terms and conditions.

A member noted that 227 people were awaiting appropriate support/service to facilitate discharge from hospital and if there were figures for the length of time people were waiting for.

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) confirmed that people had been waiting months but no-one had waited over 12 months.  There were problems with recruitment and would like to link with Community Catalysts and that time was spent on this issue to find solutions.

A member raised the increase in Safeguarding referrals and the number of open cases.

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) commented that the 38% increase meant that demand was overwhelming the Safeguarding Team and that the situation was far from ideal.

The Chair remarked that it was important that medication needs were met  and that there was an on-going consultation regarding pharmaceutical issues in Cumbria. 

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) noted that Assistive Technology would help with the situation and this was an on-going piece of work.  She remarked that it was not something that came up in volume and that Cumbria Care will assist.  It was hoped that Assistive Technology would help as this could release hours of care.  The Assistant Director – Provider Services noted that the regime in hospital is for the medication to be provided and it is being considered that self-medicating may be an option.

The Chair commented on Day Services and the opportunities to increase skills for job searching.

The Commissioning Manager noted that the Day Services had wanted to move forward and progress had been seen.  However, since the pandemic this had been reduced and the framework needed to be recommissioned.

A member remarked on the possibility of using SEN school transport.

The Commissioning Manager confirmed that the same providers are used by both SEN and Day Services.  There was a challenge with timing as there can be overlap and with any potential remodelling there was an opportunity for flexibility.

A member noted the limited success with overseas recruitment and queried the factors behind this.

The Commissioning Manager noted that the real challenge was housing.

A member commented on the GP system and linking in with the system and how are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

To receive a presentation by Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The Assistant Director - Provider Services gave a presentation on Quality which included the following areas:-

·      Current Position

·      Performance Framework and KPI’s

·      Overall approach/QA Strategy

·      What is a quality concern?

·      Provider Services Developer Plan

A member remarked that although monitoring was important did it then go to Senior Managers.

The Assistant Director – Provider Services noted that the monitoring was reported to her and then she feedback to the Executive Director – People.

A member commented on staff morale and how staff morale was measured and what the current state of staff morale was.

The Assistant Director – Provider Services remarked that it was measured by staff survey and it was not great currently.  There had been an impact throughout the pandemic and there had been great support to NHS and rightly so, however there was a perception that Social Care did not receive the recognition that it deserved.  There was a Culture Group which was to increase motivation.  It was important to empower staff to do things differently.  Residential and Regional Managers had been asked for their input.  It was important to note that Social Care staff had to wear PPE and were being tested for Covid this was not the same situation as society in general.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director – Provider Services for her report.

To receive a presentation by Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The LGR Strategic Lead - Adults gave a presentation on Local Government Reorganisation which included the following areas:-

·      Summary of scope

·      Programme shape

·      Workplan

·      Disaggregation

·      Opportunities

·      Key challenges

A member was concerned that suppliers would take this opportunity to increase their prices.

The LGR Strategic Lead – Adults remarked that it was a risk and it was possible that suppliers retained the contract for the duration of the contract term and then renegotiated.

A member noted the position with Provider Services and the stand alone elements.  The member then asked for clarity on the options available and timeframe.  It was hoped that decisions were not made early which ensured that options would therefore be unavailable.

The LGR Strategic Lead – Adults commented that the options were disaggregate, retain or a mix of both and that discussion were on-going with the Shadow Authorities.

The Chair thanked the LGR Strategic Lead – Adults for his presentation.

To consider a report by Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) presented a report providing an update and analysis of adult safeguarding activity in the third quarter of 2021/22, briefing members on progress against key areas of performance relating to ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’, providing a benchmark against other local authorities and describing actions planned to strengthen and consolidate improvements in adult safeguarding in Cumbria through the Safeguarding Adults Board.

During the question and answer session that followed, a member raised that the lowest source of reporting was from community/neighbourhood.  The member then detailed an experience in trying to report a concern.

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) remarked that it was important that Safeguarding had a good front door but that with the pandemic that had been lost.  She offered to speak to the member outside of the meeting for further details.

A member queried how many times the Police were involved in social care cases.

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) noted that there were Out of Hours Practitioners, however there were challenges to see Doctors and that quite often hospital suites were full.

A member noted that the split of Safeguarding cases was not 50-50 between the two unitary authorities and that a joined-up approach was required to ensure that a unitary is not disadvantaged.

The Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) commented that a meeting was to take place soon regarding Safeguarding.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director (Deputy DAS) for the report.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

Members received a briefing paper that informed of new or updated items of significance to the Adult Scrutiny Advisory Board. Members were informed that the Scrutiny Performance Working Group had identified no specific items for consideration by the Board.

The Strategic Policy & Scrutiny Adviser gave an update on the Task & Finish Group.

The Chair thanked the Strategic Policy & Scrutiny Adviser for his report.

To note that the next meeting of the Scrutiny Advisory Board – Adults is scheduled for 14 October 2022.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Board will be held on 14 October 2022 at 10.00 am.