Adult Services Scrutiny Committee Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford Membership Chairman – Councillor Don Seale Deputy Chairman – Councillor Mrs Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor
Notes: All members of this Committee are asked to note that there will be a pre-meeting at 9.30 am on the day of the meeting in Committee Room 2. Date of next meeting: 9 September 2009
Tony Cloke About the County Council Oxfordshire County Council is made up of 74 councillors who are democratically elected every four years. The Council provides a range of services to Oxfordshire’s 630,000 residents. These include:
Each year the Council manages £0.9 billion of public money in providing these services. Most decisions are taken by a Cabinet of 10 Councillors, which makes decisions about service priorities and spending. Some decisions are now delegated to individual members of the Cabinet.
About Scrutiny Scrutiny is about: · Providing a challenge to the Cabinet · Examining how well the Cabinet, the Authority and its partners are performing · Influencing the Cabinet on decisions that affect local people · Helping the Cabinet to develop Council policies · Representing the community in Council decision making · Promoting joined up working across the authority’s work and with its partners Scrutiny is NOT about: · Making day to day service decisions · Investigating individual complaints.
The Committee meets up to 6 times a year, developing a work programme, and carrying out the projects it wishes to investigate. Once an investigation is complete the Committee will provide its advice to the Cabinet, full Council, or to the relevant strategic partnership bodies. All of its meetings are open to the public and its agenda and reports are available on the County Council’s web site. AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments
2. Introductions Given the recent changes in membership on
this Committee, each Member is invited to give a brief outline of their
interest and experience in the Adult Social Services field. 3. Declarations of
Interest – see guidance
note 4. Minutes
To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2009 (AS4(a)) and to note* the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2009 (AS4(b)) and any matters arising on them. (* now that the remit of this Committee has changed).
5. Speaking to or petitioning the Committee
SCRUTINY MATTERS To consider matters where the Committee can provide a challenge to the work of the Authority
6. Money Management Service: Update on Waiting Lists 10:30 Contact: Sean Collins, Assistant Head of Shared Services – Financial Services (01865 797190)
In December this Committee considered a report on the council’s money management service which set out the nature of the service, current levels of provision, the size of the existing team and key current issues. This service sits in Shared Services but relates to clients who are over 18 and have been referred by a care manager in Social & Community Services. Costs are also recharged to Social & Community Services.
The Committee agreed to review the operation of the waiting lists for the money management service following the implementation of the new client database which was due to ‘go live’ in April 2009.
The Committee had also commented to the Cabinet via the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee as follows:
· there is likely to be increased demand on the Money Management Service in future, especially in light of the introduction of self directed support and the increased take up of direct payments; · the establishment figures for the team need to be reviewed to ensure that sufficient numbers of staff are provided to the service.
A report on the current situation is attached at AS6(a), together with a minute of the Committee’s discussion at its December meeting AS6(b).
The Committee will have the opportunity to question Mr Collins (Assistant Head of Shared Services – Financial Services), together with Mr Tarquin May (Money Management Team Leader) and the Cabinet Member for Adult Services.
The Committee is invited to review the operation of the waiting lists for the money management service.
INFORMATION SHARE
7. Introductions to Adult Social Care 11:00
The following reports are useful introductions to Adult Social Care for new members of the Committee and therefore Members are invited to ask questions if they so wish. The Director for Social & Community Services will attend for this item.
SCRUTINY MATTERS To consider matters where the Committee can provide a challenge to the work of the Authority
11:20
[The Chief Executive of Restore, Mr Benedict Leigh has requested that this item be brought to Committee]. Restore is a mental health charity that works across Oxfordshire and is partly funded by the county council. This Committee may find it useful to hear how Restore is spending county council money and the impact it has regarding enabling people with mental health difficulties to access employment.
Mr Leigh will briefly present the key points. A briefing paper is attached at AS8 (download as .doc file).
Ms Fenella Trevillion, Lead Commissioner for Mental Health Services for both Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire PCT will also attend for this item to give her perspective.
The Committee is invited to conduct a question and answer session.
9. Transforming Adult Social Care: Presentation, Progress Update and Q&A 11:50 Contact: Alan Sinclair, Programme Director – Transforming Adult Social Care (01865 323665)
It has been agreed that a report on transforming Adult Social Care will be brought quarterly to this Committee (AS9) (download as .doc file) and will include detail on self directed support. Mr Sinclair will give a brief presentation to the Committee.
The Cabinet Member for Adult Services and
Mr Sinclair will then answer any questions the Committee may wish to ask.
BUSINESS PLANNING To consider future work items for the Committee
10. Forward Plan 12:10 The Committee is asked to suggest items from the current Forward Plan on which it may wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Cabinet before any decision is taken, together with details of what it thinks could be achieved by looking at any items.
(Please bring to the meeting the latest copy of the Forward Plan which at the time of writing covers July 2009 - October 2009).
(Members are asked to contact the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and/or the Committee Officer at least 3 days before the meeting should they wish to raise an item on the Forward Plan for possible consideration).
11. Scrutiny Work Programme 12:15
Members of the Committee are asked to put forward areas which they would wish to look at in future as part of this Committee’s Scrutiny Work Programme or in conjunction with any other of the Scrutiny Committees where relevant.
Members are reminded that any suggested items should be supported with a clear explanation of the expected outcome of the proposed work.
The Committee will need to agree a preferred list of ideas which the Policy & Review Team will consider in more detail through the scrutiny proposal form procedure. The proposal forms will be presented to the Committee for consideration at the September meeting when the Committee will be asked to agree its future work programme.
12:35 Close of Meeting
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