Agenda and minutes

Councillor Melinda Tilley attended in place of Councillor Don Seale.

Councillor David Wilmshurst declared a personal interest at Agenda Item 6 by virtue of being on the Management Committee of Chinnor Community Centre which runs a day centre three times a week.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby declared a personal interest at Agenda Item 6 on the grounds that she sits on Wantage Town Council.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27 April 2010 (AS3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

Approved and Signed subject to the following amendment in bold italics and strikethrough:

• The LINk Research Group into personalised budgets was about to notify Mr Sinclair of its findings start work

Matters Arising

Minute 57/10 – Services for Adults on the Autistic Spectrum – The Committee noted that it would be premature to give any money to the Asperger’s social group in Thame at The Well at this point in time, as NHS Oxfordshire and Social & Community Services were still working on their strategy for adults on the autistic spectrum and therefore could not respond to one off requests.

Minute 61/10 – Ms Coldwell undertook to provide the scope for the forthcoming Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee’s Select Committee into Community Pride to Councillor Larry Sanders.

10:15

The Director for Social & Community Services will give an oral update on key issues.

The Director for Social & Community Services gave an oral update on key issues. The main points are listed below:

New Appointments

·        Andrew Lansley CBE is now the Secretary of State for Health. Mr Lansley had previously served as the Shadow Health Secretary since 2003;

·        Paul Burstow MP is now the Minister of State for Care Services. Mr Burstow, formerly the Liberal Democrats' chief whip, has a long record of interest in social care issues including adult protection, dementia and social care funding. He had previously been a member of the all-party parliamentary group on dementia and the health select committee and had held the post of Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary.

• Anne Milton MP is now the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health. A qualified nurse, Anne worked for the NHS for 25 years and has a wide range of experience within the NHS, including district nursing, in hospital, working in research and supporting GPs and nurses working in palliative care. She also pioneered a scheme to look after people who were sent home early from hospital. Her last job in the NHS was to give medical advice to councils and housing associations. Ms Milton has been a shadow health minister since 2007 and was a member of the health committee from 2005 to 2006.

·        Simon Burns MP is now the Minister of State for Health. Previous positions include Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health 1996-97; Opposition Spokesperson for: Social Security 1997-1998, Environment, Transport and the Regions (Planning, Housing and Construction) 1998-99, Health 2001-05; Shadow Minister for: Health and Education 2001-04, Health 2004-05; Opposition Whip 2005-10.

·        Earl Howe MP is now the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality. He was opposition spokesman for Health and Social Services in the House of Lords since 1997. He is an elected hereditary peer under the provisions of the House of Lords Act 1999.  Apart from his frontbench responsibilities, Earl Howe has previously been a member of the all-party groups on penal affairs, abuse investigations, pharmaceuticals, adoption, mental health and epilepsy.

Early government pronouncements relating to Adult Social Care

·        Personal Care at Home Act2010 – The government had made it explicit that this would not be implemented. They had raised the possibility that some of the resources that it had set aside might be used for re-ablement;

·        Government Commission on the funding of long term care – this would look at the funding of long term care and would report within a year. The expectation was that legislation would then follow.

·        The Secretary of State for Health had highlighted the importance of joint working with Health and the importance of public health. The Directorate welcomed both. The Health White Paper was due in July, followed by a second White Paper on Public Health in the autumn. The Strategic Health Authority would be abolished on 1 April 2012.

Local Key Issues

·        Cost of the Directorate’s internal services – work was underway looking at this,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67/10

10:45

Contact Officer: John Jackson – Director for Social & Community Services, tel 01865 323574

The Director for Social & Community Services will give a presentation on initial ideas on the future of Day Services for Older People.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services, together with the Head of Adult Social Care andthe Head of Strategy and Transformation will also attend for this item to answer Members’ questions.

It is anticipated that the proposals will have been finalised by September.

The Committee is invited to discuss the issues raised in the presentation and offer any comment at this initial stage.

The Director for Social & Community Services gave a presentation on initial ideas on the future of Day Services for Older People, a copy of which is attached to the signed Minutes.

The Committee was invited to discuss the issues raised in the presentation and offer any comment at this initial stage.

The presentation had already been given to providers and would be given to Age Concern Oxfordshire the following week. The Directorate would be ascertaining service users’ views on future provision, for example, via Age UK Oxfordshire’s Health and Social Care Panel for Older People.

Following discussion and debate, the Committee AGREED to put forward the following advice to the Director for Social & Community Services:

This Committee broadly welcomes the proposals as set out in the presentation and:

·        agrees that 1/3 of the budget left for day services should go into the Resource Allocation System (RAS) and 2/3 should remain outside;

·        agrees that the Directorate should continue to provide day services for older people in some form, for all of the reasons given in the presentation (physical and mental stimulation, centre for other activities valued by older people, provision of company for those who are at risk of becoming isolated, provision of a good meal for those who may not feed themselves well and an important way of providing respite for carers) as well as their role in preventing and delaying admission into nursing and residential care homes;

·        agrees that the proposed three tier system should be implemented (Tier 1: Resource and Wellbeing Centres in the larger towns run by the county council or other providers; Tier 2: Day services in village halls/community centres determined locally; Tier 3: Small grants to fund community based initiatives which benefit older people);

·        in relation to Tier 1:

-          recognises the need for effective marketing of the Centres to encourage people to use them (both those people who meet the eligibility criteria for adult social care - many of whom will have a personal budget to spend - and other people who could access universal services), both of whom might feel that they would not wish to use such facilities or would not think of doing so;

-          agrees that this could be done by initiatives such as providing exercise and adult learning classes, and free taster classes at the Centres in order to familiarise people with the facilities and show them that the Centres are vibrant and stimulating environments suitable for people of a broad age range and functionality;

·        in relation to Tier 2, agrees that what should be provided locally should not be determined centrally by the County Council, but should be determined within the 14 localities used by the County Council or similar, in order to meet local need, and that part of that consideration should take into account those services available over the border in neighbouring authorities;

·        endorses the use of a working group in relation to Tier 2 that would determine how to allocate money to the locality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68/10

11:45

Contact: Alan Sinclair, Programme Director – Transforming Adult Social Care, 01865 323665

Mr Sinclair will give a short presentation on the principles of a Resource Allocation System and how officers are looking for it to work in Oxfordshire.

The Committee is invited to receive the presentation.

The Director for Social & Community Services, together with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Mr Alan Sinclair (Programme Director – Transforming Adult Social Care) and Mr Jon Wilcox (Finance Lead Transforming Adult Social Care) attended for this item.

Mr Sinclair gave a short presentation to the Committee on the principles of a Resource Allocation System and how officers are looking for it to work in Oxfordshire. A copy of the presentation is attached to the signed Minutes.

The Committee then conducted a question and answer session. A selection of the Committee’s questions, together with the officers’ responses, is given below:

·        Are other benefits taken into account when deciding on a person’s personal budget? Is it means tested?

Benefits and income are both taken into account.

·        What about money for adapting houses?

The responsibility for the assessment for adaptations still sits within Adult Social Care and would be carried out by an occupational therapist funded by the Directorate. The adaptation would be paid for by the District Council. Any equipment needed to promote the independence of the individual or to assist with their personal care would be provided outside of the RAS as it is cheaper to buy equipment in bulk.

·        If after a month you find out that the assessment has not provided enough money to meet a person’s needs, is there a contingency fund that can be used?

The assessment of the needs of an individual will be by County Council staff who will have been trained to carry out this role. Therefore the majority of assessments should be correct. But as people’s needs change, their personal budget will change too. However, there will be a contingency fund in place, as there is already an inherent uncertainty surrounding future demand for self directed support and services. For example, if an older person needs complex care and meets our eligibility criteria then we have a statutory duty to provide this.

·        Why is there no mention of mental health day services in terms of which budgets will be in and out of the RAS?

Mental health day services have to be dealt with separately because commissioning responsibility lies with NHS Oxfordshire. It will be for NHS Oxfordshire to develop a resource allocation system for people with mental health issues.

13:25

Report back on advice given by this Committee to the Cabinet, full Council, other scrutiny committees, relevant strategic partnership bodies and other organisations where appropriate.

No items have been identified for tracking at this meeting.      

The Committee received the update from the Oxfordshire LINk in relation to its newsletter and Hearsay report. A further event would be held in March 2011 to track progress on the recommendations since publication of the report.

12:15

Contact Officer: Des Fitzgerald, Policy and Review Officer, 01865 810477

[Task Group comprises Councillors J. Hannaby, S. Hutchinson & L. Sanders]

The Committee is invited to receive an update on the work of the Group.

[Task Group comprises Councillors J. Hannaby, S. Hutchinson & L. Sanders].

The Committee received a progress update from the Task Group.

12:35

Contact Officer: Des Fitzgerald, Policy and Review Officer, 01865 810477

The Committee is asked to note the following items for future consideration:

• Services for Adults on the Autistic Spectrum – ongoing – including draft report to be used as the basis for the Outline Commissioning Strategy to be considered at the September 2010 meeting.

• Dementia Strategy – ongoing – including progress update to the October 2010 meeting.

• Telecare – Q&A and report at the October 2010 meeting.

• Domiciliary Care – possible Q&A at the October 2010 meeting.

• Delayed Transfers of Care – Q&A at the September 2010 meeting.

• Day Services for Older People – comment on final proposals at the September 2010 meeting.

The Committee noted the items for future consideration as listed on the face of the agenda.

12:40

The Committee is asked to note any items for possible consideration.

The current version of the Forward Plan covers June – September  2010.

No items were identified for future consideration.

Following the meeting members of the Committee will have the opportunity to receive a presentation on NHS Continuing Health Care from Ms Sandra Stapley (Assistant Head of Adult Social Care – Older People & Physical Disabilities).

Members of the Committee are asked to note that a working lunch for those members staying on will be provided in committee room 2 prior to the presentation.

Presentation on NHS Continuing Health Care

Ms Sarah Carter (Specialist Service Manager for Older People) presented the information as requested to members. This covered:

-          a summary of National Framework Update Information

-          a summary of the current situation

-          forward assumptions