Agenda and minutes

Councillor Lawrie Stratford substituted for Councillor Alyas Ahmed.

Councillor Don Seale substituted for Councillor Charles Mathew.

None

To approve the minutes of the meeting on June 12^th 2012, and discuss any matters arising.

The minutes of the meeting of June 12^th were signed and approved.

None

10:15

Adrian Chant, LINk Core Group Member, will discuss the LINk annual Report (AS5a) and update the committee on recent developments (AS5b).

The item will include a Healthwatch update (AS5c) from Lisa Gregory, Engagement Manager.

Sue Butterworth, LINk Chairman, and Adrian Chant, LINk Host Manager, introduced the LINk Annual Report and updated the committee the work taking place to ensure a seamless transition to Healthwatch.

Lisa Gregory, Engagement Manager, Joint Commissioning, gave further detail on the key milestones in this process. The committee were informed that the procurement process for the advocacy contract will begin in November. Councillors Hannaby and Stratford will be on the procurement panel.

The Chairman thanked the LINk for the fullness of the report and these sentiments were echoed by members of the committee.

Adrian Chant AGREED that a report on residential home visits would be brought to the November meeting of the committee.

10:30

Sara Livadeas, Deputy Director for Joint Commissioning, will present a paper outlining the commissioning intentions for older people for 2012 to 2015.

A summary paper is attached (AS6a), which summarises the position of the full document (AS6b).

Sara Livadeas, Deputy Director for Joint Commissioning, introduced the paper with Lucy Butler, Deputy Director for Adult Services, and Councillor Arash Fatemian, Cabinet Member for Adult Services. The document will ensure that the provision of services is joined up across the directorate. To achieve this each workstream has a lead officer who will be focussed on turning the intentions into actions. This will then feed into a Joint Commissioning Strategy with the NHS.

Members sought further clarity on the long term intentions for tier three day services and transport to day services.

Councillor Fatemian stated that whilst the county council are committed to exploring whether alternative options exist to run day opportunities, no decision has been taken as to how this will happen. The council is committed to continuing to provide these services and will explore all available options.

It was emphasised that the reason for the increase in fees is to bring the services into line with other counties and to ensure their long term sustainability. The county council will continue to pay the fees of FACS eligible service users, so people who cannot afford to pay will not be priced out of using the services.

Regarding the long term intentions for transport to day services, John Jackson highlighted to the committee that this is dependent on the cross-cutting programme of work on Community Transport. This programme will include a fundamental review of transport needs and provision across the county and will seek to ensure sustainable transport solutions.

It was AGREED that an update on the consultation on Day Opportunities would be brought to the committee following the closure of the consultation.

11:00

Alan Sinclair, Lead Commissioner for Older People, will deliver a report on services aimed at preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and facilitating timely hospital discharge. This will include in depth discussion of the reablement service, the crisis response service, and supported discharge.

The full report (AS7a) is supplemented by a summary paper (AS7b).

The item was introduced by Alan Sinclair, Lead Commissioner for Older People. Yvonne Taylor and Pete McGrane of Oxford Health, Paul Brennan of the Oxford Universities Hospital Trust, and Rachel Coney of the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group were also present for the item.

Alan Sinclair introduced the report stating that the three services are key to the Oxfordshire social care system. All services have seen recent improvements in activity and outcomes but performance is not yet at expected levels in some areas.

The importance of services taking a whole system approach was emphasised by all organisations.

The committee discussed the issue of recruitment and retention of staff and queried the impact that this was having on performance. Yvonne Taylor and Paul Brennan acknowledged that there had been difficulties but suggested that the response to recent recruitment drives had been successful and staffing levels are stabilising at a healthy level. The importance of joining up recruitment efforts across OH and OUHT was emphasised.

The committee complemented the quality of the report but expressed some disappointment that the delayed transfers continue to be a problem. The Director responded that it would take some time for policy changes to show results but that recent performance suggests some improvements.

It was AGREED that the Director would update the committee on delayed transfers of care at the November meeting of the committee.

11:50

John Jackson will update the committee on national and local issues in Adult Social Care.

The director outlined recent developments in Adult Social Care at the national and local level.

The director introduced the Draft Care and Support White Paper stating that the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care broadly welcome it’s recommendations. Members were invited to contact the Director should they wish to discuss the implications further.

The committee expressed concerns that the issue of funding is not resolved in the white paper. The director stated that locally the assumption has been made that NHS funding will continue. However, there is some disappointment that the recommendations of the Dilnot commission have not been incorporated. Councillor Arash Fatemian stated that a motion will be put to the county council to make a further recommendation to government on the subject.

The director discussed the recent reports on the safeguarding issues at Winterbourne View. The key recommendations and the next steps for Oxfordshire were also outlined.

The director further updated the committee on the phasing for the pooled budgets project.

12:25

Sara Livadeas will present a paper (AS9) outlining proposals aimed at involving members in the promotion of good quality care for people living in care homes by encouraging councillors to ‘adopt a care home’.

The committee is invited to comment on the proposals.

Sara Livadeas introduced the proposals for local councillors to Adopt a Care Home. It was emphasised that this should be seen as part of a wider push to ensure quality in care services, with the explicit aim to encourage local members to form a relationship with care organisations in their divisions. It is not intended to replace the role of officers in robustly monitoring contracted services. It was pointed out that a number of members already have positive relationships with the organisations in their divisions, and that anything which increases the flow of people in and out of institutions would provide further safeguarding assurances.

The opinion of committee members was divided on the issue, with some fully endorsing the proposals, and others feeling that the task does not fall within the remit of councillors and should be preformed by officers.

It was AGREED that a report on contract monitoring would be brought to the next meeting of the committee.

13:00

In the light of recent changes to the membership of the scrutiny committee, members will be invited to consider the member/officer group on quality and its make-up.

It was AGREED that no further meetings of the working group on quality would take place until after the May election. The composition of the group and it’s terms of reference will be reconsidered in May. In the meantime, any issues arising on the subject will be referred to the full committee for consideration.

13:15

The meeting closed at 13:00.