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Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Colm Ó Caomhánaigh, Tel 07393 001096  Email: colm.ocaomhanaigh@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

9/19

Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments

Minutes:

An apology was submitted by Councillor Charles Mathew (Councillor Jeannette Matelot substituting).

 

10/19

Declarations of Interest - Guidance note on back page of the agenda

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

11/19

Minutes pdf icon PDF 160 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10 January 2019 and to receive information arising from them.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 January 2019 were approved and signed as a correct record.

 

Councillor Jenny Hannaby gave an update on the Highways Deep Dive (Item 5/19).  She stated that the recommendations had been well received and she was hopefully of positive developments when officers report back to the Committee on this issue.

 

12/19

Business Management and Monitoring Report - Quarter 3 2018-19

10.05

 

This report demonstrates the state of Oxfordshire County Council’s progress towards Corporate Plan priorities at the end of Quarter 3 2018-19.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report and consider any matters for future attention by the Committee.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Ben Threadgold introduced the report and highlighted the improvements in the ratings for children’s social care assessments, children the subject of protection plans and older people supported to live in the community.  However, performance had declined for household recycling and levels of educational attainment.

 

Members asked for more information on the following issues:

·         Where are road fatalities occurring and were there any that could have been avoided by County Council actions?

·         Problems with road defects have rolled over since last year’s severe winter.  Will they continue to roll over into next year?

·         A breakdown of recycling figures by district/city council area to be included in the recycling deep-dive report.

·         Information on temporary school exclusions as well as students on part-time timetables to be provided as part of the Education Scrutiny Committee’s discussions on school exclusions.

·         Better indicators are need under the issue of air quality.

·         Should the maximisation of “our” assets be broadened to include all public assets including police, NHS etc.

 

Officers responded to questions on adult services as follows:

·         While the situation with Delayed Transfer of Care is rated green, there are still delays in reablement.

·         Officers are working with providers to make more efficient use of their services, in particular to reduce travel time by transferring clients where appropriate.

·         Self-funders are finding it harder to obtain services and costs are high.

·         The council assists those in need to access financial advice.

 

The Committee noted that reports will be monthly in the next financial year and agreed that these should be emailed to Members.

 

The performance measures will be reviewed at the next meeting of this Committee.

 

RESOLVED: to note the report and consider any matters for future attention by the Committee.

13/19

Healthwatch report of daytime support services in Oxfordshire pdf icon PDF 137 KB

10.25

 

Healthwatch Oxfordshire was asked by the County Council to undertake an independent review of the user experiecneces of the 2017 changes to daytime support. The report attached at annexe 1 is a result of this research which was completed a year on from the changes. Representatives from Healthwatch will attend the meeting, alongside the Director of Adult Services and representatives from Age UK to discuss the findings of the report with the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to discuss and comment on the report from Healthwatch and its recommendations.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Kate Terroni introduced a presentation from Rosalind Pearce and Veronica Barry summarising the findings of the Healthwatch review of the changes to daytime support services.

 

Members welcomed the review and raised the following issues and questions:

·         The changes were implemented in a short period and came at the same time as cuts to transport which compounded problems for service users.

·         It has been difficult for self-funders to find places.

·         It would have been useful to see the consultation questionnaire.

·         What lessons were learned for future change processes?

·         Did the Council lose any staff?

·         Regarding co-location of older people and people with learning disabilities, there were problems with the balance of numbers, some had problems with the noise level and lack of understanding.

·         Councillors should be consulted in the community mapping process.

·         Some anxiety was caused for users by receiving different messages from different staff.

·         The Health and Wellbeing Centre in Bicester was the most successful but the mapping process showed that there was a dearth of alternatives.

·         Localities need a more meaningful place in the process.

·         There is a need to support rural day centres.

·         Why is there a separate panel for children’s services?

 

Council officers responded as follows:

·         Perhaps the changes were implemented too quickly but on the other hand taking longer would have prolonged the stress and the pace of change needed to be swift to meet the Medium Term Financial Plan.

·         There was a two-month gap for self-funders but the Council did not lose sight of anyone in this period.

·         The lessons learned were that a) the consultation discussion was too broad and b) you can’t do enough communication.

·         Staff were redeployed.  Four in Bicester left to form their own organisation.

·         The issues are different for children.  The people’s panel includes carers who are encouraged to give their feedback.

 

Healthwatch representatives made the following points:

·         The full report will be on the Healthwatch website next week.

·         Problems with co-location were mainly in the larger centres and there was feedback that activities could be more stimulating.

·         While the Council did not lose touch with people, one or two lost touch with the Council.

·         Some centres are run by the elderly themselves but it has to be questionable how sustainable that is.

 

Penny Thewlis and Ruth Swift, representing Age UK Oxfordshire added the following points:

·         Grants for volunteer services – which had been doing a fantastic job – were also being cut while these changes were being implemented.

·         Day centres are not the only option.  The innovation grants are very important to help scale up new ideas.

 

The Chairman and other Members thanked Healthwatch for the report which was very helpful in scrutinising the changes to daytime support services.

14/19

Updates following implementation of the revised Adult Social Care Contributions Policy pdf icon PDF 162 KB

10.55

 

This report provides an update following the implementation of the revised Adult Social Care Contributions Policy on 1st October 2018.

 

This includes information on how changes to the Contributions Policy for Adult Social Care services have been implemented and the impact it has had on residents and their carers.

 

This report details the effect that changing this policy has had on people, staff and council services.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

 

Minutes:

Benedict Leigh summarised the report and, along with Karen Fuller, responded to Members’ issues as follows:

 

·         The type of waiver referred to in paragraph 21 can be authorised by an officer, for example in a mental health case where there is a duty of care.  Only a small number of waivers are authorised - in single figures.

·         The same employer responsibilities apply even where a friend or neighbour is employed.

·         Support is offered to all to avoid financial abuse and there is a safeguarding process.

·         Police have the authority to access accounts where allegations have been made.

·         Officers work closely with the benefits team and debt recovery.

·         If there are safeguarding issues, then the safeguarding team would be involved and it would be up to them to inform police.

 

RESOLVED: to note the report.

15/19

Adult Social Care Contract and Quality Management pdf icon PDF 657 KB

11.25

 

The report describes the way that contracted services are managed and monitored in an Adults Services setting.

 

The key areas covered include the key tasks and assurances undertaken; how we assure and maintain high quality services on an ongoing basis; reference to Oxfordshire’s standing when compared to Care Quality Commission national metrics; the areas we address when we monitor contracts; how intelligence from our monitoring influences our Safeguarding and Care Governance work; key external links together with current developments.

 

It concludes with a commentary about Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s Outcomes Based Contract for Mental Health Services.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

 

Minutes:

Benedict Leigh gave a presentation on contract management and, along with Andrew Colling, addressed Members’ concerns as follows:

 

·         If weaknesses are identified with a provider, a member of staff is allocated that contract to manage.

·         If it is a safeguarding issue then there is a coordinated approach with the Clinical Commissioning Group.

·         An action plan and timescale are agreed with the provider – usually over three months.

·         The policy is not aimed at driving down the cost of home care but helps providers to be more efficient by reducing travel times.

·         Having dealt with adult social care, officers are now looking at the mental health element.

·         Contracts are outcome-based – the providers themselves decide the activity.

·         Oxford Health has a normal staff turnover rate – this information can be obtained for other providers.

 

A review will be completed by August. It was agreed to bring that to Scrutiny in November.

 

RESOLVED: to note the report.

16/19

Transformation Sub-Committee Report pdf icon PDF 76 KB

11.55

 

The report provides a brief summary of the Transformation Sub-Committee meeting held on 17 January 2019.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: to note the report.

 

17/19

Committee work programme pdf icon PDF 167 KB

12.05

 

To agree the Committee’s work programme for future meetings based on key priorities and discussion in the meeting.

 

Minutes:

The following was agreed:

 

·         To add the Annual Scrutiny Report to the agenda for the May meeting.

 

·         That the report on Recycling at the May meeting should include data on recycling rates in the district/city areas including historic data to show changes.