Agenda item

To consider a report of the Service Director (Adult Social Care).

The report outlines the financial position surrounding Individual Solutions SK (ISSK) in the context of budget savings: it seeks approval for officers in Adult Social Care to go out to consultation with the staff at ISSK regarding a possible return to the Council.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the proposals.

Officer contact: Terry Dafter on 474 4401 or email: terry.dafter@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Adult Social Care) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the financial position surrounding Individual Solutions SK (ISSK) in the context of budget savings and seeking approval for officers in Adult Social Care to go out to consultation with the staff at ISSK regarding a possible return of services to the Council.

The Chair reported that members of the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee had also been invited to attend the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee as there were a number of areas of overlap between the remit of both committees.  The Chair invited members of the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee to participate in the discussion on this item.

The Executive Councillor for Adult Care Services (Councillor Daniel Hawthorne) and Angela Rayner (Unison) attended the meeting to answer Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issued raised:-

·         A discussion took place around Key Performance Indicators which had been missed by ISSK with particular regard to contact time.

·         It was anticipated that by bringing the home support elements of ISSK back within the Council and aligning the service around localities this would produce a colligate and collaborative approach to service delivery.

·         Concern was expressed that the difficulties being experienced within ISSK had only recently been brought to the attention of the Scrutiny Committee.

·         The home support service was well placed to operate and offer competitive and unique services in a competitive marketplace.

·         The levels of sickness absence in ISSK were discussed with particular regard to the efforts being made to reduce this.

·         It was commented that service users received a high quality service from the home support service.

·         It was hoped that with transition to locality based working, there would be the opportunity for regular update reports to be submitted to Area Committees.

·         Work was ongoing with local hospitals to ensure referrals for reablement were appropriate.

·         The staff in ISSK were highly trained and skilled and better placed than many independent providers to offer new and innovative services.

Councillor Ben Alexander stated that in the light of the full discussion over the proposals at this meeting, it was not considered necessary for the report to be submitted to a meeting of the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Scrutiny Committee extend its thanks and appreciation to all parties who had been involved in the discussions and negotiations over the future of Individual Solutions SK.

(2) That the Executive be recommended to give approval to the return to the Council of the home support elements of Indivdual Solutions SK as soon as is practicable having regard to any HR and legal requirements and that further consultation be undertaken with any affected staff on the proposed transfer back to the Council.

(3) That the Executive be recommended to give approval to the proposal to undertake further work on any residual services with a view to bringing back further proposals once an appropriate way forward had been identified, and that a report detailing progress made toward this objective be submitted to the 18 March 2013 meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.