Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

With the publication of the 2015/16 Council Plan, the Council agreed to focus delivery of its key priorities and spending plans on promoting sustainable growth and reforming public services in order to contribute to five key outcomes.  In line with this approach, the Plan set out how Executive Portfolio responsibilities would be re-structured to align with these outcomes.

This report presents the draft Supporting Adults and Thriving Economy Portfolio Agreements for consideration and comment by the Committee. For Adult Care Services and Housing Scrutiny Committee, this incorporates the following service areas; Supporting Adults; Young Adults; Learning Disability; Older People; Supporting People; Thriving Economy; and Strategic Housing.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to review and comment on the proposed changes to the performance framework outlined in the report in relation to areas of responsibility set out in the draft Portfolio Agreements.

Officer contacts:

Supporting Adults Portfolio - Karen Kime, Policy, Performance and Reform (Corporate & Support Services) on 474 3574 or karen.kime@stockport.gov.uk  or Simon Finch, Strategic Accountant (Services to People) on 474 4019 or email simon.finch@stockport.gov.uk  

Thriving Economy Portfolio - Joe Conmee, Policy, Performance and Reform (Corporate & Support Services) on 474 5396 or email joespeh.conmee@stockport.gov.uk or Michael Cullen, Strategic Accountant (Services to Place) on 474 4631 or email michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Corporate Director for Services to People and the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the draft Supporting Adults and Thriving Economy Portfolio Agreements for 2015/2016.  The report detailed the background to the realignment of the Executive Portfolio responsibilities which aimed to correlate with the Council’s agreed focus on the delivery of its key priorities and spending plans for the promotion of sustainable growth and reforming public services.

The report covered the Supporting Adults; Young Adults; Learning Disability; Older People; Supporting People; Thriving Economy; and Strategic Housing service areas.

The Executive Councillors (Supporting Adults) (Councillor Keith Holloway) and (Thriving Economy) (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to answer Members’ questions.

Supporting Adults

·         A discussion took place with regard to the difficulties surrounding the development of true partnership working.  The experience of the Integrated Locality Hub in Marple and Werneth had demonstrated the benefit of such a model and had provided a learning experience which could be utilised in the roll out of Integrated Locality Hubs across the borough.

·         Concern was expressed with regard to the measures proposed for deletion from the 2015/16 Portfolio Performance and Resources report, specifically those relating to the overall satisfaction of carers with social services and carer related quality of life.  In response it was stated that data was only collected only a two yearly basis and as such would not now be updated until 2016/17.  Although informal feedback was collected, there was not sufficient capacity to undertake internal collation of data, although the level and nature of complaints would be closely monitored.

·         It was stated that the £3.110m in earmarked reserves identified for ‘future years commitments’ was largely CCG funding which had been transferred into the pooled budget to ensure that a CCG underspend could be carried forward into the next financial year.

Thriving Economy (Housing)

·         The deletion of the measure relating to the number of additional units of accommodation for older people or vulnerable households was discussed and it was agreed that additional information around the rationale for its deletion would be circulated to members of the scrutiny committee.

·         The deletion of measures relating to the percentage of new and converted dwellings built on previously-developed land; and the percentage of new housing in an accessible location was discussed.  It was stated that the reason for the removal of these measures had been that the data was only collated on an annual basis and that as such they did not change from one quarter to the next.  In response, it was agreed that a report would be submitted to the scrutiny committee on a quarterly basis relating to the promotion and progression of new housing development in the borough.

RESOVLED – That the report be noted.