Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 July 2019.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 30 July 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health

The report sets out the response of the Cabinet to the ongoing financial challenges facing the Council and seeks the views of the Scrutiny Committee on budget proposals related to adult social care and health.

The Committee is invited to comment on the report and the proposals presented within the report relevant to the remit of this committee.

Officer contact: Holly Rae, 0161 474 3014, holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Members for Adult Care & Health (Councillor Jude Wells) and for Inclusive Neighbourhoods (Councillor Amanda Peers) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Cabinet’s initial response to the Summer Review of the Council’s finances and the indicative savings requirements for the 2020/21 financial year. The report comprised a serious of business cases setting out proposals for service changes that would generate efficiencies and savings and within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee. The draft proposals were currently subject to public consultation before being considered by the Cabinet in December 2019.

The Directors of Adult Social Care and Public Health also attended the meeting to respond to technical questions.

The Scrutiny Committee made comments and asked questions on the individual business cases as follows:-

Support Funds

·         Concerns were expressed that both options set out in the proposal would result in vulnerable residents receiving less support and that while the integration of disparate but connected activity seemed a laudable aim, it really amounted to reductions. Councillors expressed disappointment that the Council was being forced into such difficult decisions regarding funding for such important services.

·         Councillors asked questions about the application processes involved in the two models, the signposting to other support and avoiding repeat applications.

·         Councillors stated a preference for the model set out in Option 2.

Public Health and Preventative Commissioning

·         Disappointment was expressed that despite an emphasis given to prevention, there was an associated reduction in staffing.

Managing demand on Adult Social Care and Children’s and Young People Social Care

·         The benefits of working more collaboratively with other Greater Manchester councils to develop and invest in local provision to reduce the reliance on more expensive out of area provision was suggested, as were opportunities for in-sourcing.

·         Clarification was sought on the reasons for the increasing SEND pressures, and multiple possible factors were suggested as explanations, including better and earlier diagnosis, better recording, increasing births in areas of deprivation and the link between deprivation and SEND.

·         In response to further detail on possible measures to reduce demand it was suggested that options could include shifting resources ‘up-stream’ to more preventative and early intervention models as well as managing price demand from external provision.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group

This paper provides the proposed consultation document prepared by the CCG as part of their review of IVF provision within Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment as part of the consultation.

Officer contact: Gillian Miller, Stockport CCG, 0161 426 9900

Gillian Miller Gillian Miller (Associate Director of Commissioning) and Dr Karen McEwan (GP lead) from Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group attended the meeting to present a consultation document (copies of which had been circulated) seeking the views of the Scrutiny Committee in relation to the provision of IVF Services by the CCG. The document provided the financial and clinical context for the consultation, including NICE guidance in respect of provision, as well as comparisons with other clinical commissioning group provision. Consultees were being asked to give their views on the option of maintaining current levels of provision of two funded IVF cycles; reduction to one funded cycle, or no funded cycles.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Given the relatively low chances of success of IVF, and the emotional impact of non-successful rounds, clarification was sought on the provision of counselling. In response it was confirmed that counselling was offered both before and after IVF treatment.

·         Clarification was sought on the trend in demand and provision. In response it was stated that overall numbers were relatively small, although the national trend was upward.

·         The emotional impact of infertility or fertility difficulties, and the difficult decisions involved by patients and clinicians were emphasised. It was commented that not providing any funded rounds of treatments was untenable.

·         It was stressed that the wider implications of fertility on a woman’s life choices needed to be considered.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Adult Social Care.

This item comprises two draft documents; the Adult Social Care Local Account for 2018/19 and the Adult Social Care Market Position Statement for 2019-24

(i)         The Local Account forms a key part of the approach to sector led improvement in adult social care. It is designed to tell citizens how the Council has performed in delivering adult social care against its local priorities over, and the relative areas of spend on services within ASC. It also informs citizens of the challenges and the work planned over the coming year, and this year highlights some of the key elements of the new ASC operating model with a focus on early intervention, prevention and community support.

(ii)       The Market Position Statement summarises supply and demand in Stockport and highlights business opportunities within the care market allowing commissioners and providers to work together to explain and explore the current and future care and support needs of the borough.  The Council’s existing Market Position Statement  was written in 2015 and as part of actively managing the market for adult social care in Stockport, the MPS is being refreshed.

Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider and comment on the draft Local Account and Market Position Statement.

Officer contact: Peter Owston, Strategy and Performance Manager, 0161 474 3274, peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk or Jon Wilkie, Contracts and Commissioning Manager (Adult Social Care), 0161 474 4357, jon.wilkie@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Adult Social Care submitted the draft Adult Social Care Local Account for 2018/19 and the Adult Social Care Market Position Statement for 2019-24 (copies of which had been circulated). The Local Account was designed to provide residents with information about how the Council performed in delivering adult social care against its local priorities, and set out the challenges and the work planned over the coming year. The Market Position Statement summarised supply and demand for social care in Stockport and highlighted opportunities within the care market to allow commissioners and providers to work together to explain and explore the current and future care and support needs of the borough.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care Services & Health (Councillor Jude Wells) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The format and presentation of the information in the Local Account and the Market Position Statement was welcomed, and echoed the information the Scrutiny Committee had been provided with in previous performance reports.

·         Comment was made about the 57% of service users who felt they was not enough contact with social care. In response the Cabinet Member acknowledged this and emphasised that the aspiration of the new operating model was to allow people to live fulfilling lives and to provide greater focus on an individual’s connectedness to their community.

·         Further information was sought in relation to engagement with providers. In response it was stated that the aim was to work in partnership, rather than simply on a formal contractual basis, to better manage supply and demand. The example of the Pure Innovations’ The Kitchen was cited as example of the innovative activity to have developed from this approach.

·         Healthwatch had also welcomed the report and the opportunities affordable by the new operating model in adult social care. It was also commented that there were many groups and much activity taking place in the community, but there were challenges in capturing and sharing this information.

·         In relation to the Position Statement, concern was expressed about the predicted number of falls in care homes. It was commented that the Steady in Stockport Service should be well placed to assist in arresting this trend and that there were other simple interventions that could be implemented.

·         The significant improvement in CQC ratings of care providers was also highlighted, assisted by the strong partnership working with providers.

RESOLVED – That the Adult Social Care Local Account 2018/19 and the Adult Social Care Market Position Statement for 2019-24 be noted and welcomed.

(Note: the Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included on the agenda, should be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) in order to allow the Scrutiny Committee to consider the matter promptly).

This paper provides an update on Stockport Council’s preparation for the UK’s departure from the European Union. This builds upon the reports presented to Corporate, Resource Management and Governance (CRMG) scrutiny in January and April 2019 which provided the latest update at the time on the Council’s preparations for Brexit.

The Committee are asked to note this update.

Officer contact: Holly Rae, 0161 474 3014, holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

(Note: the Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included on the agenda, should be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 in order that the matter could be considered promptly).

The Director of Adult Social Care submitted a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on Stockport Council’s preparation for the UK’s departure from the European Union.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care Services & Health (Councillor Jude Wells) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

Assurance was sought in relation to the adult social care workforce and potential disruption caused by large numbers of EU nationals who might lose the right to work in the UK in the event of a no-deal exit. In response it was stated that the Council was supporting residents in Stockport who needed assistance with the settled status process.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

The report sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings of the Committee.

Officer contact: Jonathan Vali, 0161 474 3201, jonathan.vali@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out planned agenda items for future meetings and relevant entries in the Cabinet Forward Plan.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.