Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 29 February 2024.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 29 February 2024 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 interest was declared:-

Personal Interest

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a joint report of the Director of Public Health and Director of Adult Social Care.

The report presents the Year-End Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Health and Adult Social Care Portfolio. The Year-End Report focuses on delivery of the portfolio priorities from October 2023 to March 2024. It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(1) Consider the Year-End Portfolio Performance and Resource Report.

(2) Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2023/24.

(3) Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues.

(4) Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report.

(5) Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer contact: Gaynor Ward on 0161 474 3186 or email: gaynor.ward@stockport.gov.uk and Paul Graham by email: paul.graham@stockport.gov.uk  

The Director of Adult Social Care and Director of Public Health submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) presents the Year-End Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Health and Adult Social Care Portfolio. The Year-End Report focuses on delivery of the portfolio priorities from October 2023 to March 2024. It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Concern was expressed that ‘vaccine fatigue’ exhibited by some residents in relation to the vaccination programme associated with the covid pandemic had started to impact on other vaccination programmes which may have a further and consequent impact on wider public health.

·         It was suggested that work was undertaken to help combat some of the myths that were being promulgated in relation to vaccines.

·         The work undertaken to encourage a shift from smoking to vaping was welcomed, however while vaping was much safer than smoking, there was now evidence that non-smokers were now also taking up vaping as well.  It was noted that the Council was using its existing powers to prosecute illegal vapes.

·         The use of fixed-term posts was discussed in the context of staff retention.

·         In relation to hospital discharges, it was queried what ‘Pathway 0’ and Pathway 1’ referred to in the report meant.  It was stated that the Council’s inhouse intermediate care provider received referrals for those coming out of hospital and who needed care in their own home.  It was explained that pathway 0 was for those who didn’t need significant care or support and that pathway 1 was for those who were going back to their own home and needed care and support i.e personal care or support with meal preparation.

·         The LGA Peer Review had commented on the need to strengthen our ‘step up’ care as opposed ‘step down’ care.

·         Targets around flu vaccination rates were set nationally.  It was explained that rates for childhood vaccination were set as fewer incidences of flu amongst children reduced its spread amongst older and more vulnerable adults.

·         Further information was requested in relation to grant funding in the context of the public health budget, and it was requested that this be included in an item submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Director of Public Health and Director of Adult Social Care.

The report presents the draft 2024/25 Agreement for the Health and Adult Social Care Portfolio for consideration and comment by the Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to review and comment on the draft Portfolio Agreement.

Officer contact: Gaynor Ward on 0161 474 3186 or email: gaynor.ward@stockport.gov.uk and Paul Graham by email: paul.graham@stockport.gov.uk 

The Director of Adult Social Care and Director of Public Health submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the draft 2024/25 Agreement for the Health and Adult Social Care Portfolio for consideration and comment by the Committee.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The inclusion of new performance measures relating to the number of people who are accessing a Stockport Local appointment; the percentage of contacts who do not progress to Adult Social Care having received Service at the point of contact; the performance of the prevention contract with Stockport Support Hub; the number of people who are in receipt of Technology Enabled Care; and the number of people leaving reablement with a reduced level of care was welcomed.

·         Key to tackling health inequalities is understanding the rate of premature mortality and life expectancy differences across the levels of deprivation.  In response, it was commented that determinants of our health were largely non-health care related and were connected to the conditions in which people lived.

·         It was noted that some local authorities were working to restrict the opening of takeaways in deprived areas and which was indicative of the means available to councils to influence overall determinants of health.

·         It was commented that in many deprived areas, larger supermarkets were often some distance away and that these communities often found themselves served by smaller convenience stores were staple goods were not competitively priced.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The report provides a summary of a newly devised Adult Social Care procedural document which brings together, in one place, the pressures and risks facing adult social care and all relevant mitigations and escalation protocols.

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

Officer contact: Sam Powell on 0161 474 2205 or email: sam.powell@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Adult Social Care submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing a summary of a newly devised Adult Social Care procedural document which brings together, in one place, the pressures and risks facing adult social care and all relevant mitigations and escalation protocols.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance.

This report outlines the Scrutiny Review process, provides a framework within which they should be undertaken and will support Scrutiny Committee Members with the selection of Scrutiny Review topics for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(1) Consider the selection of a Scrutiny Review topic to be carried out during the 2024/25 municipal year.

(2) Nominate members to sit on the proposed Scrutiny Review Panel.

Officer contact: Damian Eaton on 0161 474 3207 or email: damian.eaton@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to choose a Scrutiny Review topic for inclusion in the 2024/25 scrutiny work programme.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Council Meeting be recommended to include ‘Understanding the inequalities of health outcomes across the borough’ within the 2024/25 Scrutiny Work Programme.

(2) That Councillors Geoff Abell, Karl Wardlaw and Wendy Wild be nominated to sit on the proposed scrutiny review panel.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance.

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: Georgia Latham on 0161 474 3229 or email: georgia.latham@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Assistant Director - Legal & Democratic Governance (Monitoring Officer) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and any Forward Plan items.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance be recommended to programme the following item into the Scrutiny Committee’s work programme for the 2023/24 Municipal Year:-

·         co-production plan

·         service level detail in the public health budget

·         surge plan

·         early intervention and prevention

·         Public health annual report

·         Ambulance wait times review outcome report

·         Levels of alcohol related harm

(3) That the Director for Adult Social Care and Director of Public Health be requested to liaise with the Chair to schedule those items previously requested by the Scrutiny Committee within this year’s work programme.