Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 28 October 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 28 October 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

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

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interest

Personal and Prejudicial Interest

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

The report details the mid-year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRR) for the Adult Care Services, and Communities and Sustainability Portfolios. These provide an update on progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, budgets and capital programmes during 2013/14, and include performance and financial projections for the year.  The reports also include a progress report and risk assessment of the portfolio savings programmes for the first time. 

The reports are based on the Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreements for 2013/14 which were considered by the Committee on 3 July 2013. The Committee is asked to review the housing elements of the Communities and Sustainability Portfolio Report, with the remainder of this being considered separately by the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to

(1) Consider the mid-year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports.

(2) Review the progress against priorities, performance, budgets and savings targets for 2013/14.

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

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

Officer contact: Mike Harradine/Simon Finch  on 474 4680/ 4019 or email: mike.harradine@stockport.gov.uk / simon.finch@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Adult Social Care) and the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) providing a detailed overview of performance which related to the Adult Care Services and Housing Scrutiny Committee.

Information was provided in the form of Portfolio Performance and Resources Reports for each of the Portfolios having functions within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee namely, Adult Care Services and the housing element of the Communities and Sustainability portfolio.

The Executive Councillors for Communities and Sustainability (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) and Adult Care Services (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

Adult Care Services

·         Arrangements had been put in place to respond to winter pressures using earmarked funding from the Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group.

·         There remained progress to be made with regard to achieving targets associated with the reablement service, with a particular focus on improving those figures around contact time.  It was stated that although contact time was an important indicator, there were other demands on the service and broader areas of work that needed to be undertaken for which there was insufficient capacity within the independent sector.

·         It was noted that feedback would be sought from general practitioners and service users on the experience of the implementation of the enhanced rapid response service to develop services to prevent avoidable admissions.  It was stated that a further reported would be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee providing a summary of the responses to the feedback received.

·         A discussion took place around the monitoring of those patients with low

level psychosis that were no longer care coordinated, with particular regard to the arrangements that had been put in place for those patients to support them within the community and including those mechanisms to provide additional ‘fast-tracked’ support.

·         It was noted that the Council had been awarded a capital grant of £755,217 by the Department of Health from the ‘Dementia Friendly Environments National Pilot Programme’ and that the Council was in the process of receiving bids from the independent sector towards the use of this funding.

·         It was commented that the ‘overall satisfaction rate’ of service users was 66.8% and categorised as a good performance; however it stated that it was important that further work be done to identify why a third of users were therefore ‘dissatisfied’.   In response, it was reported that a further report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee providing a more detailed breakdown of the satisfaction levels of service users.

·         The impact of the ‘Adults Residential and Homecare Price Freeze’ was discussed in the light of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services budget survey which indicated that up to 50% of providers were facing financial difficulties.  In response, it was stated that the Council remained an outlier in comparison to other authorities in terms of the price for residential care and that on balance, and in the light of the available evidence, it was considered that the £12.60 price point was reasonable.

·         Work was being undertaken to monitor the projected deficit in the budget for the Adult Care Services portfolio.

Communities and Sustainability (Housing)

·         The demand for major adaptations had recently risen to levels seen prior to 2011 and those adaptations assessed as being a low priority are currently being held.  Concern was expressed that notwithstanding any low priority assessment attached to a request for an adaptation, it was important to note that a need had still been identified.  In response it was stated that the numbers of adaptations being held were low.

·         It was requested that details of the number of affordable housing units planned for development within the Borough be circulated to members of the Scrutiny Committee.

·         All of those areas identified as a high priority for alleygating had now been completed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration.

Stockport Homes was established as an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO) in 2005 to manage the housing stock owned by Stockport Council.  This was a ten year agreement which is due to come to an end in October 2015. The ALMO has delivered its objectives and demonstrated excellence and value for money.  There is now a requirement for the Council to review whether the current arrangement addresses its future objectives.

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

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing proposals for the Council to review whether the current arrangement for the management of the Council’s housing stock by an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (Stockport Homes) addressed the Council’s future objectives.

It was reported that the Council would be seeking to undertake an ‘Options Appraisal’ which would allow the Council to transparently compare ways of managing the housing stock and ultimately select the one that would deliver optimal long term value for money.

The Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

Concern was expressed in relation to the proposed composition of the Steering Group (Project Board) and Officer Working Group (Project Group) with particular regard to the Chief Executive of Stockport Homes being a member of both bodies.  It was commented that as the Steering Group was responsible for proposing an evaluation criteria which would ultimately be used to determine the future management of the Council’s housing stock, the direct involvement of the Council’s current arm’s length management organisation could potentially be seen to compromise the impartiality and integrity of this process.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The report provides an update on the current position with regard to the retained services in Individual Solutions SK following the return of social care services in ISSK to direct Council control.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the report.

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) providing an update on the current position with regard to the retained services in Individual Solutions SK following the return of social care services in ISSK to direct Council control.

The Executive Councillor for Adult Care Services (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Market research had been undertaken in relation to the viability of the community meals service and it was considered that the new service within Solutions SK would be able to offer a good service at a competitive price.

·         With regard to the transfer of assets and secondment of staff, clarification was sought on the lines of responsibility for staff and ultimate ownership and liability for any property that was transferred.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The report details proposals to modernise adult social care’s approach to the provision of travel assistance for people aged 18+ formally assessed as needing social care services and are unable to use public transport to access required support. The proposed changes would likely result in a significant reduction in or cessation of the Council’s assisted transport service commissioned via Solutions SK Ltd.

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

Officer contact: Lois Hale on 88 8305 or email: lois.hale@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Adult Social Care) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing proposals to modernise the approach of Adult Social Care to the provision of travel assistance for people aged 18+ formally assessed as needing social care services and who were unable to use public transport to access required support.

It was stated that the proposed changes would likely result in a significant reduction in or cessation of the Council’s assisted transport service which was currently commissioned via Solutions SK.

The Executive Councillor for Adult Care Services (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Although the assisted transport service was not one which the Council had to statutorily deliver, it was one which was consistently well received and supported by service users.

·         The costs of running the service were not met by the charges levied on service users.

·         The current fleet of vehicles required replacement during the course of the next 12 months which would entail a capital cost of approximately £700,000.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the potential and capacity of the independent sector to provide the bespoke transport services currently offered by Solutions SK.  In response, it was stated that consideration needed to be given to the possibility that the Council’s service provision had protected the market from offering services in this area.

·         The Council needed to ensure that should the assisted transport service cease, service users were provided with viable alternative means of transportation.

·         Service users valued the reliability, consistency and value provided by the current assisted transport service.

·         The view was expressed that the final recommendations on the future of the service should include detailed implications for staff and the potential for the refurbishment of the current fleet of vehicles.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 29 July 2013 considered the Executive’s response to the Scrutiny Review of Loneliness and Social Isolation.  At the meeting, the Scrutiny Committee requested that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee providing a breakdown of those responses received to the ‘casefinding’ questionnaire.

This information has been provided in the form of the first year evaluation report of the Brinnington Case Finding pilot scheme.

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

Officer contact: Lois Hale on 88 8305 or email: lois.hale@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Adult Social Care) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the first year evaluation report of the Brinnington Case Finding pilot scheme. 

The Chair reported that this item had been placed on the agenda following a request from the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 29 July 2013 for a breakdown of those responses received to the ‘case finding’ questionnaire which had been distributed to older patients of participating GP practices in the Brinnington area.

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: Damian Eaton 474 3207 email: damian.eaton@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to express the concern of the Area Committee to the Chief Executive of Stockport Homes in relation to the slippage in the timetabling of the proposed report relating to the impact of the investment in energy efficiency measures by Stockport Homes which had been requested by the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 23 May 2013.