Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 August 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 3 August 2015 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 they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a joint report of the Corporate Directors for Corporate and Support Services and for People.

The report provides the Scrutiny Committee with details of the 2015/16 Section 75 / pooled fund agreement between the Council and Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).  The agreement is scheduled for approval by the Council’s Executive on 6 October 2015.     

In addition the report highlights the in principle agreement to significantly increase the value of the pooled fund in 2016/17 and the work to be completed to ensure that the future S75 agreement recognises the larger and more volatile areas coming into view. 

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Michael Cullen, 0161 474 4631, Michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

(NOTE: The Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included on the agenda for the meeting, should be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 in order that this item could be considered by the Scrutiny Committee in advance of its approval by the Executive on 6 October 2015).

A joint report of the Corporate Directors for People and for Corporate and Support Services was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) containing a proposed Section 75 Partnership Agreement between the Council and Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group to cover the 2015/16 financial year that had been revised to take account of the Better Care Fund arrangements.

The Executive Councillor (Supporting Adults) (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Additional mechanisms needed to be put into place to ensure that there was adequate democratic oversight of the proposed Section 75 Partnership Agreement.

·         Other health service partners were not accustomed to overview and scrutiny in the same way that services provided by the Council were.

·         It was suggested that the minutes of the Health & Wellbeing Integrated Commissioning Board should be submitted to a democratically accountable body.

RESOLVED – That the revised Section 75 Agreement for 2015/16 be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Corporate Directors for People and for Corporate Director Corporate and Support Services.

At its meeting on 18 August 2015, the Executive received a report which included a Medium Term Financial Forecast for the period 2016/17 to 2020/21. That report illustrated the level of resources likely to be available in 2016/17 and the resulting budget position should the previously identified level of cash limit reductions be achieved.

In response to those forecasts, and in line with its previous proposals and statements of intent, the Executive brought forward the set of proposals for 2016/17. These have been informed by the strategic framework and are designed to address the budget reduction requirement.  At the meeting on 18th August Executive Councillors agreed to present to each scrutiny committees the relevant proposals relating to each committee’s remit, including the specific detailed business cases.

The Adult Care Services & Housing Scrutiny Committee is therefore receiving the following reports:-

·         Stockport Together – Integrating Health and Social Care

·         Preventative Commissioning Strategy

·         Learning Disability Review

This Committee is asked to comment on the aspects of all three reports which relate to its remit, that being the overall approach being taken for the integration of Health and Social Care, including the plans for service change prior to entering into an agreed pooled budget.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         comment upon the proposals generally.

·         comment on overall approach being taken to the development of the Council’s medium Term Financial Plan and budget for 2016/17as outlined within the Excutive reports

·         comment upon the proposed approach to pooling Health and Social Care budgets as outlined within the specific Health and Social Care report.

Officer contact: Andrew Webb or Steve Houston on 0161 474 3808 or 0161 474 4000.

A joint report of the Corporate Directors for People and for Corporate and Support Services was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Executive’s proposals to respond to the Medium Term Financial Forecast considered by the Executive in August 2015. The Executive brought forward a set of proposals and statements of intent, in accordance with the Investing In Stockport strategic framework, that sought to respond to the required budget reductions.

The accompanying documents to the report provided further detail on the following Investing In Stockport proposals:-

·         Stockport Together – Integrating Health and Social Care

·         Preventative Commissioning Strategy

·         Learning Disability Review

The Executive Councillor (Supporting Adults) (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to present the proposals and to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         There were a number of areas of duplication in the work of the Council and its health service partners which could be rationalised through health and social care integration.

·         The Stockport One pilot scheme in Marple and Werneth had successfully demonstrated that it was possible to keep vulnerable older residents in their homes with an integrated package of care whilst also reducing the risk of unplanned hospital admissions and provided lessons for the development of integrated locality hubs.

·         In rolling out the model of integrated locality hubs throughout the borough, it had become apparent that the original four-locality-model was too large to work effectively with local GP practices.  It had subsequently been decided to co-ordinate the service on the basis of eight ‘neighbourhoods’.

·         The delivery of care in residents’ homes by different providers could be variable and it was important to build up the quality of services in some areas.

·         There were a number of proposals within the report which suggested potential budgetary savings in areas which may have a resultant impact on the provision of care provided by the Council and there was a tension with ensuring that services continued to be able to be appropriately targeted at those most in need. 

·         Stockport was one of the lowest spenders per head on adult social care within a basket of comparator authorities and performed well in the light of the availability of resources.

·         There remained pressure on the care management budget through the cost of home care services which would impact on the ability of the Council to achieve the proposed budgetary reduction of £2m.

·         A discussion took place around the implications for the 201 staff within the scope of the proposals.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the comments of the Scrutiny Committee be submitted to the Executive for their consideration as part of the feedback on the Investing in Stockport proposals.

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

The report provides a summary of some of the key issues and trends within the Borough and outlines some of the current work underway to prevent and alleviate homelessness, and makes a recommendation to adopt a pilot scheme for making greater use of Stockport Homes’ Lettings Scheme to accommodate people losing their homes.

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

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing a summary of some of the key issues and trends within the Borough and outlining some of the current work underway to prevent and alleviate homelessness.  The report further proposed the adoption of a pilot scheme for making greater use of the Stockport Homes’ Lettings Scheme to accommodate people losing their homes.

The Executive Councillor (Thriving Economy) (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Stockport had been assessed as meeting the ‘silver’ standard for its delivery of a more efficient and cost effective homelessness prevention service.  It was stated that Stockport currently met 6 out of the 10 criteria for the ‘Gold Standard Challenge’.

·         The impact of Universal Credit on the viability of Brindale House, the Council’s temporary accommodation scheme for homeless families, was discussed with particular regard to the potential for it to the transferred to charitable status.  It was reported that if the property was no longer in the control or ownership of the Council, then it would not be subject to the same income reductions resulting from mandated decreases in rent levels.

·         It was queried why the Council was seeking to discharge its homelessness duties by offering accommodation in the private rented sector when Shelter had suggested that this option should only be used as a last resort.  In response, it was stated that the Council’s temporary accommodation was under significant pressure; and additionally, the option of using selected properties within the private sector but which was managed by Stockport Homes was not one which had previously been available to the Council and which provided additional safeguards over and above the wider private rented sector.

·         Concern was expressed that the proposals would disperse vulnerable residents across the borough when the most intensive support would be available in the established ‘Priority 1’ areas. In response, it was stated that support provided by the Council, Stockport Homes and their partners was generally available borough-wide on a floating basis rather than being dedicated to specific locales.

·         It was important that the viability of the Stockport Homes Lettings Service was not undermined.

RESOLVED – (1) That the proposal for the Council to enter into a pilot scheme to discharge homeless duties into Stockport Homes’ Social Lettings Scheme be endorsed.

(2) That the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee detailing the impact of the scheme following 12 months’ operation.

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

The report details proposals for the Council to enter into a contractual relationship with Empower Communitiesto facilitate the installation of solar panels on the Rent-a-Roof model.

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

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing a proposal for the Council to enter into a contractual relationship with Empower Communities to facilitate the installation of solar panels on the Rent-a-Roof model.

The Executive Councillor (Thriving Economy) (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

It was stated that since the publication of the report, the government had issued a consultation paper which proposed to reduce the level of the existing feed-in-tariff from January 2016.  If enacted, the scheme as proposed could not continue beyond that date.  Should approval be given to the proposed scheme by the Executive on 6 October, there would be scope to install solar photovoltaic panels on approximately 500 properties before the changes to the feed-in-tariff took effect.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         A discussion took place in relation to the analysis undertaken of the different models of procuring and installing the solar photovoltaic panels.  It was stated that in the light of the current feed-in-tariff rate combined with the risk and capital cost of procuring the panels, the rent-a-roof model proved the best option.

·         Work was already taking place to ensure that should the Executive give approval to the proposals, then the necessary legal agreements would already be in place to provide legal rights of access.

·         It was important to ensure that following the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on tenant’s properties, the opportunity for environmental education was provided to try and achieve a wider behavioural change.

RESOLVED – That the proposed approach to the provision of solar photovoltaic panels on Stockport Homes properties on the ‘Rent a Roof’ model be endorsed.

To consider a joint report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services; and the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

This report has been placed on the agenda at the request of the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 3 August 2015.

The report provides an overview and summary of the recent announcements and policy decisions affecting Social Housing and, where known, the impact for Stockport.   

The changes have stemmed from both confirmation of policy changes contained within the Queen’s Speech 2015 and the Chancellor’s summer budget of 2015.

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

Officer contact: Michael Cullen or Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4631/4319 or email: michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk/ andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview and summary of recent announcements and policy decisions affecting social housing and, where known, the impact for Stockport.   It was reported that the changes have stemmed from both confirmation of policy changes contained within the Queen’s Speech 2015 and the Chancellor’s summer budget of 2015.

The Executive Councillor (Thriving Economy) (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Shelter had calculated that Stockport would be the local authority area that would be most affected in the north west by the recent government proposals by virtue of the large size of its portfolio of retained council housing stock and as a result of house prices being higher than average.

·         It was difficult to predict the number of houses that would be lost through the extension of the Right to Buy.

·         Stockport Homes was not planning for any redundancies as a consequence of recent announcements.

·         It may be that new developments by Stockport Homes would need to be paid back over a period of 50 years rather than 40 years.

·         The availability of social housing in more affluent areas of the borough could diminish to such an extent through the extension of right to buy as to adversely affect the social structure of those areas.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Thriving Communities)

Stockport Homes Letting Service has been in operation since June 2012 and a review of the service was carried out by the Adult Care Services & Housing Scrutiny Committee in April 2015. This report provides the responses to the recommendations made by the Scrutiny Review Panel.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the Executive’s response to the Scrutiny Review of the Stockport Homes Letting Service.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (thriving Economy) submitted the Executive’s agreed response to the final report of the Scrutiny Review of Stockport Homes Private Rented Service which had been adopted by the Executive at its meeting on 18 August 2015.

RESOLVED – That the Executive’s response 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 on 474 3207 or 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 – That the report be noted.