Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 21 September 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 which 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 Director for People and the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration.

The report presents for consideration the mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRR) for the Supporting Adults and Thriving Economy Portfolios. These provide a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priority outcomes through the Investing in Stockport programme and other key projects during the first half of 2015/16, with updates on key activity during the second quarter. They include forecast performance data (where this is available) and projected financial data for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes. 

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Karen Kime on Tel: 474 3575 or email: karen.kime@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Corporate Directors for People and Place Management & Regeneration submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports for the Supporting Adults Portfolio and the housing element of the Thriving Economy Portfolio.  The report provided a summary of progress in delivering the priority outcomes through the Investing in Stockport programme and other key projects during the first half of 2015/16, with updates on key activity during the second quarter of 2015/16, and included forecast performance data and projected financial data for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

The Executive Councillors for Supporting Adults (Councillor Keith Holloway) and Thriving Economy (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Further information was requested on how the new Alliance for Positive Relationships had been delivering services since it was established two months ago around prevention and support for families with domestic abuse as part of a collaborative approach amongst Stockport Without Abuse, Stockport Women’s Centre, Relate (Greater Manchester South) and Stockport Homes.

·         Effective communication with the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust was a significant element of the risk associated with the legal non-compliance identified in the report.  It was stated that communications with Pennine Care would naturally be more complex by virtue of their extensive operation across five local authority areas, although good links had been established which should serve to mitigate against this.

·         It was commented that demographic pressures in the Learning Disabilities service had contributed to the portfolio deficit of £0.269m and that it was proposed to partially redress this through redundancies.  Clarity was requested on whether this would entail any compulsory redundancies.  In response it was stated that consultants had been engaged to examine a number of areas within Adult Social Care which would merit further detailed investigation and which were currently under consultation.  As part of this, redundancies of any nature could not be excluded as an option.

·         In response to a query about the feasibility of meeting the target of 10.6% for the proportion of adults with a learning disability in paid employment, it was stated that the Council was working closely with a number of potential providers of employment and that Stockport was outperforming many other local authorities in this regard.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the alternative means of transportation that had been offered to users of the former Adult Social Care Assisted Transport Service which had included the use of taxis.  It was confirmed that discussions had taken place with providers in relation to the provision of additional vehicles which had been adapted for this purpose.  Clarity was requested on how and when a review would be undertaken of the suitability of the alternative arrangements that had been put in place for service users.

·         In response to a query in respect of the proposed use of the £3m of earmarked reserves, it was stated that the pooling of budgets with the Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group would provide additional flexibility to handle pressures across social care and health services.  It was further stated that it was not possible at this stage to identify when the earmarked reserves would be released.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of 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 2 March 2015.

In January 2014 a report was considered by the Scrutiny Committee highlighting “Outcomes of Energy Efficiency Projects undertaken by Stockport Homes”.  An update of that report was requested in early 2015 while Stockport Homes officers were presenting the Delivery Plan.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the outcomes of energy efficiency projects which had been undertaken by Stockport Homes since 2008, with particular reference to the installation of solar photovoltaic panels; biomass district heating; replacement windows and doors; and cavity wall, loft insulation and thermal cladding.

The Executive Councillor for Thriving Economy (Councillor Patrick McAuley) and the Chief Executive of Stockport Homes (Helen McHale) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Approval had recently been given by the Executive to a programme of works to install new solar photovoltaic panels on Stockport Homes’ properties on a ‘rent-a-roof’ model.  However, the number of properties which would benefit from this initiative was limited by the ability of contractors to undertake any such installations prior to proposed changes to the current rate of the Feed-in Tariff which could commence from January 2015.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the policy changes being instituted by the government with regard to the Feed-in Tariff and wind energy.

·         Additional information was requested on Stockport Homes’ proposals for the replacement of storage heaters in sheltered accommodation.

·         It was reported that the proposals drawn up by the Council and Stockport Homes to develop a single biomass plantation and processing facility in the Borough needed to be revisited following difficulties in securing the operational site adjacent to the existing Solutions SK depot. 

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Executive Councillor for Thriving Economy be recommended to write to the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change outlining the Council’s recent success in implementing energy efficiency measures within the Borough and expressing the Council’s regret that the Government has decided to cease funding the Green Deal Finance Company.

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

This is a standing item which has been placed on the agenda at the request of the Scrutiny Committee on 21 September 2015 to allow officers to provide an update on any developments with regard to recent announcements from the government relating to social housing.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 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 an update on policy changes with regard to social housing since the last meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 21 September 2015.

The Executive Councillor for Thriving Economy (Councillor Patrick McAuley) and the Chief Executive of Stockport Homes (Helen McHale) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The National Housing Federation had submitted an offer document to the Government to voluntarily extend the right to buy provisions to all 2.3 million registered housing association tenants subject to the Government guaranteeing to cover in full the discount that would be received by tenants.  Registered providers would subsequently commit to use these monies for a one for one replacement programme to reprovide lost housing stock.  However, the offer accepted that the Government would enforce the sale of expensive Council owned housing to pay these monies.

·         The impact of the ‘pay to stay’ scheme for social tenants on a high income was discussed including the difficulties around ascertaining tenants’ incomes.

·         It was noted that the Office for National Statistics had recently ruled that private registered providers of social housing in England would be reclassified as public non-financial corporations with effect from 22 July 2008. 

·         It was queried whether the action by the National Housing Federation to enter into a voluntary agreement with the Government in respect of the right to buy was part of a pre-emptive action to avoid nationalisation.

·         Concern was expressed that the introduction of fixed term tenancies would undermine the stability of social housing estates.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Service to People.

The report contains the proposals for the uplift in residential and nursing fees for the current year and 16/17 and what may arise from those proposals.

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

Officer contact: Vincent Fraga on 474 4401 or email: vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Service to People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the outcome of the recent review of Council Adult Social Care Fees for Care Homes and Care Homes with Nursing. The report proposes a fee uplift for the current financial year with an effective implementation date of 6 April 2015.  It also proposes a further light touch review in February 2016 to confirm a settlement figure for 2016/17 in light of the introduction of the national living wage and identifies the need for a commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together programme ahead of the formal pooled budget for 2016/17.

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

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The report was due to be amended prior to its submission to the Executive to allow for the inclusion of additional technical information.

·         It was commented that the Council was only able to claim back £112 from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in terms of nursing costs.  However there remained a nursing ‘excess’ which was what the Council paid to the provider per bed per week for nursing in excess of what could be claimed from the CCG.  It was stated that this was a national issue and a review was due to take place into this matter.

·         A discussion took place around the reduction in cost that sharing a room attracted and why this was not extended to married and established co-habiting couples or those who chose to share a room.  In response, it was stated that the reduction was intended to be a reflection of the less advantageous nature of shared accommodation which was not a factor when the occupants willingly shared.

·         Work had been undertaken to reprovision the allocation of GPs to residential care homes to provide additional support as means of reducing the number of unplanned hospital admissions from these facilities.

·         Further information was requested on the level of capital investment in those homes owned by the Council but run by Borough Care.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Executive be recommended to give approval to the recommendations contained within the report pertaining to the proposed fee uplift; the development of a joint strategic commissioning strategy within the Stockport Together programme; and the ongoing work to clarify the potential scale of the financial impact of the National Living Wage on social care budgets.

(2) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee with regard to capital investment in residential care homes owned by the Council and operated by Borough Care.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report details the outcome of a review that has been carried out into the cost of domiciliary care in the borough and outlines a number of proposals to develop the Council’s commissioning approaches in the supplier market for health and social care.

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

Officer contact: Vincent Fraga on 474 4401 or email: vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the outcome of a review that had been carried out into the cost of domiciliary care in the borough and outlining a number of proposals to develop the Council’s commissioning approaches in the supplier market for health and social care.

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

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was commented that the proposed increased hourly rate paid to accredited providers actually reinstituted the level of payment that was made by the Council in 2010.

·         It was queried whether the proposals would address the issues identified in the providers’ ’Fair price for Care’ report in respect of sufficient payment to cover travel and mileage payments and an ability to pay staff the minimum Living Wage.  It was responded that the proposed uplift constituted an improvement on the current level of payment and preliminary discussions with providers had suggested this would be difficult but were nonetheless promising.

·         Anecdotally, there was some evidence to suggest that providers prioritised self-funders over those that received packages of care from the Council.

·         Recruitment and retention within the sector remained a problem.

·         It was acknowledged that the proposals contained within the report were not the end point, but rather indicated the start of an ongoing process.

·         It was suggested that it would be useful for the Scrutiny Committee to engage in a discussion with some home care workers to talk about the future of home care work within the Borough.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Executive be recommended to give approval to the recommendations contained within the report.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be recommended to place an item on the agenda of a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee to facilitate a discussion on home care workers and that the Corporate Director for People be recommended to make arrangements for a representative sample of home care workers to attend the meeting to participate in the discussion.

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 – That the report be noted.