Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2015

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 20 January 2015 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-ins to consider.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report sets Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Health and Wellbeing Portfolio for the third quarter of 2014/15. This provides a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities and budgets during the quarter, and includes forecast performance and financial data for the Portfolio.

Scrutiny Committee is asked to:

a)    Consider the Final Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report,  

b)   Review the progress against priorities, performance, budgets and savings targets for 2014/15;

c)    Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

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

Gaynor Alexander, Simon Finch, 0161 474 3186/ 4019, gaynor.alexander@stockport.gov.uk / simon.finch@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Director of Public Health submitted a report of the Corporate Director for People (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the delivery of portfolio priorities, budgets and capital programmes for the Health & Wellbeing Portfolio during the third quarter of 2014/15.

The Executive Councillor (Health & Wellbeing) attended the meeting to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Ongoing discussions and work around furthering health and social care integration, including a recent two day workshop (‘congress’) that sought to develop a common strategic vision for the Council and NHS bodies operating in the borough. This had included discussions around improving prevention.

·         The increasing number of Deprivation of Liberty applications and the need to contract out assessments to meet demand was discussed. It was queried whether efforts were being made to work with those making numerous applications to ensure they were aware of the requirements and the appropriateness of these applications.

·         The Cultural Determinants Service would be transferring back to the Public Health Service from Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. This was to give increased focus to this work and ensure that it was aligned with other related public health activity.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to submit a report to the 15 September 2015 meeting on the current situation with the processing of Deprivation of Liberty application.

(3) That the Director of Public Health be requested to submit a report to the next available meeting 6 months following the transfer of the Cultural Determinants Service to the Council updating the Committee on the impact of the transfer.

(4) That Director of Public Health be requested to submit a report to the 30 June 2015 meeting updating the Committee on progress with the implementation of the Preventative Commissioning Strategy and the related outcomes of the two day health and social care workshop (‘congress’).

To consider the Scrutiny Committee’s draft Final Report.

The report has been prepared following the Scrutiny Committee’s Review of Alcohol Services in Stockport, and includes a series of recommendations (posed in the form of questions) to the Council, CCG and other partners about ensuring the effectiveness of alcohol misuse treatment and preventative services in Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee will be invited to comment on and approve the final report for submission to the Executive and other relevant bodies.

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

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted the draft final report of the Scrutiny Committee’s Review of Alcohol Services (copies of which had been circulated) that contained the findings and key questions from the Review. The Scrutiny Committee were invited to make amendments to the report before submission to the Council’s Executive and the Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group Board. The report had been written to pose key questions to commissioners, rather than to make specific recommendations.

The Chair reported that he had recently attended an event for recovering alcoholics to recognise their completion of a peer support course. The Chair emphasised the importance of recovery and support after a substance misuser had left mainstream services.

The following additional comments were made / issues raised:-

·         Greater emphasis on recovery was to be encouraged, such as repeating the provision of a ‘recovery conference’ held in previous years.

·         There was a stigma attached to alcohol and excessive consumption that was not necessarily the case with smoking. It meant that people were often unwilling to engage with services.

·         Rates of referrals by GPs to alcohol and lifestyle services was a concern, but reflected the variability amongst GP practices against a range of indicators.

RESOLVED – (1) That the draft Alcohol Services Scrutiny Review Final Report be approved and adopted, subject to:-

·         the inclusion in the 3^rd paragraph of the foreword of the word ‘friends’;

·         the separation of the question relating to the training of front-line staff from the question relating to the monitoring of GP referral rates to ensure greater emphasis was given to the latter element;

·         the inclusion of a ‘case study’ in relation to the difficulties of service users making benefit claims.

(2) That the thanks of the Scrutiny Committee be extended to all those who took part in the Scrutiny Review.

(Note: the Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included in 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 Scrutiny Committee could consider the matter promptly.)

The Chair reported that he had received a copy of a letter sent by Healthwatch Stockport to the Minister of State for Care and Support requesting a full public consultation on the proposed changes to mental health services announced by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. Healthwatch had raised concerns about the perceived lack of public consultation on the proposals.

The Chair further reported that he had requested an update from Pennine Care on this matter and that he would report back to the next meeting with any further developments.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to circulate to members Scrutiny Committee a copy of the Healthwatch letter to the Minister of State regarding mental health service changes.

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 Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next two meetings and any relevant Forward Plan items.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to rearrange the meeting scheduled for 28 May 2015 to 27 May 2015.