To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Lester and Shaw.

None

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2017.

A group leader asked that a response be given to the question raised at the previous meeting regarding any conditions attached to the rural services grant which would prevent its use to support rural transport. The question was allowed as it was also potentially applicable to an item on the agenda for the meeting. The chief finance officer confirmed that there were no such conditions.

Resolved:       That the Minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To approve the principles for the spend of additional social care funding announced in the spring budget 2017.

The report was introduced by the cabinet member for health and wellbeing. Herefordshire council had been granted an additional £7.3m funding for adult social care over the three years 2017/18 to 2019/20. The additional funding had been announced after the council had set its budget for 2017/18. The cabinet member noted that the adult social care system was under pressure and that any additional funds were welcome.

The director for adults and wellbeing summarised the report. He highlighted that:

·         the social care system was under pressure due to a number of factors including the rise in the population of over 75s and those of working age with a disability

·         due to reductions in funding, 25% fewer people were receiving care in their own homes

·         the rise in the national living wage and pension requirements stretched available funding and with high levels of employment it was hard to find staff willing to do the work for the living wage

·         the additional funding was required to be spent on top of the budget which had already been set by the council

·         Herefordshire would receive £3.6m to be spent in 2017/18 with a similar sum spread over the following two years

·         conditions were attached to the additional funding by the government as set out in the appendix to the report and the government would monitor the council’s use of the additional funding.

The director gave some examples of the projects under consideration for use of the additional funds. These included:

·         expanding the capacity of the community connectors team to help make better use of resources available in their local area;

·         expanding the in house rapid response service;

·         working to improve resilience of care providers;

·         developing better use of data to predict demand; and

·         expanding physiotherapy capacity and the falls prevention service.

The director explained that it was a decision for the council how to spend the additional funds, within the conditions set by the government. The health service had to agree how the money was spent but did not have a veto on it.

As the funding was non-recurrent and had to be spent within the financial year it was allocated for, approval was being sought from cabinet to delegate decision making on expenditure of the funds to the director for adults and wellbeing. Consultation would take place with the cabinet member for health and wellbeing and the section 151 officer on any decisions taken by the director.

In the discussion that followed the following points were raised.

A group leader noted the increasing emphasis on community support and asked what policies were in place to encourage family members of those in need of care to take more responsibility. The director of adults and wellbeing highlighted a pilot scheme in Leominster which aimed to raise awareness of support available in the community and connect those in need of support with these services and voluntary groups. It was intended that this approach be rolled out across the county.

The potential role of parishes to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.