To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor J.G. Jarvis and P.G. Turpin and from Councillor Mrs L.O. Barnett (Cabinet Member Social Care Adults and Health).

To receive details of any Member nominated to attend the meeting in place of a Member of the Committee

There were no named substitutes.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on this Agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 1st December, 2006.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 1st December, 2006  be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

There were no suggestions from members of the Public.

To report the revenue budget’s financial position for Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing as at the end of January 2007 and to provide projections to end of the financial year.

The Committee considered the position on the revenue budget for Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing as at the end of January 2007 and projections to the end of the financial year.

The Interim Finance Manager presented the report.  She informed the Committee that the latest projected outturn for the adult social care budget was an overspend of £1.2 million.  This was before use was made of the Social Care contingency sum of £1.3 million for both adult social care and children’s services, of which £1 million was likely to be allocated to adult social care.  She noted that all local authorities across the West Midlands had overspends on learning disability services

In relation to Strategic Housing she highlighted the significant decrease in the number of clients in bed and breakfast accommodation, which had been the Service’s major budget pressure, compared with the previous financial year.  The projected underspending for Strategic Housing was £100,000.

It was asked what would happen to the underspending on Strategic Housing.  The Head of Strategic Housing Services replied that he was requesting that the sum be rolled forward for work on needs analysis for the Supporting People Scheme and for homelessness prevention activities.

The Director of Adult and Community Services commented that whilst the level of the projected overspend in adult social care had been substantially reduced during the year the overspend was still significant.  To achieve financial balance in the future it would be necessary to change the service delivery model in line with the findings of the review of future social care needs for older people and people with learning disabilities which had been reported to the Committee in December 2006.

RESOLVED:  That the projected 2006/07 financial outturn for Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing be noted.

To report on the performance indicators position and performance management initiatives for the Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Divisions with in the Adult and Community Services Directorate.

The Committee considered the performance indicators position and performance management initiatives for the Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Divisions within the Adult and Community Services Directorate.

The Improvement Manager presented the report. In relation to the Adult Social Care Improvement Plan he reported that four of the five workstreams had been signed off although some work remained to be done on the fifth.  Work was underway to embed the outcomes into the Service Plan.

He said that whilst the data shown in the report suggested that the Service would meet only one of the 13 targets for adult social care this was because the data had not yet been reconciled.  He considered that 9 of the targets would in fact be met.  Those which it was unlikely would be met were: C28 (households receiving intensive home care per 1000 population aged 65 or over), C32 (Older people helped to live at home per 1000 population aged 65 or over), C51 (adults and older people receiving direct payments per 100,00 population aged 18 or over), and D56 (waiting time for services.)

He highlighted success in relation to target C62 (the number of clients receiving a specific carer’s service as a percentage of clients receiving community based services), whilst noting that this did not match the upper quartile performance of authorities and D54 (percentage of equipment and adaptations delivered within seven days) where a service which had been performing poorly some 2-3 years ago was now one of the best in the Country.

In the ensuing discussion the following principal points were made:

·          In response to a question it was said that performance against target C51 (adults and older people receiving direct payments per 100,000 population aged 18 or over) had improved but had not met the stretched target the Council had set itself.

·          A question was asked about the allocation of houses to which adaptations had been made to  meet service users’ care related needs.  The Head of Strategic Housing Services replied that the allocation system did now take account when re-letting properties with significant adaptations of the benefit of allocating adapted properties to those in need of such adaptations.  There was still a need to improve the process for properties with more minor adaptations. A Housing Occupational Therapist employed by the Primary Care Trust was working with the Private Sector Housing Team to create a database of adaptations made to properties and to improve letting procedures.

·          In relation to target C28 (households receiving intensive home care per 1000 population aged 65 or over) the Director of Adult and Community Services commented that this was an expensive service and to improve performance would have financial implications.  An exercise was underway to see how other authorities assessed performance against this target.

·          The Director said that none of the performance indicators had been qualified in the past year, representing an improvement on previous years.

·          It was asked whether target 183a (the average length of stay for families with children in bed and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To report on the outcomes from the Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Scrutiny Committee’s homelessness consultation event in December 2006 and to consider and agree the recommendations.

The Committee considered a report on the outcomes from the Committee’s homelessness consultation event held in December 2006 and recommendations arising from it.

This followed on from an initial homelessness event held in October 2005. The event included representatives from relevant agencies across the County.  It focussed on lessons learned in the last year in terms of tackling the main causes of homelessness in Herefordshire and explored opportunities for closer working arrangements in the future.  

The Change Manager- Homelessness observed that the event had been successful, building on the first event and generating a number of ideas.

One of the issues highlighted at the event had been the importance of educating children about the realities of homelessness.  This was reflected in recommendation (e) in the report: that agencies should continue to work closely with schools to successfully prevent youth homelessness.

The Committee was informed of a project developed by the Council and the Supporting Herefordshire Young People Project involving a presentation on homelessness aimed at year 10 pupils.  To date three sessions had been delivered to pupils at Wyebridge College, Hereford.  It was reported that it was intended to roll the project out to all schools over the next four years.  The estimated cost of delivering the presentation to all schools was £35-38k per year.

Members commented on the importance of debt management being included in the programme and the possible role of Ward Members.  They also discussed the scope for involving Registered Social Landlords, Charities and Banks in supporting the Scheme.

The Head of Strategic Housing Services agreed to circulate details of the presentation to Members of the Committee and feedback from the pupils and to confirm the extent of focus on debt management.

It was proposed that the youth homelessness prevention programme was so important that it should be rolled out to all secondary schools in 2007/08 rather than over a four year period as proposed and that recommendation (e) should be strengthened accordingly.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member (Social Care Adults and Health) be recommended:

(a)               to note the level of ongoing debt-related homelessness in Herefordshire, and that the Council should consider ways of proactively tackling this issue;

(b)               that knowledge of options in the housing market should be increased, amongst the public, and amongst the agencies working with customers threatened with homelessness;

(c)               that agencies should continue to work together to share information and further develop an ‘early warning’ approach to homelessness, building on good practice established during the last year;

(d)               that mediation and sanctuary options have made an impact in reducing homelessness in Herefordshire and  should continue to be considered with young people and victims of domestic violence whenever appropriate;

(e)               that agencies should continue to work closely with schools to successfully prevent youth homelessness with the youth homelessness prevention programme being rolled out to all secondary schools in 2007/08  and further work is undertaken to develop further potential in the private sector housing market;

(f)                 that the Council continues to develop preventative and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

To receive a presentation on the findings and aims of the Herefordshire Partnership’s Strategy ‘Growing Older in Herefordshire’.

The Committee received a presentation on the findings and aims of the Herefordshire Partnership’s Strategy ‘Growing Older in Herefordshire’.

The Directorate Services Manager outlined the reasons for developing the Strategy and the process that had been followed.  The vision and five key aims were also explained.

The draft Strategy had been enclosed separately for Members of the Committee.

It was noted that there would be an eight week consultation period closing on 16th May, 2007. It was intended to publish the initial Strategy later in the year with action plans then being agreed by partners.

RESOLVED:  That the draft Growing Older in Herefordshire Strategy be noted.

To inform the Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing and Children’s Services Scrutiny Committees of the progress of the Joint Scrutiny Review on the Transition from Leaving Care to Adult Life and to make recommendations as to the way forward.

The Committee was informed of progress on the Joint Scrutiny Review on the Transition from Leaving Care to Adult Life and the proposed way forward.

The report noted that the Review Group had concluded that it was not possible to complete the Review in time to report in March 2007 as originally intended.  It  outlined a number of key themes which had been identified at the first meeting of the Review Group for further exploration and  the proposed way forward.

It was noted that those care leavers with more profound and multiple disabilities were not to be included in the Review because there were more specialist transition processes already in place.

RESOLVED:

That          (a) the Joint Scrutiny Review on the Transition from Leaving Care to Adult Life be taken forward in the 2007/08 work programme for the Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing and Children’s Services Scrutiny Committees;

(b)  the Review remain a Joint Review between the two Scrutiny Committees under the wider leadership of Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Scrutiny Committee;

            and

                  (c) following the establishment of the  Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing and Children’s Services Scrutiny Committees for 2007/08, a new Review Group be established comprising membership from both Scrutiny Committees.

To note progress against recommendations made by the Committee.

The Committee considered a report on progress against recommendations made by the Committee.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To consider the Committee’s work programme.

The Committee considered its work programme.

The following items were added to the programme: the Directorate Service Plan, operation of Registered Social Landlords (in relation to empty properties) and the response to the recommendations made following the second consultation event on homelessness.

RESOLVED: That the work programme as amended be approved and reported to the Strategic Monitoring Committee.