To report on 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 Committee considered a report on current performance. 

The Committee had been informed in December that the Commission for Social Care Inspection had published its assessment of the Council’s Adult Social Care Services concluding that the Council was “serving some people well with uncertain prospects for improvement”.  The Commission had not, however, at that time issued a revised star rating for the Council, pending the Joint Area Review of Services the Council provided for Children and Young People and the Council’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment.  The Director of Adult and Community Services reported that the Council had subsequently been given a zero star rating for its social care services.

The Director informed the Committee that the Council had been required to submit an action plan to the Commission in response to the findings of the Joint Area Review.  Whilst there was no similar requirement for adult services, given the significance of the issues involved an improvement proposal/action plan was being developed with support from the Department of Health. The resource necessary to generate the required improvement was something the Council needed carefully to consider. 

He added that as part of the star rating process an Annual Review meeting with the Commission was provisionally scheduled for 29th August 2006.  Revised star ratings for all Councils with Social Services responsibilities were due to be published in the Autumn.

The report outlined a number of initiatives designed to improve overall performance.

It was reported that of the ten priority areas for social care, as set out at appendix 1 to the report, target C28 (Households receiving intensive home care per 1000 population aged 65 or over) would definitely not be achieved. 

In the course of discussion the following principal points were made:

·          In response to a question about target C32 (older people helped to live at home per 1000 population aged 65 or over) it was reported that it was likely that this would remain a difficult target for the Council to achieve, even though it was not as challenging as the target some other authorities set themselves.

·          A question was asked about the additional resources which would be needed to achieve target C28.  In reply it was said that C28 a rough estimate was that £800,000 would be needed to hit the target.

·          A question was asked about the effect on the budget of an increase in the number of adults and older people receiving direct payments enabling them to purchase their own Services.  In reply it was stated that the direction of the new Government White Paper – Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: a new direction for Community Services stated that increased choice would be underpinned by a direct payment or care budget and the Council could accordingly expect Government direction to increase direct payments.  Some initial work had been carried out which suggested that increasing direct payments might actually bring some reduction in service costs.  The Council did, however, have significant  investment in its buildings which would have to be released.

RESOLVED:

That                (a)        the report on Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing             performance be noted;

                                    and

                        (b)       areas of concern continue to be monitored.