Agenda and minutes

Councillor A Burrows – Councillor W Qais substitute

To receive declarations of interest from Members.

There were no declarations of interest.

To answer any questions, if any asked by any resident of the Borough pursuant to Standing Orders.

There were no questions or deputations.

To receive the minutes of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board meeting held on 9^th November 2022.

The minutes of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board meeting held on 9^th November 2022 were submitted.

  RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 9^th November 2022 be approved as a correct record.

Each scrutiny board in January will receive a report outlining the budget proposals identified within their respective portfolios for the period from 2023/24 to 2025/26. Feedback on the budget proposals included within this report will be reported to the Resources and Delivering Value Scrutiny Board and Full Cabinet next month.

The Directors for Adult Social Care and of Public Health presented the report, explaining how, during January, each Scrutiny Board was receiving a report outlining the proposals identified within their respective portfolios, for 2023/24 to 2025/26.

The Directors took Members through the report, which outlined the forecast budget position in regards to the relevant portfolios, detailing the pressures identified up to 2025/26 and the actions proposed to mitigate them. The key pressures highlighted from the report included progress towards fair cost of care, reform of the adult social care charging system, cost of living pressures and bad debt write-offs, as well as demographic and inflationary pressures. The pending introduction of Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections for Adult Social Care was also highlighted. The main proposals to mitigate these pressures included Government funding where national allocations have been announced, as well as use of contingency reserves.

The Director for Adult Social Care explained that since the production of the report, there have been further national announcements with respect to adult social care funding, primarily via the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement and that the pressures and mitigations will be updated to take account of the new information now available. It was confirmed that the national Charging Reform has been delayed. The Director for Adult Social Care noted there had been a fourth meeting of the Budget Strategy Group in January.

The Directors highlighted the reporting undertaken to the Budget Strategy Group, as well as the Members’ Budget Seminar.

Members raised the following queries:

·  A Member noted how, for the Adult Social Care and Health Portfolio, it was proposed to use capital funding to reduce care expenditure and they requested further detail on this.

• The Adult Social Care and Support Finance Manager explained how there would be focus on capital funding to support initiatives, such as adaptation of buildings, to enable people to live independently for longer and reduce ongoing care expenditure.
• A Member highlighted how the Autumn Statement indicated increased adult social care precept flexibilities, in total 2%. They noted 1% had already been assumed in the MTFS, which enabled the Council to consider an additional 1% and requested clarification on this.
• The Adult Social Care and Support Finance Manager confirmed there was potential for the Council to consider an additional 1%. Following further queries, he explained that Central Government assumes the full precept has been taken, when allocating funding to Local Authorities.
• A Member raised the proposed fees and charges scheduled for 2023/24, noting how some of these were proposed to increase in line with the Consumer Prices Index, at 6%. They queried the proposals for the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), an amount set aside to cover an individual’s everyday expenses, when they were in receipt of local authority arranged home care.
• The Adult Social Care and Support Finance Manager confirmed the MIG was set by the Department of Health and Social Care and our policy was to use these rates.
• The Member explained they recognised the MIG for 2023/24  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

To consider the Work Programme for the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board.

The latest Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board Work Programme was presented to the Board.

  RESOLVED

  That the latest version of the Boards Work Programme be noted.

The meeting is not open to the public during discussion of the following items because the reports contain exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

The meeting was not open to the public during discussion of the following items because the report contained exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

The purpose of this report is to update Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board on the outcomes from the Fair Cost of Care exercise. To also seek comments from Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board on the Provisional Market Sustainability Plan.

This report sets out the work in progress to determine the new service specification and tender plans for three services:

·  care at home for people with long term care and support needs

·  reabling care at home for people being discharged from hospital (known as Home Discharge Service)

·  reabling care at home for people at risk of admission to hospital or of needing long term care (known as Early Response Service)