Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S Brookfield and N Wylie (substituted for by Councillor S Edgar).

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 4 February 2021.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 4 February 2021, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To provide an opportunity for Members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the Agenda

There were no declarations of the party whip.

A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit of the Committee. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes, but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned, where there are a number of speakers.

Members of the public wishing to make a statement should provide notice of this at least three working days in advance of the meeting.

There were no members of the public present who wished to speak.

To consider an update from health partners on service sustainability, pressures and changes, challenges going forward and plans for the restoration of services in the future.

Report to follow.

The committee considered an update from a number of health partners on the sustainability of local health services, and the pressures, changes and challenges caused by Covid-19.

Members of the committee asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         the correlation between poverty, deprivation and Covid-19;

·         the progress, successes and challenges of the vaccination programme;

·         the rates of vaccination uptake by different groups and communities in Cheshire East; and

·         what work had been undertaken by local and regional health services to improve engagement with under-represented groups.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

To consider the standing Covid-19 update.

Consideration was given to an update on the most recent data trends and local response work relating to Covid-19, as well as the position regarding care homes and the care market.

Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         how the council had planned to support/enforce government guidance on the wearing of face coverings by pupils in secondary schools;

·         the council’s allocation from the Workforce Capacity Fund and how it planned to make best use of it;

·         progress made in respect of the rollout of lateral flow testing; and

·         whether there had been any issues in relation to acquiring and distributing PPE.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

To consider an update on the support offer for adults experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues.

The committee considered a report and verbal update on the services and support offer available to adults who experienced mental health and wellbeing issues.

Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         the Mental Health Crisis Phoneline;

·         whether the council and partners had considered expanding on the number of community mental health crisis beds in the borough; and

·         the wider impacts of the increased pressure on mental health services and whether other services e.g. reablement would be impacted and service users face longer wait/response times as a result.

Upon being advised that there were four community mental health crisis beds, the committee questioned why NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group had not commissioned the six bed provision that had been proposed as part of its work to redesign adults and older people’s mental health service in eastern Cheshire between 2018 and 2020.

As a representative from the CCG was not present to respond, the Director of Commissioning agreed to liaise directly with the appropriate officers to obtain a written response for the committee.

RESOLVED –

1          That the update be noted.

2          That the Director of Commissioning liaise with the CCG to obtain a written response to explain why only four of the six community mental health crisis beds, proposed to be commissioned as part of the wider redesign of adults and older people’s mental health services, had been commissioned to date.

To consider performance data from Quarter 3 of the 2020/21 financial year.

Report to follow.

The committee considered the performance data related to Adult Social Care services from Quarter 3 of the 2020/21 municipal year. Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         whether Covid-19 had impacted liberty safeguarding, and

·         whether this committee, or the relevant incoming service committee, would benefit from considering in detail the position regarding Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding, and wider safeguarding issues.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

To review the council’s Forward Plan of key decisions.

Consideration was given to the Forward Plan.

RESOLVED –

That the Forward Plan be noted.

To review the current work programme.

The committee considered its work programme and requested an update on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding be provided at its next meeting on 15 April 2021.

RESOLVED –

That the work programme be agreed.