Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016 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 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.

Note: in order for officers to undertake and background research, it would be helpful if members of the public notified the Scrutiny Officer listed at the foot of the Agenda at least one working day before the meeting with brief details of the matter to be covered.

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

To consider a report in response to the Assistive Technology Task and Finish Group Report which was submitted to Cabinet on 3 March 2015

Jon Wilkie, Commissioning Support Manager, and Ann Riley, Corporate Commissioning Manager, presented a report in response to the Committee’s Assistive Technology Task and Finish Group’s final report and recommendations which was presented to Cabinet for consideration on 3 March 2015.

The report provided a response to each of the Task and Finish Group’s recommendations. During discussion the following points were made:

·         The Task Group’s recommendations in relation to charges for assistive technology were difficult to fit into the current contract for services however would be part of new contracts in future.

·         In December 2015 the £5 per week charges for assistive technology were implemented. 1% of customers had seized to receive services because of the cost increase; these residents now received different support to manage their risks.

·         Information and advice about assistive technology was provided to everyone when they had their needs assessments and also receive additional information about services they could purchase privately to support themselves in additional to telecare services.

·         The Council and CCGs were looking at ways to commission falls support services in partnership with North West Ambulance Service as originally piloted by Peaks and Plains Housing Trust.

The Committee requested that further information be provided to councillors outside the meeting regarding the number of people currently receiving telecare services.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the response to the Assistive Technology Task and Finish Group Report be noted

(b)  That the Commissioning Support Manager be requested to provide Committee members with additional information regarding the number of service users receiving telecare.

To consider a report on Public Health Funding

Dr Heather Grimbaldeston, Director of Public Health, presented a report about the budget for public health services in 2016/17. Heather explained that the Government had reduced the Council’s Public Health budget in cash terms by 9.6% from the previous year. Public Health was planning to manager changes to budgets by redesigning services when they were due to be recommissioned. Service commissioning by Public Health included: Sexual Health; Health Checks; Weighing and Measuring Children; Drug and Alcohol Recovery.

The Committee wanted to receive more information about the services projects being provided through Public Health.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the report be noted

(b)  That the Director of Public Health be requested to provide a report on the performance of public health service projects at a future meeting

To consider a report on the Better Care Fund for 2016/17

Caroline Baines, Commissioning Manager for Better Care Fund, provided a report about the Better Care Fund proposals for 2016/17. There were some changes to the Better Care Fund budget from the previous 2015/16 budget. The performance fund had been removed and replaced with a discretionary element  for the Clinical Commissioning Groups to fund hospital services or contribute more funding to the BCF.

The Council and South Cheshire CCG had both chosen to increase there contribution to the BCF however Eastern Cheshire CCG had chosen to use their discretionary element to fund hospital services. Members voiced concerns about potential inequalities in service delivery between South and Eastern CCG areas.

There were several integrated health and care services schemes being funded using BCF money. It was explained that the providers of services were integrated however the budgets and commissioners for each of the three bodies (i.e. Cheshire East Council, South Cheshire CCG and Eastern Cheshire CCG) were not integrated. Some services planned during the 2015/16 budget had not yet commence and others which had commerce needed some time before there would be a noticeable impact on hospital admissions and patient outcomes.

RESOLVED – That recommendations a, b, c and d from paragraph 2.1 of the report be accepted.

To review the current Work Programme

The Committee gave consideration to it’s work programme. A request was made by the Director of Adult Social Care and Independent Living to alter the date of the April Committee meeting to provide officers with more time to produce a report on carer respite so that March 2016 data could be processed and included.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the work programme be noted

(b)  That the Committee meeting scheduled for 7 April 2016 be postponed to a later date in April.