Agenda item

To examine the Adult Social Care Commissioning Strategy and make comments on proposals to be submitted to Cabinet for consideration.

Brenda Smith, Director of Adult Social Care and Independent Living, presented the draft Adult Social Care Commissioning Strategy to enable the Committee to submit comments and recommendations to Cabinet and Officers.

During the presentation the following points were made:

·         The purpose of the strategy was to map the current situation regarding the needs in the Borough, the support available and where the gaps in support were, as well as to identify priority areas of joint commissioning with health services, public health, children’s services and housing.

·         The strategy was guided by national policy and legislation but was also developed using a wide range of intelligence gathered from customers through surveys and engagement events.

·         Two of the key strategic outcomes were to enable people to live at home as independently as possible and to enable carers of people to live well and be supported to fulfil their caring role.

·         The strategy outlined the specific commissioning intentions for 2014/15 for all adults, for frail older people, for older people living with dementia, for people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, physical or sensory disabilities and for carers.

The Committee asked questions and the following points arose:

·         Members were keen to see the delivery plan for the strategy; which was expected to be finalised once the strategy was approved.

·         Concern was expressed that work had not taken place yet, almost mid way through the municipal year because the strategy was still to be approved. Assurance was given that activity had always been taking place but an overarching strategy, which would catalogue what the Council was doing, had not yet been put in place.

·         The strategy covered a three year period and would be continually refreshed and the action plan for delivery was always being updated. An up to date plan could be made available for members to see.

·         The integration agenda brought about by national changes to health services and the imminent changes expected resulting from the Care Bill meant that strategies had to be rethought.

·         Community groups needed to be empowered to contribute to providing services and support. Many groups were lacking young people as members which meant older members were not being replaced creating an unsustainable situation.

·         Future services needed to be flexible to peoples need and provide personalised care. Greater support would also be needed for carers as more people were encouraged to stay in their own homes the burden and reliance on carers would increase.

·         Members were concerned that some groups, such as young carers, were not mentioned in the strategy. It was explained that there were separate strategies for a variety of groups, such as young carers, rather than linking them into one strategy because delivery of outcomes for each groups required different approaches.

·         It was suggested that the strategy document did not contain enough detail about what would be done and that the document should be written in plain English to help people understand it. It was explained that the strategy focused on high level outcomes and intentions and that the detail of what would be done to achieve the desired outcomes would be provided by delivery plans.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the report be noted.

(b)  That the Director of Adult Social Care and Independent Living be requested to provide the Committee with a copy of the delivery plan for the Adult Social Care Commissioning Strategy.