Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor S Brookfield, who was substituted for by Councillor A Harewood.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2020.

RESOLVED –

1          That the minutes of the formal meeting held on 5 March 2020 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chairman.

2          That the notes of the informal meeting held on 23 June 2020 be agreed as a correct record and ratified.

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 a 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 in writing at least three clear working days before the meeting takes place.

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

To receive a presentation update on the response to Covid-19 by local health partners in Cheshire East.

The committee welcomed a joint update from NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, East Cheshire NHS Trust and Mid-Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust, which provided an overview of the initial response by NHS partners in Cheshire East to the Covid-19 pandemic, and ongoing recovery.

Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

• Reports that considerably lower numbers of people had accessed services, and what was being done to communicate what and how services were operating during the Covid-19 response period;
• What the expected financial implications of Covid-19 were;
• What extra measures had been undertaken to support BAME people, following confirmatory reports that BAME people had been proportionately more impacted by Covid-19 than other backgrounds and ethnicities;
• The upcoming winter and the preparations that had begun to ensure that spikes in Covid-19 cases and potential local lockdowns can be effectively managed;
• The logistics of organising and carrying out flu jabs for a greater number of people this year (all people aged over 50 were to be recommended to get a flu jab this coming winter);
• How the Trusts had managed cancer treatment plans and what impacts Covid-19 and lockdown had on appointments and waiting lists for cancer patients; and
• Had considerations already been given to how the likely increase in presentations of people with mental health and wellbeing concerns could be appropriately managed.

Mr John Wilbraham asked for the point in the officers’ presentation to make it clear that “enhanced payments [were made] to those staff able to work additional hours”.

RESOLVED –

1          That the presentation and update be noted.

2          That the officers’ presentation be updated to reflect the correction by Mr John Wilbraham, and re-published to the meeting webpage

To consider the draft Vulnerable and Older Persons Housing Strategy, with a view to providing comments and feedback to form part of the council’s consultation on the proposed strategy.

Consideration was given to the draft Vulnerable and Older Persons Housing Strategy. The committee was informed that following Cabinet approval on 5 May 2020, the draft strategy had been taken out to external consultation from 18 May through to 13 July 2020.

Members asked questions and put comments in relation to;

·         Whether it would be worthwhile extending the consultation through to September 2020 to help to improve the overall response rate;

·         The number of people who lived alone in Cheshire East and had this been factored in to the strategy;

·         The consideration private landlords would give to this kind of strategy; and

·         Whether it would benefit the final strategy to consider, as part of the wider consultation, the data received as part of the 2018 consultation on the housing needs of people with learning disabilities.

RESOLVED –

1          That during the development of the Vulnerable and Older Persons Housing Strategy 2020-24, the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration and Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health review available data from made Neighbourhood Plans and the experience and feedback from the 2018 consultation for the ‘My Life, My Choice’ (strategy for people with learning disabilities in Cheshire East), as well as the more recent learning and experience in relation to homelessness, domestic violence and the ‘People Working for People’ project during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2             That Cabinet and the Executive be encouraged to ensure that the learning and experience of the far-reaching impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic is used to adapt existing, and shape future, council strategies.

To consider the key performance data from the council’s adult social care, public health and communities services from Quarter 4 of the previous municipal year, 2019/20.

Consideration was given to performance scorecard data from Quarter 4 of the council year 2019/20 relating to adult social care, public health and communities services.

RESOLVED –

That the update be received and noted.

To review the council’s forward plan of key decisions.

The committee reviewed the council’s Forward Plan of key decisions.

RESOLVED –

That the Forward Plan be noted.

To review the current work programme.

The committee reviewed its work programme for the remainder of the 2020/21 municipal year.

Members agreed that any reports and information considered by Cabinet relating to Covid-19 infection control should also be considered this committee.

RESOLVED –

1          That the work programme be noted.

2          That the response of the Executive to the committee’s recommendation of 23 June 2020 be accepted and no further action taken.

3          That the Scrutiny Officer liaise with officers to ensure that any report or information relating to Covid-19 infection control work be added to the next possible committee meeting agenda.