In accordance with Procedure Rules 11, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Chairman, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, the Cabinet or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities.
Questions must be sent in writing to the Monitoring Officer at least 3 clear working days before the meeting.
Minutes:
The following questions had been submitted :-
(1) Lyceum Theatre Crewe
Cllr Thorley had submitted the following question :-
The report by FMG Consulting, Review of the Operations and Operating Models the Lyceum Theatre.
Will the Portfolio Holder Health and Wellbeing inform this Council of the source of the funding recently found to enable the Theatre to continue to operate?
Response
Cllr Knowles, the Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder, undertook to provide a written response to the question, to all Members.
(2) The proposed closure of the Information Offices located at the Bus Stations in Macclesfield and Crewe.
Cllr Flude had submitted the following question :-
Can this Council be assured that a Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out?
In relation to:
People with sight impairment and people who are blind.
People who are deaf.
People who have a learning difficulty.
People who have a physical disability
What cooperation has taken place within this council’s Adult Services Travel Trainers and the Places Directorate?
Response
Cllr Knowles, undertook to ensure that a written response to question be provided to all Members, on behalf of Cllr Macrae, the Prosperity Portfolio Holder.
(3) The Information Point at Macclesfield Bus Station
Cllr Arnold had submitted the following question :-
The information point at Macclesfield bus station is well used by the travelling public In Macclesfield. The staff maintain the general upkeep of the station and help prevent A.S.B. They also ensure that the toilet facilities are kept well maintained, all important elements in encouraging public transport use. Given the wealth of opposition by bus users and other groups to the proposed withdrawal of staff from bus station, could I ask if the Cabinet Member has reviewed the proposed closure of the information point and if in light of this opposition, he is now seeking alternative options for savings, other than the loss of staff at the bus station?
Response
Cllr Knowles responded on behalf of Cllr Macrae, the Prosperity Portfolio Holder, as follows :-
“ We examined a variety of alternative savings proposals prior to considering the proposed closure of the information offices in both Crewe and Macclesfield Bus Stations. Whilst the service offered by the two information points has always been of a high standard – and therefore valued by the travelling public – there has been a decline in usage in recent years as others sources of travel information have become more widely used. For example, the number of hits on the council’s transport information pages on the website exceed 25,000 a year, with over 1,000 unique downloads of bus timetables each month – more than 30 a day – and these sources of information are growing significantly with each passing month.
I accept that not every person has easy access to the internet yet; so we have put in place plans for a direct link to the Traveline telephone information service. This service – which will be free to use for the general public – will provide up to date travel information, so that users who may find it difficult to access timetables and other information on their telephones or via the internet will still be able to speak to an experienced travel information advisor.
In terms of the general upkeep of Macclesfield Bus Station – the council has engaged outside contractors since the bus station was built to ensure that it is kept in good condition, that public lavatory facilities are well maintained and presentable, and that any damage is swiftly rectified. These arrangements will continue following closure of the information office, so I see no reason why the information office closure would have an adverse effect on the condition of the bus station.”
(4) Funding For Child Poverty Local Duties 2010/11
Cllr Flude had submitted the following question :-
The Child Poverty Act, which received Royal Assent in March 2010 introduced a statutory requirement for responsible local authorities and their named partners to:
Make arrangements to cooperate to reduce and mitigate the effects of child poverty in their local areas.
Prepare and publish a local child poverty needs assessment.
Prepare a local child poverty strategy based on a needs assessment and in consultation with children, parents and organisations representing children and parents.
Cheshire East will receive £39,900 in the Area-Based Grant from the Autumn, a non-ring fenced grant which is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Have Children’s Services received the grant?
When is it expected that the Child Poverty Needs Assessment will be published?
Response
Cllr Brown, the Performance and Capacity Portfolio Holder responded as follows :-
Response to first part of Question : Have Children’s Services received the grant?
The Child Poverty grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government has been received by the Performance and Partnerships team who have corporate responsibility to produce the Child Poverty Needs Assessment and Strategy, working with the Children’s Services Directorate. The funding is to be used to ‘focus capacity and resources on understanding needs in local areas to re-prioritise and re-focus local services accordingly’ (Child Poverty Unit, 2010). This funding is received in monthly increments until the end of the current financial year.
It is intended that this funding will be used to consult with:
· · Children
· · Parents
· · Groups that represent children and parents within identified priority areas and groups i.e., out-of-work families, in-work families, lone parents, families in temporary accommodation, children living in families with disabled parents, children with disabilities, black and ethnic minorities.
Response to second part of Question: When is it expected that the Child Poverty Needs Assessment will be published?
It is our intention to produce both the Needs Assessment and a draft Strategy in parallel by the end of March 2011. This will be followed by public consultation for 12 weeks in order to complete the final Strategy by June 2011. The suggested date for the needs assessment to be made publicly available is by the end of April 2011.
The strategy will cover a 3 year period as required by the Child Poverty Act 2010. The Strategy must identify targets and actions to minimise socio-economic disadvantages within local areas. In order to produce this strategy, a Needs Assessment must be completed to identify which groups are at risk or disadvantaged, and the impacts of policy for each group.
A working group is overseeing the development of the Needs Assessment, based on the framework provided by the Child Poverty Unit. This framework has four ‘building blocks’ – financial support; place and delivery; employment and skills; family and life chances.
(5) Winter Deaths
Cllr Flude had submitted the following question :-
In the winter period (December to March) of 2009/10 there were an estimated 25,400 more deaths in England and Wales, compared with the average for the non-winter period this was a decrease of 30 per cent compared with the number in the previous winter, but is slightly higher than the level seen in 2007/08. Females experience greater excess winter mortality than males: in 2009/10 there were 10,600 excess winter deaths in males and 14,800 excess winter deaths in females. The greatest increase in deaths each winter is in the elderly population. In the winter of 2009/10 there were 20,600 more deaths among those aged 75 and over, compared with levels in the non-winter period. In contrast, there were 4,900 excess winter deaths among those under the age of 75.
The number of extra deaths occurring in winter varies depending on temperature and the level of disease in the population. The winter of 2009/10 was the coldest since 1995/96 (The Met Office, 2010)
The reported numbers of winter deaths in Cheshire East 2009/ 2010 was 220.
Weather conditions have been exceptional so far in December.
Will the Leader of this Council assure Members that across all of this Council’s services there is close co-operation in the provision of services to our many vulnerable residents?
Will he also assure this Council that there is close co-operation between the Council and our many partners who also provide services to vulnerable residents in Cheshire East?
Response
Cllr Domleo, the Adult Services Portfolio Holder responded as follows:-
A copy of the Adults, Community, Health and Wellbeing briefing note “RADAR Special- 9th December” has been distributed to all the staff in our directorate and to CE Members. This issue of RADAR provides a summary of recent reminders etc to staff on this issue and reinforces some of the carer support available in CEC.
Please be assured that our contracts team regularly liaise with independent sector agencies and residential/ nursing homes during periods like we have experienced to ensure there are no concerns with regards continuity of service and support for individuals.
In the event staff cannot get to people or concerns are noted our social work teams would be immediately notified, for urgent assessment and appropriate action.
This is regularly monitored and staff teams are reminded to alert senior management if there are any difficulties delivering our own services or where there may be difficulties with the independent/third sector.
To date we have not experienced any significant disruption, other than the odd day lost at a day service, due to heating failure.
These extreme conditions do put pressure on the hospitals and we see a rise in admissions. The whole system becomes under significant pressure to discharge people with additional support etc. Our teams have worked hard to minimise any negative impacts and pressure on hospital beds and despite the hospitals being on ' red', the system is moving. Additional out of hours support is being put in place.
We do have contracts with Crossroads, the British Red Cross and Age UK to support people, including emergency carer schemes and support from hospital to home-which will include ensuring peoples heating is on/food is in/medication available etc. Our hospital teams work closely with health partners to monitor those who may be at high risk on discharge.
For those on a direct payment, a contingency plan would be agreed at outset, to agree how support could be offered, should the main carer not be available for whatever reason. Should any contingency plan break down, our social work teams would be alerted and we would respond accordingly to ensure the individual was not at risk.
Emergency respite is also available at our Community support Centres and Care4CE are currently providing a crisis response service, should we need to commission.
(6) Risk Assessment Adult Services Budget
Cllr Flude had submitted the following question :-
The changes and cuts in the Welfare Benefits System by the ConDem government will have a direct effect on the Adult Services Budget in this Council.
The report Expectations & Aspirations Public attitudes to towards social care.
Research in advance of the ConDem government green paper on social care the Institute for Public Research and Pricewaterhouse Coopers found reluctance towards greater family responsibility for the funding and providing care.
Examples of pressure that Cheshire East Adult Care Budgets will experience.
Many older people who live in Extra Care Housing are in receipt of Housing Benefit as are people with Learning Disabilities in housing networks.
The Transition of young people from Children’s Services to Adult services.
The removal of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance for the profoundly disabled who reside in residential or nursing homes.
Support to Carers.
Mental Capacity Act [Advocacy]
There are, at this time, 92 older people who have run out of their own funding and are being supported by this Council to fund their residential/Nursing Care £2.3million pounds.
At this time there are serious overspends in Adult Services Budgets 2010/11.
These factors and many more add to a High Risk in Adult Services Budget in 2011/ 2012.
Has the Borough Treasurer carried out a risk assessment to ameliorate the possibility of an overspend of this magnitude and what was the outcome of that risk assessment?
Response
Cllr Domleo, the Adult Services Portfolio Holder responded as follows:-
The pressures being reported within the Adults care budgets mirror those being experienced elsewhere in the country (46% cost increases over eight years nationally between 2000/01 and 2007/08), with the addition that the growth in Cheshire East's elderly proportion is above average, so cost pressures arising from those who require larger and more costly care packages are having a greater impact. Recent analysis highlights increasing costs upwards of £4m (6%) per annum. One of the factors continuing to affect the bottom line position is the individual's ability to contribute towards the cost of their care, with increasing numbers being returning self funders and this burden is falling on Cheshire East, which is likely to increase further as changes to benefits nationally bite further in this area.
In setting the budget for 2010/11 the Department anticipated a continued ability to generate reductions of over £3.8m in addition to reductions in 2009/10 of £3.9m and allowing for a modest level of growth of £0.4m. In setting such an ambitious target for the Department the Borough Treasurer and Head of Assets recognised the risk via developing the Council's Reserves Strategy, specifically noting Budget Pressures of just under £12m within the report. The position on reserves, overall spending pressure and remedial action plans is kept under regular review and also shared with Members via the reports prepared by the Borough Treasurer and Assets.
During the year the Department has already taking substantial mitigating action to help reduce the overall spending pressure. Actions include accelerating the reviews of individual's care packages, procurement savings through negotiations with providers, increasing the numbers who receive a Direct Payment at a lower cost and further rationalisation of social workers, staff and buildings within Care4CE provider settings.
In summary the Department is experiencing unprecedented growth in demand, which is mirrored elsewhere in the country, whilst continuing to transform services to facilitate personalisation and reablement. In addition the changing income profile of individuals is also affecting the Department with fewer self funders, and the impact of benefit changes also likely to impact on the overall financial pressures. In setting the budget the Council both assessed and took account of the risk across the Council within its reserves and the Department continues to take remedial action to reduce the overall overspend.
(7) Domiciliary Care
Cllr Rhoda Bailey had submitted the following question :-
“Now that domiciliary care is being outsourced, what controls are being put in place to ensure that proper standards of care will be maintained?”
Response
Cllr Domleo, the Adult Services Portfolio Holder responded as follows:-
Firstly thankyou for raising this important question.
Domiciliary Care support arrangements are monitored through reviews with people to ensure that support is meeting their needs and that there are no issues of concern arising. On support plans, helpful telephone numbers are in place to ensure that people know who to ring should they have a concern. Additionally support plans take account of potential risks and solutions that could be put in place and/or emergency plans should these require enacting. Carer Assessment and Crisis Support arrangements are in place.
We work closely with our providers and we meet regularly with them and some of the areas that we have covered this year are: Personalisation, Recruitment and Retention,Training, Registration, Safeguarding,etc. We make sure that they understand the importance of making a real difference to people's lives.
We regularly raise through the media the importance of raising concerns with the Council about services and vulnerability of our citizens. This is very important to us. We also recognise the role of members as advocates for their constituents and would want any concerns about vulnerability or services in their area reported to us.