Decisions

To approve the dementia strategy and receive the implementation plan.

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the final version of the Cheshire East Place Dementia Plan. The engagement and co-production of the plan had continued since the draft version of the plan had been brought to Committee in January 2022.

Several gaps and issues had been identified in the plan and following the consultation process the draft plan had been amended. A positive proposal resulting from the consultation process was the training of Cheshire East Council staff and members. Those who had attended had found the training useful and informative.

Members raised concerns that the wording on page 14 of the Cheshire East Place Dementia Plan conferred blame, that if you got dementia it was due to the lifestyle factors listed. Officers confirmed that they would review the wording following members comments to ensure it was more user friendly.

Officers agreed that the revised plan would be circulated to committee members, and the fully costed implementation plan would come back to a future committee.

RESOLVED (Unanimously)

That the plan be adopted as the final version subject to the amendments outlined above.

To discuss the Notice of Motion posed around Cost of Living and provide an update on the Cost of Living interventions introduced in Cheshire East.

The Committee considered the report on the Notice of Motion relating to the Cost-of-Living Crisis which was proposed by Councillor Clowes and seconded by Councillor Tony Dean at the Full Council meeting on the 19th October 2022. The report outlined the Council’s approach to the Cost-of-Living Crisis and the interventions that were underway. A further report around impact of interventions would be presented back to Committee at a later date.

The Committee had a full discussion on the matter and noted the content of the report. It was moved and seconded to accept the Notice of Motion in part, specifically the resolutions outlined on page 167 of the report.

The Committee thanked Dan Coyne and his team for all their hard work.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously) That:-

The committee acknowledged the work done to date by officers on the cost-of-living crisis, including:

(1)  The approach taken by Cheshire East Council (the Council)

(2)  How the Council have increased their reach

(3)  How the Council are monitoring the immediate increase in need

(4)  The interventions introduced and;

(5)  How the Council are the monitoring the impact the cost-of-living crisis is having going forward

RESOLVED: (By Majority) That:-

Cheshire East Council:

1.   Work with the Government to ensure that it delivers the much-appreciated support to the residents of Cheshire East as quickly as possible.

2.   Proactively identify those most in need of support in Cheshire East and ensure that they access all the Government support for which they are eligible.

3.  Identify further local opportunities in Cheshire East for energy generation to help increase the supply of energy to further aid the long-term lowering of prices, support the Government’s aim of domestic energy security and create local jobs.

To approve cost of care reports for publication on the Council's website and submission to DHSC. This is a mandatory requirement of receiving Market Sustainability Funding. Reports must be published by 1st February 2023.

The Committee considered a report which set out the work that Cheshire East Council had undertaken to meet the Government’s policy requirements on its position on market sustainability for providers of registered residential and nursing care for people 65+ and for registered domiciliary care for people over 18. Permission was sought to publish the outcome of that work in a report on the local cost of care, in line with Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) requirements.

A question was raised in respect of the wording of recommendation 3.1 of the report. It was clarified by the Executive Director of Adults, Health, and Integration that recommendation 3.1 should read as

“Approve the publication of the cost of care reports attached at Appendices A and B of the report on the Council’s website and submitted to DHSC”.

The Committee thanked the team for their work in undertaking the exercise.

RESOLVED (Unanimously)

That the Adults and Health Committee:-

1. Approved the publication of the cost of care reports attached at Appendices A and B of the report on the Council’s website and submission to DHSC.

2. Noted that a further report would be brought to Adults and Health Committee in March 2023 for approval of the final Market Sustainability Plan which would be informed by the cost of care findings and take account of the approved budget.

3. Noted the level of risk associated with the funding shortfall between the local Cost of Care and the confirmed and estimated level of Market Sustainability Fund allocations and the mitigating factors as set out in 8.6 of the report.

4. Delegated authority to the Executive Director of Adults, Health and Integration to make any changes to the report resulting from DHSC feedback prior to its publication on the Council’s website.