Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S.M. Caiach, K. Madge, B.A.L. Roberts, E.G. Thomas and J.S. Williams.

Reference was made to the fact that this was the last Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee meeting that Anthony Maynard would be attending as he taking up another post within the Authority.  Mr Maynard was thanked for his contribution to the service, department and Committee over the years and wished well in his new role. 

There were no declarations of prohibited party whips.

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

Reference was made to the fact that there were seven discussion topics scheduled for consideration at the next meeting and it was felt that perhaps one or two items could be deferred to the following meeting to allow sufficient time for debate.

RESOLVED

5.1     that the following items be deferred for consideration at the meeting to be held on 16^th May, 2016:-

          -  Welsh in Social Care Services for Older People

          -  Nutritional Standards for Older People;

5.2     that the remaining items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting to be held on Monday, 18^th April, 2016 be noted.

The Committee considered the Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Reports relating to the Social Care & Health Service for the period up to 31^st December, 2015 in respect of the 2015/16 financial year.

The Service was projecting an overspend of £404k on the Revenue Budget at the year end and a net variance of -£231k against the 2015/16 approved Capital Budget. 

RESOLVED that the report be received.

[NOTE:  Councillors H.I. Jones, M.J.A. Lewis and E. Morgan had all earlier declared an interest in this item.]

The Committee considered a report which provided a detailed evaluation of the effectiveness of The Big Plan.

The purpose of the strategy was to ensure that people with a learning disability enjoyed the same basic rights as anyone else.  This meant that they would be offered suitable housing, supported to find work or other meaningful occupation that was suited to them, be able to enjoy time with friends and family and to take part in their local community and the county’s culture.

Based on the evidence documented in the report, the majority of the objectives set in The Big Plan have been realised and more.  However, the provision of services was ever evolving and it was important to ensure that we are responsive to the needs of our customers, our changing economic status and the emergence of new legislation, whilst at the same time striving to emulate best practice.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Ms Sarah Phillips of Carmarthenshire People First, an advocacy and training service which supports adults with learning difficulties.  She was accompanied by Katelyn Mathews and Darren Pollet, who gave an account of the services that support them.  They highlighted what is working well and what could be improved.  Ms Phillips stated that, with the advent of the Wellbeing Act, Carmarthenshire was to be congratulated on its engagement and inclusion procedures, which were excellent.

The Chair thanked Ms Phillips and the two service users for their attendance and contribution which was informative and greatly appreciated.

RESOLVED that the report be noted. 

[NOTE:  Councillors H.I. Jones, M.J.A. Lewis and E. Morgan had all earlier declared an interest in this item.]

The Committee was reminded that in November, 2014 the Carmarthenshire Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Board approved a proposal to utilise Intermediate Care Funding to take forward the Health and Social Care Support Worker Project which sought to transfer healthcare related tasks to social care workers in care homes for older people.  The project focused on the delivery of non-complex wound care at Llys y Bryn Residential Care Home.

The evidence strongly suggested that the project at Llys y Bryn had been an effective return on investment in terms of reduced District Nurse attendance.  There were other benefits also such as improved quality of life for the residents, improved working between Llys y Bryn staff and District Nurses and a more confident workforce.

The pilot had proven to be highly successful and had challenged the traditional concept of different staff groups working in silos.  It had proven that integrated care workers have made a considerable contribution towards this.

As a result of this proof of concept stage, it was evident that this model could be extended to include other interventions such as vital sign recording and catheter care.

It was also recommended that the model of non-complex wound care training is rolled out to other Local Authority Homes in Carmarthenshire.  It was strongly advised that an impact evaluation was built in from the outset along with financial analysis regarding the return on investment.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:-

·       Asked whether the additional responsibilities would be reflected in staff pay, the Head of Integrated Services explained that any additional duties would have an impact on pay and a job evaluation exercise would have to be undertaken;

·       Asked whether the elderly living in their own homes were receiving the same treatment, the Head of Integrated Services explained that it was important to undertake the pilot scheme in a safe, controlled environment which was why a care home was chosen but ultimately it was intended to roll out the programme into the community.

RESOLVED that the report be received.

[NOTE:  Councillors H.I. Jones, M.J.A. Lewis and E. Morgan had all earlier declared an interest in this item.]

The Committee was reminded that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act had been passed by the Welsh Government and that different parts of the Act were now coming into force.  The Act provided the statutory framework to deliver the Welsh Government’s commitment to focus on well-being, rights and responsibilities.  Part 5 of the Act specifically related to charging service users for the services they receive and this part would come into force on 6^th April, 2016.

The Committee considered a report setting out the main areas, specifically relating to financial assessments and charging, which needed to be considered at the outset and it was proposed that during the next financial year a new revised policy, bringing together elements of the existing policies that were currently in place, together with any changes emanating from this report, would be brought back to members for approval.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:-

·       Concern was expressed that the different categories of care and the charging framework were difficult to comprehend.  The Director of Community Services advised the Committee that he would clarify these points in the report before submission to the Executive Board for consideration.

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD that the Policy and Procedure Revisions for Charging Adults for Services, as detailed in the report, be endorsed.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Committee noted the reasons for the non-submission of the following two reports:-

- Intermediate Care Fund (ICF) Projects Evaluation

- Review of the Reablement Service

RESOLVED that the non-submissions be noted.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 20^th January, 2016 be signed as a correct record.