Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Additional documents:

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Councillor D. Owen.

 

2.

DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL INTERESTS INCLUDING ANY PARTY WHIPS ISSUED IN RELATION TO ANY AGENDA ITEM

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor

Minute No (s)

Nature of Interest

M. James

4. Statutory Director of Social Care Services’ Annual Report 2021/22

A close member of the family is in a care home in the county;

M. James

 

5. Approval of the West Wales Care Partnership’s Dementia Strategy

A close member of the family has been diagnosed with dementia;

H.A.L. Evans

 

5. Approval of the West Wales Care Partnership’s Dementia Strategy

Husband has received a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.

 

There were no declarations of personal interest or of any prohibited party whips.

3.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS

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Minutes:

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

4.

STATUTORY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL CARE SERVICES' ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

[NOTE: Cllr. M. James, having earlier declared an interest in this item, remained in the meeting for its consideration.]

 

The Committee considered the Annual Report of the Statutory Director of Social Care Services 2021/22 which detailed the performance of social care services in the county. The report also set out the challenges of an unprecedented year due to Covid 19 and highlighted those areas to be developed in the current year.

 

There was a statutory requirement for the Director of Social Services to report annually to their Council on the delivery and performance as well as plans for the improvement of the whole range of Social Services.

 

It was noted that the report was still in draft and will be further revised and

reformatted prior to completion.

 

Amongst the questions/observations raised on the report were the following:-

 

·       The Head of Service: Children & Families agreed to ascertain the current position with regard to the Housing Support Grant;

·       In response to a question the Director of Community Services states that the figure of 57% who had answered ‘Yes’ to the question as to whether they could do the things that were important to them was broadly consistent with previous years;

·       the Director of Social Services, in response to a query, stated that the  new Domiciliary Care Framework would hopefully address the challenges of providing domiciliary care in rural areas which had been exacerbated by workforce shortages;

·       In response to a query as to whether the pay rate of £13 per hour for in-house domiciliary care workers was fair in terms of their responsibilities the Director of Community Services commented that whilst pay rates and conditions of service had improved significantly over the last few years, particularly in Carmarthenshire, there was room for progress

·       The Head of Integrated Services stated the provision of overnight continence care for people who were bed bound at home was challenging and had to be looked at on an individual basis utilising the expertise of the continence nurse;

·       In response to a reference made to the need to increase the number of care staff able to converse in Welsh the Head of Adult Social Care stated that there was a Welsh Language Board in Social Care and Housing which she chaired. Recently there had been a workshop session to refresh its strategy and an action plan was currently being formulated. She agreed to provide details of the percentage of staff able to speak welsh and emphasised that service uses were always asked their language preference. There was also provision for hearing impaired service users.

 

RESOLVED

 

4.1 TO RECOMMEND TO THE CABINET that the report be received;

 

4.2 that a letter be sent to Welsh Government by the Committee Chair reiterating the importance of strengthening the structures in place with regard to Electively Home Educated children.

 

5.

WEST WALES CARE PARTNERSHIP'S DEMENTIA STRATEGY pdf icon PDF 108 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

[NOTE: Cllrs. M. James and H.A.L. Evans, having earlier declared an interest in this item remained in the meeting for its consideration.]

 

The Committee considered the West Wales Care Partnership’s Dementia Strategy. This regional strategy had been produced in partnership with Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire County Councils, the Health Board and third sector partners as well as people living with dementia, their carers and family members across West Wales.

 

The report supported several key objectives within the Corporate Plan and the Wellbeing Objective to support older people to age well and maintain dignity and independence in their later years.  Approval of the Strategy would enable services to be delivered in line with the needs of the community.

 

The report sought Carmarthenshire County Council’s approval of the strategy which was simultaneously going through the democratic process in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It had already been approved by the Health Board.

 

Amongst the questions/observations raised on the report were the following:-

·       The Head of Integrated Services confirmed that some elements of the strategy were already being delivered but there was a need to identify the services available and any gaps with a view to developing new, more seamless, initiatives;

·       The Head of Integrated Services, in response to a question, commented that the strategy would strive to ensure equitable access to services associated with dementia across the county

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CABINET that the West Wales Care Partnership Dementia Strategy be approved.

6.

REVENUE BUDGET OUTTURN REPORT 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 103 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Revenue Budget Outturn Report for 2021/22 which provided an end of year financial position. It was noted that the Social Care & Health Service showed a net variance of -£2,264k against the 2021/22 approved budget.

 

The report included information relating to the following:-

 

-        Summary position for the Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee. Service;

-        Report on Main Variances on agreed budgets;

-        Detailed variances;

-        Details of the Savings Monitoring position for the end of the year.

 

RESOLVED that the report be received.

7.

REVENUE & CAPITAL BUDGET MONITORING REPORT 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report in relation to the Social Care and Health Service, which provided an update on the latest budgetary position as at 30th June, 2022 in respect of the 2022/23 financial year.

 

The Social Care & Health Service was forecasting an overspend of £538k on the revenue budget.  The main variances on capital schemes indicated a forecasted full spend against a net budget of £397k.

 

In response to a query the Director of Community Services confirmed that there had been past occasions when Welsh Government had allocated one-off sums to enable the delivery of more capacity to meet health and social care demand and off-set real cost pressure without having to cut back on services in other areas.

 

AGREED that the report be received.

 

 

8.

SOCIAL CARE & HEALTH SCRUTINY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee Annual Report 2021/22.  The report had been prepared in order to comply with the requirement of Article 6.2 of the Council’s Constitution that each Scrutiny Committee must prepare an annual report giving an account of the Committee’s activities over the previous year.

 

The report provided an overview of the workings of the Committee during the 2021/22 municipal year and included information on the following topics:-

 

Overview of the forward work programme

Key issues considered

Issues referred to or from Executive Board / Other Scrutiny Committees

Task & Finish Review

Development Sessions

Member attendance at meetings

 

RESOLVED that the report be received.

 

 

9.

HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE FORWARD WORK PLAN FOR 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered its Forward Work Plan for the forthcoming municipal year. The Plan had been compiled at an informal session of the Committee held in September and set out the current work programme for 2022/23

 

It was noted that the Council's Constitution required each Scrutiny Committee to develop and publish an annual forward work plan, identifying issues and reports to be considered during the course of the municipal year.

 

RESOLVED that the Health & Social Services Committee Forward Work Plan for 2022/23 be confirmed.

10.

EXPLANATION FOR NON-SUBMISSION OF SCRUTINY REPORT pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received an explanation for the non-submission of the following scrutiny reports:-

 

·         Q1 Performance Management Report

·         Council Annual Report on Wellbeing Objectives

 

RESOLVED that the explanations for the non-submissions be noted.

 

11.

TO SIGN AS A CORRECT RECORD THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON THE 26TH JANUARY 2022 pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 26th January, 2022 be signed as a correct record.

 

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