Issue - meetings

The Chairman introduced the report, which presented the findings of the public consultation for a revised business case on the adult social care alternative delivery model and the implementation of the new operating model. 

The Chairman commented  that there were two options presented within the recommendations put to the Committee and advised that due to significant changes in the NHS landscape, NHS colleagues would need time to formulate their element of a delivery model. 

The Chairman noted that Officers had suggested that a further report be bought back to Committee in 2017 and requested that the report be scheduled for the Committee’s meeting on 6 March 2017.

The Chairman MOVED the following amendment to recommendation 4:

4.    That the Adults and Safeguarding Committee agrees to the continued development of two delivery vehicle options: a reformed in-house service and a shared service with the NHS, with a further report to be brought to the Committee in March 2017, containing more detail on the NHS shared service option.

The Committee unanimously agreed to this amendment, and the motion was CARRIED to become the substantive motion.

The Chairman MOVED the following motion:

5.    That the Adults and Safeguarding Committee instructs officers to ensure that in developing the NHS shared service option, democratic involvement and accountability in adult social care and integrated health and care is maintained; and that the specific proposal on the NHS shared service option to be presented to Committee describes explicitly the governance arrangements for this.

The motion was unanimously carried and became the substantive motion.

A Member welcomed that the “Public Service Mutual” option had not been recommended for development as an option and commented that this demonstrated how seriously the Council took the views of the public. 

The Committee queried if the recommendations were approved as set out above, it would still be possible for the Committee to consider a third option with Barnet operating with one or more local authorities whilst as a part of the NHS shared service, should this be felt appropriate at the time.  The lawyer in attendance confirmed that this would be the case.

Members requested that the future report coming back to Committee contains the following detail:

·         More information on a strength-based assessment and social work practice

·         The implications on the workforce.

The Chairman moved to the vote on recommendations 1 – 3 as set out in the report.  The recommendations were unanimously agreed. 

The Chairman moved to the vote on the amended recommendation 4 as set out above.  The recommendation was unanimously agreed.

The Chairman moved to the vote on the substantive motion which had become recommendation 5.  The recommendation was unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED that:

1.    That the Adults and Safeguarding Committee considers the findings of the consultation on the new operating model and the alternative delivery vehicle.

2.    That the Adults and Safeguarding Committee agrees to the implementation of the new operating model within the current service.

3.    That the Adults and Safeguarding Committee notes the context of long term  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9

At its meeting in November 2015, the Adults and Safeguarding Committee approved the approach to a proposed new operating model for adult social care (ASC) and agreed an approach to developing an outline business case for an alternative delivery model.  The Committee now considered a report presenting the recommendations from the outline business case. From an initial set of six options, three had been shortlisted as best to deliver the cultural and process change needed to implement the new operating model, and also with the greatest potential to deliver financial savings and additional income.

The six options were:

·         reforming and delivery the service in-house

·         sharing services with public sector partner(s) such as local NHS organisations and/or other London Boroughs

·         a partnership outside the public sector

·         transferring the in-scope services to the Barnet Group, the Council’s Local Authority Trading Company (LATC)

·         establishing a public service mutual agreement, or

·         do nothing.

Officers had applied the following appraisal criteria against each option:

·         Is there appetite amongst potential partners to deliver this option?

·         Can statutory ASC functions be delegated under this option?

·         Could this option deliver the required cultural and process change?

·         Could this option generate savings and/or additional income?

·         Has the option been tested by other councils?

An initial evaluation of the alternative delivery models using the above criteria favoured three of the models be shortlisted and developed in greater detail, namely: a reformed in-house service; a shared service with the NHS; and a public service mutual.

The Committee agreed that in order to make the distinction between the delivery mode and the individual options to be considered, it would be referred to as the alternative delivery vehicle. The proposed new operating model would be subject to public consultation before the Committee consider a further developed business case at its meeting in September 2016.

Further to a query from the Committee, the legal officer advised that the report in September would include consultation responses, an equality analysis of the three shortlisted options, and an analysis of why officers recommended their favoured operating model. The consultation, although not statutory, would include stakeholders, service providers and service users. The legal officer also advised that consultation could include staff and staff representatives but that would be a matter for officers. There would be a separate consultation with staff where there would be changes to staffing.

The Committee agreed that the business case it would consider in September 2016 would also include information regarding staff members’ pension arrangements under each operating model, the level of savings and how the savings will be realised under each option, TUPE arrangements under each option, possible staff restructure and a comprehensive risk assessment of all three options.

Following discussion, Councillor Thompstone  moved and Councillor Hart seconded that recommendation 1 of the report be amended to read as follows:

That the Adults and Safeguarding Committee approves the three shortlisted options for an alternative delivery model vehicle. 

The motion was carried.

Following discussion, Councillor Davey moved and Councillor Longstaff seconded that recommendation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9