Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Paul Edwards and Councillor Dr Devra Kay to their first meeting as members of the Committee.

The Chairman also welcomed pupils from The Archer Academy, The Totteridge Academy and Queen Elizabeth Girls’ School who attended part of the meeting as part of the Council’s Democratic Engagement Programme.

The Committee

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of 12 November 2015 be agreed as a correct record.

None.

Councillor Reema Patel declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to Agenda Items 9 (Adult Social Care Alternative Delivery Model project Outline Business Case) by virtue of being a member of Unison.

None.

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The Chairman introduced the report which set out an addendum to the Adults and Safeguarding Commissioning Plan. The addendum presented updated targets for 2016/17 to the Plan which had been approved by the Committee at its meeting on 19 March 2015.

The Commissioning Priorities outlined in the addendum included a commitment to implement the new pan-London safeguarding procedures to ensure a consistent approach to safeguarding across London. Dawn Wakeling, Commissioning Director for Adults & Health, explained that the procedures had been updated to reflect the new requirements of the Care Act 2014, making adult safeguarding a statutory function. The Act also embedded the principles of making safeguarding personal, which has been developed across London local authorities. The pan-London safeguarding procedures had been launched in January and safeguarding boards across London, which included the police and NHS, were being asked to sign up to and adopt them locally.

The Council was looking to help people make themselves better whilst reducing the spend on sports and physical activity, which was now a large part of the Committee’s portfolio. Ms Wakeling advised that the Policy and Resources Committee had agreed at its meeting on 16 December 2015 to enhance two of the Council’s five leisure centres, namely Barnet Copthall and Church Farm. The current centres would remain open until the new ones opened in 2018, preventing a loss of facilities to residents.

The Chairman moved to the vote on the recommendation as set out in the report.

Votes were recorded as follows:

The Committee RESOLVED to approve the addendum to the Adults and

Safeguarding Commissioning Plan for 2016/17 as set out in Appendix A to the report.

The Committee considered a report requesting the acceptance to extend the contract with Richmond Fellowship for Mental Health Day Opportunities for a further two years until 13 January 2018. The contract extension had been agreed using special provisions reserved for the Commissioning Director for Adults and Health in January 2016, and agreed by Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 16 February 2016.

Further to a comment from a member of the Committee, the Commissioning Director for Adults and Health agreed to send the Committee members a briefing note which would include feedback from service users.

The Chairman moved to the vote and the Committee unanimously

RESOLVED that Adults and Safeguarding Committee approve an extension of the contract with Richmond Fellowship for Mental Health Day Opportunities for a further two years until 13January 2018 as provided for in the contract.

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.

The Committee considered a report updating it on the outcome of care reviews further to the closure and management of the Independent Living Fund (ILF).

Since the committee had first considered the new ILF arrangements in April 2015, social care practitioners had undertaken a review of care needs of those individuals whose ILF was transferred to the Council. The reviews had focused on meeting care needs in accordance with the Care Act 2014, and individuals had since had a single personal budget from social care that incorporated all elements needed to meet their eligible needs.

The Chairman moved to the vote and the Committee unanimously RESOLVED that the Adults and Safeguarding Committee note the report.

The Committee considered a report which set out how local integrated teams were being developed for older people and people with long term conditions in Barnet. These teams were developed as a response to the strategy to achieve an integrated health and care system as set out in the Health and Social Care Integration Business Case agreed by the Council in November 2014. This in turn formed the basis for the Better Care Fund Plan 2014-2016 approved by NHS England in January 2015.

The Chairman moved to the vote and the Committee unanimously RESOLVED that the Adults and Safeguarding Committee

1.    note the progress to date in implementing integrated care;

2.    note the approach to mobilising integrated locality teams in Barnet.

The Governance Officer introduced the Committee’s Forward Work Programme, as set out in the report.

The Chairman moved to the vote and the Committee unanimously RESOLVED that the Committee note the Forward Work Programme.

None.