Issue - meetings

Housing with Care and Support Strategy 2018 - 2025

Meeting: 02/04/2019 - Health Scrutiny Committee (Item 4)

4 Housing with Care and Support Strategy 2018 - 2025 pdf icon PDF 128 KB

:

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Lancashire County Council officers: Joanne Reed, Head of Service for Policy, Information & Commissioning (Live Well), Craig Frost, Policy, Information and Commissioning Manager (Age Well) and Julie Dockerty, Policy, Information and Commissioning Senior Manager.

 

The report presented provided an update on the implementation of the county council's Housing with Care and Support Strategy for 2018 – 2025.

The Committee provided feedback regarding the draft Strategy, as presented and sought further clarification as follows:

 

·  Members commented that the key investigations from the consultation centred on working with developers and service providers, rather than meaningful engagement with families. The consultation responses showed that only 21% of feedback on the draft strategy was from family members, members of the public or unspecified, meaning that the most vulnerable had not been reached for their comments. Officers countered that although the exact number of family members who had responded could not be confirmed, a significant number had been family members. Regular local meetings with stakeholders and family members had taken place to share information and establish common concerns and a number of mechanisms had been put in place such as a Transfer and Challenge group to engage those who would be affected. It was also confirmed that the initial work had been at a strategic level and this would be followed by more detailed work by Social Care officers regarding gathering information about individuals' circumstances for the next stage.

 

·  Concerns were expressed regarding the risk assessment of housing providers' finances which had been raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Regulator of Social Housing. It was clarified that the district council partners would need to comment on this and that the county council were awaiting further guidance from central government regarding equity-linked supported housing.

 

·  The vision and strategic aims of the previous strategy had also committed to having at least one extra care scheme per district. Members asked why only a third of districts had implemented this.  Officers clarified that many of the issues causing a lack of confidence in the market from developers and registered providers, arising from welfare reforms had now been resolved. Districts were committed to developing extra care schemes and there was an enthusiasm to move forward and make investments.

The schemes relied on funding from Homes England and other partners. However Lancashire County Council may make a financial contribution for high priority areas, where there was a strategic need for a service which could not proceed without such a capital contribution.

 

·  Members stated that the focus of provision of extra care units for older adults should be prioritised according to need rather than aiming for an additional one per district. The report indicated that some districts already had some units in existence or were being developed, when others had none. Officers clarified that the county council was undertaking a needs analysis at both district and neighbourhood level to determine the number of care schemes required, in terms of risk and need according to health and social  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4

: