Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Cabinet Room 'C' - The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston

Contact: Gary Halsall  Email:  gary.halsall@lancashire.gov.uk, Tel: 01772 536989

Media

Webcast: View the webcast

Items
No. Item

County Councillor Stephen Clarke replaced County Councillor Cosima Towneley for this meeting.

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from County Councillor Peter Britcliffe and District Councillors Wayne Blackburn, Colin Hartley, Roy Leeming and Matthew Tomlinson.

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

Minutes:

County Councillor Lizzi Collinge disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as her post was funded by Lancashire Care Foundation Trust and her husband worked for NHS England.

 

3.

Minutes of the Meeting Held on 12 December 2017 pdf icon PDF 65 KB

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes from the meeting held on 12 December 2017 be confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

 

4.

Delayed Transfers of Care pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Louise Taylor, Executive Director of Adult Services and Health & Wellbeing; Tony Pounder, Director of Adult Services; County Councillor Graham Gooch, Cabinet Member for Adult Services; and Karen Partington, Chief Executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.

 

The report presented to the Committee detailed the number of delayed days that were attributable to social care in respect of interaction between the County Council and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust.

 

The Committee was informed that in December 2017 a letter had been received from the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Local Government confirming to the leader that there had been some improvement in Lancashire's overall performance and as a result of this there would not be a review of the Integrated Better Care Fund monies for 2018/19.

 

It was reported that the figures around Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOC) had been reviewed and changed over the last few years. Since February 2017, there had been a significant rise in DTOC levels between the Trust and the County Council. Members were informed that the reablement service had been improved across the county and that overall a difference was being made. The number of permanent staff working at weekends had increased enabling improved flow at these times. The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had seconded an individual into the Trust to connect teams together and help reduce the number of delays.

 

On the Home First Scheme, Members enquired about how patients' safety could be assured. It was explained that the right professionals and the right services would be place for patients at home. There was professional input from occupational therapists, nursing staff and social work staff to make sure patients got the level of support they needed when they got home to ensure their safety.

 

However, recruitment and retention continued to be an issue especially in relation to occupational therapists and physiotherapists. It was the intention of the County Council to set up a social work teaching partnership across children and adult services with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) and Lancaster University. The County Council was also investing in the training of registered managers. The County Council had been relatively successful in recruiting people early on in their careers for these roles. It was suggested that the Committee write to Health Education England to attend a future meeting to explain what they were doing to alleviate the situation. The Committee was informed that Health Education England would be attending the Health Scrutiny Committee's next scheduled meeting on the 5 March 2018.

 

Resolved: That;

 

1.  An update on Delayed Transfers of Care, as a whole system be scheduled in 6 months' time; and

2.  The actions taken by the County Council and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust be accepted and continue to strive for a collaborative approach in reducing delays.

 

5.

Scrutiny of Budget Proposals 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the following speakers to the Health Scrutiny Committee:

·  County Councillor Shaun Turner, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing;

·  County Councillor Graham Gooch, Cabinet Member for Adult Services;

·  Louise Taylor, Executive Director of Adult Services and Health & Wellbeing;

·  Neil Kissock, Director of Finance;

·  Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing; and

·  Tony Pounder, Director of Adult Services, to the meeting.

 

The report presented set out all the savings proposals as agreed by the Cabinet at its meetings between 14 September and 7 December 2017 including those that were due for consideration on 18 January 2018, that were relative to the Health Scrutiny Committee's terms of reference for consideration. It was a revised process as agreed by the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of all relevant Scrutiny Committees for the scrutiny of Cabinet's budget proposals following the disestablishment of the Executive Scrutiny Committee and its Budget Scrutiny Working Group.

 

From discussions on the savings proposals outlined in Appendix 'A' of the report, the following items for future scrutiny review during 2018/19 were identified:

 

·  Sexual Health – assurance was sought on the reasons for the under spend and the affect this proposal would have on access or quality of service. It was reported that the way the County Council paid for sexual health had changed. Officers would monitor key outcomes. Access to sexual health in the rural communities was raised as a concern.

·  Advocacy Services – concern was expressed around the affect this proposal would have in relation to third sector providers and another proposal to remove local member grants. It was noted this proposal was out for consultation. The local member grants proposal was highlighted for future scrutiny review by the Internal Scrutiny Committee when it met on 19 January 2018.

·  Learning, Disability and Autism: Enablement – issue around time limited support and the possibility that adults in receipt of such support might not become more independent within the time limited period.

·  Older Persons In-House Residential Services: Self Funder Fees – concern around the affect this proposal would have on self-funders and their families beyond April 2018. 

·  Extra Sheltered Care Services – concern around the delivery of the proposal given recruitment and retention issues and the potential for delays in assessments.

 

It was suggested that a bite size briefing be arranged on the 'Learning Disability Service – Supported Living' proposal with a particular focus on Best Interest Decisions.

 

Resolved: That all requests made by Members of the Committee be compiled from the minutes of the meeting and form a part of the work planning session in readiness for the 2018/19 municipal year.

 

6.

Report of the Health Scrutiny Steering Group pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Minutes:

The report provided an overview of matters presented and considered by the Health Scrutiny Steering Group at its meeting held on 10 January 2018.

 

Resolved: That the report of the Steering Group be received.

7.

Health Scrutiny Committee Work Plan 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Work Plans for both the Health Scrutiny Committee and its Steering Group were presented to the Committee. The topics included were identified at the work planning workshop held on 20 June 2017.

 

The Committee requested that winter planning be scheduled for the meeting on 11 April. It was reported that Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria would be attending that meeting to present on the Sustainability and Transformation partnership (STP) refresh.

 

Resolved: The report be noted.

8.

Urgent Business

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

 

Minutes:

There were no items of Urgent Business.

 

9.

Date of Next Meeting

The next scheduled meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee will be held on Monday 5 March 2018 at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

The next meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee will take place on Monday 5 March at 10.30am in Cabinet Room C (The Duke of Lancaster Room) at the County Hall, Preston.