Issue - meetings

      Report of the Chief Executive

Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social care, SEND, Transition and Inclusion presented the report which provided detail about a commissioning and procurement approach to transform how disabled young people, adults and older people access daytime and evening activities which meet their needs and aspirations in life.

The Cabinet received a statement submitted by Helen Dixon in relation to this agenda item. A copy of the statement is available to read in agenda supplement 1 on the Council’s website here. In addition to the statement, Ms Dixon asked if the timeframes could be extended to allow organisations to adjust to the new arrangements. Cllr Davies offered to meet with Ms Dixon and Cllr Bob Jones MBE to discuss the matter further.

Cllr David Vigar also submitted a statement and questions prior to the Cabinet meeting.  Additional comments and questions would be raised later in the meeting. A copy of the statement and questions are available in Supplement 1 on the Council’s website here.

The report highlighted the Council spend on commissioned and grant-funded day opportunities, with the service being delivered to about 800 adults with varying needs which should be assessed under the Care Act. The current model of commissioning day opportunities did not fully meet the aspirations of people using the service, and therefore the report sets out a plan of how to modernise the offer and a route to achieve this. 

Cllr Laura Mayes and Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling welcomed the proposals and the widening of choice for users of the service. Cllr Blair-Pilling commented on the help offered by local communities to those in need.

Cllr Johnny Kidney, Chair of the Health Select Committee confirmed that a rapid scrutiny exercise was undertaken on 2 March 2022 at the request of Full Council and in addition the Health Select Committee considered the report at its meeting on 16 March 2022. He explained that the Select Committee has requested that a future update is brought back to Committee later in 2022 detailing the progress made following the launch of the open framework, outlining the take up from the luncheon and friendship clubs and also from the wider market.

Cllr Pip Ridout, Chair of the Financial Planning Task Group, commented on the financial implications section of the report and raised a concern about unintended outcomes of encouraging additional assessments which may increase costs and needs due to loneliness and isolation implications as a consequence of lockdown measures to tackle Covid.

Cllr David Vigar commented on the proposals and felt that the provision is uneven, with some clubs attracting more funding than others and many clubs receiving no funding at all. He explained that in practice it is the end of the current funding arrangement and clubs would need to work to a completely different model should they be successful in bidding to provide for those people assessed as requiring day care. Cllr Vigar asked for the proposals to be suspended for one year and that the Area Board  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29