Agenda item

 Report by the Corporate Director, Community Services is circulated

Cllr John Thomson, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Libraries presented a comprehensive report which sought Cabinet approval on a proposal to transform the provision of services for older people living in their own homes and in sheltered housing. This had stemmed from officers working in partnership with partners, providers and customers since January 2010 to review and redesign the service to improve the lives of the elderly and vulnerable and ensuring they could remain as independent as possible and for as long as possible in their own homes.

Following consultation with customers, sheltered housing tenants and care providers, the Council had now developed a service specification that brought together a range of different services including reablement, domiciliary care (personal care), low level support (such as housework and gardening) and housing support.

Cllr Thomson explained that the proposals were innovative in a number of ways and would offer everyone in Wiltshire access to a range of services that did not exist currently either in Wiltshire or regionally. It was also noted that the work undertaken had attracted a great deal of interest nationally because it had been based on taking an approach that looked at all services and is focused on the customer’s wishes and aspirations.

The report presented provided details of the key principles which underpinned the proposals, how services would be commissioned, the implications for sheltered accommodation and wardens and the consultation carried out on this, provision of crisis response and telecare and equipment and outlined measures for prevention and early intervention.

Cllr Mike Hewitt presented the report of the Rapid Scrutiny meeting held on 9 February which considered the Cabinet report and included a number of recommendations. Whilst welcoming the proposals, he commented that given it was such a complex issue, the scrutiny exercise would have benefitted from an earlier sight of the report even in draft form. Cllr Thomson was happy to accept the recommendations from the Rapid Scrutiny exercise. He confirmed that the finalised report was made available to scrutiny at the earliest opportunity and that it had not been possible to provide details any earlier whilst negotiations were taking place with a number of organisations. Cllr Thomson referred to the specific briefing for all Councillors on this proposal prior to Cabinet and that he hoped to provide similar briefings on major issues coming before Cabinet whenever possible.

Cllr Jeff Osborn appreciated the time pressures involved and suggested it would be helpful to engage scrutiny in policy development alongside Cabinet to maximise scrutiny involvement and therefore backbench Councillors at an early stage. He also referred to previous consideration being given to introducing a protocol on Executive/Scrutiny Relationship Protocol that would have formalised such an approach. 

Following debate during which Cllr Thomson responded to questions, it was

Resolved:

(a)               That Cabinet approves the letting of contracts for Help to Live at Home Services and an Equipment service with a value in excess of £1m.

(b)              That Cabinet authorises officers to proceed with undertaking formal staff consultations with those staff currently employed in the Council’s Reablement service regarding the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment) transfer of these staff to providers of a new Help to Live at Home Service, contracts to be awarded in 2011.

(c)               That Cabinet notes the recommendations on the inclusion of Housing Support within the new service, following consultation with tenants of sheltered housing, and the need to approve consultation on the TUPE transfer of Housing Support staff to Providers of the Help to Live at Home Service.

(d)              Cabinet authorises officers to proceed with undertaking formal staff consultations with those staff currently employed in the Care Connect service regarding the transfer of these staff to the new equipment service.

(e)               That Cabinet notes the recommendations following consultation withtenants of Wiltshire Council and of the various Registered Social Landlords to change support provision with Sheltered Accommodation tenants in line with the Help to Live at Home service specification.

(f)                 That agreement is reached with Corporate Procurement and Finance around the tender documentation prior to starting formal tender activity, to mitigate risks around scope and pricing and that the Corporate Director is authorised to proceed with awarding contracts

(g)              That Cabinet approves the proposal to extend the existing contractualarrangements for a six month period to ensure continuity of service to the customer, whilst the Help to Live at Home and Equipment Services tender exercise is undertaken and completed.

(h)              To approve the detailed proposals as set out in Appendices 1 and 2 of the report presented.

(i)                 To accept the recommendations of the Rapid Scrutiny meeting held on 9 February 2011 as presented.

Reason for Decision

Consultation with customers has emphasised the need to improve access and quality of care and support services.  In developing the service specification and commissioning this new service, opportunities have arisen to include services currently provided by the Council that will result in service improvements, if included in a single specification