To receive any apologies for absence and notification of any substitute members.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Paul Freeman. Councillor Hollick was present as his substitute.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 13 August 2009.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 August 2009 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members any declarations of interest and the nature thereof in relation to:-

(a)               personal interests in any agenda item

(b)               personal and prejudicial interests in any agenda item

(c)               any political whip in relation to items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman drew Members’ attention to several forthcoming events which they might wish to attend.

The Chairman also indicated that she intended to vary the order of the agenda as follows: items 10, 11, 15, 13, 12, 14 although this might change in view of traffic problems which had prevented some officers and members being present at the beginning of the meeting.

To receive petitions in accordance with the scheme of public participation set out in Annex 2 in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution.

There were no petitions.

This is an opportunity for questions, statements and deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure set out in section A4 of the Council’s Constitution.

There were no questions, statements or deputations from members of the public.

To consider proposals, if any, to deal with any item likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act prior to the exclusion of the press and public.

No matters containing exempt information were anticipated at the meeting.

To consider any matter referred to the Committee in relation to the call-in of a decision.

There had been no matters of call-in.

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

No items had been specifically requested by Members.

The Committee will receive an update from Bedfordshire LINk on local health matters influencing LINk activity as defined by the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

Bob Smith, Interim Vice-Chairman and Finance Officer of Bedfordshire LINk had prepared a report providing an update from Bedfordshire LINk, highlighting local health matters influencing LINk activity as defined by the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

Members were also advised that the Working Groups were scheduled to meet in September and had identified the “red” items which were currently a matter of priority for each Working Group.

RESOLVED to note the contents of the report.

The Committee will receive a progress report on the Adult Social Care Recovery and Improvement Plan enabling Members to comment on and monitor the progress of actions contained in the Plan.

The Director of Social Care Health and Housing presented a report which had been submitted to the Executive on 18 August 2009 on the recovery and improvement of adult social care services.

The Committee recalled that it had previously been advised that performance in this area was well below the national average and that the service was therefore in crisis. The Council as a whole was responding to this through several measures. The Portfolio Holder  and the Director for Social Care Health and Housing were setting up the governance arrangements to bring about the necessary improvements. A Recovery Programme Board had been put in place and had had its first meeting, chaired by the Chief Executive. A Member Reference Group would be meeting monthly, with its first meeting being held early in October. The Director for Social Care Health and Housing would be meeting on a six-weekly basis with the Regulator. It was noted that there were significant budget pressures and the Assistant Portfolio holder was playing a special role in working on the related budget.

It was noted that there were eleven key areas for improvement, safeguarding being one of them. In response to a question it was noted that the Recovery phase was expected to last a year with the programme taking a marked effect over a 3-year period.

RESOLVED:-

1.                  to note the contents of the report to the Executive;

2.                  to note the recommendations to the Executive;

3.                  to note the implications of the position regarding social care for the Council as a whole.

The Committee will receive Budget and Performance Information for the Social Care, Health and Housing Directorate in relation to Quarter 1.

The Committee received a report highlighting the Quarter 1 performance for the Directorate. It was noted that there was no previous quarterly information as yet against which to compare. The Director explained that these were the key performance indicators including some national and Local Area Agreement indicators but many more were monitored within the Directorate. It was also noted that the current performance indicators in relation to social care were not very meaningful and that new national indicators for this area would be introduced in 2011.

It was noted that there were a variety of means of collecting data for measuring including the SWIFT system, which in a modified form was able to provide some performance information in relating to safeguarding.

Further to a question, it was noted that when performance reports were brought to the Committee, any more up to date information would be reported orally at the meeting.

The Committee welcomed the Director’s suggestion that a presentation be given at the next meeting on the Local Area Agreement performance indicators and what they measured.

RESOLVED:-

1.      That the report be noted;

2.      that a presentation on the Local Area Agreement indicators be given at the next meeting to enable further understanding to be developed regarding what is counted and how it is measured.

The Committee will receive an overview presentation from Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive NHS Bedfordshire.

Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive of NHS Bedfordshire, gave a brief presentation regarding the key pressures affecting NHS Bedfordshire. The slides are attached at Appendix A.

The Committee noted that Quality, Innovation, Productivity, Prevention (QIPP) provided the current focus for NHS Bedfordshire in view of the need to respond to the economic climate. Members were aware that there was uncertainty as to whether the existing financial commitment of the Government to health would remain in place following an general election which must be held before May 2010.

In response to a question on financial responsibilities regarding end of life care, the Chief Executive of Bedfordshire PCT commented that people must not be left in a state of uncertainty and advised that work was currently being undertaken to address the issues. He indicated that he would be working personally with the Directors of Health at Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council on them.

The Chief Executive of Bedfordshire PCT confirmed that practice-based commissioning gave opportunity for manoeuvring budgets to respond to local need.

The Committee noted that in response to the community nursing challenges in the south Bedfordshire area, primary healthcare team meetings had resumed and better management had been put in place, including the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer who would take up his post next week.

Proposals for Leighton Buzzard Community Hospital were currently being developed in response to local pressure but the Chief Executive of Bedfordshire PCT commented that it must be service driven, properly planned and on an appropriate site. He also pointed out that funding spent on this would not be available for spending on other provision.

A question was put as to how practice based admissions were monitored. In response the Chief Executive of Bedfordshire PCT confirmed that the 5-year commissioning span avoided maverick admission activity as local and national policy had to be adhered to.

The Committee noted the presentation and thanked the Chief Executive of Bedfordshire PCT.

The Committee will receive feedback from the stakeholder event held on 27 July 2009.

The Committee deferred consideration of this item to the next meeting.

The Committee will receive an outline presentation focusing on Central Bedfordshire Council’s approach to providing a safeguarding service for adults in need of such support.

The Assistant Director, Social Care gave a presentation entitled Safeguarding Adults – Everyone’s Business. The slides are attached at Appendix B.

Comments were made regarding the need for carers, who included daughters and sons and other family members, to receive sufficient support particularly when undergoing stressful periods of looking after another adult whilst leading busy lives themselves. It was noted that the social care intervention aimed to support the whole family, not only the vulnerable adult, and that safeguarding vulnerable people was everyone’s business not only that of professionals.

It was noted that there had been serious incidences of abuse of vulnerable adults in the past in part of the region but that the problems had been addressed and resolved. Robust risk enablement policies were in place which provided for safeguarding measures to be put in place when they were called for.

Members were concerned that the personalisation agenda should not put vulnerable people at risk of financial abuse and that the cost implications of personalisation could be significant. It was noted that ways must be found of achieving more for less cost. Adequate training was vital and must remain a requirement of service providers.

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.

The Committee will consider the revised programme of items for 2009/2010.

The Committee received a report setting out the current work programme. Under item Quarter 1 Budget and Performance Information (minute 38 above refers) the Committee had already indicated that it wished to receive a presentation at its next meeting regarding performance indicators.

In response to a question it was noted that David Levitt, Bedfordshire PCT had been invited to attend the next meeting when the item Substantial Variations and Developments of Health Services would be considered.

It was noted that issues in relation to carers had been raised during discussion earlier on at this meeting and that this was an area which might be suitable for further work. The Director indicated that she would discuss this with the Portfolio Holder with a view to work being carried out in this area in due course.

The Director also raised the issue of the Transformation agenda and indicated that it would be valuable for a Task Group to undertake some work in this area.

A discussion ensued regarding the Committee’s opportunities for responding to the Green Paper Shaping the Future of Care Together . It was noted that the Green Paper would be considered at the Committee’s next meeting in October, and would be on the Executive’s agenda at its November meeting. Two workshops were planned in relation to the Green Paper on 14 and 16 October and members of the Committee indicated that they were planning to attend one of these. Members asked for an opportunity to process the outcomes soon afterwards to fit in with the Executive’s deadlines. Arrangements would be made in due course either for a special Committee meeting or some other approach to enable this.

In response to a suggestion that the Government consultation on local authority financial matters, including in relation to housing, be added to the Work Programme the Director indicated that she would be discussing with the Portfolio Holder how this would be addressed.

RESOLVED:-

1.                  to approve the Work Programme subject to the addition of an item at the next meeting to receive a presentation regarding performance indicators;

2.                  to add to the Work Programme an indication that a Task Group on Transformation would be undertaken in due course.

The Committee will consider the Executive’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period starting 1 September 2009.

The Committee  received and considered the Executive’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period starting 1 October 2009.

In response to a question the Director of Social Care Health and Housing assured Members that the standing item in relation to Property Acquisitions and Disposals Monitoring would not involve action which the appropriate Directors and Assistant Directors were not conversant with.

A suggestion was made that item 10 on the Forward Plan, Local Transport Plan, should be the subject of debate at Overview and Scrutiny Management Panel to determine an inclusive approach from the various Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

RESOLVED to note the Executive’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period starting 1 October 2009.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on 15 October 2009 (revised from the previous date of 8 October) at the Council Offices, High Street North, Dunstable  starting at 10.00am.

The Committee noted that the next meeting would be held on 15 October 2009 (revised from the previously scheduled date of 8 October) at the Council Offices, High Street North, Dunstable starting at 10.00am.

Note: A seminar on Adult Care Services would follow directly afterwards and a working lunch would be arranged for Committee members.