Members are asked to consider whether they have personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they are.

Members were asked to consider whether they had personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.

No such declarations were made.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2008.

The Chair referred to a number of proposed amendments to the draft minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2008, which she had previously discussed with other members of the Committee, who had endorsed the proposed changes.

Resolved – That the draft minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2008 be amended and presented to the next meeting of the Committee for approval.

·  Audit Commission Summary Report

[Attached]

·  Report of the Director of Adult Social Services

[Attached as supplement]

·  Internal Audit Report

[To Follow]

A. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF ADULT SOCIAL SERVICES

Further to minute 20 (30 September 2008), the Director of Adult Social Services sought to address concerns expressed by members in relation to matters contained within the Audit Commission Summary Report ‘Adult Social Services – Follow up of PIDA Disclosure’, specifically in relation to aspects of the Council’s provision of services within Adult Social Services and Supporting People and the application of Fairer Charging.

He reported that the action plan agreed with the Audit Commission had been further reviewed and the timescale for completion of all work had been brought forward. However, the actions contained within the plan were of a high level and, in response to a comment from the Chair, he proposed to formulate a lower level, more specific action plan.

He set out the context of ‘Fairer Charging’ having regard to details provided by the Department of Health in 1997 and to full guidance being issued in 2003. He accepted that Wirral had been slow to adopt the Fairer Charging policy, which had been the subject of progress reports to the Social and Health Services Select Committee (minute 94 (22 April 2002) refers) and to the Social Care and Health Select Committee (minute 116 (17 March 2003) refers). In response to comments from members, he commented that extensive consultation had been undertaken and following the presentation of a further report to the Cabinet on 1 December 2005 (minute 361 refers), the full application of Fairer Charging was applied to all from 2006. In response to a further question as to whether the Council was financially disadvantaged by the delay in the implementation of Fairer Charging, the Director commented that it would be a substantial task to ascertain the financial circumstances of service users during the period 2003 – 2006.

He reported that to date, assessments had been undertaken on 351 people and, of those, it appeared that 8 cases had been assessed under the ‘Charging for Residential Care Guidelines’, rather than ‘Fairer Charging’ being applied. However, where higher incorrect charges had been levied, re-imbursement would be made. The total financial liability at the present time was £78,499.62. In response to a question from a member, the Director was unable to confirm whether any of the 8 cases referred to were in relation to occupants of Bermuda Road, Curlew Way or Edgehill Road Supported Living establishments. In response to members comments, he proposed to provide information direct to members in relation to the location of those people who had been incorrectly assessed.

With regard to concerns expressed by members that, without authority, a ‘special charging policy’ had been applied, he indicated that the funding arrangements for people in Supported Living were complex, with the service costs being funded from three sources:

·  Housing – funded mainly by Housing Benefits

·  Support Costs – funded by Supporting People and DASS – sometimes with funding from Health

·  Daily Living Costs – met by individuals alone or as a living group.

The Director  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.