Delivering the Transformation of Adult Social Services was critical to the Council’s strategic objective: To improve health and wellbeing for all, ensuring people who require support are full participants in mainstream society. In particular the programme gave focus to the improvement priority of ‘promoting greater independence and choice’. The Director of Adult Social Services presented a report which involved a number of key decisions, first identified in the forward plan in December 2007.

The decisions required in the report would also enable the Director of Adult Social Services to deliver cashable efficiencies over the medium term as outlined in his report to Cabinet of 4th September 2008. These were integral to achieving a stable and sustainable budget; however Cabinet had recognised the requirement for bridging finance in the short term to allow savings to take full effect.

The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion welcomed the report and the reduction of the projected overspend.  Councillor McLaughlin also indicated that further reports would be presented to the Cabinet in November and December with the later report looking at the concept of individual budgets.

Resolved - That

(1)  the closure of Feltree House by December 2008 be agreed;

(2)  the project to develop Poulton House as an Intermediate Care Centre and the related provision within the Capital Programme be cancelled;

(3)  the re-assignment of day services from Seacombe House to other Day Centres, and the closure of Seacombe House Day Service be agreed;

(4)  the standardisation of meals charges to £2.60 per full meal be agreed;

(5)  consultation be commenced on the future of Incentive Payments in day services;

(6)  the Director of Adult Social Services be authorised to re-negotiate the financial contribution to third sector providers of ‘out-of-home-activity;

(7)  the transfer of the remaining long term home care service provided by the Council to the independent sector be agreed;

(8)  the cancellation of the practice of making Holiday Grants to people with a disability be agreed;

(9)  charges for people with mental health needs who only access day services be waived;

(10) consultation be commenced on the proposal to increase the unit price of home care for people with more than £25,000 savings from £12.70 to the full cost incurred by the Council from April 2009; and

(11)  the management actions contained within the report in order to contain the projected overspend be noted.