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 required support were 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 as a consequence of this report would 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, and to contribute to the Council’s projected budget deficit reported elsewhere on the agenda. The report also responded to a request from Cabinet at its meeting of 25th September 2008 for further analysis of the Department’s Value for Money Profile as published by the Audit Commission.

With the permission of the Chair, Kevin Jackson and Joe Taylor of UNISON addressed the Cabinet and the Director of Adult Social Services responded accordingly.

The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion outlined the work undertaken to transform Adult Social Services and supported the recommendations.

The Leader of the Council indicated that in view of the Council’s financial situation, maintaining the status quo was not an option.  He indicated his commitment to service users and council tax payers.  He requested the Director of Adult Social Services to identify where savings in the management structure could be made.

The Deputy Leader of the Council referred to other occasions where the Council had tendered to deliver services and that the evaluation process would not be purely based on price.

The Director of Adult Social Services confirmed the multi-faceted nature of the process to be developed as a full and detailed project with the involvement of service users.  He confirmed that there would be management cost reductions along with other efficiencies as a consequence.

With the permission of the Chair, the Leader of the Conservative Group addressed the Cabinet.  Councillor Green queried the support that would be available to enable staff to prepare an in-house bid and this was confirmed by the Director of Adult Social Services.

The Deputy Leader of the Council queried the transitional arrangements that would be in place to minimise any disruption to service users and the Director confirmed that they would be helped to develop where appropriate the services they required.

Resolved:  That the proposals to outsource in-house provided services by open tender as set out in the report be agreed in principle, subject to a further report being brought to Cabinet outlining in particular the staffing, service and financial implications.