Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Wallasey Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Dan Sharples, Democracy Business Manager  Tel: 0151 666 3791 email:  danielsharples@wirral.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

44.

Welcome and Introductions

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed attendees and viewers to the meeting and reminded everyone that the meeting was webcast and retained on the Council’s website for two years.

 

45.

Apologies

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies had been received from Councillor Chris Davies, Councillor Jason Walsh and Councillor Ivan Camphor. Councillor Jo Bird and Councillor Cherry Povall deputised.

 

46.

Member Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests and any other relevant interest and to state the nature of the interest.

 

The following declarations were made:

 

Councillor
Mary Jordan

Personal interest by virtue of her employment in the NHS, her son’s employment in the NHS and her involvement as a trustee for ‘incubabies’.

Councillor
Angela Davies

Pecuniary interest in item 5 by virtue of her employment with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership.

Councillor
Tracy Elzeiny

Personal interest by virtue of her employment in the NHS.

Councillor
Yvonne Nolan

Personal interest by virtue of her role as a governor of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership.

Councillor
Clare O’Hagan

Personal interest by virtue of her employment in the NHS.

Jo Bird

Personal interest by virtue of a family member’s employment in Social Care.

Cherry Povall

Personal interest by virtue of her role as a trustee for ‘incubabies’.

 

 

47.

Public Questions

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Minutes:

No public questions, statements or petitions had been received.

 

48.

Social Care Delivery Review (Social Work Arrangements) pdf icon PDF 430 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Angela Davies left the meeting during the consideration of the item

 

The Head of Service for Integrated Services introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which presented a summary of the review undertaken and made recommendations to Members for the future director on delivering statutory adult social care services and functions. It was reported that both NHS Wirral Community Health and Care Foundation Trust (WCHCFT) and NHS Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Foundation Trust (CWP) had identified risks associated with the delivery of the recommended option in the time period proposed to extend the contract for a further year until September 2024.

 

The intention during the contract extension would be to consider the benefits of returning the service to the Council’s direct delivery while retaining the best aspects of integration. The review found good evidence of positive outcomes of the integrated service model in many areas but noted that areas of potential opportunity had not been fully realised and that at times, the Council’s priorities were not reflected in the trusts.

 

Members felt that processes being brought in house didn’t necessarily mean that quality would improve and that there would be a cost element to this.

 

Members noted that effective integrated services were influenced by the leadership and culture of the organisation and that integration should continue and develop throughout the process of transfer.

 

Resolved – That

 

(1)  (a)  the contract with NHS Wirral Community Health and Care Foundation Trust (WCHCFT) for the provision of social care services on substantially the same terms and conditions be extended for a period of 1 year as set out in para 2.1 of this report

 

(b)  the contract with NHS Cheshire and Wirral Partnership  Foundation Trust (CWP) for the delivery of All Age Disability and Mental Health Services on substantially the same terms and conditions be extended for a period of 1 year as set out in paragraph 2.1 of this report.

 

(2)  the Review of Social Care Delivery Arrangements be noted.

 

(3)  a further report be brought by the Director of Care and Health to this Committee setting out the considerations involved in moving towards returning the provision of these social care services and all age disability and mental health services to the Council’s direct delivery.

 

49.

Adult Social Care and Public Health Performance Report pdf icon PDF 279 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Assistant Director of Care and Health introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which provided a performance update in relation to Adult Social Care and Public Health. The report was designed based on discussion with Members through working group activity in 2020 and 2021.

 

Attention was drawn to key areas of the report such as care home figures, the number of people supported by the Council in care homes remained at the high level of 1670 people this was believed to largely be due to pressures in the domiciliary care sector and the level of activity in hospitals and the number and speed of discharges. Care home vacancies were adequate for the needs of the population at 12.6%. 

 

There was a marked reduction in the number of people supported with domiciliary care in their own homes however it was noted that over the last few months, there had been a sustained increase in the numbers and the trajectory was going in the right direction. Officers felt this was due to their investment and support to the sector including the increase of hourly rate to pay carers £11 per hour.

 

Members requested further information to be added to future reports such as capacity across all types of care not just care homes and detail on the Discharge to Assess beds at Clatterbridge.

 

In response to a query surrounding care home waiting times, it was outlined that a report was to be brought to the next committee meeting which detailed care home quality improvement.

 

Resolved – That the content of the report be noted.

 

 

50.

Social Care Reform pdf icon PDF 388 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Assistant Director of Care and Health introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which informed the Committee on the Social Care Charging Reforms and the implications for people who accessed care and support services and the considerations that were required for the Council’s Adult Social Care services. The report included information on future requirements for charging for care services and the cost of care.

 

The reforms set out four main areas of difference, firstly that there would be a lifetime cap of £86,000 on the amount people pay for care, a more generous means test for local authority financial support would be introduced, self-funders would have the ability to ask the Council to arrange their care and a move towards a fair rate of care in respect of Council’s fees to providers.

The primary objective of the reforms was to protect people from devastating care costs.

 

It was reported that Councils would face a significant increase in care costs and loss of income, and it was estimated that in the 2023-24 financial year, an additional £1M would be needed for additional staffing and a loss of income of around £2.2M.

 

In response to a Member’s question, assurance was given that processes used to implement the reforms wouldn’t digitally exclude residents that were unable to access online forms and systems and that there would be staff to ensure people were supported as well as collaboration with community, voluntary and faith organisations and third sector colleagues.

 

Resolved – That

 

(1)  the approach to the Council’s implementation of the charging reforms be endorsed.

 

(2)  the significant impact of the social care charging reforms, including on the Adult Care and Health budget and resources be noted.

 

(3)   A further report on progress of implementing the reforms be brought in Spring 2023.

 

51.

Extra Care Housing Scheme Update pdf icon PDF 251 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Community Care Market Commission introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which provided an update on Extra Care Housing in Wirral. The report set out the plan to provide appropriate Extra Care Housing schemes in Wirral that will support Wirral residents with eligible needs.

 

Work had been undertaken on a strategic housing management assessment to enable future planning for schemes. Projections estimated that by 2026, Wirral would need 725 units of extra care housing. It was reported that by October 2023 there would be 491 units. There were 113 people on the waiting list for extra care with high numbers in Wallasey and South Wirral. It was reported that capital had been identified that could be drawn upon for the next three years and further capital could be bid for in order to fund schemes.

 

In response to a query about sites across other wards, Members were informed that there were several sites currently under consideration but were not yet confirmed for progression.

 

Members sought clarity on the real living wage and how it was applied. The Head of Community Care Market Commission outlined that the Council supported the real living wage being applied across all sectors, there were two rates that were offered, minimum wage and real living wage. It was reported that some employers were unable to accept the real living wage rate for various reasons and then the minimum wage rate was applied.

 

On a motion by Councillor Phil Gilchrist, seconded by Councillor Clare O’Hagan it was -

 

Resolved – That

 

(1)  the development of further plans for the growth of Extra Care Housing for Wirral be endorsed.

 

(2)  engagement with potential partners to identify opportunities for further Extra Care schemes to meet local need be supported.

 

(3)  the progress of existing schemes that are in development be noted.

 

(4)  officers be requested to develop a bid for the level of capital considered necessary for progress of the programme.

 

52.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy pdf icon PDF 396 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Assistant Director: Consultant In Public Health introduced the report of the Director of Public Health which presented the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2022 – 2027 as approved by Health and Wellbeing Board on 29th September 2022 and set out the proposals for monitoring the progress of delivery of the Strategy. The report described five priorities to improve the health of the local population and address deep rooted health inequalities across the borough, progress would be monitored by engaging with communities and evidence based factors such as unemployment, school readiness and cost of living poverty indicators.

 

The Director of Care and Health endorsed the approach and the opportunities for integration and noted that the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee would undertake work to support priorities two and five of the strategy.

 

In response to queries from members, it was confirmed that there were a set of evidence based performance indicators and milestones for measuring the delivery of the strategy against.

 

Resolved – That the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 – 2027 be noted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

53.

Adult Social Care and Public Health Work Programme pdf icon PDF 379 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Legal Services introduced the report which provided the Committee with an opportunity to plan and review its work across the municipal year.

 

Members requested that an item on the Health and Wellbeing Strategy priorities two and five be brought back to the committee before the end of the municipal year.

 

Resolved – That the proposed Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee work programme for the remainder of the 2022/23 municipal year be noted.