Jean Stephens, Managing Director of Wirral Evolutions presented the report which provided the Committee with the first quarterly report detailing the progress against Wirral Evolution’s saving proposals and plans to modernise the Company’s operating model to ensure the delivery of service was within the contract value of £5.015m for 2021/22.

The report detailed how the Company had based its decision to modernise on its mission, vision and values outlined in its 5-year business strategy. This contained two key elements, firstly organisational restructure to enable improved personalised outcomes for the people with a learning disability to reach their full potential, and secondly consolidation of locations to work towards providing an improved community integrated offer for people with a learning disability, supporting more independent life skills. It was intended that the outcomes of the plan would enable greater personalised outcomes, smaller ratios based on levels of support needs, greater social value and benefit to service users and a leaner and modern outward focused workforce structure.

The Committee was advised that the formal organisational restructure workforce consultation was launched on 22 March 2021 and concluded on 19 May 2021 and weekly engagement meetings had taken place with Trade Unions and Wirral Council Human Resources. The consultation with service users, parents and carers commenced on 24 May 2021, and Zoom sessions had taken place with 105 parents and carers and 92 online surveys had been submitted, with personalised conversations to have taken place with all service users by 13 June 2021. The emerging themes from the consultation process were reported to the Committee, with issues such as transport to new locations, level of staffing, level of service and the opportunity for transition all being raised. It was reported that the feedback would be collated and discussed with service users and that Wirral Evolutions was committed to enabling the best outcomes for those service users.

Members queried the rationale around the withdrawal of the Highcroft centre and sought clarification on what the community integrated services were.

Councillor Phil Gilchrist proposed the following:

“Having received the presentation and concerns raised by petitioners, committee welcomes the assurances that Wirral Evolutions has given to date, but requests that they produce more detail on the outcome of the consultation for the meeting in July, and in so doing Committee would like to hear how the consolidation, economies of scale and community hubs will be of genuine benefit to the users of the services, and how staff skills will be retained, and how service users view the future prospects.”

Councillor Yvonne Nolan raised concern at the timeline and proposed an amendment Councillor Phil Gilchrist’s suggested motion, replacing “July” with “September”.

Councillor Sam Frost proposed a further addition of the following wording to the suggested motion:

“Wirral Evolutions is also requested to extend the consultation to wider members of the community and provide further detail on the community groups it was seeking to make links with, and their response.”

The revised motion was moved as an alternative to the recommendations in the report by Councillor Phil Gilchrist, seconded by the Chair and agreed by assent, and it was therefore:

Resolved – That

Having received the presentation and concerns raised by petitioners, the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee welcomes the assurances that Wirral Evolutions have given to date, but requests that more detail be produced on the outcome of the consultation for its meeting on 8 September 2021. The Committee would also like to hear how the consolidation, economies of scale and community hubs will be of genuine benefit to the users of the services, as well as how staff skills will be retained, and how service users view the future prospects. Wirral Evolutions is also requested to extend the consultation to wider members of the community and provide further detail on the community groups it was seeking to make links with, and their response.”