Agenda and draft minutes

To receive declarations of interest (if any)

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the non-exempt minutes of the meeting of the Improvement and Scrutiny Committee – People held on 04 September 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on 04 September 2024 were confirmed as a correct record. 

(Questions may be submitted to be answered by the Scrutiny Committee, or Council officers who are attending the meeting as witnesses, on any item that is within the scope of the Committee. Please see the procedure for the submission of questions at the end of this agenda)

Question received from Mr Ingham:

I’ve attended Full Council on 29-11-23 and 18-07-24, Improvement and Scrutiny - Resources on 22-01-24 and 09-05-24, Improvement and Scrutiny - People on 01-05-24 specifically asking questions relating to ASCH and/or its in-house Residential Care Homes. Questions asked covered matters such as staff composition, vacancies, bed occupancy numbers, internal demand analysis.

In relation to the concluded consultation on Engagement of the Older Adults Service Redesign I note 1742 people responded to the consultation either by attending and contributing to the debate during a virtual meeting or by completing a questionnaire, writing a letter or email or by contacting the Council by phone.

For context can this 1742 number be split down by each grouping above to understand how many out of this total number attended a virtual meeting, completed a questionnaire etc  and also can you inform me of the specific number of these individuals that stated they had a lack of confidence in the consultation indicating a disbelief in a genuine consultation process and also those that reported a belief that background work had not been sufficient to warrant the rational for the proposals, and that the proposals did not sit with current trends or needs?

Response:

Many thanks for your question for Scrutiny Committee on 30th October regarding the Older Adults Services consultation, please see below for the information you have requested.

Total attendance

• 1766 people attended a service meeting, virtual meeting, or library drop-in session
• 1742 of these people gave feedback by comments, views and completion of questionnaires, emails, letters, and phone call
• Breakdown of attendance and responses are below

Face to face establishment meetings

• 393 people attended the face-to-face meetings at services
• 110 were residents or attendees of DCC day centres
• 283 were carers and relatives

Online meetings

• 4 online evening meetings were arranged and offered for the public to give their views
• Two of these meetings went ahead due to no bookings being received for the other two
• Session 19/06/24 - 4 people
• Session 26/06/24 – 28 people

Library drop-in sessions

• 94 people dropped into library sessions across the County

Questionnaires

• 1174 questionnaires completed

Email comments

• 50 people chose to email with their views

Telephone conversations

• 3 people chose to give their feedback via telephone calls

Letters

• 20 letters were received with feedback about the proposals

Themed responses

• 102 people responded with comments themed as ‘lack of confidence in the consultation’ 
• 83 people responded with comments themed as ‘rationale for the proposals’

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Supplementary question asked by Mr Ingham:

I’m conscious that the April report for cabinet was based on financial modelling at the time.  All predicted savings and figures to be taken at face value and in good faith with no detailed explanation of background calculations and originating from different sections of the Council/officers. 

Can assurance be given that any metrics/financial information/data being relied upon previously and going forwards is fully understood/validated from start to finish, known how the data/financial information  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32/22

Sue Whetton, Group Manager – Commissioning, presented the report and presentation, informing the Scrutiny Committee of information regarding the public consultation.

Officers encouraged Scrutiny Members to submit comments to Cabinet for consideration in making its decision.

A report was presented to Cabinet on 25th July 2024 which sought approval to undertake a public consultation on proposals to review and redesign the Derbyshire Healthy Home Project. Following Cabinet approval, the consultation took place between 2nd August 2024 and 20th September 2024. The results of the consultation had been outlined within the report.

Committee Members shared concerns having not had the opportunity to view the Equality Impact Assessment. It was confirmed by officers that this would be available as an appendices with the Cabinet report.

Officers were questioned on how housing in the districts and boroughs was impacting Adult Care. Adult Care had their own housing strategy. They also worked alongside districts and boroughs to encourage age appropriate housing.

Committee members wished to know what support was being offered to residents. Officers gave detail on other commissioned services such as hospital discharge, low level support and an improved support offer. The authority was committed to assisting people through social work and there was work done nationally that was available for residents.

Officers agreed to include signposts to trusted traders in the equality impact analysis.

Thanks had been shared from Committee Members to officers for the report.

RESOLVED to

1) note the responses to the public consultation.

2) note that all such matters will be considered and included within a comprehensive and robust Equality Impact Assessment which will be incorporated within the future cabinet report, which will be presented in due course.

3) further note that Cabinet will consider the Equalities Impact Assessment as part of its decision making; and

4) consider responses to the public consultation and provide comments to Cabinet and the Equalities Impact Assessment for consideration when making its decision regarding the review and redesign of the Derbyshire Healthy Homes Project.

Robert Lowe, Policy Manager, presented the report and presentation, informing the Scrutiny Committee of information regarding the public consultation.

Officers encouraged Scrutiny Members to submit comments to Cabinet for consideration in making its decision.

Two reports were presented to Cabinet on 29 April 2024 which sought approval to launch a 12-week consultation on the cessation of Discretionary Grant Funding provided by ASCH and CST departments. Following Cabinet approval, the consultation took place between 28 May

and 20 August 2024.

Officers drew attention to 2.4 within the report and confirmed a typing error and that ‘all seven’ be removed from this paragraph.

Committee members questioned if a combined Equalities Impact Assessments would be created for all four consultations. This was due to the same people being affected and that they all impacted on one another. It was confirmed that each decision was to be taken separately but there was a read across the four reports. This is the reason for the joint report between CST and AC and why they would be on the same Cabinet agenda. This highlighted the combined impact.

Details were requested on what assessment had been done on the voluntary and community sector and the viability if funding ceases. As well as how this could impact on the authorities own services. Officers detailed that this was not all funding to the voluntary and community sector and that viability was raised in the public consultation which would then be assessed, and further detail would be in the Cabinet report.

Discretionary funding and other funding will continue as the authority had duties under the social care act. If a need had been identified, then organisations could approach the authority and grants could be awarded.

Officers provided reassurance that if organisations challenged the removal of grant funding, they would be signposted to other funding streams.

Thanks had been shared from Committee Members to officers for the report.

RESOLVED to

1) note the responses to the public consultation.

2) note that all such matters will be considered and included within a comprehensive and robust Equality Impact Analysis which will be incorporated within the future cabinet report, which will be presented in due course.

3) further note that Cabinet will consider the Equalities Impact Assessment as part of its decision making; and

4) consider responses to the public consultation and provide comments to Cabinet and the Equalities Impact Assessments for consideration when making its decision.

Lisa Holford, Interim Director - Transformation & Partnerships, presented the report and presentation, informing the Scrutiny Committee of information regarding the public consultation.

Officers encouraged Scrutiny Members to submit comments to Cabinet for consideration in making its decision.

A report was presented to Cabinet on 29th April 2024 which sought approval to launch a 12-week consultation on two options for the future delivery of residential homes and day care for older adults. Following Cabinet approval, the consultation took place between the 15th May and 7th August 2024.

Feedback had been considered from areas where there would no longer be any available day centres or respite care, and this would form part of the Cabinet report.

Committee Members shared concerns that if there were no authority owned residential settings in an area, then the private sector may increase fees, impacting on residents. Officers provided detail that no individuals would be impacted by these changes. Individuals would not be provided with less care and support would be available. Research had been done on different areas as well as private providers. The authority would continue to review the costs in private sector.

Committee Members wanted to ensure that opportunity was still available in all areas. Officers highlighted the importance of the individuals choice, and that support was provided to create care packages for individuals. A range of options were encouraged.

The authority had a market position statement that set out themes and trends for the future and this would continue to be reviewed.

Thanks had been shared from Committee Members to officers for the report.

RESOLVED to

1) note the responses to the public consultation.

2) note that all such matters will be considered and included within a comprehensive and robust Equality Impact Analysis which will be incorporated within the future cabinet report, which will be presented in due course.

3) further note that Cabinet will consider the Equalities Impact Assessment as part of its decision making; and

4) consider responses to the public consultation and provide comments to Cabinet and the Equalities Impact Assessment for consideration when making its decision regarding the older adults direct care redesign.

Lisa Holford, Interim Director - Transformation & Partnerships, presented the report and presentation, informing the Scrutiny Committee of information regarding the public consultation.

Officers encouraged Scrutiny Members to submit comments to Cabinet for consideration in making its decision.

A report was presented to Cabinet on 11th April 2024 which sought approval to launch a 12-week consultation on two options for the future delivery of short break and day services for people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic. Following Cabinet approval, the consultation took place between the 24th April and 21st August 2024 (extended from 15th July by an additional five weeks).

It had been detailed how the authority would work with individuals on a support package and that provisions were available for transport by many of the providers following concern from Committee Members. And that transport cost would be included in the direct payment if the individual had eligible needs, this would be included in the cost of the service. A team of practitioners identify need and support families into alternative provision where needed. There was a concentration on the individual and what they wished to achieve. Outcomes were tracked and the review would continue after the redesign. More detail would be included in the Cabinet report.

A proposal, duty seconded had been provided by Councillor R George, to move that the Committee had not been given the opportunity to scrutinise and had not considered the responses to the public consultation due to the lack of detail. And did not know the detail contained in the equality impact assessment as they had not had sight of the document. The proposal was voted on and duly lost.

Thanks had been shared from Committee Members to officers for the report.

RESOLVED to

1) note the responses to the public consultation.

2) note that all such matters will be considered and included within a comprehensive and robust Equality Impact Analysis which will be incorporated within the future cabinet report, which will be presented in due course.

3) further note that Cabinet will consider the Equalities Impact Assessment as part of its decision making; and

4) consider responses to the public consultation and provide comments to Cabinet and the Equalities Impact Assessment for consideration when making its decision regarding the older adults direct care redesign.