Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ann Davies, Christine Marston, Joan Butterfield and Gareth Davies.

No declarations of interest had been raised.

No urgent items had been raised with the Chair prior to the commencement of the meeting.

To receive the minutes of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11 February 2021 (copy enclosed).

The minutes of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11 February 2021 were submitted.

No matters were raised in relation to the contents of the minutes.

Resolved: - that the minutes of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11 February 2021 be approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

Members queried whether it would be possible to restart the holding of pre-meeting briefing session to prepare for Committee meetings, as was the practice before the pandemic resulted in Committee meetings being held virtually.  The Scrutiny Co-ordinator explained the reasons why at present these pre-meetings were not being held, but offered to seek the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group (SCVCG) to discuss potential methods for reinstating the practice.

To consider a report by the Principal Manager for Support Services which seeks the Committee’s views on Denbighshire County Council Community Support Services’ (CSS) Market Position Statement (MPS) for 2021–2024 (copy attached)

10:10am – 10:45am

Councillor Bobby Feeley - Lead Member for Wellbeing and Independence presented the Community Support Services Market Position Statement (MPS) 2021-24 report (previously circulated).  The MPS set out the Service’s offer to the market, and summarised current needs and priorities.  It would help current and potential providers (including independent sector, third sector, not for profit and social enterprise) to develop and shape their care and support services offer for adults in Denbighshire.

The last MPS was finalised in 2017, there had been many changes in needs and demands since the last statement was agreed. The proposed new statement was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. The new MPS for 2021-24 has been fully updated to reflect new evidence of needs and demand, new priorities and directions of travel, and included some summary detail of specific plans for new developments where those were already known. It also included a brief chapter on the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis in terms of how the Service must respond and shape its social care planning and delivery.

The Social Services and Wellbeing Act remained the underpinning strategic driver for commissioning plans and development activity in Community Support Services. Consequently, the MPS placed a clear focus on earlier intervention, increasing preventative services within the community, helping people to maintain their independence, and ensuring that citizens had a voice, choice and control when it came to their own care and support.

The MPS also explained the Service’s desire to work with providers who would offer best value through achieving priority outcomes, and creative collaborative working. All commissioned services must avoid duplication, and reduce demand upon statutory services.

The Head of Community Support Services informed the Committee that the Service was required by statute to produce a MPS.

The following points were raised during the discussion –

·         The Committee highlighted the challenges which arose with regards to provision of services through the Welsh language and the difficulties encountered in recruiting sufficient numbers of staff to deliver care services through the medium of Welsh. There were concerns that some people were moved from their local communities to receive care and due to where specific types of care provision were located there were at times a lack of sufficient provision through the medium of Welsh. Officers agreed that there were challenges within the sector including provision through the Welsh language, however all efforts were being taken to ensure that Welsh language standards were being met.  The need to meet service-users’ Welsh language requirements as part of the provision of care and support services was already integrated into the tendering aspect of the procurement process.

·         Going forward the Council hoped it would be able to utilise individuals who had come forward as befriending volunteers during the COVID-19 crisis to assist with the Welsh language needs of residents.

·         Difficulties in relation to recruiting care sector staff was a national problem and not unique to Denbighshire.

·         Members praised the objectives laid out in the MPS aimed at ensuring that people stayed in their own homes rather than going into care.  However, it was queried whether there were financial incentives or support available to encourage more people to stay at home. Officers clarified that direct payments scheme was used to support those who chose to stay at home.  These payments enabled the person themselves to choose and buy in care and support services which suited their individual needs.

·         The Committee enquired on how families could initially access care and support services in an emergency, officers clarified that they would need to contact the Single Point of Access (SPoA).  From there they would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues.

10:45am – 11:05am

The Scrutiny Co-ordinator introduced the report (previously circulated) which requested the Committee to review and agree on its programme of future work.  Members’ attention was drawn to the following matters:

·         Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) had recently confirmed that representatives would be available to attend a meeting of the Committee to discuss ‘Heart Failure Services in Denbighshire and its impact on the Council’s Social Care Services’ on 8 July 2021.  This item had been listed on the ‘Future Issues’ section of the forward work programme for some time pending confirmation of their availability to attend;

·         the request for the ‘Community Support Services Mission Position Statement 2021-2024’ to be examined had been considered by the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group (SCVCG) at its meeting on 11 March 2021.  It was the Group that had referred it to the Committee for scrutiny at the current meeting;

·         At the same meeting the SCVCG had considered the North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s (NWEAB) reports publication timetable.  As Partnerships Scrutiny Committee was the Council’s designated committee for scrutinising the Board the SCVCG was, in line with the protocol agreed by all six North Wales local authorities and the NWEAB, recommending to the Committee that it should invite Board representatives to meet with the Committee twice a year to discuss the progress it had made in realising its objectives.  The proposal was that Board representatives attend Scrutiny at the end of Quarters 2 and 4 of the financial year to discuss their quarterly and Annual Reports, with the Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 reports circulated to Committee members for information purposes.  The Committee agreed to adopt this approach; and

·         the ‘Information Brief’ document circulated to Committee members ahead of the meeting which contained the regular quarterly information report on ‘Quality Monitoring of External Care Services’ and also information on what was expected of Scrutiny in relation to the new ‘Socio-economic Duty for Wales’.

The Committee agreed to extend an invitation to NWEAB representatives to the Committee’s next meeting on 20 May 2021 to present the Board Annual Report for 2020/21.  It also agreed to confirm arrangements for representatives from BCUHB to attend the same meeting to discuss the Board’s plans for the future direction of service delivery in Denbighshire, including progress made in realising major capital projects across the county.

At the conclusion of the discussion it was:

Resolved: - subject to confirming the acceptance of the additions and amendments outlined above to approve the Committee’s Forward Work Programme as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.

To receive any updates from Committee representatives on various Council Boards and Groups.

11:05am – 11:15am

None.