Agenda item

To consider a report by Councillor Bobby Feeley, Lead Member for Social Care, Adult and Children’s Services (copy enclosed) detailing the options for the future use of Awelon Residential Care Home.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       confirm that they have taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment as part of their considerations;

(b)       agree that Options 1 and 3b of Grwp Cynefin’s feasibility study are not viable options for the reasons stated in appendices 1 and 5 respectively to the report;

(c)        agree that discussions take place between local members, officers, Gwrp Cynefin and the committee of Canolfan Awelon to work through Options 2a, 2b and 3a to take forward the best configuration for the site that meets all parties needs and provides least disruption for existing residents/tenants, and

(d)       requests that officers work with representatives of the community groups who currently use Canolfan Awelon to identify appropriate alternative facilities for their use during the construction process.

Councillor Bobby Feeley presented the report detailing the options for the future use of Awelon Residential Care Home and sought approval to work through specific options to take forward the best configuration for the site to meet all parties’ needs and provide the least disruption for existing residents/tenants.

The recommendations had been based on the work of the Task and Finish Group (established to review the Council’s in-house social care provision) and Performance Scrutiny Committee.  Consequently the Leader invited Councillor Barry Mellor, Chair of Performance Scrutiny Committee to report on the committee’s scrutiny of the findings of the Task and Finish Group on the feasibility study commissioned for the Awelon site at Ruthin which was considered at their meeting on 6 January 2016.

Councillor Mellor reported that the committee believed the recommendations to be a viable solution to meet the demand for both care and support in the form of extra care arrangements in the Ruthin area and support community activities through the development of the new community facilities.  The committee agreed that the project would benefit from being managed by the three current users of the site: the Council, Grwp Cynefin and the Committee of Canolfan Awelon – hence the recommendation that they work together to implement the best configuration for the site based on Options 2a, 2b and 3a in the report.  All five options in the feasibility study had been discussed and the committee was satisfied that neither Option 1 or 3b were viable for the reasons stated within the report.  Consequently the committee accepted the Task and Finish Group’s conclusion and recommendations (as detailed in the Cabinet report).  The committee had added to the recommendation that discussions also include floor space requirements for Canolfan Awelon – this stipulation had not been included in the Cabinet recommendations as the discussions may conclude a better arrangement and Councillor Mellor had been satisfied with that reasoning.

Both the Leader and Councillor Bobby Feeley thanked Councillor Mellor for his comprehensive report and expressed their appreciation to the Task and Finish Group and Performance Scrutiny for the hard work involved.  Councillor Feeley referred to the proposals for modernised and sustainable facilities which would maintain independence for residents and avoid social isolation.  She stressed that the recommendations would ensure least disruption for existing residents who could remain on the site whilst building work took place and all involved had been kept informed of progress.  The recommended options, developed with Grwp Cynefin, would increase the number of extra care apartments up to around 57 and would include respite care and a new community centre.  Councillor Feeley detailed the lengthy process to date and thanked officers for their dedication and hard work.  She also paid tribute to Councillor Raymond Bartley who had been a dedicated and hardworking member of the Task and Finish Group.

Cabinet acknowledged the hard work involved in reviewing the Council’s in-house social care provision leading to the latest recommendations for the Awelon site and welcomed the re-development and investment.  Members agreed with the findings of the Task and Finish Group and Performance Scrutiny Committee that the recommended options represented the best way forward to progress matters and modernise services for the benefit of Ruthin and the surrounding area.

During consideration of the report the following matters were raised –

·         Councillor David Smith highlighted the importance of Canolfan Awelon as a community facility which was extremely well-used.  Whilst acknowledging the discussions underway to manage those arrangements he still had some concern regarding the impact on users of the centre during the construction phase and felt the Council should be more proactive in offering alternative facilities.  Consequently Cabinet agreed that the identification of appropriate alternative facilities for use by those community groups be reflected within their resolution

·         it was noted that the temporary negative impact on Canolfan Awelon during the construction phase had not been identified in the Wellbeing Impact Assessment and there were calls to ensure more robust assessments in the future

·         Cabinet was pleased to note that Grwp Cynefin had adopted a comprehensive Welsh Language policy and were able to provide all of their services bilingually

·         discussions on the best configuration could start following Cabinet approval of the options and Grwp Cynefin anticipated that firm proposals on the preferred option could be produced in approximately three months’ time

·         to ensure the development could be progressed in as timely and smooth manner as possible, the Head of Community Support Services recommended that no new permanent residential admissions be permitted following approval of the recommendations.  Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts asked that the issue of admissions be discussed further between local members and the Leader suggested that the matter be discussed at Ruthin Member Area Group.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts asked for it to be recorded in the minutes that he believed residential beds should be retained in Ruthin for residential care in the future.  However he understood the need for compromise and had been assured that the proposals would provide a different way of delivering care with the same quality and better facilities within the complex.  In response to his question regarding the delivery of respite care in the new complex, officers advised of the approach in other extra care facilities where flats were rented and furnished accordingly for respite care.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       confirm that they have taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment as part of their considerations;

(b)       agree that Options 1 and 3b of Grwp Cynefin’s feasibility study are not viable options for the reasons stated in appendices 1 and 5 respectively to the report;

(c)        agree that discussions take place between local members, officers, Gwrp Cynefin and the committee of Canolfan Awelon to work through Options 2a, 2b and 3a to take forward the best configuration for the site that meets all parties needs and provides least disruption for existing residents/tenants, and

(d)       requests that officers work with representatives of the community groups who currently use Canolfan Awelon to identify appropriate alternative facilities for their use during the construction process.

(At a suitable point, this would enable the remaining Awelon Site to be cleared and for work to begin on the extension.  The task and finish group were of the view that maximising the number of Extra Care units developed (as set out in Option 2a) would deliver the optimum arrangements for providing Extra Care Housing with Community Facilities on the Awelon site.  However, it was acknowledged that further discussions needed to take place with the committee for Canolfan Awelon to ensure the final scheme could deliver the community activities they already provided.

This met the preferred option of Cabinet following discussion in May 2016 (see paragraph 2.2 of the report) and would secure up to 35 additional Extra Care apartments on the site whilst enabling those residents who were currently receiving residential care services to remain on site through the development if that was their wish, as well as continuing to provide community facilities to promote independence and reduce social isolation.)