Agenda item

In accordance with the requirements of Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chair declared that he intended to include for discussion the following matter requiring urgent attention under Part II:-

1.                        Closure of Community Development Agency:- Members expressed concerns about the loss of this service at the end of March, 2015.  Albeit a Rhyl based facility it does serve the whole County, particularly individuals and community groups in the county's most deprived wards.  The Director of Social Services advised that a decision had been taken in 2013 to reduce the funding to the Community Development Agency (CDA) by £25K. 

This decision had been taken partly to deal with reducing budgets, but also to meet the needs of developing and delivering social care services to meet the requirements of new social care legislation.  Transitional arrangements had been in place during the last two years and the two staff members affected would move to new roles within the Service.  Officers, including the Director had met with Rhyl Town Council and the Rhyl Coastal Partnership with a view to the future of the building and alternative methods of delivering the services available there at present. 

It was emphasised that some of the services which the Council currently offered at the Agency were non-statutory services, but during austere times the Authority had to concentrate on statutory services and core functions.  Since some services offered by the CDA were offered through other agencies such as the Job Centre it would not be an efficient use of limited Council resources for it to duplicate those services.  The Director advised that the Council was content for a 'partner' organisation to take over the facility and to have use of the equipment there which was currently owned by the Council.  If a social enterprise took over the building it could benefit from incentives such as reduced rents, rates, utility costs etc.  However, the Council could not provide the staff for the Centre as its aims would no longer comply with the Welsh Government's (WG) vision and expectations for social care services going forward.  The Corporate Director informed members that another meeting was scheduled to take place within the next few days with the Rhyl Coastal Partnership, which in response to members' questions she advised was a registered constitutional body, to see if its interest in the facility could be progressed. 

The Committee were of the view that Rhyl was yet again losing a valuable community service.  They informed officers that the community owned a number of items of equipment at the CDA and advised that therefore they should not be moved from the facility without the community's consent.  Responding to Members' concerns about how the void left by the CDA's closure could be filled the Director advised that the voluntary sector had an important role to play in this area as it could access funding to support such services from central government.  She suggested that it may be useful for the Committee to invite both Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) and Rhyl Coastal Partnership to a future meeting to discuss their role in supporting community groups across Denbighshire going forward.  It was:-

RESOLVED – that representatives from Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) and the Rhyl Coastal Partnership be invited to a future meeting to discuss their role in supporting communities to access services and funding when non-statutory Council services were withdrawn.

2.              Welfare Rights Unit and Macmillan Nursing:- Concerns were raised by Members with respect to the availability of the Macmillan Nursing services to Denbighshire residents following the closure of the Welfare Rights Unit (WRU) at the end of the current financial year.  They had been privy to recent information which indicated that the new arrangements for access to Macmillan Nursing care services via the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) were yet to be formally signed, therefore the service would not be up and running by 1 April 2015 as originally intended.  The Director of Social Services advised that no formal transition arrangements could be initiated until County Council had taken the decision to withdraw the WRU service.  Transitional arrangements were now underway and officers had met with staff the previous day to finalise the arrangements.  CAB would gradually be taking over responsibility for hosting the Macmillan Service for Denbighshire for which they would receive funding from the charity.

3.              Acute Surgery Services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd:-  Members raised concerns about the future of acute surgery services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and the accuracy of an article in the Daily Post, dated the 17^th March, 2015 in light of assurances given by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's (BCUHB) Chief Executive, Professor Trevor Purt, on acute surgery services that will be available at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in future.

RESOLVED – that a letter be sent to BCUHB's Chief Executive seeking clarity on the types of surgery that would be performed at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in future.