Agenda and minutes

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The Minutes of the meeting of 24 June have been previously circulated

It was resolved that the minutes from the meeting on the 24 June were an accurate record of the previous meeting and would be signed by the Leader.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Social Care presented the report explaining that considerable time had been taken to carefully consider the needs and desires of the service users.  The review had shown that the numbers of service users attending day services had been declining. Younger service users particularly were showing a preference for other activities as opposed to attending the same centre.

Following the presentation of the report, comments were received from Members about the reasons for a reduction in demand from young people and the potential options for the future provision of services.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

a)    Building on the previous Cabinet report in February 2021, noted the findings of the second phase of the day opportunities review as summarised in paragraph 13 of the report and outlined in detail in the full report in the supporting information;

b)   Noted the recommendations in the Day Opportunity Review for the proposed future day service offer of

·         A Council provided Resource Centre/building based offer for service users with complex needs where a staff to service user ratio is 1:1/1:2/ 2:1 including young people transitioning into adult services

·         An externally provided befriending/peer support service for individuals who may be older, or for those whose primary need is support for social skills

·         An externally provided community-based offer for individuals with less complex needs (staff to service user ratio of 1:5/1:8)

c)    Approved the commencement of formal public consultation on the proposed future day opportunities offer which, if approved, will result in the closure of Connect Services as need is met within external provision; and

d)   Delegated the final decision, following the outcome of the public consultation to the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Social Care.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Social Care presented the report.

It was noted that currently there was little flexibility in the service, making it difficult for some users to access. The service required weekly block-booking. More options were needed than simply bed-based respite alone. Service users had also expressed the desire for more choice of respite care.

Following the presentation of the report, issues raised by Members included whether a lack of flexibility in the service contributed to the high number of cancellations detailed in the report.  This would be one element to be explored further during the review.  It was suggested that the Council needed to strike the balance between being flexible, while still acting within the statutory framework. A range of options needed to be made available within the offer in order to respond to the changes to people’s lives and their requirements.

The consideration of the environment detailed within the report was praised by Members.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

a)    Noted the findings of the review of replacement care services as described in paragraphs 10-18 and outlined in full in the reports in the supporting information;

b)   Approved the recommended actions of the review as described in paragraph 21; and

c)    Would receive a further report later in 2021 which would make recommendations on proposals for the future service delivery model and the commencement of any formal consultation if required.