Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Mr A Bowness, Ms C Driver, Miss D Garton and Mr GRPM Roberts. Dr S Haraldsen was substitute for Mr GRPM Roberts.

To report and note changes to the membership of the Board.

There were no changes to membership to note.

Members are invited to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)     Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and

            (b)     Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority.

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

            (a)     The landlord is the authority; and

            (b)     The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)     That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the area of the authority; and

(b)     Either –

         (i)        The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

         (ii)       If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A “disclosable pecuniary interest” is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).

Mrs C Bowditch declared an interest as Chair of Carlisle Mencap.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED, that the press and public not be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Advisory Board – Adults held on 24 June 2022 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2022 be agreed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The Senior Manager Long Term Interventions gave a presentation on the Adult Social Care Strategic Position which included the following areas:-

·      Current Position

·      ASC Operations: Changes to Ways of Working

·      Cumbria Care: Changes to Ways of Working

·      Market Support

·      System Coordination

·      Social Care and NHS Plans

·      ASC into Promoting Independence

A member commented on the impact of Brexit and if there had been implications for staffing.

The Senior Manager Long Term Interventions noted that Brexit did have an impact and that there was a greater competition with other industries.

A member remarked on the current situation with workers in South Cumbria and that some business were closing due to staff not able to travel to work and queried if Cumbria Care was losing staff because they could not afford to travel to work.

The Assistant Director – Provider Services noted that it was not much of an issue for Cumbria Care.  Flexible approaches were in place to support colleagues.

A member remarked that as at 21 September 2022 there was 236 people in hospital awaiting discharge.  This seems a significant number and what was this as a proportion of beds.

The Assistant Director - (Deputy DAS) noted the figures was an average and for the whole of Cumbria She noted that hospital discharge and Local Government Reorganisation were the top priorities.

A member commented about staff well being and were staff getting their holidays and how closely it was monitored.

The Commissioning Manager noted that there were increasing demands with decreasing staffing levels and the care professionals were voting with their feet.  It did cost more to deliver the same service and that there was dialogue with care providers and terms and conditions were getting better.

A member remarked about the use of agency workers and the impact upon budgets.

The Senior Manager Long Term Interventions commented that Cumbria County Council did try and retain and make agency staff part of the permanent workforce and he noted that nationally there was a shortage of Social Workers and Occupational Therapists and that Cumbria County Council were working with LGO to improve their workforce strategy.

A member commented about Cumbria Care staff and second jobs.  Another member remarked about recruitment and retention issues and stressed it was important with recruitment that standards were not lowered and queried why staff left.

The Assistant Director – Provider Services noted that staff have to disclose other contracts and that they were asked about other jobs.  She commented that level of scrutiny for staff was the same and that the level of DBS remained the same.  She remarked that absence was slowly coming down, however absences relating to mental health issues were increasing.

A member remarked about Promoting Independence and the move to remote care and virtual wards and requested an update.

The Assistant Director - (Deputy DAS) commented that this was currently being looked into and worked through constructively.

A member remarked about ways that the NHS could assist by making clients less dependent on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The Commissioning Manager  gave a presentation on the Adult Social Care Strategic Position which included the following areas:-

·      National Policy Framework

·      National Minimum Contributions BCF 2022/23

·      BCF 2022-23 National Conditions

·      Timeline

·      BCF Cumbria

·      BCF Cumbria Allocations

A member queried if post Local Government Reorganisation would this work need to be done by each unitary authority.

The Commissioning Manager noted that each unitary authority would need to complete this work separately.  He noted that it was a team effort.

A member commented on the figures and required clarification that these were annual figures.

The Commissioning Manager confirmed that they were annual figures.

The Chair thanked the Commissioning Manager for their presentation.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – People.

The Commissioning Manager gave a presentation on Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund 2022 to 2023 which included the following areas:-

·      Background

·      Timeline

·      Progress Update

·      Findings

A member commented on the data gathering and that the team understood the significance of the numbers.

The Chair thanked the Commissioning Manager for their presentation.

To consider a report by Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults presented a report providing an update and analysis of adult safeguarding activity in the first quarter of 2022/23, briefing members on progress against key areas of performance relating to ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’, providing a benchmark against other local authorities and describing actions planned to strengthen and consolidate improvements in adult safeguarding in Cumbria through the Safeguarding Adults Board.

During the question and answer session that followed, a member noted that it would be useful to understand the average time of referral especially by risk and category.

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults commented that a breakdown of cases was available and that each case was RAG rated.

A member remarked that if a safeguarding concern was raised by the family in care home is that followed up.

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults commented that it was looked into.  The Safeguarding Team do look into concerns within care homes even if they are not necessarily safeguarding issues.

A member commented on if there was a weekly pattern or did safeguarding issues take place every day of the week and was there a rural/urban split.

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults noted that there was no weekly pattern and certain types of abuse are more prevalent in certain areas.

A member noted the figures on financial abuse and although was concerned was pleased about the links with the Police.  Another member commented on how staff were equipped to deal with financial abuse.

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults remarked that it was one of the most complex areas to navigate and that there was a body of experience in dealing with this.  It was also noted that there was a rise in this type of abuse both regionally and nationally.

A member noted that with disaggregation of services post Local Government Reorganisation they hoped that both unitary authorities would have a similar system.

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults commented that it was an on-going situation and there was a need to ensure that resources were in the right area.

The Chair queried if the resources were virtual or physical.

The Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults noted that a Safeguarding Officer would see someone face to face.

The Chair thanked the Senior Manager Safeguarding Adults for his presentation.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – People (copy enclosed).

Members received a briefing paper that informed of new or updated items of significance to the Adult Scrutiny Advisory Board. Members were informed that the Scrutiny Performance Working Group had identified no specific items for consideration by the Board.

To note that the next meeting of the Scrutiny Advisory Board – Adults is scheduled for 5 January 2023.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Board will be held on 5 January 2023 at 10.00 am.