Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and to endorse the proposed course of action to extend the current arrangements.

Ms M Anthony, Commissioning and Development Manager, was in attendance for this item.

1.         Ms Anthony introduced the report and responded to comments and questions from Members, as follows:-

a)    Kent’s assessment process was faster than that of many other local authorities and was seen by many as an example of best practice.  Similarly, Kent had a clearer picture of local spend patterns through its regular monitoring activity.  

2.         RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, to

a)    extend the current arrangements for local welfare assistance  in the context of the options explored, as set out in paragraph 3(8) (b) of the report; and

b)    endorse the co-ordination and integration of the future design, commissioning and provision of any revised model for local welfare provision with that of the larger-scale transformation projects,

be endorsed.

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, to consider and discuss the future of local welfare in the context of the options explored and endorse the favoured option, sent out in the report.

Ms M Anthony, Commissioning and Development Manager, was in attendance for this and the following item.

1.            Ms Anthony introduced the report, which followed on from the committee’s discussion at an earlier meeting, and explained that the current 2-year pilot of the Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS) would continue to receive government funding until the end of the current financial year only, in common with similar schemes run by other local authorities across the UK. The outcome of a challenge by the London Borough of Islington to the Government’s decision to cease funding was due shortly.  The report set out three options for future funding, of which, option 3 was recommended. Ms Anthony and Mr Ireland responded to comments from Members, as follows:-

a)    in response to a concern about compromising existing support to the families covered by the County Council’s statutory responsibilities, Mr Ireland explained that those statutory responsibilities under care and childcare legislation pre-dated the current funding arrangement and would continue after whatever change came  in at the end of this financial year. Ms Anthony added that KSAS had been very effective in supporting many families who were at the edge of, but not covered by, that legislation.  The recommended option would allow the County Council scope to offer increased support where needed. Monitoring of the effects of this sort of service delivery over an 18-month period had shown good potential to benefit service delivery. The County Council’s newly-acquired responsibilities allowed it to provide assistance to a wider cohort of service users than was covered by its statutory responsibilities. Monitoring of the effects of this wider service delivery over an 18-month period had shown that option 3 would make the most of the community assets available;

b)    concern was expressed about the ramifications of this change upon the staff employed at the County Council’s call centre. Ms Anthony responded that discussion with the call centre was ongoing, with the aim of securing the best future arrangement for its involvement; and

c)    support for option 3 was expressed by other speakers as it would benefit community-based provision and allow flexibility.

2.    RESOLVED that:-

a)    the comments and concerns raised by Members in debate be noted and taken into account; and

b)   option 3 for further work and development of a full business case be endorsed, with a view to a formal decision on the issue being taken in the future by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health.