Issue - meetings

To receive a report which sets out the rationale behind requesting an extension of the Shared Supported Living Services and 24-Hour Care and Support under the Supporting Independence Services Contract for 11 months in order to enable the Council to fully analyse the service and develop solutions.

Jack Moss (Senior Commissioning Manager) was in attendance for this item

1.    Jack Moss introduced the report and described the Shared supported Living arrangement whereby someone who already had, or who wanted to have their own tenancy or own home, within a property where there was the possibility of support being shared by the tenants. The tenant would be supported by a “care and support” provider to help them to live as independently and safely as possible.

(a)    In response to a question, Jack Moss said that a figure within the report had been removed due to modelling work.

(b)    In response to a question, Jack Moss said community-based services were chargeable, providing they did not fall within the enablement provision.

(c)     In response to a question, Penny Southern said that the majority of individuals that would benefit from the support services were people with very complex needs. She said that if support was provided in the most appropriate way, admissions into acute hospitals could be reduced.

2.    Mr Gibben’s talked about the importance of carers and young carers. He said that a major challenge was around people that were caring for relatives that did not make themselves known, and therefore they were much harder to reach out to and support. He said that work had been undertaken with CCG’s and GP partners to carry out as much work as possible to target and support hidden carers and address issues around the social isolation and loneliness of carers.

(d)    In response to a question relating to the equalities impact assessment, Jack Moss said that last year, the grant was changed for a number of Kent County Council’s carers organisations into a contract which enabled greater collection of data.

(e)    Michael Thomas-Sam said that the government had recently published a Carers Action Plan which would be reflected in the Adult Social Care Green Paper, but also as part of the integration around the NHS plan.

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

a)    approve the extension of the Shared Supported Living Services and 24-Hour Care and Support under the Supporting Independence Services Contract for 11 months, allowing for a phased inclusion in the Care and Support in the Home Contract; and

b)    delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, or other nominated officer, to undertake the necessary actions to implement the decision,

be endorsed.