Agenda and minutes

(i)        Cllr Mrs Wiltshire proposed and Mr R Clark seconded that Mr Mike Hill be elected Chairman of the Supporting People in Kent Commissioning Body.

Carried unanimously

(ii)       In thanking members for his election as Chairman of the Commissioning Body, Mr Hill said he had asked KCC officers to bring to the next meeting a report explaining more fully the rationale behind the County Council’s decision to move responsibility for Supporting People from the Kent Adult Social Services Directorate to the Communities Directorate with a consequent change in Cabinet portfolio holder responsibility.   

Action: Angela Slaven and Claire Martin

Noted

a) Commissioning Body 2 July 2009 and matters arising

b) Core Strategy Development Group 25 August 2009 and matters arising

(a)      The Commissioning Body meeting held on 2 July 2009

Agreed and signed as a true record.

Matters arising

In response to a point raised by Mr Porter, Claire Martin said that those bids which were currently being held back would now need to be looked at as part of the Strategy and it was hoped therefore to look at these again next April.

Action: Claire Martin

(b)      Core Strategy Development Group 25 August 2009

Noted for information

 - report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth Services and KDAT, Communities Directorate)

(i)                 The current forecast position for this year is that the Programme will spend £2,690k more than it receives in grant. This reflects a variance in the figure reported to the Commissioning Body in July 2009. The previously reported figure was £2,735k. This is due to some variances in contract values that were not finalised until the end of the last quarter.  Overall the Supporting People Programme Budget is therefore currently stable, with a small adjustment in anticipated expenditure in this financial year against contractual commitments. This will lead to a small increase in the under spend which is anticipated will be rolled over into 2010/2011 should the CLG agree to this.

(ii)               Claire Martin spoke about the likely pressure from the Government to reduce the Supporting People budget in Kent which currently stood at £32M. Members of the Commissioning Body said, and it was agreed, that steps should be taken now to put pressure on the government to sustain the current budget allocation in the Kent for Supporting People services.

Action: Claire Martin

- report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth Services and KDAT, Communities Directorate)

(i)        This report provided data on all aspects of performance management in the Kent Supporting People Programme.

(ii)       During the course of discussion it was said that more detail would be provided in future reports showing where people from out of county settle in Kent. Also there would be a report to a future meeting on what people needed in order to move on from supported housing.

Action: Claire Martin

(i)                 subject to the above the Commissioning Body noted the content of the report, that information on reconnection should be included in future reports. 

Action: Claire Martin

- report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth Services and KDAT, Communities Directorate )

(i)                 In presenting this report Claire Martin said the updated needs analysis indicated that the priority groups identified for service development in the Supporting People Strategy needed to be reviewed especially within a changing financial context. As part of this review an assessment would need to be undertaken on whether some funding should be withdrawn from some services is order to fund others.

(ii)               During the course of discussion it was agreed a report would be submitted to the next meeting on Home Improvement Agencies.

Action : Claire Martin 

(iii)             The Commissioning Body

(a)      noted the content of the report and agreed the establishment of two working groups to address the practicalities of planning change. One working Group would be set up for managing agents and the other for landlords.

(b)      a report will be submitted to the next meeting on Home Improvement Agencies.

–  report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth Services and KDAT, Communities Directorate)

(i)                 This report provided a position statement in relation to the commissioning decisions resulting from the strategic review of short-term supported accommodation.

(ii)               The Commissioning Body noted the report and agreed that as part of the strategic review of investment the Commissioning of new services that have not progressed to the planning stage should be reviewed.

- report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth Services and KDAT, Communities Directorate)

(i)                 Following discussion the Commissioning Body noted the contents of this report .

-   report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth Services and KDAT, Communities Directorate)

i.      This report provided a review of the interventions aimed at addressing housing issues and deprivation in two target wards of Cliftonville West and Margate Central. A first report was presented to the Commissioning Body in June 2009 and this report detailed progress against some of the key actions identified at that time.

ii.      The key stakeholders have agreed to multi-agency intervention through key interventions including the establishment of a Margate Task Force. Development of the task force was  being led by the Director of Thanet Works who had been seconded to get the task force up and running and will be looking at the extent to which public sector agencies are working together  A broader dedicated reference group is also to be set up and will include representatives from the different partner agencies. Thanet District Council was looking at existing bed and breakfast accommodation in the two wards, and investigating appropriate alternative means of meeting needs.

iii.      The JPPB(H) has agreed a new countywide protocol on how to deal with households placed in temporary/emergency accommodation. The measures agreed included information sharing between placing agency and Local Housing Authority, keeping such placements to a minimum time and ensuring that vulnerable households are referred for housing-related support.  There was also recognition of collective responsibility to ensure that more vulnerable people do not end up in Thanet than in the rest of Kent and that provision must be made for this.

iv.      during the course of discussion members of the Commissioning Body said they welcomed this report and the progress being made and asked that there should be updates on progress to future meetings.

(i)         Membership – Mr Hill reminded the meeting of the aim to encourage the local authorities in particular to be represented on the Commissioning Body by an elected member.

(ii)        Future Agendas - in response to a question Claire Martin said that whilst possibly the agenda for this particular meeting did not contain as many strategic issues as usual there would be some significant items coming through over the course of the next two meetings.

Wednesday 16 December 2009 at Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone commencing at 2.00 pm