Agenda and minutes

Noted.

Mr Mike Hill proposed and Cllr Tony Austin seconded that Cllr Mrs Jill Anderson be elected Vice-Chairman of the Commissioning Body.

Carried unanimously

The minutes of the meeting of the Commissioning Body held on 21 September 2010 were agreed as a true record.  Matters arising were dealt with as appropriate.

The Commissioning Body noted for information the Minutes of the meeting of the Core Strategy Group held on 16 December 2010

– report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth and Community Support Services)

(1) This report presented a revised version of the Memorandum of Understanding and suggested that further consideration should be given as to the opportunity to formally delegate control of the Supporting People budget to the Commissioning Body as well as strengthen the ability for negotiation between the Commissioning Body and the County Council in securing adequate funding to meet the housing related support needs of vulnerable people in Kent.

(2)       During the course of discussion it was said, and agreed that legal advice should be sought as to the ability of the County Council to delegate the SPCB budget in the way suggested in the paper. It was also said that it was for each district partner to consider within its own constitutional arrangements what procedures it would need to follow in order to be able to sign the Memorandum of Understanding.

(3)       The Commissioning Body agreed

(a) that subject to paragraph 3 (b) below, the revised Memorandum of Understanding be adopted in principle;

(b) two further reports be submitted to the next meeting. The first regarding whether there are any legal implications should the County Council wish to make a formal delegation of the SPCB budget to the Commissioning Body; and the second on what opportunities may exist in order to strengthen the ability for negotiation between the Commissioning Body and the County Council to secure adequate funding to meet the needs of vulnerable people who have a requirement for housing related support.

 – report by AngelaSlaven, Director of Youth and Community Support Services)

(1)       This report set out a proposal to the Commissioning Body to deliver the requirement for a saving of £7 million over the next two years in response to the adjustment of investment and the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2010. The Programme was profiled to achieve savings of £3 million in 2011/12 and £4m in 2012/13 by the County Council. The Programme proposed savings of £3.5 million in 2011/12 and £3.5 million in 2012/13. However, the savings in 2011/12 would be offset by the utilisation of £3.2 million of reserves, and the Supporting People Programme identifying a further saving of £300,000. The Commissioning Body would then need to deliver £7 million of savings in 2012/13.  The report set out the opportunities to achieve the savings and aimed to provide a provisional assessment of the required activity and impact of a reduction in the grant allocation.

(2)       During the course of a wide ranging discussion it was agreed that the Core Strategy Group would be presented in February with an impact assessment which set out the implications of Option One and Two in relation to districts and boroughs, and providers. The report to the Commissioning Body would be sent out prior to the Commissioning Body meeting with a covering letter from Mike Hill. However there was support expressed for Option 2 with it being said that this should be adopted in principle.

(3)       The Commissioning Body endorsed a close working relationship between the Supporting People Programme and the Children’s Trust Boards and Kent Adult Social Services. Particular concerns were expressed about the reduction in funding to floating support and the potential impact that this would have, and Canterbury City Council expressed concern about the reduction in funding for extra care sheltered housing. It was agreed that adult social services and health would work with the City Council to see if the deficit in funding that would arise if Option 2 was agreed would be at least partially met by funding from social care/health. The Supporting People team agreed to make an initial approach to Kent Adult Social Services to effect this. The health economy also needed to be regularly represented at meetings of both the Core Strategy Group and the Commissioning Body. The Supporting People team agreed to try and ensure that this could be achieved, although this has proved a challenge in the past.

(4)       At the conclusion of discussion it was agreed that the principles of Option 2 should be accepted but that the Core Strategy Group should be asked to evaluate the impact assessment and that a further report would be made to the next meeting of the Commissioning Body in March.

– report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth and Community Support Services)

(1)       This report set out a proposal to the Commissioning Body to refine the management of performance within the Kent Supporting Programme. This would need to be developed within the context of the continued expectations of the Communities and Local Government Department in relation to performance and those of key stakeholders, providers and service users

(2)       During the course of discussion it was said that a move to payment by results may put some providers off from wishing to continue providing a service. It was recognised that this could potentially be the case and therefore was an issue which would need to be considered within the implementation of the Programme. Other points made included the need to ensure providers complied with the Kent procedures related to adult and child protection, and safeguarding issues and the need to keep performance mechanisms sharp and focused.

(3)       The Commissioning Body then agreed that the Supporting People Team should work with key stakeholders, providers and service users in order to develop:

(a)       a payment by results model across all services for implementation post April 2012

(b)       a performance management framework which secures value for money and outcomes that meet the needs of commissioners and service users; and,

(c )       a progress report be submitted to the next meeting .

– report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth and Community Support Services)

(1)       Kent Supporting People Programme Administration Grant funding of £735k was withdrawn by the Communities and Local Government Department in 2010/11 and the implications of that were discussed with the Commissioning Body in September 2010.

(2)       This paper outlined the funding requirement from reserves to fund the Kent Supporting People Team in 2010/11 and sought the endorsement of the decision made by Kent County Council to utilise reserves to fund the team.

(3)       The Commissioning Body noted the report and appendices and endorsed the decision of KCC to utilise the reserves to fund the Kent Supporting People Team in 2010/11.

The following is an unrestricted minute of a matter which the Commissioning Body resolved was a matter that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting for on the grounds that the item of business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2  of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act

– report by Angela Slaven, Director of Youth and Community Support Services)

(1)       The Supporting People Programme would need to reduce its staffing numbers by the end of 2012/13 so as to reflect the anticipated 22% savings required within the Programme, whilst balancing the administrative requirements of the Programme. The staffing reductions proposed would still allow the Supporting People Team to continue to deliver its core functions without detriment to the Programme.

(2)       The Commissioning Body asked that there was due consideration given of the need to reflect the reduction in the funding of direct service delivery and therefore there needed to be a balance struck between the funding that should accrue to the administration of the Programme and the staffing complement required to achieve the work of the Programme. It was agreed that a revised proposal should be put to the next meeting of the Commissioning Body in March 2011 which duly reflected this.