Agenda and minutes

Noted.

The minutes of the meeting of the Commissioning Body held on 17 March 2011 were agreed and signed by the Vice-Chairman as a true record.  Matters arising were dealt with as appropriate.

The Commissioning Body noted for information the Minutes and Action Plan of the meeting of the Core Strategy Group held on 23 May 2011. 

– report by Angela  Slaven, Director of Director of Service Improvement)

(1)       This  report provided a summary of the performance of the programme to date against targets set by the Commissioning Body and recommended a task and finish group be appointed to evaluate the current performance management framework and to recommend the basis for a performance management framework for 2012/13.

(2)       Following discussion the Commissioning Body agreed as follows:

(i)         the content of the report be noted and agreement be given to the establishment of a task and finish group comprising volunteers from the Core Strategy Group to recommend to the Commissioning Body a performance management framework for 2012/13. Agreement was also given to the Executive Forum of Providers being asked to put forward a nomination to serve on the task and finish group; and,  

(ii)        confirmation be given to the acceptance of the expenditure of £2,000 per annum to the Centre of Housing Research until and unless a suitable and more cost effective solution is found.

– report by AngelaSlaven, Director of Service Improvement)

(1)       The Communities and Local Government Department has asked Kent County Council to be the Supporting People Programme Payment By Results pilot authority in the South East. This report sought agreement for the Commissioning Body to participate in a Payment By Results pilot in Quarters 3 and 4 of 2011/12 (October 2011 to March 2012) and to the establishment of a task and finish group to look at the proposed model that could be adopted in supported housing in April 2013 subject to Core Strategy Group recommendation, and Commissioning Body approval.

(2)       During the course of discussion Mr Porter said, and it was agreed that the impact of existing payments by results for sheltered housing should also be considered as part of the work of the task and finish group.

(3)       The Commissioning Body agreed

(i)  that it should participate in the CLG Payment by Results pilot and in order to take that forward agreement be given to the establishment of a Core Strategy Task and Finish Group to develop a model for consideration by the Commissioning Body. The impact of existing payments by results for sheltered housing would also be considered as part of the work of the task and finish group.

(ii)        the Programme would work with providers and service users to help develop a model for consideration by the Commissioning Body.

report by Angela  Slaven, Director of Service Improvement)

(1)       This report proposed the tendering of floating support services to reflect the revised schedule of Supporting People Programme spend in the forthcoming year. The report also proposed the tendering of a total of 1,685 units of specialist and generic floating support services to start to deliver a service in the last quarter of 2011/12.  New processes and procedures for floating support would be implemented and it was proposed to commission specialist services on an east/west Kent basis and generic services on an east/west/north and south basis.

(2)       During the course of detailed discussion members of the Commissioning Body raised a number of points of detail to which officers responded accordingly. Also Cllr Mrs Belcourt proposed and Cllr Mr Austin seconded that the word ‘able’ in the penultimate line of paragraph 8 of the report (Legal Implications) be deleted and replaced with the word ’required’.  Carried unanimously.  Also it be recorded in the minutes that providers will need to seek their own legal advice in relation to TUPE.

(3)       The Commissioning Body agreed that subject to the amendment to paragraph 8, as described in paragraph 5 (2) above

(i)         the proposals set out in the report to tender floating support services in 2011/12 be agreed,  

(ii) the specialist service for the deaf as outlined in section 4 of the report be retained,

(iii)        any additional savings that are achieved within the Programme be allocated to floating support services and brought back to the Commissioning Body for agreement,

(iv)       it be noted that the Supporting People Programme would tender for new floating support services in accordance with European Union procurement regulations. Also providers would need to seek their own legal advice in relation to the transfer of undertakings of protection of employment (TUPE) in order to resolve whether or not they are required to transfer employees from current floating support contracts into newly configured floating support contracts; and,

(v)  The Commissioning Body noted a report on the outcome of the tender process would be submitted to a future meeting.

– report by Angela  Slaven, Director of Service Improvement)

(1)       The Commissioning Body asked for a quarterly assessment of the impact of the reduction in capacity of floating support services following the non-renewal of district and borough based floating support contracts. Therefore this report provided information about the demand for and pressures on floating support services within the Kent Supporting People Programme.

(2)       During the course of discussion members of the Commissioning Body raised a number of points of detail to which officers responded accordingly.

(3)       Following discussion the Commissioning Body agreed to note the contents of the report.

– report by Angela Slaven, Director of Service Improvement) 

(1)       This report set out the Supporting People commissioning team financial outturn for 2010/11 and the balance held on reserves at 31 March 2011.

(2)       The Commissioning Body noted the outturn expenditure of Supporting People Services in 2010/11 and the respective funding streams together with the balances on reserves at 31 March 2011, and the amount to be carried forward to 2011/12.

Angela Slaven said that Mr Hill had said he believed it would be helpful to have at future meetings a presentation on some aspect of the work of the Commissioning Body and for these presentations to include input from providers and user groups. The Commissioning Body fully supported this proposal and it was suggested that the first presentation could focus on issues related to Domestic Abuse Refuges.  

Tuesday 11 October 2011, Darent Room  Sessions House, Maidstone

The date of the next meeting of the Commissioning Body is on Tuesday 11 October 2011 in the Darent Room, Sessions House County Hall, Maidstone commencing at 10:00 AM