Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr S Chandler (Dover District Council), Ms A Christou (Swale Borough Council), Mr H Cohn (Kent Probation), Cllr J Cunningham (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council), Mr G Gibbens (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health), Cllr A Hicks (Ashford Borough Council), Mrs T Kerly (Ashford Borough Council) and Cllr J Wilson (Maidstone Borough Council).

The chairman invited all those present to introduce themselves.

There were no declarations of interest.

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting of the Supporting People in Kent Commissioning Body held on 29 July 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chairman subject to the deletion of the word “Wednesday” in minute 13 and its replacement with the word “Thursday”.

(1)       Concerns were raised about the number of officers who had attended the meeting and officers were encouraged to make every effort to attend future meetings.

(2)       Agreed that the minutes of the Core Strategy Group meeting held on 12 September 2013 be noted.

(1)       Domini Gunn and Lorraine Regan from the CIH gave a presentation on findings from the needs analysis.  A copy of the presentation is at Appendix 1 to these minutes.

(2)       Comments were made and questions raised about a number of issues including:

·        the impact of welfare reform on young single people and those with chaotic lifestyles;

·        the priority accorded to service provision for gypsies and travellers and young single people;

·        the importance of ensuring that the conclusions in the CIH report were supported by strong evidence;

·        the fact that the relatively low levels of homelessness in Kent compared with the national average could be attributed to homelessness prevention work.

(3)       Agreed:

(a)       That the presentation be noted;

(b)       That the CIH Needs Analysis report be circulated to all members of the Supporting People Commissioning Body

(1)       Melanie Anthony (Commissioning and Development Manager) introduced the report which provided an overview of the first draft of Commissioned Services’ commissioning intentions for housing related support over the next three years.  The report was intended to provide the Commissioning Body with the means to debate and develop the intentions and enable the formulation of a robust action plan for re-shaping provision in Kent.

(2)       The report had arisen from the findings of the needs analysis conducted over the summer of 2013 and acknowledged the contribution housing related support made to community resilience and the sustainable communities’ agenda as well as the need to focus on universal services and for partners to work together. 

(3)       Melanie Anthony said the commissioning of housing related support services would adhere to the principles set out “Facing the Challenge: Delivering Better Outcomes.  An overview of future commissioning intentions was set out in Appendix 1 of the report and a Commissioning Framework which had been developed within the service was set out at Appendix 2.

(4)               Services for victims of domestic abuse had been identified as a priority in the Needs Analysis and it was proposed that the first cohort plan would be developed in order to commission services for this group of people.

(5)               In response to concerns that the Commissioning Body would not have the opportunity to agree the detailed commissioning plan, officers said that it had been intended to present the full needs analysis report to this meeting but the needs analysis had taken longer than anticipated.  It was also confirmed that the Commissioning Body would be consulted before any services were commissioned.

(6)               The Commissioning Body suggested talking to the Community Safety Partnership about services for victims of domestic abuse and encouraging a consortium approach to commissioning services so local voluntary organisations would not be prevented from tendering.

(7)       Agreed that:

(a)       the Commissioning Plan be further considered at the meeting of the Supporting People Commissioning Body on Tuesday, 28 January 2014.

(b)       Domestic Abuse services were a priority and officers would develop a cohort plan to inform commissioning.

(1)       Melanie Anthony (Commissioning and Development Manager) introduced the report which provided the Commissioning Body with an update on the impact of the utilisation of Floating Support in Lieu Services to support the Troubled Families agenda. 

(2)       Agreed that the update be noted.

(1)       Melanie Anthony (Commissioning and Development Manager) introduced the report and highlighted aspects of performance management within the Supporting People programme.  The key performance indicator that related to people maintaining or achieving independence had been achieved again in Quarter 1 2013/14.  Housing related support services had been delivered to nearly 9,700 vulnerable people within sheltered, supported and floating support services, a further 8,307 people had received community alarms and 944 households had used a housing improvement agency (HIA) service. 

(2)       Melanie Anthony also said that improvement plans were being developed to meet a target of 80% set for short term services (KP12) which had not been met in Quarter 1.

(3)       Agreed that the report be noted.

(1)       Diane Wright (Head of Commissioned Services) introduced the report which set out a forecast of the outturn for the 2013-14 financial year.  A review of contracts accounted for approximately £1m of the projected underspend of £1,327.1K, and the remainder from robust tendering and closure of contracts not being utilised for the Troubled Families agenda. 

(2)       In response to questions it was confirmed that this underspend could not be carried forward into 2014/15 or added to reserves.

(3)       The Supporting People Commissioning Body heard of the increased demand for a range of housing related services. The chairman set in context the KCC financial reporting requirements and the demand for the future management of the considerable savings that KCC had to achieve with no service area being exempt.  He agreed that ideas for the potential use of the underspend should be explored but stressed that they must be pragmatic, legal and sensible solutions and would need to comply with KCC's policies and procedures.

(4)       Agreed:

(a)       That the underspend be noted;

(b)       That officers consider how the underspend might be used in the current year;

(c)        That an opportunity be given to district, borough and city councils to suggest potential options for using the underspend.

Agreed that members of the Supporting People Commissioning Body be invited to suggest items for consideration at future meetings.

Meetings of the Commissioning Body in 2014 will be held on

Tuesday, 28 January

Wednesday, 2 April

Tuesday, 22 July

Tuesday, 7 October.

All meetings will be held at Sessions House, County Hall and will start at 2.00pm

Agreed that meetings of the Commissioning Body for 2014 be held on:

Tuesday, 28 January;

Wednesday, 2 April;

Tuesday, 22 July; and

Tuesday 7 October.

All meetings to take place at Sessions House, County Hall and start at 2.00pm