Agenda and draft minutes

1)    Apologies were received from Cllr A Ewart-James (Shepway DC), Cllr A Hicks (Ashford BC), Cllr L Weatherly (Tunbridge Wells BC), Cllr J Howes (Canterbury CC), Mr G Lymer, Mr P Whitfield (Dover DC), Ms T Wenham (Thanet  DC), Mrs A Christou (Swale DC), Mr P Dosad (Dartford BC), Mr A Hammond (Shepway DC), Ms Suki Binning (Kent Surrey, and Sussex CRC) and Ms P Smith (Sevenoaks DC).

2)    Mrs A Stacey, Ms A Haines, Ms S Sainsbury, Ms Leanne Walters and Ms J Ellis attended as substitutes for Ms T Wenham, Mr P Dosad, Mr A Hammond, Ms Suki Binning (Kent, Surrey, and Sussex CRC) and Ms P Smith (Sevenoaks DC) respectively.

1)    There were no declarations of interest.

1)    Agreed that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 January 2015 be confirmed and were signed by the Chairman.

1)    Melanie Anthony introduced the report that summarised the Council’s new arrangements for commissioning housing related support in which the housing related support would be transferred to Social Care Health and Wellbeing. She also confirmed that the bullet point list on page 8 should include Offenders. The report made recommendations on how it was intended to include key strategic partners in future joint consultation arrangements following the transfer of housing related support to Social Care Health and Wellbeing.

2)    During discussion concerns were raised about:

·         How Members would be kept informed about future changes in housing related support

·         The capacity of all local HWBs to give detailed consideration to housing related issues

·         And the reporting if financial and performance information.

3)    In response to comments made and questions raised Mark Lobban reassured the meeting that although the SPCB budget was no longer ring fenced, housing related support was a key element of preventative services and at a local level there was a need to be transparent about the local expenditure and outcomes.

4)    He further said that the arrangements set out in the paper were intended to enable housing related support to be considered in a broader context of support to vulnerable people as services were redesigned and transferred.

5)    Agreed that:

·         A recommendation be made to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health that the commissioning Body is dissolved.

·          The revised consultation arrangements as set out in Appendix 1 be implemented with immediate effect with the inclusion of District Council Housing portfolio holders in the Kent Leaders and Kent HWB consultation groups.