Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received from Mr M Balfour, Mr J Clinch, Miss E Dawson, Mr G Koowaree and Ida Linfield.

Mr D Brazier attended as a substitute for Mr M Balfour, Mr D Daley attended as a substitute for Mr G Koowaree and Mrs T Dean attended as a substitute for Ida Linfield respectively.

Mr J Burden declared an interest in relation to item 9 on the agenda, as he was the Director of Age UK North West Kent.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee held on 27 November 2019 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

RESOLVED that the 2020/2021 meeting dates for the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee be noted.

(1)        Mrs Bell (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

a)    Kent Adult Safeguarding Board – Annual Report to Full Council

At the Full Council meeting which had taken place on 17^th December 2019, Mrs Bell and Deborah Stuart-Angus (Chair of the Kent and Medway Adult Safeguarding Board) presented the Board's annual report for 2018/19. The report set out the responsibilities and structure of the Board, detailed how the multi-agency partnership delivered against its priorities for the year and provided information in relation to service user feedback. At the meeting, Ms Stuart-Angus had announced that national comparator data was available on the NHS Digital website and that Kent compared favourably across a number of indicators against the national average.

b)   The official launch of the Kent Deaf Interpreting Service (KDIS)

On 3^rd December 2019, Mrs Bell attended and spoke at the official launch of the KDIS at Sessions House, the KDIS provided interpreting and communication services for individuals in Kent who were d/Deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. A small team of in-house British Sign Language interpreters, supported by a network of professionally trained and registered local interpreters and agencies attended the event and the KDIS could be accessed by a range of organisations. The event was successful, inspiring and very well attended and there were many speakers, including Kent Police, deaf community workers and members of the deaf community.

c)    Visit to KCC’s West Kent team – Adult Social Care for Older People (Worrall House, Kings Hill) and Sevenoaks Leisure Centre (Sevenoaks)

In December 2019, Mrs Bell accompanied Mrs Allen on her Chairman's tour to Worrall House in Kings Hill to visit staff in the West Kent team of Adult Social Care for older people, covering the area referral management service, clients' support service, KIER, teams who undertook frontline assessments, social workers, and assessment and review teams. They had also visited Sevenoaks leisure centre where they were made to feel very welcome by the staff and a small group of service users of the Learning Disability Day Service and learnt about the preparations that were in place for Christmas and the vast range of activities that they were engaged in, both within the centre and out in the community.

d)   Update on the Adult Social Care Case Management System (MOSAIC)

Mrs Bell referred to the series of slides presented at the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee meeting on 27^th November 2019 which related to the Adult Social Care and Health Being Digital Strategy 2019-2021. She referred specifically to MOSAIC, the new modernised computer system (which had replaced SWIFT) which operated across Adult Social Care in Kent and mentioned the extensive amount of work that had been carried out in relation to the new system.

e)    Visit to the Social Care Short Term Pathways Team at The William Harvey Hospital, Ashford

In January 2020, Mrs Bell visited the Social Care Short Term Pathways team at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 195.

Ms Goldsmith (Finance Business Partner - Social Care, Health & Wellbeing) was in attendance for this item

(1)        Ms Goldsmith briefly introduced the report which provided Members with the opportunity to comment on the Draft Budget proposals for 2020-21 and make recommendations to Cabinet Member prior to presentation at Cabinet on 27 January 2020 and full Council on 13 February 2020.

Officers then responded to comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

a)    In response to a question, Ms Goldsmith confirmed that she would liaise with Finance officers and provide further information to Committee Members outside of the meeting in relation to the following:

·         The timescales and potential bids in relation to the multi-year Spending Review.

·         Potential plans to allocate a lump of the £3.5m to Children, Young People and Education related projects.

·         Whether there had been any indication on national funding over the next five years, apart from the one-year settlement.

·         Further details which related to the elements of the transformation savings.

·         A list of figures in relation to the whole programme system change savings.

b)    In response to a question, Ms Goldsmith confirmed that the winter pressures grant would be funded through the Improved Better Care Fund and said that the amount would remain the same as the previous year.

c)    Ms Tidmarsh referred to a briefing session which had been held by Ms Goldsmith and Mrs Penny Southern which related to transformation savings and the Whole System Programme for Change.

(2)        RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Ms McGibbon (Senior Project Officer) was in attendance for this item

(1)        Ms Tidmarsh introduced the report which set out information relating to the formal consultation on Minnis Community Hub, Birchington.

Officers responded to a number of comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

a)    Ms Tidmarsh referred to the variety of services and activities offered at the hub and said that the hub would often be used as a respite facility for carers. Ms McGibbon added that the scheduled activities depended on the individuals that were in attendance and were personalised to suit the users.

b)    Ms Tidmarsh emphasised the importance of adapting services within Adult Social Care to meet the change in service need and demand.

c)    Ms Tidmarsh referred to the accommodation standards within Westbrook House and said that there were central spaces for individuals to meet and mix with other groups, private areas and a garden which was open to all service users.

d)    Ms Tidmarsh referred to the series of slides presented at the last meeting of the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee in November 2019 which related to the Adult Social Care and Health Being Digital Strategy 2019-2021 and emphasised the importance of digital developments and ensuring that individuals were able to connect to the internet if they wished to outside of their home. She referred to an upcoming project within Adult Social Care and Health which would focus on working in partnership with the voluntary care sector to encourage the use of technology and confirmed that face-to-face contact would not be replaced. She said that a further report would be brought to a future meeting of the Committee in relation to the enhancement of digital services and technology.

e)    Ms Tidmarsh said that the Minnis Community Hub building would not be left empty and confirmed that KCC’s Adult Learning Disability service also used the building and wished to increase its use.

f)     Ms Tidmarsh said that Kent County Council was the lead for the Public Finance Initiative (PFI) contract for the integrated care centres and that they were operated in partnership with the NHS. Kent County Council had a joint contract with the NHS for care navigation and social prescribing.

g)    Ms Tidmarsh referred to a programme within the STP and the NHS in relation to urgent treatment and emergency care centres and confirmed that GP Primary Care Networks (PCNs) were working towards grouping services together to provide hubs for people in the community.

(2)        RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Mr Mitchell (Interim Commissioner) was in attendance for this item

(1)        The Chairman reminded Members that a supplementary appendix had been distributed which was an updated version of the appendix within the agenda packs.

(2)        Mr Mitchell briefly introduced the report and presented a series of slides which set out information relating to the progress that had been made on the Community Based Wellbeing Services project and the procurement programme and grant extensions required to ensure continuity of service for providers through the phased procurement programme.

Officers then responded to a number of comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

(a)  Mr Mitchell stated that organisations that were funded by Kent County Council had taken part in a variety of workshops and events and were being encouraged to work together in relation to leading future contracts. He added that advertisements would been released on Kent County Council’s Business Portal which shared information about forthcoming tendering opportunities.

(b)  Mr Mitchell referred to the list of organisations and values within the report and explained the current grants that were in place, the length of the grants and the value of the extension in order to cover the entirety of the procurement period.

(c)  Mr Mitchell briefly referred to the engagement work that had taken place between Kent County Council and two of Kent’s borough councils (Sevenoaks and Folkestone) in relation to the project. Ms Tidmarsh added that meetings had taken place between Kent County Council and Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC) which related to partnership working.

(d)  Mr Mitchell referred to the closure of Age Concern Malling and the five organisations that received the redistributed monies to cover the Malling area as a result of the closure.

(e)  Mr Mitchell stated that he would provide further information to Members of the Committee in relation to the contracts that were in place, after the procurement stage was completed.

(f)   Ms Maynard stated that the contract specifically related to the older population as opposed to young people, although Kent County Council’s Adult Social Care Lifespan team worked closely with the Children’s, Young People and Education directorate to ensure that young people had a smooth transition into adulthood.

(2)        RESOLVED that the report be noted.

RESOLVED that the work programme for 2020/21 be noted.