Issue - meetings

Mental Health Community Support Services - 11/01746

 

 

Meeting: 14/09/2012 - Social Care and Public Health Cabinet Committee (Item 28)

28 11/01746 - Outcome of Formal Consultation to Change the Service Model and Staff Structure of the Mental Health Community Support Services pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

1.         Ms Southern introduced the report and presented a series of slides which set out the proposal for the Support Time Recovery (STR) service, some example outcomes and the consultation process.  She responded to comments and questions from Members and the following points were highlighted:-

 

a)         consultation had been carried out with the 65 existing staff members who would be affected by the proposed change, and briefing sessions held to set out the proposed changes and what impact they would have upon staff. Responses to consultation had been received from 28 staff members;

 

b)         the proposed changes to the staff structure and numbers had been modelled on current service activity and throughput.  Although it is expected that more clients will want to access services, the pattern of service use is changing.  The services which are accessed by clients, the way in which they are accessed, and the length of time for which clients require a service, are all changing;

 

c)         charges made to clients for service use are in line with the government rules which came into force in July 2012 for charging for community-based services, and are means-tested, although the County Council retains the option to disregard a client’s income; and

 

d)         all clients accessing services must go through an assessment process, and the current assessment system will remain.  However, some clusters of providers have previously opted out of the current system and this geographical anomaly must be addressed so the same process is applied county-wide.

 

2.         The Cabinet Member, Mr Gibbens, said he was very encouraged by the system which ensures that people get the support they need.  He thanked Members for the points raised and confirmed that he would take account of them when taking the decision.

 

3.         RESOLVED that the decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to implement a new service model (Mental Health Support Time Recovery Service) and staff structure, be endorsed.