Venue: Council Chamber, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone
Contact: Ruth Emberley 03000410690 Email: ruth.emberley2@kent.gov.uk
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Introduction/Webcasting Announcement Additional documents: |
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Apologies and Substitutes Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Mr Nigel Coller, Mr Jordan Meade, Mr Alan Ridgers. |
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Declarations of Interest by Members in items on the agenda Additional documents: Minutes: Ms J Meade declared that she was an unpaid carer. |
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Minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2024 Additional documents: Minutes: RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings held on 19 September 2024 were correctly recorded and that paper copies be signed by the Chair. |
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Verbal Updates by Cabinet Member and Corporate Director Additional documents: Minutes: 1. The verbal update was provided by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Mr Dan Watkins and Corporate Director for Adult Social Care, Mr Richard Smith. Mr Watkins highlighted the following in his report:
a) A public consultation on changes to wellbeing services was scheduled to launch at the end of November 2024. The services are delivered by voluntary community organisations to help prevent, reduce or delay the need for people to receive care and support by keeping them well and independent. The proposal had been developed with the strategic provider and a full briefing will be circulated to Cabinet Committee Members prior to launch.
b) The Care Quality Commission Assurance visit took place at the end of September / beginning of October 2024 and the initial report is anticipated in early December 2024.
c) World Mental Health Day took place on the 10 October 2024 and the official theme was prioritising mental health in the workplace and Kent County Council supported this in a variety of ways.
d) Mr Watkins confirmed that he joined Mr Jordan Meade and Mr Andrew Kennedy, both of whom are KCC Mental Health Champions, on part of their tour of mental health charities around Kent (on 20 October 2024).
e) Mr Watkins confirmed that he would be attending the Kent and Medway Suicide and Self Harm Prevention Conference on the 26 November 2024 at the Detling Showground.
f) Mr Watkins confirmed as part of his tour of Adult Social Care and Health Services, he visited the Southfields Short Break Centre in Ashford on the 16 October 2024.
g) The Kent Dementia Show Case and Dementia Friendly Awards took part on the 21 October 2024. Mr Watkins confirmed that he presented the awards at Vally Park Secondary School in Maidstone.
2. Mr Kennedy confirmed that he was also attending the Kent and Medway Suicide and Self Harm Prevention Conference and requested that his thanks to Mr Streatfeild be recorded, in recognition for organising three successful visits to organisations within his division on World Mental Health Day.
3. Mr Kennedy explained to Members that he recently launched an initiative in his division called The Community Bridge which has been put together with the Kent County Council Mental Health team and Tonbridge and Malling Council provided financial support. The website is: communitybridge.co.uk
4. The Corporate Director for Adult Social Care, Mr Richard Smith highlighted the following in his verbal update:
a) Mr Smith gave his thanks to all staff involved in the CQC Assurance visit. He confirmed that the first report would be received during the last week of November / beginning of December and once he had taken the opportunity to review the contents for the purposes of challenge, question and check accuracy levels, the rating would then be published. An improvement plan would then be developed.
b) October was Black History month and there were various engagement opportunities throughout KCC. Mr Smith gave thanks to all staff involved with the planning ... view the full minutes text for item 218. |
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Draft Revenue and Capital Budget and MTFP Additional documents:
Minutes: 1. The item was present by Cabinet Member for Finance, Mr Peter Oakford. He commented that an individual report had been completed for each Cabinet Committee this financial year, meaning the respective Cabinet Member would deal with the responsibilities for own directorate. Mr Oakford discussed the high level budget and how it impacted the Council. The particular points to note included the following:
a) The Local Government Finance settlement would be provided late December 2024.
b) It was a draft budget put together using the current knowledge available and on the assumption that levels such as Council Tax would remain the same. The inheritance of the spending plans from the previous Government and the unknown intentions of the current Government in relation to these had also been factored in.
c) There were a number of challenges to the budget, which sat within the Adult Social Care budget. These were principally due to the pressures seen on adult social care, with £50 million of saving contained in the plan for adult social care this financial year. The current in year budget over spend was currently at £16 million.
d) It was confirmed that additional funds would be allocated to Adult Social Care, however the distribution was known. If the allocation was based on previously used methodology, it was possible the directorate would receive around £13 million. Taking into consideration the over spend of the current financial year and the required savings for the next year, it likely that this will be used to off set the budget pressures, rather than incremental spending.
2. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health explained the following:
a) In relation to demand, the current growth was approximately £66 million in spending for Adult Social Care, compared to £100 million of the previous year. Mr Watkins confirm that this reflected more people coming into the service and an increased complexity of need. Inflation was also a component, with payments of 3% uplift being paid to providers.
b) The Employer’s Bill of Rights was due for enactment in 2025 which would add an estimated £600 of cost per employee.
c) The target saving for the next financial year is proposed to be £38 Million, compared to £54 million of saving for this year. Despite this, Mr Watkins indicated that Adult Social Care, although off track for their budgetary targets, were on track to create the largest saving ever achieve by any directorate at Kent County Council.
d) The largest share of the £38 million in savings came from Transformation Programme (focused on how the services operated) at £28 million.
e) Some smaller savings involved a sum of £4 million which came from client contributions, which were essentially the uplift of benefits and other payments receive through inflation. The Preventative savings through the Community Wellbeing consultation being launched, was budgeted to save around £2.5 million in 2025.
f) Mr Watkins confirmed there was an unresolved item of £8.5 million of savings which were not achieved ... view the full minutes text for item 219. |
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Performance Dashboard Additional documents: Minutes: 1. The report was introduced by the Adult Social Care Performance Manager, Ms Helen Groombridge.
2. In answer to comments and questions made by Members Ms Groombridge commented:
3. RESOLVED to note the performance of Adult Social Care Services in Quarter 2 2024/2025
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Adult Social Care Pressures Plan Additional documents:
Minutes: 1. The report was presented by Assistant Director Operations, Ms Susan Ashmore.
2. In answer to questions and comments made by Members it was said that:
a) People ever over 65 and vulnerable people were eligible for a free COVID vaccine
b) A Member requested that the covering note which accompanied the report to be more focused so that Members got the full benefit of all the hard work conducted and residents were able to ascertain a clear picture of the continuous improvements, as well as a better understanding of how the improvements are being made.
c) East Kent Hospital trusts had the most stressed system for hospital discharge delay during winter pressures, however since the implementation of several new initiatives last winter has produced good results and the discharge delay number halved.
d) The benefits of encouraging residents to embrace technology to facilitate staying at home longer, whilst saving funds was discussed.
e) There were a number of technological responses which carers found useful, such as the 24 hour technical assessment equipment to ascertain whether someone is up walking during the night, falls prevention work to keep people from hospital admission, falling a fall. The idea was to grow awareness of technology in the Adult Social Care Connect Space.
f) Mr Smith stated that he, ICB (Integrated Care Board) KMPT (Kent and Medway Partnership Trust) were aware of the pressures on the Mental Health services at present and Kent had few acute beds which meant they needed community wrap around support and community step up beds. Mr Smith stated that commissioning pathways out of hospital need to be thought about in a very different way. He stated that, unless the pathways ways are fully commissioned, there was a risk that local solutions would come into play which could attract unforeseen circumstances.
3. RESOLVED to note the content of the report and the Adult Social Care Pressures Plan 2024-2025
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Annual Complaints Report Additional documents: Minutes:
1. The report was presented by the Customer Care and Complaints Manager Ms Debra Davidson.
2. In answer to questions and comments from Members it was said that:
a) The 51% of complaints that were either upheld or partially upheld, was a similar rate to that of other councils. A more detailed response could be provided if required.
b) In response to a Member indicting that it would be helpful to hear from someone in regarding the Coroner’s Inquest Enquiries and requests, it was confirmed that a member of the strategic safeguarding team could attend a committee meeting and provide further information regarding Coroners Involvement. It was explained that, on occasion, safeguarding was raised as an issue at inquest. A prevention of future deaths report can be ordered by a Coroner as part of their discretionary powers, which support their overall statutory powers.
c) It was confirmed that the Customer Care and Complaints team managed the process when a Coroner made a request and they ensured that Adult Social Care responded and followed the authorisation process.
d) Members were directed to sections of the reports and supporting appendices which set out the theme of Complaints and as well as the section entitled ‘You Said, We Did’.
e) The high level of compliments and the stories from members of the public were acknowledged and thanks was given to the directorate for their hard work.
3 RESOLVED to consider and commented on the content of the Annual Complaints Report.
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Additional documents: Minutes: 1. RESOLVED to note the work programme. |