Agenda item

A verbal update will be given on the implementation of the recent decision on the future of the Council’s Elderly Persons’ Homes and the provision of Intermediate Care facilities.  The Commission is recommended to receive this update and comment as appropriate.

A copy of the signed decision notice is attached for information.

a)    Elderly Persons’ Homes

The Director for Care Services and Commissioning (Adult Social Care) advised the Commission that:-

·           A programme board had been established to look at the sale of the homes and asset disposal once they were sold, as well as the “moving on” of residents from the three homes that would be closed;

·           There would be dedicated “moving on” staff, who would be trained on 14 November 2013;

·           Following staff training, community care assessments would be started in line with legal requirements;

·           Customers without mental capacity to make decisions about moving would be appropriately represented at all stages in the moving plan process;

·           The stages in the “my moving plan” process were:

i)       Deciding who needed to be involved in “my moving plan”

ii)      A meeting to look at what was most important to the service user about moving and the development of an outline moving plan

iii)    A reassessment of the service user’s needs

iv)    A review of the service user’s plan after their assessment and deciding who would support them in choosing a home

v)      Planning the move in detail 

vi)     What needs to happen on the day of the move

vii)   After the move, putting in place the checks the service user had asked for in the first few weeks, following up with a formal review at 4 weeks and 6 months; and

·           The timescales for this could only be known once the reassessments were completed.

The Chair reminded Members that the Commission had been resolute that it wanted to see a recognised carer designated for each resident who was moving.  The Director for Care Services and Commissioning (Adult Social Care) confirmed that the member of staff identified for each resident would accompany that resident to viewings at other homes.  Efforts would be made to try and enable the member of staff to be a daily presence in the resident’s new home, including releasing the member of staff from other work.  However, any arrangements would be based on the individual’s needs and the family’s wishes. 

The following comments were made in discussion:-

o    Before the decision was taken, officers wrote to families and spoke to residents who had the capacity to discuss the matter.  Some individuals were anxious about changing home, but extra help would be provided where needed.  Where residents did not have capacity, communication was via the residents’ representatives;

o    Updates were required on the position of each resident at each stage of the process, so that the Commission could reassured that residents’ anxiety was being minimised;

o    If relatives wanted to address the Commission at any time they could do so.  Arrangements could be made for this to be done in private if preferred; and

o    It was hoped that all residents of elderly persons’ homes would have moved by the end of the current financial year, but individuals’ circumstances could result in some residents remaining in homes scheduled for closure after then.  If this happened, the support outlined above would continue.

RESOLVED:

That anonymised updates be made on the position of each resident at each stage of the process of moving them from their current Elderly Persons’ Home to new ones.

b)    Intermediate Care

The Director of Adult Social Care and Safeguarding reminded the Commission that the decision on the closure of Elderly Peoples’ Homes included the development of a 60-bed Intermediate Care facility.  Work was underway to establish how this could be done, which took in to account the previously agreed requirements to make the facilities homely and to develop them around small households.  When this was finalised, the proposals would be submitted for approval.

The Director of Adult Social Care and Safeguarding further advised that:-

·           A robust approach to procurement would be taken, so that the Council could control finance and service delivery;

·           An outline business case was being developed, which would be brought to the Commission for scrutiny before it was submitted for approval; and

·           The final configuration of the service had not been agreed yet and all options would be considered, (for example, having two smaller units of 30 beds each, or one larger unit of 60 beds). 

c)    Elderly Persons’ Commission

The Director of Adult Social Care and Safeguarding reminded the Commission that the decision on the closure of Elderly Peoples’ Homes included the creation of an Elderly Persons’ Commission.  Discussions on the structure of that Commission, and how it would operate, would be held with the Assistant Mayor (Adult Social Care).  The Adult Social Care commission would be kept advised of how the Elderly Persons’ Commission was developing.

Members expressed concern that some elements of the decision on Elderly Persons’ Homes appeared to have not been recorded clearly and asked that greater care be taken in the future to record decisions accurately, so that all detail was included.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the Director of Delivery, Communications and Political Governance be asked to request that the Executive ensure that care is taken to record decisions accurately; and

2)    That the Chair of this Commission raise this Commission’s concerns about the recording of the decision on Elderly Persons’ Homes at Overview Select Committee.