Agenda item

The Monitoring Officers submits a report that enables the Commission to consider the call-in of four Executive decisions taken by the Assistant City Mayor – Adult Social Care and Wellbeing relating to Adult Social Care funding for the following:

·         Future Funding for Lunch Clubs

·         Future of Carers Support Services

·         Future Funding of the Leicester Stroke Club

·         Future of Visual and Dual Sensory Impaired Services

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report that enabled the Commission to consider the call-in of four Executive decisions taken by the Assistant Mayor – Adult Social Care and Wellbeing relating to Adult Social Care funding for the following:

·         Future Funding for Lunch Clubs

·         Future of Carers Support Services

·         Future Funding of the Leicester Stroke Club

·         Future of Visual and Dual Sensory Impaired Services

The decisions had been called-in under Part 4D, Rule 12f of the Council’s constitution and subsequently the matter had been referred to the Commission.

The Commission were recommended to:

a)    Note the report without further comment or recommendation, to be considered at a meeting of Full Council; or

b)    Comment on the specific issues raised by the call-in, which would then be considered at a meeting of Full Council; or

c)    Resolve that the call-in be withdrawn

The Chair addressed the Scrutiny Commission with the following statement:

On 28^th August VCS Phase 1 was on the agenda and was discussed at length. It was agreed to hold a Special meeting, at which VCS Phase 1 was discussed in greater detail, along with VCS Phase 2, as it enabled Scrutiny to consider the proposed changes to VCS funding from Adult Social Care in totality.

The cuts proposed to non-statutory services were acknowledged by Scrutiny, on the agreement that:

·         The service continued to reassure people where services were being changed, particularly those who were vulnerable and any individual who may have an eligible care and support need could be assessed for ongoing support.

·         That those accessing more than one of the services be adequately supported during the phased implementation of the new proposals.

·         Scrutiny receive an update with monitoring information at an appropriate time.

In the interest of promoting equality across the service, the Commission asked for a detailed equalities impact assessment for each VCS report.

The Chair stated that Leicester was not alone in having to make difficult choices. As adult social care directors nationally voiced concern in meeting all statutory duties over the next few years, the Council had to look at non-statutory services to make the required savings within Adult Social Care.

The Chair also reminded Members that the service was committed to making the transition as smooth as possible, with funding for lunch clubs tapered over the next three years, which providers said they were appreciative of.

Members felt assured the Officers would work effectively with groups, to help them identify alternative funding sources, and that members of those groups would be adequately signposted to other support services that were right for them.

The Chair invited Councillor Kitterick to present the call in, which included the following points:

·         It was reported that Adult Social Care was required to make savings of £790k. The decision to cut the budget by this amount, and that the voluntary sector should take the brunt of this cut were questioned.

·         Referring to lunch clubs, there was concern that voluntary groups who were doing well were being used as justification for the cuts, and that there was danger in saying other groups could provide lunch clubs for free.

·         That a recommendation be made to the Commission that after the 25% cut in year one, the groups should be revisited. Some clubs may cease, and some might not be affected at all.

·         Councillor Palmer had suggested the creation of an opportunity fund, which was another area to be considered.

·         In terms of carers services, it was a myth that statutory services were fundamental – it was something that parliament said should be provided. The local government knew what would work in Leicester.

·         If the Commission did nothing else, could the Officers and Councillors look at the funding for the Stroke Club, which was only £7,158, which could be taken back and looked at again.

The Chair invited the Assistant City Mayor – Adult Social Care and Wellbeing to respond to the call-in, and the following points were made:

·         It was understood the funding cuts were not palatable, but consideration had to be given to the whole council, its workforce, and the most vulnerable residents in the city on which resources would be focussed.

·         It was important that existing services were reconfigured to accommodate a smaller budget, ensure the most vulnerable people received the service they needed, and there had been no option but to make difficult decisions due to government funding cuts.

·         People had been listened to during consultation, and £40k had been put back into the budget for the visual and dual sensory impaired services.

·         In terms of the lunch clubs, they would have three years to work with the Council, and this was an opportunity for the groups to become self-sustaining.

·         For the Stroke Club, if any of the people attending the club had vulnerable needs, they could ask for an assessment. The £7k still had to be monitored as it was public money, and there had to be equality across the city and across vulnerabilities.

·         There was a £5million cost pressure within Adult Social Care, with the average cost of a care package more than three years ago. The department had to focus on statutory provision, and at the previous Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission meeting, the Members supported a way forward that was sustainable and continued to meet the needs of local residents.

Michael Smith, Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire asked if information on the VCS cuts and how they played in the larger picture, considering cuts to the Health Services, could be shared, in addition to the impacts on carers and the socially isolated.

The Chair thanked Members for their contributions and reminded them of the three options available to them.

The Vice-Chair proposed that the call-in be withdrawn. This was seconded by Councillor Aldred, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.

AGREED:

That the call-in of the decision with regards to the funding cuts for the following services be withdrawn by the Scrutiny Commission:

·         Future Funding for Lunch Clubs

·         Future of Carers Support Services

·         Future Funding of the Leicester Stroke Club

·         Future of Visual and Dual Sensory Impaired Services