Agenda and minutes

Contact: Lisa Richards 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of interest from Members.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

3.

Disclosure of Party Whips

To receive disclosures of prohibited party whips which a Member has been given in relation to the meeting in accordance with Section 78(3) of the Local Government Measure 2011.

 

(NB:  Members are reminded that, under Section 78, Members having been given a prohibited party whip cannot vote on a matter before the Committee.)

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of party whips.

4.

Short Term Recovery Plan pdf icon PDF 224 KB

To consider the short term Recovery Plan.

Minutes:

Documents:

·         Short Term Recovery Plan – June 2020

 

Discussion:

·         All services of the Authority have been required to complete a short term recovery plan which will be reviewed regularly

·         Not all sections are able to implement recovery plans – for example, within Adult Services many staff are still redeployed to business-critical roles

·         Within day care it is not possible to manage social distancing and a lot of clients are shielding or vulnerable.  Discussions are ongoing with clients to assess how they can be supported in a different way.

·         Support to the market has been intensified to aid sustainability

·         Section 33 meetings will be reconvened from 3 July 2020.  Lessons learned throughout the period will be taken on board to improve future responses to a further outbreak of Covid 19 or winter pressures.  The Corporate Director chairs a formal Board and a Section 33 Operations Group has been set up to consider how demand might change in the future and what future services may look like.  There is an input from GPs on the Operations Group.  A joint appointment has been made for a Section 33 Pooled Funds Manager to oversee all projects.

·         The Corporate Director and Head of Commissioning have met Care Forum Wales to discuss the practicalities and trialling of innovative practices

·         Lessons learned across all authorities will be brought together to move delivery of service forward to ensure better outcomes, best use of resources and how to be best prepared for any future spike in the pandemic

·         There is likely to be an increase in referrals as other agencies return to business as usual. 

·         Winter pressures will also lead to an increase in referrals

·         Staff wellbeing has been paramount throughout the pandemic.  A Wellbeing Protocol is in draft.  It is recognised that agile working does not suit everyone, but many have welcomed the new working arrangements.

·         Business continuity activities continue alongside the recovery process.  The service is also mindful of the need to be Inspection ready

·         Priority 2 visits will not restart in the current period.  Before any visits are reinstated, a review will take place of an individual’s needs.

·         There has been significant support for providers during the period.  Weekly meetings have been held, fact sheets sent out and questions answered.  A survey has been sent out to the market.  Generally, providers have welcomed the support that has been in place.

·         The service will work with the market to shape future delivery

·         The Start Well, Live Well, Age Well partnership boards will continue

·         Other issues, such as people delaying access to health services, will also be considered

·         The Portfolio Holder for Young People was asked if there were any particular issues that were causing concern in Children’s Services?  She responded that one area of concern had been the lack of reporting of domestic abuse.  Following a campaign which engaged with local communities, an increase in contact with the front door had been reported during May.

·         Children’s Services and Education have worked closely together

·         The emphasis must remain  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Adult Services Recovery Plan on a Page pdf icon PDF 629 KB

To consider the Adult Services Recovery Plan on a Page.

Minutes:

Documents:

·         Recovery Plan on a Page

 

Discussion:

·         The document addresses the level of threat and responsibilities at any given stage

·         The detail will be populated in due course as recovery develops

·         The service intends to undertake a number of short ‘sprints’

·         A Joint Strategic Needs Analysis will be one of the first sprints.  This will be key in looking at the impact of the pandemic both directly and indirectly

·         Business partners will be included to ensure the right support is available at the right time.  Scrutiny will also be included.

·         The document would be reconsidered once it is populated

6.

Other Questions

Minutes:

The Older Persons Commissioner had issued a report following a survey of clients and families of clients of care homes.  The Corporate Director advised that the contents of the report were being considered and matched to local experiences.  Engagement with the consultation had been promoted.  The Portfolio Holder for Young People noted that a similar exercise had been undertaken by the Children’s Commissioner.

 

It was questioned whether lessons learned during the pandemic would influence how the climate emergency would be tackled.  This had already been raised at Cabinet.

 

Track and protect was working well.  National experiences would be considered by the Welsh Government if and when a second surge occurred.  The Head of Legal and Democratic Services indicated that 100% of traces needed had been undertaken.

 

Members had experienced difficulty in accessing information regarding excess deaths within the County through the link provided to the Office of National Statistics.  This information had been provided through the daily dashboard initially.  Members would wish to see this information to undertake comparisons with other local authorities to give a fuller picture.

 

A question relating to the reopening of public toilets was raised – this information would be obtained from the appropriate Head of Services circulated to Members after the meeting .

7.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled to take place on 22 July 2020 between 11 am and 12 noon when the following items will be on the agenda:

 

·         Annual Complaints Report

·         3rd Party Top Up Policy

Minutes:

The next meeting would take place on 22 July 2020 when the following items will be considered:

 

·         Annual Complaints Report

·         Top Up Policy

·         Finance