In the face of deep concerns from your electors, is Powys County Council willing to re-think its funding priorities in order to safeguard both day care, and the vital day centres, for its vulnerable elderly; taking into account that the professional care currently provided by Maes-y-Wennol Day Centre, Llanidloes, for example, could not guaranteed by the voluntary sector? What positive alternative measures are you considering to help this situation, I feel as an authority that we must try our utmost to look after our elderly residents?
Minutes:
In the face of deep concerns from your electors, is Powys County Council willing to re-think its funding priorities in order to safeguard both day care, and the vital day centres, for its vulnerable elderly; taking into account that the professional care currently provided by Maes-y-Wennol Day Centre, Llanidloes, for example, could not guaranteed by the voluntary sector? What positive alternative measures are you considering to help this situation, I feel as an authority that we must try our utmost to look after our elderly residents?
Councillors will recall that in the 2014/15 budget debate, Council resolved to ‘reconfigure day time activities for older people and withdraw from Council direct delivery and invest in new models of care’.
Subsequently, funding pressures have increased substantially and both Cabinet and Council have expressed a clear expectation that Adult Social Care should bear its share of funding reductions, reinforcing the pressure to consider alternative models of day-time activity for older people. The model followed hitherto, of direct provision of day care by the council from council buildings, is not affordable within the resources now available.
In the wider context, models of provision are changing nationally, with discussion taking place in many forums about the best way to meet older people’s needs and provision increasingly moving away from traditional fixed-base day care. The future service will need to address the requirements of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act
On 20th October Cabinet agreed to a detailed consultation on older people’s day-time services, preceded and shaped by a ‘listening and learning’ discussion with stakeholders. On the conclusion of the consultation and its evaluation, a further paper will be brought to Cabinet with options for decision.
I know all members share your concern that day time provision for older residents in Powys should meet identified needs and help keep residents active and independent. The challenge of the consultation is to arrive at and evaluate different options for service development which meet the reduced budget, cater for a wider audience and fulfil the requirements under the new Social Services and Wellbeing Act. There is no preferred model at this stage, and councillors will appreciate that it would run counter to the effectiveness of the review and consultation if undertakings or guarantees were to be given in advance in respect of any part of the current service provision.
At the budget setting process, I must remind Councillors, that it was agreed in February 2013 that the budget for Day Centres was to be substantially reduced. This reduction in budget decreases the available funding from circa £4,000 per client to circa £800 from 2018.
In his supplementary question Councillor Jones asked what plans were in place to meet increased demand for residential accommodation if day centres were to close. The Portfolio Holder explained that the Cabinet was still long way from taking a decision on this and that the listening and learning exercise was underway, after which there would be a formal consultation. As part of the listening and learning exercise, Members were invited to a seminar on the afternoon of 29th January and the Portfolio Holder urged everyone to attend.
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