Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 20^th November 2024.

b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on the 20 November 2024 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Director of Adult Services and Housing

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services considered a report of the Director of Adults and Housing which detailed the Adult Social Care Direct Payment Strategy 2024-2029.

Adult Social Care aims to support people to live full and active lives in their local communities and be in control of their care and support wherever possible. Self-directed support enables people to identify their own needs and make choices about how and when they are supported to live their lives. Direct Payments are a type of self-directed support, and the Care Act 2014 identifies that the local authority have a key role in ensuring that people are given relevant and timely information about Direct Payments.

The Direct Payments Strategy set out an ambition for people who wish to be in control of the support they are eligible to receive from Adult Social Care and professionals that arrange, deliver or have a supporting role in this. The aim is to support people to have power and control over their lives and see ‘self-directed support’ being essential to achieve this as well as setting a clear path to convert the ambitions of the strategy into impact for people with care and support needs.

The report highlighted how the Direct Payment Strategy had been developed in order for Adult Social Care to set out how they will continue to develop their Direct Payment offer. In developing and implementing the Strategy, they recognised the crucial role they have in promoting the use of direct payments and enabling people to make requests to receive direct payments in an efficient way. They want to ensure they are fully engaging people to consider direct payments and how they could be used to meet needs.

The Strategy set their approach to self-directed support in the coming years and to ensure they recognises and have in place the structures, systems, and support needed to achieve good quality self-directed support and address the factors which influence the success and uptake of Direct Payments.

The Cabinet Member noted the uptake of Direct Payments, especially from ethnically diverse communities.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Adult Services approves the Adult Social Care Direct Payment Strategy 2024-2029

Report of the Director of Adult Services and Housing

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services considered a report of the Director of Adults and Housing which sought the renewal of the Section 75 Agreement between Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust.

The City Council entered into a Section 75 Agreement on 1 April 2014 following Cabinet approval initially for a three-year period but with provision for annual extensions. The agreement has been extended over a number of years and has been formally reviewed on two separate occasions. The reviews have upheld the decision to enter into this agreement and this is also reflected in the Section 75 Annual Review 2024. For the future, the Annual Review will act as a review mechanism for this agreement.

The report updated the Cabinet Member on the Section 75 Partnership Agreement which provides the legal framework to underpin joint working in Adult and Older People's Mental Health Services. Under this framework, joint Health and Social Care teams deliver mental health services from a single line management structure led by CWPT with designated Council staff seconded, and the delegation of specific social care duties, namely the Care Act 2014. Although the service delivery elements are integrated the financial responsibilities for health and social care remain separate with this separation to continue under the extended agreement.

Coventry City Council (CCC), Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and CWPT remain committed to integrated working practices as a means for delivering joined up support to people with mental ill health across Coventry and Warwickshire, the S75 agreement continues to provide a suitable vehicle through which to deliver this and to meet the national expectations for integrated care provisions.

An appendix to the report outlined performance of the partnership arrangements to provide integrated mental health services in Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Cabinet Member sought updates on partnership schedules, workforce planning and the complexities and difficulties of high demand areas. She further highlighted community events at border communities in Longford where partnership working has been successful.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Adult Services:

1)  Notes the Annual Review report that will form the basis of review of the arrangements going forward.

2)  Approves a further extension of the Section 75 Agreement between Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust for a period of 5-years from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2030.

3)  Delegates authority to the Director of Adult Service and Housing, following consultation with the Chief Operating Officer at CWPT, to finalise the terms, conditions and legal agreements required to facilitate its delivery in terms of Information Governance.

There are no outstanding issues.

There were no outstanding Issues.

There were no other items of urgent public business.