Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, People.

To consider 2 petitions bearing 2,052 and 358 signatures respectively.  The petition organisers have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this matter.

Please note, a Briefing Note from the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5)’s consideration of this matter on 18^th December 2013 is appended to the report at Page 225.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director, People, which set out proposals for changes to Council services provided by the former Community Services Directorate, resulting in significant efficiency savings.

The People Directorate was formed on 2^nd September 2013, bringing together what was previously the Community Services Directorate along with Children and Young People Services, forming the biggest directorate within the Council. 

As part of its budget setting process for 2013/14 the City Council set challenging financial targets for what was then the Community Services Directorate. This required the Directorate to save £3m in 2013/14, rising to £8m in 2014/15 and then £15m in 2015/16, as well as contributing to other cross cutting corporate targets. These savings targets were on top of managing existing budgetary pressures which, when added together, increased the total savings to £22.5m by 31^st March 2016. These targets needed to be delivered in order for the Council to deliver a balanced budget.

To meet the challenges faced by what was the Community Services Directorate, the ‘A Bolder Community Services’ (ABCS) programme was established which had membership from key stakeholder organisations including Health, Police, and the voluntary sector. This programme was established in October 2012 and oversaw the development of a number of project areas to deliver the savings required for 2013/14 and 2014/15.

The savings target of £3m for 2013/14 was based on a series of efficiency projects and the delivery of activity that had already received the required approvals. In order to deliver the £8m savings target for 2014/15 a wide ranging set of proposals were made to Cabinet. If the proposals were to proceed to implementation they would result in some closures, reductions and changes in Council services. A consultation programme took place between 27^th August 2013 and 15^th November 2013.

As a consequence of the consultation process, a number of amendments were made to the proposals.  The report submitted detailed the consultation outcomes, the identified impacts of the proposals and made a revised set of recommendations for consideration.

In addition, the Cabinet considered two petitions bearing 1,874 and 1,374 respectively.  Mr Hill (Coventry MIND), Councillor O’Boyle and Mr Vincent (Age UK) were invited to the meeting and spoke in support on behalf of the petitioners, who were objecting to a number of the proposals.  The Cabinet noted that the objections within the petitions were considered as part of the consultation process and, in some cases, had resulted in amendments being made to the original proposals.

The Cabinet further noted that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) had received presentations on the proposals at their meetings held on 6th November and 18th December 2013.  A briefing note outlining their support to the proposals was appended to the report.  The Scrutiny Board had also requested further reports from the Assistant Director (Commissioning and Transformation) on the development of a Reablement Strategy and the implementation of the proposals outlined in the Cabinet Report.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:-

1.  Note the comments from the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) following their consideration of matters contained within this report at their meeting on 18^th December 2013.

2.  Note that the two petitions submitted on this matter have been considered as part of the consultation process.

3.  Note the outcomes of the consultation and, having taken into account the resulting equality impacts and the updated Equality and Consultation Analysis contained within Appendices 1 – 13 of the report, approve the implementation of proposals to:-

(a)  Reduce funding to Age UK, Carers Centre, Grapevine and Alzheimer’s Society by a 22.5% for each organisation with effect from 1st April 2014 and issue new three year grant aid agreements to these organisations empowering them to use resources flexibly to deliver good outcomes for their respective groups.

(b)  Implement reductions for Housing Related Support by taking an individual approach for each organisation.  The arrangement for each organisation to be agreed by 1 April 2014 and implemented by 1 July 2014.  Consideration of specific impacts to be delegated to the Executive Director (People) and Cabinet Member (Health and Adult Social Care).

(c)  Cease care at Jack Ball House and George Rowley House Housing with Care schemes and relocate service users to other Housing with Care schemes within the City.

(d)  Close the Day Centres for Older People at Risen Christ and Frank Walsh House and relocate service users to Gilbert Richards. 

(e)  Relocate the Day Centres for Adults with Learning Disabilities at Curriers Close and Watcombe Centre to Frank Walsh House.

(f)  Establish a specialist provision for service users at Brandon Wood Farm following further planning work.

(g)  Provide transitional funding to Risen Christ luncheon club to support the centre to make the financial and service adjustments required to continue longer term.

(h)  Retain the weekend dementia day service provided at the Maymorn Centre.

(i)  Support the proposal to develop a Reablement Strategy with the Clinical Commissioning Group and the offer of six-month initial funding to enable the Aylesford to continue while the strategy work is completed.

(j)  Close the in-house Home Support Short Term Service with a target date of 1 July 2014.