Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided details of the outcome of consultation on the future of the services at Balfour Day Centre, Robert Bean Lodge, Platters Farm Lodge and Nelson Court, following Cabinet’s earlier decision to approve consultation on 29 November 2011.

The report set out the background for each of the facilities including usage and budget levels together with the proposals. This involved the proposal to decommission the Balfour Day Centre and the proposals to outsource Robert Bean Lodge, Platters Farm Lodge and Nelson Court, to independent providers, including the sale of the Nelson Court site.

The consultation process was included in the report. This included writing to existing service users, carers and families, Medway Council Members, Medway Members of Parliament, Medway LINk, NHS partners and Social Care staff.  It also included presentations to the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on 26 January 2012.  Consultation meetings were held as part of the listening exercise.

The Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee received a presentation from the Social Care Commissioning and Voluntary Sector Manager on 26 January 2012 regarding the consultation with service users, staff and stakeholders in respect of the proposed closure of the Balfour Day Centre and the proposed outsourcing of Nelson Court, Platters Farm Lodge and Robert Bean Lodge. The Committee’s comments were set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

A number of petitions in respect of the proposals had been received, some of which were submitted at the Full Council meeting on 12 January 2012, as set out in paragraph 9.6 of the report.

The outcome of consultation for each of the facilities was included in paragraphs 10-13 of the report. This included a proposal from Medway Community Healthcare regarding the Balfour Day Centre. Diversity Impact Assessments for each of the facilities were included in Appendices 4-9 of the report.

The Cabinet accepted this as an urgent matter to enable the Cabinet to consider the outcome of consultation at the earliest opportunity, and to give service users and other stakeholders certainty over the future of services at Balfour Day Centre, Robert Bean Lodge, Platters Farm Lodge and Nelson Court.