Agenda item

This report presents the Council’s draft capital and revenue budgets for 2015/2016 relative to this Committee.

Discussion:

The Committee discussed a report on the Council’s draft capital and revenue budgets for 2015/16. The Head of Finance Strategy introduced the report and invited the Committee to consider the draft budgets and forward any comments to the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee for onward referral to Cabinet and full Council.

With reference to the range of proposed savings in adult social care, as set out in paragraphs 5.4 to 5.9 of the report, members asked for assurances that any savings proposed in budgets used to fund home care would not compromise quality of care for these vulnerable service users.

The Director of Children and Adults Services advised that the Dynamic Purchasing System was a framework model involving a range of providers and designed to achieve reduced costs whilst sustaining high quality provision. She assured the Committee that the implementation of the new system would be carefully monitored and that monitoring would include consideration of direct service user feedback. The Director also stated that Medway did not use 15 minute appointments in social care.

The Committee discussed proposed savings from the Adult Social Care Transport budget and noted that the reduction in expenditure would be achieved by changes in the Service Level Agreement between the C and A and RCC Directorates as a consequence of the transfer of Napier and the Enhanced Care Unit to Agincare.

With regard to the proposed introduction of an administration fee for self-funders (paragraph 5.5 of the report), the proposal to consider capping community care costs (paragraph 5.6) and the introduction of a Dynamic Purchasing System (paragraph 5.7) Members asked if any consultation had been undertaken with service users likely to be affected. The Director advised that these proposals were still under consideration and that decisions had yet to be made as part of the budget setting process. She confirmed there would be consultation with service users.

With reference to the possibility of capping community care costs in conjunction with implementation of the Care Act, the Director of Children and Adults undertook to clarify the definition of an “older person” in light of the statement in paragraph 5.6 of the report they would be excluded from such a policy. She advised the Committee that work was underway to look at how such a change could be structured and consideration would be given to the approach being adopted by other local authorities in the South East.

The Committee expressed concern at the reduction from three to one administrative post in the Mental Health Social Work Team, which officers had advised was inadequate to safely carry out legal duties under the Mental Health Act 2007 and to ensure safeguarding procedures are followed. In light of discussion earlier in the meeting about Mental Health services, progress in the provision of acute mental health inpatient beds and the reliance on health and social care working together to achieve the best outcomes for patients, service users and their families the Committee agreed to recommend the Cabinet to reinstate 2 WTE vacant administrative posts in the Mental Health Social work Team thereby bringing the establishment back to 3 WTE

Decision:

(a)         The Committee noted the draft capital and revenue budget for 2015/16, proposed by Cabinet on 2 December 2014

(b)         The Committee recommended the Cabinet to reinstate 2 WTE vacant administrative posts in the Mental Health Social work Team thereby bringing the establishment back to 3 WTE

(c)         The Committee placed on record its thanks to the Chief Finance Officer and Head of Finance Strategy for their work on 2015/16 budget preparations