Agenda item

To inform Scrutiny Committee of the work undertaken by Adult Services on a day to day basis to allow effective scrutiny to take place.

Councillor Collett, Cabinet Member for Health Inequalities and Adult Safeguarding and Miss Karen Smith, Deputy Director of People (Adult Services) invited questions on the Adult Services Overview Report.

The Committee queried the reason why the Social Inclusion Day Service had been transferred back into a direct council provided service. Miss Smith the service being provided by the Richmond Fellowship had expanded beyond what had been initially required or intended. She added that a commissioning review had been undertaken to identify the provision required to meet the needs, the result of which had been a decision that provision was best placed within council services. Additional work had been carried out to ensure that service users no longer eligible could self organise in order to continue to support each other.

Members further queried why there was capacity in the service since the transfer back to the council. It was reported that the service had moved in house in February 2015 and was expected to grow. In response to a further question Miss Smith advised that the service was advertised as part of the core offer.

The Committee questioned if there was an overall impression of the views of providers regarding the recent national minimum wage announcement. Councillor Collett advised that all providers had expressed concern regarding the financial impact and that work was being undertaken with providers to identify how that could be managed.

In response to a question, Miss Smith advised that the main reason that there had been a large increase in the number of Deprivation of Liberty applications from 36 per month to 63 per month in the last year was new case law set in March 2014 and that nationally, work was being undertaken to reduce the number made. Miss Smith advised that she would circulate the percentage of successful applications following the meeting.

The Committee discussed the three suspended care homes and noted that existing residents remained in the homes unless there was a safeguarding concern. No new residents would be placed whilst a home was suspended. It was noted that there was a range in terms of quality of care homes in Blackpool, and that some homes inspected by the Care Quality Commission rated good, whilst others required improvement or had been rated as inadequate. Work was undertaken with care homes to manage performance.

Members discussed the post alert checklist and requested further information at the next meeting of the Committee on how the checklist was was beneficial.

Miss Smith advised the Committee that the Care Quality Commission was working under a new inspection regime and was gradually inspecting every care home. The Care Quality Commission was also being more robust with enforcement action and two providers in Blackpool had been issued with a notice to cease, which they were currently challenging.

The Committee agreed:

1.      To request a training session on how both the Council and the Care Quality Commission regulate services.

2.      To receive further information at the next meeting of the Committee on how the post alert checklist operation and the benefits of using the checklist.