POOLE SUPPORTING PEOPLE
COMMISSIONING BODY COMBINED MEETING
Monday 18 September 2006, Conference Room, Civic Centre
MINUTES
Present:
Jan Thurgood, Chair / Strategic Director, Borough of PooleTim Denne / Provider, Carr-Gomm, Chair of the Provider’s Forum
John Dermody / Head Adult Social Services Commissioning, Borough of Poole
Sarah Elliott / Director of Service Delivery, Poole PCT
Simon Hendey / Service Unit Head, Housing & Community Services, Borough of Poole
Paul Hudson / Interim Head of Benefits, Borough of Poole
Andy Hutchinson / Operations Manager, Probation (arrived during item 4)
Ewa Johnson / Senior Performance Review Officer, Borough of Poole
Ann Maguire / Drug Action Team
Simon Matthews / Provider, Stepping Homes; Rep of Provider’s Forum
Nick Molland / Principal Officer, Adult Social Services Commissioning, Borough of Poole
Hayley Seymour /
Strategic Commissioning Manager, Borough of Poole
Nigel Stannard / Management Accountant Social Care, Borough of PooleZoe McNeil, Minutes / Admin Assistant, Performance Management, Borough of Poole
Apologies received from:
Joanne Kiff / Programme & Commissioning Manager, MH & Sub MisuseClive Newman / Finance & Development Officer, Supporting People
Fran Phillips / Provider – PAS Ltd
Kris Rowlands / Provider - Support Acadamy; Rep of Provider Forum
Charlie Sheldrick / Head Adult Social Services Provider, Borough of Poole
Peter Stratford / Corporate Research Manager, Borough of Poole
Nick Wharam / Commissioning Manager, Children and Young People, Poole Children’s Trust
Peter Yeomans / Voluntary & Community Sector Representative
Copies to:
Councillors / Elaine Atkinson, Chris Bulteel, Judy Butt, Mary Hillman, Jane James, Mike White1.Introductions
These were made.
ACTION: An audit to be taken of attendees.
Apologies for Absence
These were given.
2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
These were confirmed as a true record of the meeting.
Matters Arising
Page 4 – Item 5 – Local Area Agreement Target - Stretch targets to be submitted in October to include mental health, older people and alcohol related issues.
Page 5 – Item 5 – As above – re Young People Action Item: Discussion has taken place with Housing & Community regarding terminology and this will also be discussed at the next joint Bournemouth & Poole Commissioning Body meeting.
3.Supporting People & Commissioning Body Action Plan
Recommendation 1: provide better information for service users, carers and other stakeholders. The updating of the Supporting People web pages is ongoing. The ongoing and effectiveness of Supporting People training for Primary Care Trust staff is to be discussed.
Recommendation 2: Strengthen links with the Voluntary agencies: The appointment of Peter Yeomans to the Commissioning Body to be added to the Action Plan.
Recommendation 3: Revisit priorities in the Five Year Strategy.
1. Work continuing on older people, alcohol and drug related issues, mental health and young people services.
3. Links with other strategic groups to be examined regarding how Supporting People fit into their planning. Commissioning Body attendees to be audited accordingly. The final Strategic Commissioning Manager is now in post and commencing needs analysis work. Discussion followed centring on the requirement for needs analysis work by individual strategic groups to link together. Nick Molland to note other strategic groups and links with Supporting People.
Recommendation 4: Strengthen performance management arrangements by establishing an agreed format for reporting to the Commissioning Body at each meeting. A review of the year is booked for December.
4.Local Area Agreement Target
Work is underway to meet the targets set within the Local Area Agreement utilising the £1.2 million under spend over the next 3 years to commission new Supporting People services.
Young people at risk/homeless/leaving care: The needs mapping research is now complete and shows that this group often have more than one need. The recommendation is to provide a new support service for 5 – 6 people giving priority to those who have lost or can’t go into a tenancy and who need 24 hour support. Discussion is taking place with the Heads of Children & Families and Leaving Care Servicewith a view to jointly commissioning this service as 21 hours support is the maximum Supporting People can fund during a week.
The second recommendation is to develop a pilot brokerage service regarding accommodation based services. The procurement process has been agreed with the Borough Internal Audit Section and the service specification is now with the Head of Housing & Community Services. The service will be targeted at those most in need and will help to measure un-met need and should be operational in November /December. Exclusions will apply such as Learning Disability provision as there is an existing service.
Comments made:
-the service needs to be publicised
-there was concern that service users could be over-assessed and that assessment would be at the Civic Centre only
-more use of floating support to allow greater flexibility
-greater clarity required around information sharing and accountability
-how the outcomes will be judged
People with mental health problems: Research shows that the current mental health services are very good although underlying issues replicate those identified for young people. In order to meet these requirements it is recommended to target those most in need via the brokerage system, remodelling some schemes to met high need and/or provide visiting support to meet the need of people in their own accommodation including move on accommodation. Work is underway with providers on this.
Research in progress: work is underway to develop a commissioning strategy for people at risk of social exclusion along with work looking at the ability to meet complex needs in a flexible way.
5.Commissioning & De-commissioning Protocol for Supporting People Services
The commissioning of services is covered by the Borough of Poole standing orders. Therefore the focus at the meeting was on the first draft of the de-commissioning policy. Comments included:
-Greater emphasis on the partnership with providers, giving providers the opportunity to be involved in the de-commissioning process at an earlier stage.
-The reasons for de-commissioning are varied, for example at the request of the provider, for economic/funding reasons or as a result of needs analysis.
-The terminology used was confusing regarding commissioning and contracting. Also the language used needs to satisfy audit requirements.
-The service user viewpoint process to be clarified.
-It was felt this was a useful document. Further discussion with other partnerships is required to take it forward with the aim of having an Adult Social Services Contracts-wide policy.
ACTION: Hayley Seymour, Nick Wharam and Tim Denne to develop protocol further taking account of the issues raised and bring back to the Commissioning Body for future consultation.
6.Review Report
One new full time member of staff started in August to replace a leaver. Following the integration with Contracts it has been necessary to prioritise the workload. Therefore 2 updates only have been undertaken with the emphasis now on reviewing new services. The Quality Assessment Framework self-assessment programme has been implemented with all providers to complete a self-assessment over the next 6 months.
7.Accountable Officer Report
The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) advised in July that no Authority should lose more than 2% of its 2006/07 Grant. It has also advised that the final Supporting People strategy will be published ‘later in the year’. With this in mind the Accountable Officer proposed a small delay in producing the 5 Year Strategy to enable the Government’s strategy to be incorporated.
Following discussion it was agreed to hold an event to allow discussion of the draft 5 Year Strategy document by the key partnerships involved (to include a representative from the Elected Member Working Party, a Primary Care Trust Board Member, Probation, etc).
ACTION: Nick Molland to advise the most appropriate timing for the event.
8.Quarterly Financial Update Report
Clive Newman, the Finance and Audit Office, is leaving at the end of September. In future Nick Molland will present the Quarterly Financial Update Report.
The issued report had been superseded as the older people floating support service is no longer starting in October. Therefore, the under spend for the year is £250K and it is still not clear if this can be carried forward. Concern was expressed that the under spend has still not been spent and it was agreed to discuss this in the closed session.
9.Update on New Reports – DCLG and Others
No items for discussion.
10.Any Other Business
None
11.Date of Next Meeting
Monday 11 December, 11.00 am, Civic Centre Committee Suite
Hayley Seymour/Minutes/Commissioning Body/18.9.06/CB Mins 18.9.061