Issue - meetings

33.1     The Assistant Director – Planning, Performance and Engagement presented the report which gave an update on the impact of 2016/17 savings in relation to Supporting People. It had not been possible to provide a further update in relation to Commissioning Grants Prospectus (CGP) savings where the Council no longer has a relationship with the provider but the Assistant Director assured the Committee that all contracts across the CGP were being reviewed and any issues from continuing contractors would be highlighted through that process.

33.2     The Assistant Director also advised the Committee that notification had recently been received that a bid for Department for Communities and Local Government funding to support women experiencing domestic abuse had been successful. This bid was focused on supporting women with complex needs so is positive in terms of replacing the role lost in the savings process. The funding amounts to approximately £200k over two years to work with REFUGE on complex needs.

33.3     The following points were made in response to the Committee’s questions:

·         A range of options for providing the additional domestic abuse support will be considered which could include reinstating the lost post or upskilling a broader range of staff.

·         Domestic abuse cases are always looked at in their entirety including the needs of children. Many cases involve mental health or substance misuse issues hence the emphasis on complex needs support. The service is looking at emerging models of providing support, for example supporting women into accommodation from day 1 so that they are able to hold a tenancy.

·         Further details about the national Budget announcement regarding Violence Against Women and Girls are awaited. There is likely to be a bidding process but this is not yet confirmed.

·         In relation to referrals to Home Works which don’t meet the eligibility criteria it is not possible to track individuals’ further contact with services but contract arrangements involve dialogue about these issues and it is seen as inevitable that some people not meeting the criteria will come back through other referral routes.

33.4     RESOLVED to:

(1)  Note the report;

(2)  Note that the data will continue to be monitored and agree that the Committee be made aware of any further significant impacts on an exception basis.

14.1     The Director of Adult Social Care and Health introduced the report, noting that implementation of agreed 2016/17 savings was at a relatively early stage, particularly in relation to Supporting People. The following points were highlighted:

·         The department has worked closely with providers with regard to managing the reductions and signposting to other services.

·         The Home Works service has seen an increase in demand, partly related to reductions in other services, although this is a small element of the overall increase. The department, in conjunction with partners including district and borough councils, will need to continue to look at prioritising the Home Works caseload.

·         Deployment of the Adult Social Care levy afforded a level of protection to carers’ services commissioned via the commissioning grants prospectus.

14.2     The following points were made in response to questions from the committee:

·         The use of volunteers is built into the commissioning model which is based on supporting infrastructure but with an expectation of building community capacity. The effectiveness and sustainability of this approach does need to be considered, but if issues are identified the aim would be to increase the effectiveness of the volunteer model, rather than replacing volunteers with staff, due to financial constraints. This approach links to the community resilience work which the department is supporting in conjunction with integrated community teams.

·         The number of referrals to Home Works has increased due to an increase in need for the service. Referral pathways from other services are clear but the department will need to discuss with districts and boroughs how best to direct the available resources, which is likely to be on the basis of an assessment of vulnerability. This work will be led by the Housing and Health Sub-Group.

·         The Director confirmed that the department would continue to work with districts and boroughs on the housing support agenda to collectively identify pressures and prioritise resources. It is understood that there is a risk of needs escalating if they are not addressed and an imperative to minimise this risk.

·         In East Sussex there is a mixed level of need amongst clients in Extra Care Housing. Their eligibility for personal care is assessed on the same basis as anyone else. Those with higher level needs are usually in receipt of an Adult Social Care package.

·         There is no evidence to date of increased length of stay in refuges as a result of reductions in housing support. Refuges are part of a wider network of intervention and they focus on providing a place of safety.

14.3     The Director confirmed that the impact of savings would continue to be monitored throughout the year.

14.4     The Committee RESOLVED to request a further update in March 2017.