9.1 The Lead Member for Adult Social Care considered a report by the Director of Adult Social Care and Health regarding the next phase of the improvement strategy for Learning Disability Directly Provided Services.
9.2 RESOLVED to note: - (1) the activity that will be undertaken as part of the next phase of the improvement strategy within Learning Disability Services;
(2) the consultation activity that will be undertaken with:
· staff working within the Learning Disability Group Homes and Day Service Centres.
(3) that the results of the consultation will be brought back to the Lead Member to consider on 9 June 2016.
Reason
9.3 It has long been recognised that Southview Close, as a building, is not a suitable site for a learning disability day service. Hookstead offers a viable and sustainable alternative site; initial drawings also indicate that it could offer newly refurbished accommodation to 15 people with a learning disability. Profiling of the Hastings and Rother area indicates that buildings can be rationalised, offering associated revenue savings.
Councillor John Ungar spoke on item 4 (see minute 2)
2.1 The Lead Member for Adult Social Care considered a report by the Director of Adult Social Care & Health together with comments by the Adult Social Care & Community Safety Scrutiny Committee’s Directly Provided Services (DPS) Board.
2.2 The Lead Member for Adult Social Care RESOLVED to:
Agree to the refurbishment of the Hookstead site, subject to formal consents, to create: alternative and enhanced accommodation for clients currently living within the three Learning Disability residential services, and a replacement site for Southview Close Day Service in Crowborough.
Reason
The consultation activity that has been undertaken confirms a high level of support from: clients; their families and carers; and key stakeholders for the proposed plans to relocate services to Hookstead.
The relocated services will deliver revenue savings to the Council of £250,000, full year effect.
Councillor John Ungar spoke on item 5 (see minute 3)
3.1 The Lead Member for Adult Social Care considered a report by the Director of Adult Social Care & Health together with comments by the Adult Social Care & Community Safety Scrutiny Committee’s Directly Provided Services (DPS) Board.
3.2 The Lead Member for Adult Social Care RESOLVED to:
1) Agree to the development of day services on a locality basis in the East of the County, thus:
· Beeching Park, in Bexhill, will provide the main location for day service provision, offering 75+ places;
· Greenwood, in Bexhill, will offer a small day activity programme for up to seven people who would benefit from additional support in a small environment;
· Working Wonders, in St Leonards on Sea, will focus on Skills Development activities for 25+ people;
· The Conquest building, on the same site as Working Wonders, will be released from use by Learning Disability services.
2) Extend his thanks and gratitude to the staff in residential and day services across the county for their ongoing support to clients and their carers, and the considerable assistance they provided in ensuring that clients and their carers understood and were able to take part in the consultation.
Reason.
The services offered on the three different sites will be complementary, whereas currently the services provided at Conquest and at Beeching Park simply replicate each other despite being less than seven miles apart.
The proposals will deliver improvements to the services offered and significant revenue savings to the Council, as well as releasing from use a large building that may be used for an alternative purpose or sold to achieve a capital receipt.