To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Committee.

It was reported that, in accordance with the wishes of the Conservative Group, the membership of the Sub-Board had been amended to include Councillor Twelves in place of Councillor Bryant for this meeting only.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board held on 13 July 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Board held on 13 July 2023 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the draft strategy for Adult Social Care in Torbay.

(Note: Jo Williams, Director of Adult and Community Services will present this item).

The Director of Adults and Community Services presented the Draft Strategy for Adult Social Care (as set out in the submitted report).

Members were informed that the Draft Strategy for Adult Social Care provided focus on the Council’s approach for helping people with adult social care needs in Torbay to live the best life.  It was noted particular emphasis had been placed on consultation of the draft Strategy and Healthwatch were thanked for their involvement and assistance with this.

The Director of Adults and Community Services responded to the following questions:

·         Did the consultation and survey include bespoke communication with individuals who may have a protected characteristic; unemployed residents; homeless individuals; those in deprived areas and minority groups who might not be able to access care as quickly?

·         How would the Council assist with enabling supported care and housing given the current economic climate?

·         How would the Strategy be delivered and were there any measurable targets in place against which performance could be monitored?

·         What alternative methods were available for individuals to access help in addition to the web based triage approach?

Resolved (unanimously):

That the Cabinet be advised that the Adult Social Care and Health

Overview and Scrutiny Sub Board supports the Draft Adult Social Care

Strategy and Cabinet be recommended:

1.         To recommend to Council that the Strategy be included within the Council’s Policy Framework;

2.         that information concerning the website based approach for accessing care be provided to local Members of Parliament’s offices and other information offices within Torbay;

3.         that a briefing note be circulated to all Councillors with information concerning the website based approach for accessing care;

4.         That Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement be instructed to publicise information about the approach to accessing care to inform wider communities

5.         That the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement be instructed to widen the inclusion of people with protected characteristics in future consultations and report back to the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board at a later date. 

To consider the draft Learning Disability Strategy and how it can support residents of Torbay who have a learning disability.

(Note: Jo Williams, Director of Adult and Community Services and Judith Pinder Strategic Commissioning Manager, Adult Social Care Commissioning Team will present this item.

Appendix 2: Adult Social Care Strategy is not attached to avoid repetition, since it features separately at Item 5 of the Agenda).

The Director of Adults and Community Services presented the Draft Learning Disability Plan (as set out in the submitted report).

Members were informed that the Draft Learning Disability Plan had been developed to support the Council and local partners in delivering better outcomes and better lives for those residents in Torbay who have a learning disability.

Members questioned whether equality impact data was available to identify differential impacts on specific groups and were informed that this was not available because the current data system was an old system operating in an integrated environment.  The current data system would be replaced or improved so that a better information base and analyses could be provided in future.

Members welcomed the succinct, precise and accessible way in which the Plan was written.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.         That the Director of Adults and Community Services provides an update on the timeframe for the new data system at a future date to the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board.

2.         The Director of Adults and Community Services provides an exempt report on the options appraisal and when it will be implemented to a future Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board.

That the Cabinet be advised that the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board supports the Draft Learning Disability Plan.

The Draft Learning Disability Plan illustrates a good example of how public documents should be produced at an appropriate literacy level to enable them to be accessed by the whole of the community and that Cabinet considers the same approach to be adopted in the production of all of the Council’s publicly available documents.

To receive an update on the Adult Social Care Procurement and Contracting Review and Action Plan.

(Note: Deborah Gidman, Head of Strategic Delivery – Independent Sector, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust will present this item).

The Head of Strategic Delivery for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust presented the Adult Social Care Procurement and Contracting Review Action Plan (as set out in the submitted report).

Members were informed that the update related to the progress against recommendations which arose from the Local Government Association (LGA) Review of Adult Social Care Contracting.  It was noted generally good progress was being made and the work around the contract management policy and the procedural toolkit had been completed.  Additional staff had been recruited to undertake the contract management and the Markets Team had undergone a restructure as a result of the LGA Review.

Members received responses to the following questions:

·         Was social value included in contracts?

·         Who could tender for contracts?

·         Was the tender process wide enough so that it was also accessible to smaller businesses?

·         When was the whole improvement plan due to be completed?

·         What sort of timescale was there for delivery of all contracts?

·         How was monitoring undertaken so that those areas falling behind could be identified quickly?

·         What was the structure and interplay between Trust procurement and Council procurement?

·         Were there common standards between the Trust and the Council procurement teams and ways of sharing information between the organisations?

·         Was there engagement with the voluntary sector procurement alliance?

Resolved (unanimously):

That the Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board

notes the Adult Social Care Procurement and Contracting Review and Action

Plan update report and recommends that:

1.         the Director of Adults and Community Services shares information with the Task and Finish Group Review on Procurement relating to the work undertaken which allowed the revised work on Adult Social Care Procurement and Contracting to progress; and

2.         the Director of Adults and Community Services be requested to encourage Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to work towards expanding the range of contractors who may tender for contracts to include smaller firms within Torbay.

To receive an update on the implementation of the actions of the Sub-Board and consider any further actions required (as set out in the submitted action tracker).

The Sub-Board noted the submitted action tracker.  The Senior Democratic, Overview and Scrutiny Officer  provided the following updates:

·         Update on Minute 30 - currently awaiting information from Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust regarding their report in relation to Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio together with details of the number of agency staff that are currently employed by the Trust within Torbay and who were in the critical row of nursing;

·         Update on Minute 30 – currently awaiting contact details for a member of the Devon Partnership Trust and the Integrated Care Board Social Services Team so that they may be invited to attend the Sub-Board meeting on 12 October 2023 to address how the change of mental health medication is being monitored and information being transferred to GP surgeries.