Agenda item
De-commissioning of the Mental Health Community Networks Day Care Service
The reason for the call in is:-
· To discuss fully the implications of de-commissioning this service at the same time as the changes in the Adult Social Care Direct Services provision.
Suggested action for the Call In Overview and Scrutiny Committee to take:-
· To consider if alternative arrangements would enable the impact on service users to be minimised.
The Executive report is attached. The Lead Member and Lead Officer are invited to the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.
Minutes:
The reason for the call in was:-
· To discuss fully the implications of de-commissioning this service at the same time as the changes in the Adult Social Care Direct Services provision.
Suggested action for the Call In Overview and Scrutiny Committee to take:-
· To consider if alternative arrangements would enable the impact on service users to be minimised.
Councillor Lorber, one of the councillors who had called in this item, introduced the reasons for call in and expressed concern that an important service was proposed for closure, especially as there were also proposals to close day centres. He felt that there would be immediate implications in de-commissioning this service and could place some 185 clients at high risk.
During discussion, the Chair sought clarification with regard to the implications of de-commissioning this service. He also felt that the clients’ ability to become more self-reliant could be limited by their mental health condition. Councillor Mashari asked what arrangements were in place to ensure that clients would be able to access the community facilities that they would be encouraged to use and how frequently would this be monitored. With regard to the proposed two support worker posts for the new arrangements, she enquired how their work time would be rationalised and would it be based on client needs. Councillor Kabir asked whether the risk to individual clients would be monitored. Councillor Denselow enquired whether the consultation would provide opportunity for alternative arrangements to be suggested in order to minimise impact and was there certainty in the benefits of the proposals being achieved. Councillor Lorber asked if a budget was available to support the clients and what was the evidence to show the benefits of the proposals. He also enquired whether a support group would be available to the client’s carers.
In reply to the issues raised, Councillor R Moher (Lead Member for Adults, Health and Social Care) advised that the Executive had agreed to consult on the proposals and no final decision had been made. She acknowledged that some difficult decisions needed to be made, however in view of the financial situation facing the council it had little other choice but to consider such proposals. Members heard that the Adult Social Care budget was comparatively large and so it was inevitable that a significant proportion of savings would be required from it. Two support workers would be recruited to assist the clients in accessing community facilities.
Alison Elliott (Assistant Director – Community Care, Housing and Community Care) drew Members’ attention to the possible risk implications and benefits as outlined in the report. Overall, there was to be a move away from buildings-based mental health support to a move to clients accessing community facilities more frequently. Alison Elliott explained that the Government agenda for Adult Social Care focused on increasing independence and opportunities for those with disabilities, mental health issues and for older people. Resources were to be used to support clients in a different way and the benefits would include meeting the personalisation agenda and improved access to community facilities. Monitoring of clients would continue and resources would be available to support access to community facilities. Alison Elliott explained that the current service encouraged users to access community facilities and the new proposals would provide the support arrangements required to signpost people to community facilities. Although a potential risk was posed, there were other areas of the service as well as the proposed support workers who could help the clients, such as the Community Mental Health Team. The support workers would offer a drop-in and advice facility and carers could also have access to a similar service if support for this was expressed in the consultation. Alison Elliott advised that a care programme approach was taken which meant that individuals would be reviewed on at least an annual basis. The committee noted that the consultation would provide opportunity for alternative arrangements to be made and that a separate budget to support clients would not be available.
The committee then decided not to agree to a recommendation put forward by the Chair that the Executive consider if alternative arrangements would enable the impact on service users to be minimised.
RESOLVED:-
that upon considering the report from the Director of Housing and Community Care on De-commissioning of the Mental Health Community Networks Day Care Service, the decisions made by the Executive be noted.
Supporting documents: