Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllr O’Connor, no substitute

Councillor Peter Kemp declared a non pecuniary interest as a governor on the Board of CNWL.

Mr Francis declared a non-pecuniary interest in the item – Adult Community Mental Health Services as a family member was a trustee of Hillingdon Mind.

Were agreed as an accurate record.

All items were considered in Part 1.

The Head of Finance attended the meeting and informed the Committee that the report set out the main financial issues facing the Social Care, Health and Housing Group’s services within the context of the Council’s overall financial position and the work which was taking place to respond to them.

Reference was made to the following uncertainties within the budget for next year:

• The responsibility of public health being transferred to local government in April 2013;
• The abolishing of Council Tax benefit from April 2013  which was to be replaced with a new local support scheme with an immediate 10% cut in funding;
• The reform of education funding was in progress and due to be implemented from April 2013 and
• The business rates retention scheme which would reform the allocation of local government funding

Members were informed that the Adult Social Care, Health and Housing management Team had identified savings for 2012/13 totalling £6.256 million (out of a total of £8.262 million of the combined Social Care, Health and Housing Directorate.

Resolved –

1. That the development of the financial planning process undertaken to date together with the responses to the issues being developed by the Group be noted.

Members were presented with a draft scoping report on Adult Community Mental Health Services which had been prepared in partnership with Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL).

Discussion took place on the remit of the review and the Committee asked for the draft scoping report to be amended, and to incorporate the following points:

1. To request that the lines of enquiry be reduced from 14 headings to the following 7 headings:

• Identifying Needs and Early Identification
• Information and support for users and carers
• Enabling people to make choices, balancing risks and community involvement
• Partnership Working
• Staff Training and Development
• Learning from best practice
• Resources

2. To request that the lines of enquiry be amended to include an examination of what support is available to persons in crisis.
3. To ensure that the September meeting focus on local and best practice and the October meeting focus on partnership working.

Resolved –

That the scoping report be agreed, subject to the amendments suggested at the meeting.

The timetable of meetings and draft work programme was discussed.

Resolved –

That the report be noted.

The Committee considered the Forward Plan from September to November 2012.

Resolved –

1. Cabinet Member Decision - 798 – Review of Council housing tenant association governance, funding and support:To request officers to provide a briefing note on the item. Subsequent to the meeting this Cabinet Member Decision was deferred to October 2012.
2. Cabinet Item 741 – Hillingdon Housing Strategy: To request officers to provide an update on this at the 11 September 2012 meeting
3. Cabinet Item S1 –Progress Report on the Disabled People’s Plan: To request officers to provide briefing note on the item to 9 October 2012 meeting.