Agenda and minutes

All items were considered in Part 1.

TheDisabilities Services, ServiceManagerfor aPersonalisedService, explainedthatthe purposeof the thirdwitness session was to consider a series of costedcasestudies,illustrating howthe SharedLives Scheme might achievefuture savings if this was developedinthe future.

Notwithstanding theimportant caveat itwas difficult to attract carers; theCommitteenoted thereport suggested theschemecould be effectivelydoubledin sizewithinexisting budgets. Officers explained that based onan additional 10 cases at Level 1, 7at Level 2and3 atLevel 3,theseplacements could potentiallydeliver savingsofabout £180K per annum.

TheCommittee agreed thelearning arisingfromthecasestudies illustrated thatthe Shared LivedScheme had thepotential tobe acost effective,personcentred modelofcarewhichdeliveredgoodoutcomesfor serviceusers. Officers wererequested toinvestigate theviabilityof expanding thecurrent Shared Lives PlacementSchemeand providefurther informationtothe next meeting.

TheOperational Finance Manager tabledinformationat themeeting whichprovidedan averageweeklycost per personofdifferentforms of care. (On the basis of a number ofassumptions)this compared thecosts associated withthe currentserviceusers in Shared Lives withindicativecosts forResidentialandSupportedLiving optionsto illustrate how savings might bemade.

Officers highlightedthe following points in relationtothetabled information:

·                  The Committee noted that SharedLives was one oftheserviceswithina spectrumof support whichwas designed to meet service users needs,withothers including Residential CareandSupportedLiving Options.

·                  Everyserviceuser wouldhaveuniquelevelsofneed andSharedLives mayor maynotbe anappropriate option.

·                  The difficultyinfindingpotential carers andappropriateaccommodationwere keyconsiderations.

·                  The costcomparison figures did notfactor in thecosts associated withtraining potential carers or thecosts associatedwithadaptationsto property.

TheCommittee thankedOfficersfor aseriesofclearand concisecasestudiesand endorsedtheShared Lives Scheme. Noting theinformationwhichhad been provided, theCommitteerequestedofficers to providedfurther information to thenext meeting as setout below:

RESOLVED:

1.    That thereport andwitness sessionbe noted.

2.    That Officersberequestedto provide further financialinformation to thenextwitness sessionand for thisto include:

·                  Figuresshowingwhat thecurrent costsofSharedLivesare

·                  Figuresshowinghow the scheme could be expandedby100% to40 SU's within existing budgets(asconfirmed at themeeting)

·                  Anapproximation of the cost of expanding to the optimal figureof 80serviceusers and for thisto include a time scaleto realise theexpansion.

The Head of Estates Management introduced the report which provided a brief overview of what tenancy failure was, as well as an update on the status of the twelve recommendations made during the course of the review.

The Committee noted that the implementation of the POC recommendations was a work in progress and there were a number of areas where further work was still required. Officers explained that the focus of the next few months would be to ensure the service was delivering maximum value and to ensure there was no duplication of work flows and that the housing key worker approach compliments the key worker approaches within Adult Social Care and Children and Families.

In relation to the new service model, Officers explained that remodeling work had been conducted to ensure that the most vulnerable residents were placed at the centre of what the service did. This included assessing risk factors as well as assessing the triggers of tenancy failure to ensure these were significantly reduced.

In terms of achievements over the last 9 months, the Committee were informed that the direction of travel had changed and the Tenancy Management Team and Council Housing Department had under gone significant change. A key element of this was the introduction of individual Tenancy Management Plans, which took into account factors such as the frequency of contact, the health of the tenant and how they had historically presented themselves to Council services.

Under the new Tenancy model, the Committee heard that all tenants would be subject to an assessment visit within the first 4 weeks of their tenancy and they would be categorized according to risk. Those tenants which were deemed to be at high risk of failure were allocated a Housing Key Worker which offered short-term (3 months) , but intensive support, to ensure the tenant was guided and directed to the most appropriate services and support networks.

Officers explained another key improvement had been the widespread use of the CIVICA paperless work flow system. This had enabled Officers to access and share information more efficiently and work as cross functional teams. In doing so, not only had costs and timescales been reduced, but officers had also been able to help tenants more quickly and across a wider range of services.

The Head of Housing explained that Officers were currently in the process of developing a series of performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of the Tenancy Management Scheme and these would be reported back to committee when they had been finalised.

The Committee welcomed news, that in addition to developing new processes and procedures, the Council was working in partnership with the Landlords Forum to ensure all available referral routes were being used.

While the Committee welcomed the improvements which had been made, Officers were asked at what point the Council intervened, should a tenancy encounter difficulties. In response, Officers explained that there was not a prescriptive timescale for intervention, as key workers were expected to use their judgment, but  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

Members considered the latest version of the Forward Plan.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Forward Plan be noted.

Reference was made to the work programme and timetable of meetings. It was noted that the Committee would consider further financial information on the Shared Lives Scheme at 5 November 2014 meeting and the update report on Adaptations would be removed from the Work Programme until further notice.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Work Programme be noted.