Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, Civic Offices, Merrial Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 2AG

Contact: Justine Tait 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

Councillor Loades expressed a declaration of interest on item 7, Modernisation of Day Centres for People with Learning Difficulties and item 8 Code of Joint Working.

2.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 50 KB

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 19th November 2014

Minutes:

Minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 19th November 2014 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

3.

Minutes of the meeting held on the 24th September 2014 pdf icon PDF 49 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 24th September 2014

Minutes:

Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 24th September 2014 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

4.

Minutes from the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee pdf icon PDF 36 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:-   That the minutes be noted.

5.

Healthwatch, Staffordshire

Minutes:

Mrs Jarrett, Community Engagement Lead for North Staffordshire advised on an Engagement event Healthwatch, Staffordshire carried out in the Staffordshire Moorlands and wished to hold a similar event within Newcastle-under-Lyme.

 

Essentially its purpose was twofold.  One was to enable the public to find out more about the health and social care services available in the area and to talk to service providers who had stands.  Two was to be able to ask questions of the senior managers responsible for commissioning and providing services and to hear their responses during a public question time.

 

The event was organised by Healthwatch, Staffordshire and supported in the planning by the District Council, which also sourced and funded the venue, assisted with the publicity and helped to staff the event.

 

The purpose of the event was for local people to find out more about local services and engage informally with service providers and commissioners through a drop-in session and then for local people to pose questions and receive responses from a panel of Chief Officers during a Question Time Panel session.

 

Members felt it was a good idea but more information would be necessitated regarding the size of the venue and funding.  Also the event would need to be located as central, as possible.

 

A Member advised it would require publicity via the website and the Borough newsletter.

 

The Chair asked if Members were, in principle, in agreement with the event going ahead.

 

All Members voted in favour of the event taking place.

 

Resolved:-  

 

That a small working group be established comprising of Councillors Mrs Johnson, Owen and Northcott to work with Healthwatch, Staffordshire in establishing the event.

6.

Portfolio Holder(s) Question Time pdf icon PDF 109 KB

Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Localism will be in attendance to answer any questions raised by Members.  Attached are copies of overviews from the Portfolio Holders.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Kearon (Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities), Councillor Williams (Portfolio Holder for Planning and Assets) and Councillor Hambleton (Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Localism) were asked to attend and supply briefings of their Portfolios which gave a clear idea of the work the Borough carried out in supporting the health and wellbeing of the residents in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

 

Apologies were received from Councillors Kearon and Williams.

 

The Chair advised that if Members had any points they wished to be raised with the Portfolio Holders a written response would be provided.

 

The following observations were raised:-

 

Councillor Kearon (Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities)

 

Drug and Alcohol Dependency - Members requested a report on both drug and alcohol dependency and mental health involving teenagers covering all areas of time and investment related to the Newcastle-under-Lyme area and its impact, both in current and future outcomes, for the residents of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

 

Purposeful Activities for Young People – Due to the range of funded activities being cut back, the Borough Council had stepped in to fund organised activities for young people.  A Member asked if a report could be produced on any rise in anti-social behaviour as a result of youth club closures and the opening of new activities.

 

Health and Wellbeing and the Safer Nights Strategy – Members requested statistics on the first aid triage operating in Newcastle-under-Lyme and more information on what work street pastors carry out.

 

Mental Health and Public Safety – A Member asked what alterations were going to be put in place to try to prevent suicides at The Midway car park. 

 

Resolved:-

 

That the following information is provided by the Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities:-

 

(a)    A report on both drug and alcohol dependency and mental health involving teenagers, which covered all areas of time and investment related to the Newcastle-under-Lyme area and its impact both in current and future outcomes for the residents of Newcastle-under-Lyme

(b)   A report relating to any rise in anti-social behaviour as a result of youth club closures and the opening of new activities.

(c)    Statistics on the first aid triage operating in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

(d)   A report on what work street pastors carry out.

(e)   More information on what alterations were to be put in place to prevent further suicides at The Midway car park.

 

Councillor Williams (Portfolio Holder for Planning and Assets)

 

The Chair drew Members attention to the last section of the briefing in which Members may wish to focus on a number of areas, including:-

 

(1)    The future direction of Better Care Fund process – what role should districts/boroughs play?

(2)    What should the Council be offering in relation to the wider health and wellbeing agenda, particularly in terms of the services it delivers?

(3)    Has the Partnership focussed on the ‘right’ areas in terms of needs, priorities and outcomes?

 

A Member stated that there had previously been a lot of debate in respect of the Better Care Fund.  The concept was good but there was a funding issue.  An  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Modernisation of Day Centres for People with Learning Difficulties

Minutes:

The Chair provided an explanation of Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet taking the decision in January 2014 to change the way that day opportunities are provided for people with learning disabilities.

 

Staffordshire County Council decided to change their day centres so that they only provide direct support to people with the most complex needs, whilst supporting other people to move to more personalised community-based support delivered by independent providers.

 

Staffordshire County Council were at the stage in the process where they were consulting people using the day service at Kidsgrove, their families, carers, staff and interested parties regarding the future options for Kidsgrove Day Centre.  One of the options would lead to the closure of Kidsgrove Day Centre.

 

The consultation was taking place from the 8th December 2014 until 21st January 2015.  Meetings had been held with staff, those using the centre and their families to explain the consultation process and support people in making their views known.

 

A discussion took place and it was felt, as a Committee, to make an agreed response to Staffordshire County Council on the three proposed options:-

 

Option 1

 

Keep Kidsgrove Day Service open and operated by the County Council.

 

Option 2

 

Keep Kidsgrove Day Service open, but operated by another provider.

 

Option 3

 

Develop personalised day opportunities for all eligible people and discontinue the service from Kidsgrove Day Service, closing the building once all alternatives are in place.

 

Following the end of the consultation period the outcome of the consultation, along with recommendations, would be presented to the Cabinet Member who would then make a decision about the future of Kidsgrove Day Service.  If Option 3 were to be chosen there would be an estimated saving to Staffordshire County Council of £186,162 for the first five years, rising to £320,938 from year 6 onwards.

 

Members asked for more information around the evidence for Staffordshire County Council preferred Option 3, what would be the alternative provisions put in place and how long would it take. There would have to be the appropriate alternatives in place for those people, before the Committee could make a decision. 

 

Resolved:-

 

That a brief response be sent to Staffordshire County Council informing that, based on the evidence the Committee had seen, Members were opposed to the closure of Kidsgrove Day Centre.

 

8.

Code of Joint Working pdf icon PDF 41 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair asked if Members had any concerns regarding the Code of Joint Working Arrangements.

 

One Member raised a typo error on page 28 of the document; Maintaining Links bullet point (e) it quoted “2.9(d) above” but there was not a 2.9(d), it should say 2.8(d) above.

 

Resolved:-

 

That Committee receive the Code of Joint Working Arrangements

9.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 74 KB

To discuss and update the work plan to reflect current scrutiny topics

Minutes:

Resolved:-

 

That the following item is added to the Work Plan:-

 

11th March 2015

 

1.   The future direction of the Better Care Fund process.  What role should districts/boroughs play?

 

2.   Community Care and Domiciliary Care

 

10.

Public Question Time

Any member of the public wishing to submit a question must serve two clear days’ notice, in writing, of any such question to the Borough Council.

 

Minutes:

No questions had been received from the public.

11.

Urgent Business

To consider any business which is urgent within the meaning of Section 100 B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

A Member submitted a question surrounding the recent A&E figures published showing the University Hospital of North Staffordshire at the bottom of the performance table.

 

Whilst there were many national issues that combine to create the A&E situation there was no reason why the University Hospital should be at the bottom.

 

In view of the rapidly deteriorating situation at the University Hospital would the Borough Council take immediate steps to work with the County Council and other interested parties.

 

Resolved:-

 

(a)    A meeting had been arranged with all the North Staffordshire Leaders to discuss this issue.  The meeting would be hosted at Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

 

(b)   The Chair to contact the Chief Executive of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, in writing, requesting a reply within 36 hours

 

12.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

Wednesday 29th April 2015, 7.00pm in Committee Room 1

Minutes:

Wednesday 11th March 2015, 7.00pm in Committee Room 1.