Issue - meetings

Report CS17037

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining the draft Portfolio Plan priorities for 2016/17 for Members’ consideration.

The draft Care Services Portfolio Plan 2016/17 comprised six key priority outcomes that were in line with the Local Authority’s “Building a Better Bromley” vision of creating an environment where people could lead healthier, more independent and self-reliant lifestyles, and to ensure the best possible future for the children and young people of Bromley, with a clear focus on supporting the most vulnerable.  The six key priority outcomes were aligned to the national areas covering housing and adults and children’s social care, and reflected the Government’s outcome frameworks for these services and for the integration of local health and social care together with the requirements of adult social care services as defined by the Care Act 2014.  The Portfolio Plan also took account of the Children’s Service Improvement Action Plan, developed in partnership with a range of key agencies in response to the Ofsted Inspection of children’s services and the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board in Spring 2016, for which the Local Authority had received an overall judgement of ‘Inadequate’ and the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board was rated with a judgement of ‘Requires Improvement’.

In considering the draft Portfolio Plan priorities, the Chairman underlined the need for progress in delivering actions relating to areas of children’s services not included in the Children’s Service Improvement Action Plan, as well as those for older people, adult safeguarding and health to be monitored robustly alongside the monitoring of the Children’s Service Improvement Action Plan.  A Member suggested that consideration be given to how scrutiny could best be undertaken, such as through a select committee model.  The Chairman also noted the importance of the work of the Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board and the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board and requested that further details regarding the meetings of the Boards be provided to Members following the meeting.  The Chairmen of both Boards would be invited to attend a future meeting of the Care Services PDS Committee to inform Members about the work being undertaken by the Boards.

A Member welcomed Priority Outcome 1 which was to work with health partners to focus on wellbeing and prevention to improve health outcomes for the residents of Bromley, and reported that the new Dementia Hub which offered a single point of access for information, advice and personalised support planning was now in place.  The Member also requested that three performance measures relating to service users and carers marked as ‘to be confirmed’ be specified.

With regard to Priority Outcome 2, the Chairman was pleased to note the target to complete 100% of Child Protection reviews within timescale, and emphasised the need for the Local Authority to always seek to attain 100% when fulfilling its duty of care for vulnerable children.  In relation to Action 2.2, the Chairman requested that a report on the action to be taken to address concerns relating to risks to sexually exploited children and young  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34