Agenda item

Care Services Portfolio Plan Priorities June 2016-May 2017

Minutes:

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 people and those that go missing be provided to the meeting of the Care Services PDS Committee on 10th January 2016.  The Vice-Chairman raised concerns around children looked after going missing from educational establishments during the day and requested that clarification be supplied to foster carers around the point at which they should seek police intervention.

 

In response to a question from a Member around the role of the Children’s Service Improvement Governance Board, the Portfolio Holder for Care Services confirmed that this was a multi-agency Board which had overseen the development of the Children’s Service Improvement Action Plan.  Initially chaired by the Leader of the Council whilst the plan was in development, an Independent Chairman had now been appointed and would lead the Board in monitoring progress in delivering the Action Plan.  The Children’s Service Improvement Governance Board had been established as a private committee whilst the Action Plan was in development, but it was hoped that the meetings would become public when appropriate, and legal advice would be sought on whether the minutes of the Governance Board could be shared with Members whilst it was still a private committee.  Councillor Mary Cooke underlined that the report of the Commissioner for Children's Services in Bromley had been critical of the scrutiny function of the Council and that there was a need for Members to have access to all available information to support strong scrutiny processes.

 

The Chairman noted that new legislation relating to children and young people was due to be announced in forthcoming months and requested that a report on how this would impact the Local Authority be provided to a joint meeting of the Care Services, Education and Public Protection and Safety PDS Committees in April 2017.

 

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder for Care Services be recommended to agree the Care Services Portfolio Plan 2016/17.

Supporting documents: