Agenda and minutes

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personalinterest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it.  If in doubt please contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

12.1   In accordance with the code of conduct, the following personal interests were declared: -

·        Mrs Bridges in relation to item 6 (Strategic Budget Options 2019/20) as she has a relative who uses mental health provision in Bognor Regis and receives care via Adult Social Care from West Sussex County Council

·        Mr Belsey in relation to item 6 (Strategic Budget Options 2019/20) as his wife is a trustee of Age UK East Grinstead & District

·        Mr Belsey in relation to item 7 ( Bailey Unit – Midhurst Community Hospital) as a governor of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

·        Miss Russell in relation to item 7 ( Bailey Unit – Midhurst Community Hospital) as the Healthwatch West Sussex representative on the task and finish group to champion local voices and to challenge NHS and local authority thinking re Bailey Unit closures

The Committee is asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2018 (cream paper).

13.1 Resolved – that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 22 June be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

The Committee is asked to note the response by the Cabinet Member for Adults & Health to recommendations made at the 22 June 2018 meeting.

14.1   Resolved – that the Committee notes the response by the Cabinet Member for Adults & Health.

The Forward Plan 13 September.

An extract from any Forward Plan published between the date of despatch of the agenda and the date of the meeting will be tabled at the meeting.

The Committee is asked to consider whether it wishes to enquire into any of the forthcoming decisions within its portfolio.

15.1   Resolved – that the Committee agrees that: -

     i.        The decision regarding the procurement of mortuary services for West Sussex should be discussed at the next meeting of the Business Planning Group.

Report by the Executive Director, Children, Adults, Families, Health & Education and the Director of Finance Performance and Procurement.

The report outlines the strategic budget options listed below for the Adults & Health portfolio for 2019/20: -

a)      Housing Related Support

b)      Local Assistance Network

c)       Minimum Income Guarantee for Working Age Adults

d)      Adults In-house Social Care provision - Choices for the Future

The Committee is asked to:

(1)     Consider the three draft Cabinet Member decision reports regarding  housing related support, Local Assistance Network (LAN) and Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for Working Age Adults and provide comment to the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health regarding the process for engagement with stakeholders ;

(2)     Request that it has the opportunity to consider the results of the engagement, as part of further scrutiny of these proposals, considering who should be invited as external witnesses, as part of the decision-making process in December 2018; and

(3)     Provide any additional comment regarding the future model and configuration of Adults’ In-house social care provision in West Sussex, further to the Committees previous recommendations, to the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health for consideration prior to a planned formal decision in October 2018.

16.1   The Committee considered reports by the Executive Director Children, Adults, Families, Health & Education and the Interim Director of Adults’ Services (copies appended to the signed minutes). The reports on Housing Related Support and the Local Assistance Network were introduced by Amanda Jupp, Cabinet Member for Adults & Health, and Kim Curry,  Executive Director Children, Adults, Families, Health & Education who assured the Committee that the County Council would work with all concerned parties, look at all options and understand the impact before any decision was taken.

16.2   Summary of responses to Members’ questions and comments: -

·         The Committee emphasised the importance of engaging with the voluntary sector, service users, other public sector organisations, the Corporate Parenting Panel, Members of the County Council, district and borough councils, youth offending service, drug & alcohol service, Local Government Association and the Department for Housing and exploring any costs to them that this decision may cause

·         Many other councils had already made this type of  budget reduction and West Sussex could learn from their experience

·         There were a number  of officers who had been deployed to work on these projects and meetings had been arranged with providers who would be given due notice if the proposed changes went ahead

·         The Council was working with the district and borough councils regarding the potential implications of the proposals as they were the statutory authority responsible for the prevention of homelessness

·         Engagement with service users would be through the providers, with advocates for service users where required

·         The Council should be aware that this issue may affect the health and wellbeing of vulnerable adults

·         The consultation outcome should be presented to list views by sector

·         All discretionary spending, including the impact on the most vulnerable people would be reviewed

·         There should be clear labelling in committee papers of which spending was statutory and which was discretionary

·         The Council was helping voluntary sector organisations develop the infrastructure that would help them access funding

16.3   Resolved – that the Committee asks that: -

     i.        All service users likely to be impacted by these proposals have the opportunity to be consulted

    ii.        Members of the Committee have the opportunity to take evidence prior to, and at the next meeting of the Committee, where practical, from different providers, the voluntary sector, service users, local authorities, the NHS and police

   iii.        The next meeting of the Committee include the Children & Young People’s Services Select Committee and the Chairman of the Corporate Parenting Panel to take into account any cross-cutting issues

  iv.        The next meeting of the Committee’s Business Planning Group to discuss and finalise the arrangements for the Committee’s evidence gathering prior to consideration of any final proposals taking into account the Committee’s discussion on 27 September

16.4   The Committee considered a report on the Minimum Income Guarantee for Working Age Adults by the Executive Director Children, Adults, Families, Health & Education and the Interim Director of Adults’ Services (copy appended to the signed minutes).

16.5   Summary of responses to Members’ questions and comments: -  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Report by Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.

Following notification on 26 June 2018 from Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) that the Bailey Unit at Midhurst Community Hospital would be closed indefinitely to new admissions, the Chairman, on behalf of members, asked that SCFT be invited to the next meeting of the Committee to seek assurance that that there was sufficient capacity elsewhere in West Sussex to cope with any new patients who would otherwise have been admitted to the Bailey Unit and receive an outline of the Trusts medium to long terms plans for this service.  A report drafted by SCFT is attached to assist the Committee’s discussions.

The Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee is asked to consider whether it is sufficiently assured that the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and commissioners have put appropriate measures in place, to ensure that there is adequate provision for patients now and in the future, who would have otherwise been admitted to the Bailey Unit at Midhurst Community Hospital. 

17.1   The Committee considered a report by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) (copy appended to the signed minutes) which was introduced by Dr Richard Quirk, Medical Director (SCFT) who told the Committee that: -

·        The closure of Bailey Unit was a temporary measure due to staff shortages which had led to an increase in incidents and complaints

·        Due to concerns over safety, the number of beds available had been reduced to eight, but the staffing problems continued, leading to closure whilst care in Midhurst in future was reassessed

17.2   Dr Rowena Hill, Riverbank Medical Centre, Midhurst raised the following concerns and points: -

·        After a previous temporary closure, Bailey Unit had reopened with only one staff vacancy – why had so many more vacancies arisen?

·        Why was the situation not discussed by the Committee at its 22 June meeting, which was two days before the closure?

·        Was the latest closure temporary or permanent?

·        The medical centre would have sent 12 patients to the unit if it had been open last month

·        There had been no increase or planned increase in the number of district nurses in Midhurst

·        The manger of Pendean, Midhurst, was unaware of a contract with SCFT for the use of its beds by SCFT patients

17.3   Roger Bricknell, Trustee and Secretary - Friends of Midhurst Community Hospital and Riverbank Medical Centre raised the following concerns and points: -

·        Had SCFT looked into the reasons why staff had left the Bailey Unit?

·        Would the number of clinics at Midhurst Community Hospital increase?

·        Would the Pearson Unit continue?

·        A Frailty Unit in Midhurst would be welcomed

·        A £1m legacy was available for structural works on the community hospital

·        Part of the site could be used for housing

17.4   Marie Dodd, Area Director, SCFT, told the Committee: -

·        The ‘One Call’ system was responsible for arranging the night sitting service and allocating patients to beds (including at Pendean and Cavell House, near Shoreham)

·        Pendean and Cavell House were high quality provision that had been used over the August Bank Holiday

·        Nine beds had been opened at Salvington Lodge, Worthing

·        Continued recruitment at Salvington meant that staff could be flexible and transferred to Midhurst if necessary

·        There was capacity in the community nursing team, but more people were needed for the sitting service

·        Most of the people who used the Bailey Unit came from Worthing and would rather stay closer to home

·        66% of Bailey Unit staff were agency

·        Four attempts had been made recently to recruit a ward manager for Bailey Unit

17.5   Amanda Fadero, Transition Director, Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group (CWS) told the Committee: -

·        The governing body of CWS sought assurance that the alternative capacity was secured and how this would be monitored.  This was particularly important for winter resilience planning and any potential requirement for additional capacity. CWS was working with SCFT to do this

·        Flexible staffing arrangements have been explored

·        CWS was liaising with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on 15 November 2018 at 10.30 a.m. at County Hall, Chichester. 

Any member wishing to place an item on the agenda for the meeting must notify the Director of Law and Assurance by 1 November 2018.

18.1   The next scheduled meeting of the Committee is on 15 November 2018, County Hall, Chichester at 10.30.

18.2 The meeting ended at 15.16.