Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
To hear from Cllr Harris
Minutes:
What happens to those not found to be eligible for services under the Fair Access to Care Services Criteria?
The service looks at how the voluntary sector, the TPCT and faith groups can help to support people. Also if people want help and support to fund services which they can not get funding for then they are helped by the provision of information.
People are also alerted to the complaints procedure.
Is there a booklet which contains all information that people are given? If so, does this take into account language and illiteracy?
A guide is currently being updated with emphasis on what is being provided in other sectors. This will also be provided in community languages. The translation service, Language Line, is also available. Spoken assistance is given to those who have literacy issues.
What is being done to assist the move to more preventative services?
Haringey has a £2.3 million, ring-fenced Social Care Reform Grant, over the next 3 years to assist with this agenda.
Older People’s service is working closely with the TPCT. For example the Director of Public Health is a joint funded post and was jointly appointed.
Government direction - Our Health, Our Care, Our Say and the personalisation agenda is providing direction.
Budget for the forthcoming year
Overall for Haringey Council the settlement has been a difficult one due to the savings having to be made. However there will be investment in Adult Services.
Osborne Grove is due to open soon and once Hornsey Hospital opens it will have dementia services in its grounds.
A saving will be made by the introduction of the Home Care Bank. This is a flexible bank of home carers which can be used when a regular carer is off sick or on holiday and avoids having to use external agency staff therefore saving money. It also ensures that the service can stay as flexible as possible. Noted that bank staff would not be used for regular visits, therefore continuity of care would be maintained as much as possible.
Uptake of Direct Payments
The increased uptake of Direct Payments is part of the personalisation agenda and is therefore the direction of travel for older people.
Individual budgets will be piloted by Learning Disabilities and the lessons learnt here will be shared for other departments.
Noted that the Power of Attorney law has changed as part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Further information to be made available to the panel.