Agenda item

This report request authority to implement a range of organisational changes across the Adult Social Care Business Unit in order to establish an organisational structure appropriate for the delivery of adult social care services within a transformed social care system. The revised social care system is in line with the Governments Personalisation Agenda – Self Directed Care. Report to follow

The Committee considered a report proposing a range of organisational changes across the Adult Social Care Business Unit in order to establish an organisational structure appropriate for the delivery of adult social care services within a transformed social care system. The structure had been designed to enable adult social care users to choose the services they needed to support their needs.  The report included information on the range of services that would be available and the skills that would be needed to provide these services. The revised structure was in accordance with the assigned budget reductions to the service and there had been particular effort to ensure that a minimum amount of staff were displaced.

The Committee referred to the attached diagram:

This conveyed the pathway to adult social care services from the point of referral and showed how the services would be constructed to respond to user’s adult social care needs. Staff with the required expertise would be placed at the various points of the above pathway to ensure that users gained an optimum service at each point and were not delayed at certain parts of the pathway.  The Committee were advised that contact with the service would be made easier as there would be expert advice available to the user at each required stage. It was noted that the initial aim of the service, when receiving a referral, was to support the client to reach their optimum level of health before assessing which further services were needed. It was noted that residents accessing the service could always re-enter the pathway after receiving support.  The Committee noted that, where an individual was in receipt of the re-enablement service and was deemed likely to need an ongoing support, a social worker would complete an assessment which would lead to calculations on the cash amount to be allocated to them to buy services or products to meet their individual care needs. The individual could then decide if they wanted to supplement this allowance with their own personal funds to achieve a higher level of independence.

In response to a question on the cost of advice to a resident, it was noted that this was free.

Members sought clarification on the level of financial oversight provided by the Council when individuals were managing their own finances and there was particular concern on monitoring how funding was spent and if spent appropriately.  Members learned that the system of Direct Payments, which allows individuals to manage the finances of their own care package, had been in existence for around 7 years and therefore was not a new scheme for the Council to monitor. Individuals had flexibility to draw down their funding to suit their monthly needs. A Social Worker would complete an assessment which contributed to ascertaining whether the individual was able to manage their own finances. They would be required to set up a separate bank account to receive the payments for their social care needs and would have been advised by the Council of audits to be completed on their accounts to ensure that money was being used accordingly.

Members commented on the service pathway and how users, that was in between services, would be dealt with as it seemed that they would not have a single contact person throughout their care. It was recognised that a single contact person would potentially be favoured by the user, however the expert advice and support received at each particular pathway stage outweighed the benefit received from a single person contact. This approach was in the long term more beneficial to the user. The Committee noted that this model of working had already resulted in significant reductions in delayed discharges from hospitals.

RESOLVED

1. That the organisational restructuring of the Adult Social Care Business unit set out in the body of the report and the accompanying appendices be agreed.

2. That the staffing strategies set out in Appendix 9 to implement the required changes be agreed.