Agenda item

This report provides an update to Audit Committee on progress against the recommendations arising from the Internal Audit Review of Financial Assessments (FA) of Clients (final report issued December 2024), which concluded with a Limited Assurance opinion. It also sets out the current position in relation to Adult Social Care (ASC) income collection and debt recovery.

Ms Rebecca Cribb, Head of Commissioning and Quality Assurance and Ms Jo Baty, Director of Adult Social Care introduced the report.

The meeting heard:

·         A complex case could include anything from international bank accounts and property involvement through to safeguarding concerns with residents.

·         In relation to the legal and high-risk cases, the internal legal team was used where possible, but external providers were used when there was additional capacity.  

·         The team was still working through its backlog. However, there had been an increase in the amount of time it was taking to complete. The amount of waiting time for the assessments had decreased from 200 days to 100 days.

·         In relation to the variable direct debits, the work to introduce it was underway. All required teams in the Council were involved and were being led by digital colleagues. There were various system changes, process changes and the links between the case management system and the finance system that needed to be made. Staff were in the discovery stage of this. There would then need to be some communications with residents. There was evidence from other boroughs that allowing people to pay a direct debit that would vary from month to month, particularly if they were in receipt of home care, would improve income collection significantly. An update would be provided to the Committee in due course.

·         Social work practice was important and there was a significant undertaking in terms of workforce development to get assurance in that area. The sooner respectful conversations could be held around residents having to pay a contribution to their care and support, the better. This would naturally start with anyone new to the service via an assessment and anyone known to the service at an annual review. How people have that conversation in a compassionate, caring and efficient way was a skill. Staff always would need a refresher about how this would need to be done. The borough had a very strong disabled people’s organisation - Disability Action Haringey - who played a critical role in supporting disabled residents and wished to be involved. The organisation recently won some contracts for information, advice and guidance and it would be a great service to work with because it was adversarial and challenging of the authority. More work was also being done on improving the information, advice and guidance the Council provided. The website and leaflets reflecting the information needed to ensure that the tone of the language did not sound punitive. Work was also being done on communicating with residents when they approached with queries.

·         When the project was started, it had been recognised that additional capacity was needed in all of the teams. There had been additional capacity that had gone into Legal, the Financial Assessments team, the Debt Recovery team and the frontline Social Care team. This was on a time-limited basis. There were a number of assessments that needed to be cleared, so the waiting list was significantly higher. Therefore, the additional resource would need to be in place for some time before considering what the business-as-usual resource should be. This would be considered for all of the teams, not just the Financial Assessment team. The specific amount of time had not been set. There were around two or three specific work streams linked to the project. One was around looking at the age debt. Work was being done looking at over a thousand cases examining how much money was recoverable. and then, realistically, what was not. It was a requirement to work through those cases with input from all four teams. A further update would be provided to the Committee.

·         Payment using a standing order would be the same amount each month Some residents managing their finances would find the instability of a direct debit very stressful. Some sessions needed to be done with residents to understand the impact to residents and improve on being person-centred. Starting at the earliest stage would be beneficial in the long term. Some would like to have the option of a variable direct debit because they knew that their care package could vary from week to week. At present, there was no variable direct option.

The Audit Committee RESOLVED: 

1. To note progress made against the Financial Assessment Audit recommendations, as summarised in this report.

2. To note the updated position on Adult Social Care income collection and debt.

3. To note the integration of audit actions within the ASC Improvement Plan and governance arrangements.