Agenda and minutes

EAP Active Communities - Friday 2nd February, 2024 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber, The Cube, George St, Corby NN17 1QG

Contact: David Pope 

Items
No. Item

53.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Ken Harrington. It was noted that Cllr Paul Marks was acting as substitute for Cllr Harrington.

54.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

Cllr Gill Mercer declared an interest in Item 6 – Communities Strategy and Strategic Investment into the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector and would leave the meeting for the duration of the discussion on this item.

55.

Minutes of the meeting held on 1st December 2023 pdf icon PDF 108 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that:-

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 1st December 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

56.

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

Minutes:

It was AGREED that this item be deferred to a future meeting date.

57.

Service Presentation - Commissioning and Performances pdf icon PDF 1003 KB

Minutes:

The Assistant Director for Commissioning and Performance, Matthew Jenkins attended the meeting and provided a service presentation that initially gave the Panel an overview of the key service areas within Commissioning and Performance.

 

The meeting noted the approach taken to engage with social work teams in deciding desired outcomes alongside service users and the undertaking of assessments prior to the brokerage team engaging with contract providers regarding care referrals. It was heard that between £100m-£110m of payments were processed to independent care providers, with personal budget support services supporting service users to manage direct payments. Details were also provided regarding direct payments and financial assessments undertaken whereby service users contributed towards the cost of their care and support.

 

The meeting then received detailed of achievements made by the service during 2023 in key areas of work. It was heard that homecare procurements had completed in October 2023, with 114 Care Quality Commission registered providers. It was heard that this was a significant step forward for the council and reflected independent provider confidence in working with the Council as a care commissioner. The Council had invested heavily in the homecare mark to ensure hourly pay rates enabled providers to recruit, train and retain staff and had increased the capacity within that sector of the care market and would significantly reduce the reliance on spot placements and offer more control over care quality.

 

Further achievements were detailed to the panel, including:

 

·        Advocacy procurement completed with the contract awarded to Total Voice

·        Learning Disability Partnership Board feedback completed and shared

·        A new approach to brokering care and support had been adopted offering greater choice and control.

·        Continued improvement in the quality of external market had been witnessed

·        A Market Position Statement  had been developed

·        Co-production commenced for development of a Carers’ Strategy

·        Genie Connect pilot commenced

 

Cllr John McGhee noted the significant increase in the number of homecare providers and queried monitoring of services being provided. It was heard that regular reviews would be undertaken to ensure desired outcomes were being met, with contractors receiving an annual visit from the Quality Team as a minimum, more often should any concerns over quality of service arise.

 

Cllr Gill Mercer queried how often the number of providers would be reviewed as the markets moved and changed. In response, it was noted that framework agreements could be re-opened should the need arise across the five-year contract.

 

Cllr Russell Roberts referenced means testing before care and support was agreed, with the meeting noting that the Council could broker such services even for individuals who were over the threshold for paid care once a financial assessment had been undertaken. It was heard that up to six weeks of reablement was fully funded for those leaving hospital and requiring care that allowed time for the financial assessment process to conclude.

 

Discussion was held regarding the cost of social care and the potential use of AI in future. It was heard that such technology was in its infancy, with reference  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

58.

Communities Strategy and Strategic Investment into the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector pdf icon PDF 236 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Prior to consideration of this item the co-Chair, Cllr Gill Mercer, left the meeting having declared an interest in this item)

 

The Panel received a report from the Assistant Director for Communities and Leisure that introduced the Council’s Communities Strategy and detailed the strategic investment made into the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE).

 

It was heard that the strategy before members had been coproduced with representatives from across the VCSE sector, with the report also setting out the proposed new VCSE strategic grants framework that covered a period of three-years from 1st April 2024 and replaced the previous strategic grant arrangements which the Council had inherited from the former sovereign councils.

 

Members also received details of the proposed new VCSE Infrastructure support arrangements that would be tendered and contracted for across a three year period from 1st September 2024.

 

It was reported that the operating landscape for the sector had altered dramatically across the preceding 18 month period, with the Executive approval to roll forward the inherited strategic grants to March 2024 providing the Council with sufficient time to engage and work collaboratively with the sector regarding its needs.

 

It was noted that although the strategic grant pot totalled £672,000, this was only an element of the funding committed by the Council to the voluntary sector, with the total investment being £1.8m for 2023/24.

 

It was heard that grant funding had been reviewed against the Council’s strategic priorities alongside heavy engagement with the sector. An event held in September 2023 had seen representatives from the sector attend and have open conversations regarding key priorities for funding and infrastructure arrangements, the requirement for capacity building to support funding bids, and leadership development. It was noted that the Council did not current operate a VCSE infrastructure contract and close engagement had been offered to assist the sector in being able to develop and become more sustainable thereby allowing organisation to carry out the work they were best at.

 

Details were provided to the meeting of the proposed new VCSE strategic grants framework for 2024-2027 with a focus on the following themes:

 

·     Core cost support to the Community Centres which were supported by the former sovereign Councils;

·     Financial Inclusion;

·     Community Transport;

·     Prevention of Social Isolation for Older People;

·     Community Mental Health and Wellbeing;

·     Increasing resilience in the VCSE to provide support for vulnerable residents, as identified through the new Support North Northants (SNN) service;

·     Promotion and Advocacy for Equalities

 

The Panel heard that the funding of community centres presented a challenge due to inconsistencies in legacy funding arrangements inherited. Discussions had been held with centres that received core funding support from the Council, with a view to developing sustainability and reducing reliance on this funding. It was noted that existing funding for community centres would remain the same for 2024/25 as in the current year but would be reviewed on an annual basis. It was heard that should communities wish to take on operation of community centres, conversation regarding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

59.

Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 199 KB

Minutes:

The Executive Forward Plan for February to May 2024was noted.

60.

Forward List of Items for the EAP pdf icon PDF 824 KB

Minutes:

The forward list of items for the EAP was considered including the following:

 

·       Family Hubs

·       Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

·       In-house Service Provision

·       North Northamptonshire Council All Age Carers Strategy

·       Implementation of the draft Health & Wellbeing Strategy

 

61.

Close of Meeting

Minutes:

There being no further business, the Chair thanked Members and Officers for their attendance and closed the meeting.