Agenda item

In accordance with the Council’s Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny Mr Pickersgill of Wildridings & Central Ward submitted two questions to be considered by the meeting:

• What is being done to change the former care model which is now financially unsustainable especially with many of the care homes in financial crisis themselves (including Four Seasons)?

• Is Bracknell having to use its reserves?

The Chairman thanked Mr Pickersgill for his well informed questions and the Director of Adult Social Care, Health and Housing, Gill Vickers responded that for the previous year the directorate had been implementing a transformation programme intended to improve customer experience and reduce the risks in the market. The programme was aimed at supporting people in their homes and communities through initiatives such as:

• Early intervention (without assessing for eligibility) when individuals contact us for the first time
• Taking a ‘strength based approach’ helping individuals to problem solve and identifying support networks in the community and voluntary sector
• A new approach to ensuring the voluntary sector organisations are sustainable (providing a digital platform to enable them to market their services, for individual’s with Personal Budgets to buy their services online, removing the need for expensive and time consuming individual invoicing.  Also identifying unmet needs and posting information on this for the voluntary and private organisations for development opportunities

·         The Director explained that integrated intermediate care was available seven days a week until 8pm in the evening. The Council was working with health providers in nursing and residential homes to support people and prevent them going into hospital and providing care when they are discharged.

·         It was explained that the Council was also using technology to support people such as sensors for people getting out of bed.

·         Following the Care Act the Council’s early intervention work considered how to problem solve the issues such as signposting towards organisations or provision of money to support people (up to £500). A map of community groups had been built upon those that would welcome people referred to them. The Council was working with the voluntary sector to support groups to be sustainable even with reduced grants. People had individual budgets and used prepaid cards to pay for participation. The community hub and community connectors can help residents find the community groups, organisations and services available in Bracknell Forest..

·         The meeting was advised that if in hospital a patient was assessed on their way out which was termed ‘support discharge to assess’ in order to take the time to see what the individual needed. It was recognised that people do not function well in hospital . This could be provided over a period of up to six weeks to help determine whether they should return home or required residential care.

·         The Director moved onto the second part of Mr Pickersgill’s question by confirming that the council was using reserves but in a planned way. £2.5m of reserves had been identified to support the 18/19 budget but this was in line with the council's medium term financial plan which was approved in 2016, therefore it is not a last minute reaction to balance.

In response to questions by the members of the Panel:

• The meeting was advised that there were currently 20 Bracknell Forest residents in Astbury Manor, the Council had a contract with the residential home
• If a resident was unhappy about the level of care being provided they could complain via the PALS service if this was whilst in hospital or the Council’s complaint number and someone would discuss their concerns

In conclusion the Chairman thanked Mr Pickersgill for his topical question and noted that the Council was addressing the issues he had raised through its transformation programme to ensure that the Council has a sustainable service.