Present at the meeting:
- Councillor K Cunliffe (Cabinet Champion)(In the Chair)
- Councillor R M Bleakley
- Councillor N A Bradbury
- Councillor Mrs S J Greensmith
- Councillor K W McManus
- Councillor Mrs J M Peet
- Councillor J Talbot
- Mr P Halsall (Co-opted Member)
- Mr A Kendrick (Co-opted Member)
- Mr S Oliver (Co-opted Member)
Also present by invitation:
- Mr S Barber, Chief Executive, The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust, for agenda item E1.
21 Apologies for absence: Councillors G M Bretherton, Mrs S Dewhurst, M A Dewhurst, G W Fairhurst and R T Splaine and Mrs M Burgess (Co-opted Member).
22 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Panel held on 22 July 2008 were approved as a correct record.
23 Exclusion of the public - section 100a Local Government Act 1972: Resolved: The public is excluded from the meeting when the Adult Services Panel discusses the following items for the reasons set out below:-
| Agenda Item no |
Title of report |
Minute no |
Description of exempt information by reference to the paragraph number in schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 |
| E1 |
Partnership agreement between Wigan Council and The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust |
31 |
3 (Information about the financial or business affairs of any person or organisation, including the council) |
| E2 A and B |
Decisions authorised by the Director of Adult Services under Chief Officers’ Designated Powers |
32 |
3 (Information about the financial or business affairs of any person or organisation, including the council) |
24 Partnerships for Older People Project (POPP) – end of project report: The Panel considered a report and received a presentation from the Director of Adult Services, briefing Members on the outcome of the POPP project. A grant of £1.76m from the Department of Health had been awarded to Wigan Council, over two years from April 2006, to test and evaluate innovative approaches aimed at improving outcomes for older people. Wigan’s POPP scheme had been regarded nationally as one of the most successful of the 19 pilot schemes across the country.
Members asked questions, to which the Director of Adult Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
25 Supporting People programme: The Panel considered a report and received a presentation from the Director of Adult Services on the progress made since the Audit Commission had inspected the Supporting People Programme. The report also presented the Commissioning Framework and set out the changing environment in which the programme would be operating.
The report would also be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting to be held on 2 October 2008.
Members asked questions, to which the Director of Adult Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel:-
- notes the report now submitted; and
- endorses the direction for future service commissioning set out in the Commissioning Framework.
26 Adult Services budget monitoring 2008/09: The Panel considered a report, which would also be considered by Cabinet at its meeting to be held on 18 September 2008, on the budget monitoring position for Adult Services after the first four months of 2008/09 and commenting on the budgetary issues that would need to be addressed during the year. The report outlined the significant underlying budgetary pressures, which were mainly attributable to the costs of services provided to clients moving through from Children’s to Adults Services at 18 years of age (known as ‘transition costs’). The monitoring position showed a current overspend against the budget profile.
Agreed: The Panel endorses the report now submitted.
27 Adult Safeguarding Board – Annual Report 2007/08 and Action Plan 2008/09: The Panel considered an annual report and action plan for the Adult Safeguarding Board, based on agreed priorities in order to protect the vulnerable adults within the Borough. Significant progress had been achieved in the past year in developing strategies, providing training, monitoring, identifying the nature and location of adult abuse and bringing together agencies to improve practice and meet inter-agency responsibilities.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the report (Minute 60 refers).
Members asked questions, to which the Director of Adult Services responded.
Agreed: The Panel:
- notes the report now submitted; and
- supports the activities carried out by the Safeguarding Board in order to promote the protection of vulnerable adults within the Borough.
28 Minutes of Single Commissioning Agency (SCA) – Joint Shadow Board,17 April 2008: The Panel considered the minutes of the SCA held on 17 April 2008 and commented on the length of time which had elapsed since the meeting had taken place.
Agreed: The Panel:
- accepts the minutes of the SCA dated 17 April 2008; and
- requests the Director of Adult Services/Interim Director of the SCA to make arrangements to submit the draft minutes of the SCA to the Adult Services Panel for information prior to their ratification by the Board.
29 Questions by Members at Panel meetings: There were none.
30 Date and time of next meeting: Resolved: The Panel amends the time of the next meeting to convene at 2.00 pm on Tuesday, 11 November 2008.
31 Partnership agreement between Wigan Council and The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust: The Panel considered a report which had been approved by Cabinet (minute 85 refers). The report informed Members of a partnership which was to be established between the Wigan Council and The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust. The aim of the partnership would be to develop integrated management arrangements for local mental health services for adults of working age and older people with mental health problems.
The Chief Executive of The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust attended the meeting. He outlined the new management structure and described how the Trust would implement a step change in policy by introducing community led services designed to meet the needs of local people.
Members asked questions, to which the Chief Executive of The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust responded.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted and thanks the Chief Executive of The 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust for attending the meeting.
(Councillor K Cunliffe declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in the above item because his wife is employed by The 5 Boroughs NHS Trust).
32 Decisions authorised by the Director of Adult Services under Chief Officers Delegated Powers: The Panel considered a report on decisions made by the Director of Adult Services which incorporated a value in excess of £250,000.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
