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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES NORTH WEST HELD ON FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER AT THE OLD TOWN HALL, BLACKBURN
PRESENT
Members
Councillor Colin Morris (In the Chair) Bolton
Councillor Ken Keith Knowsley
Councillor Leon Maguire St Helens
Councillor K Morley Halton
Councillor Colin Froggatt Warrington
Councillor Paul Dolan Trafford
Councillor John O’Neill Wigan
Councillor Elaine Joynes Oldham
Councillor John Taylor Tameside
Councillor Frank Gorton Blackburn with Darwen
County Councillor Chris Holtom Lancashire
Officers
K Nelson Wigan MBC
Anita Marsland Knowsley MBC
Andy Roberston Bolton MBC
David Friday Oldham MBC
Ian Ogden Tameside MBC
Ian Davey Rochdale MBC
Steve Pullan Blackpool
Ken Foote Blackburn with Darwen
Peter Hewitt SSNW
Peter Viggers SSNW
Elaine Trotter SSNW
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of:
Councillors
Councillors Mrs Dalley (Sefton) , Ms Cooley (Manchester), Patel (Lancashire), Connor (Salford), Ferris (Blackpool), Thompson (Rochdale)
Officers
S Lightup (St Helens), M Siegal (Cumbria), C McKinless (Tameside), A Williams (Salford), C Barker (Sefton), C Brabbs (Trafford), S McLurg (Manchester)
A minute’s silence was observed before the meeting, in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks on America on Tuesday 11 September 2001.
SSNW 01/01 Appointment of Chair and Deputy Chair for the ensuing year:
The Co-ordinator of SSNW invited nominations for the post of Chair. Councillor Cliff Morris (Bolton) was proposed and seconded. There being no other nominations, it was
RESOLVED:
That Councillor Morris be re-elected as Chair of the Committee
Councillor Morris assumed the Chair and invited nominations for the post of Deputy Chair. Councillor Ken Keith (Knowsley) was proposed and seconded. There being no other nominations, it was
RESOLVED:
That Councillor Ken Keith be elected as Deputy Chair.
SSNW 01/02 MINUTES
RESOLVED:
1. That it be noted that Councillor Ken Keith had attended the meeting on 15 June 2001, and that the minutes be amended accordingly.
2. The minutes of the meeting held on 15 June 2001 at Ashton-under-Lyne be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
MATTERS ARISING
SSNW 01/03 Representation on Regional Health Strategy Group
RESOLVED:
That Councillor Ken Keith replace Councillor Strett on the Regional Health Strategy Group.
SSNW 01/04 Membership 2001 –02
The Chair welcomed newly-appointed members to the meeting. The current membership list was presented to members.
RESOLVED:
That the report be accepted as a correct record of membership
SSNW 01/05 Review of the Constitution and Rules
The report reviewed the current Constitution and Rules of the Association and invited consideration of a number of amendments to meet changed circumstances.
RESOLVED:
1. That the Association be described in Clause 1 as Social Services North West (formerly the North West Association of Social Services Authorities), and subsequently as Social Services North West
2. That in Clause 21, a ballot shall be held if a motion to this effect is proposed and seconded.
3. That the other changes proposed in the Appendix be agreed
SSNW 01/06 Annual Report 2000-01 and Work Programme 2001-2002
The Co-ordinator of SSNW presented the Annual Report for the past year and the Work Programme for the coming year. A questionnaire had been sent out to members asking them to identify which four priority areas should be addressed in the next year: The results were as follows:
Working with the NHS 17
Financial Issues 14
Quality Protects and Children’s Issues 14
Learning Disabilities 16
Performance Assessment and Quality 8
Human Resources (recruitment, retention, training) 5
RESOLVED:
1. That the Annual Report be noted
2. That the four priority areas for the Work Programme 2001/2002 shall be: Working with the NHS, Financial Issues, Quality Protects and Children’s Issues, and Learning Disabilities.
3. That the next year’s meetings be held as follows:Friday 21 December 2001 at Warrington
Friday 15 March 2002 at Salford
Friday 21 June 2002 at Bury
SSNW 01/07 Annual Accounts 2000-2001
The accounts were presented by the Co-ordinator who said that they reflected a healthy financial situation and that we had recovered from the serious deficit in the previous year. There is good reason to be confident about more stability and value for money in the future, and no increase in subscriptions in excess of inflation should be necessary. Questions were asked about the basis on which subscriptions were assessed and on the financing of conferences.
RESOLVED:
That the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2001 be accepted.
SSNW 01/08 Key Service / Financial Pressures
The Professional Assistant presented the report on Key Services/ Financial Pressures, which was based on the findings of the LGA/ADSS/Treasurers recent survey of budgetary pressures nationally. The report was prepared in liaison with ADSS (NW). The position regionally closely reflected that of the national picture. There is a serious problem of excess expenditure. Children’s residential care accounts for most of the overspend reported, with older people’s residential and domiciliary care services and learning disability services also strongly featured. Ken Foote Director of Social Services for Blackburn with Darwen and Chair of the ADSS (NW) branch, highlighted the underlying problem of structural under funding and the implications of the proposed mechanisms for providing free nursing care, which needed further clarification.
Councillor Taylor (Tameside) spoke of his concern about the serious long-term underfunding of social services, and urged that the MP’s in the areas covered by member authorities be invited to a meeting to spell out the gravity of the situation. Each authority should also lobby their MPs, and a delegation should be sent to London to discuss the matter with Ministers. Councillor O’Neill (Wigan) agreed and stressed that we have not enough funds to meet Social Services statutory needs. From the Chair, Councillor Morris said that we should also write to Rita Stringfellow of the LGA about our concerns, and identify a venue to meet MP’s preferably on a Friday afternoon to increase the likelihood of their availability.
RESOLVED:
1. That the grave funding position in member authorities be noted2. That a meeting be arranged with the Regions MP’s and that letters be written expressing members concerns to Ministers, MP’s and the LGA.
SSNW 01/09 Children’s Services
The report was presented to members by the Professional Assistant, who linked the issue to that of the matter of financial pressures highlighted in the previous report. This chimed with member’s concerns about the rising cost of out-of-authority and especially private sector placements for children, and the question of whether a more regional approach could be developed. The report prepared for the ADSS (NW) two years ago in conjunction with NCH Action for Children and the University of Central Lancashire was highlighted. The need to look at good examples of joint working between authorities, the benefits of earlier intensive intervention in child care episodes, and a more planned approach to out of authority placements, were recognised. Anita Marsland, Lead Director for Children’s Services in ADSS (NW) agreed with the contents of the report, and stressed that commissioning was a real priority issue in the Region. She has been meeting with Children’s Services Assistant Directors’ groups in the region and has addressed these issues with them. The Quality Protects Reference Group NW, of which Anita Marsland is the Chair, will also be staging an event later this year to highlight the issue of commissioning for children. Effective work was already underway in the region, including greater use of small residential units, pioneered locally by Bolton.
Councillor Taylor stressed his concerns about the private sector and the perception of excess charging in a sellers market and urged that further action be taken. Councillor Dolan (Trafford) agreed, although he felt that not all providers were exploiting the system and there was perhaps a need to develop working relationships with high-quality providers, eg through block contracting. It was recognised that good quality care could not be purchased cheaply. It was noted that many authorities had now recruited contracts officers for children’s services, and we should look at how these could work together more effectively.
RESOLVED:
1. That the report be noted.
2. That a further report be presented to the December meeting, jointly with ADSS (NW), to address issues highlighted in the report and to make recommendations for progress.
SSNW 01/10 Working with the National Health Service
The Co-ordinator introduced the main report and also tabled a supplementary report on developments within the last few days. Social Services North West had further strengthened its working relationships with the Department of Health at regional level, both with NHS North West and with SSI. The supplementary report contained the results of the survey of member authorities regarding the Community Health Councils, which are now threatened with abolition. Patients Forums and PALS were not considered an adequate replacement. The Government had just proposed that they be supplemented by VOICE organisations at Strategic Health Authority level, but would they be sufficiently local to be an adequate replacement for CHC’s? The Co-ordinator also referred to the proposals for the boundaries of the new Strategic Health Authorities. Ensuring co- terminosity between these and local authorities was a key issue.
RESOLVED
1. That the reports be noted and the actions taken be endorsed.
2. That a further report be presented to the next meeting.3. That the responses to the joint survey with NWRACHCS be noted
4. That a further joint meeting with NWRACHCS be arranged
5. That a response be made to the Department of Health discussion document on Involving Patients and the Public in Health care
6. That a response be made to the Department of Health paper on Shifting the Balance of Power within the NHS: Creating Strategic Health Authorities.
SSNW 01/11 North West Training and Development TEAM
The report was introduced by Ian Davey, Director of Social Services Rochdale on behalf of Gwylfa Evans the Lead Director for Learning Disability. The report proposed a three-year extension to the life of the team, which is delivering an ever better service to health and social services authorities across the Region.
RESOLVED:
1. That the Annual Report and Outline Work Programme of the team be endorsed.
2. That the subscription funding by authorities be extended until 31 March 2004.
SSNW 01/12 Valuing People: Conference on the White Paper on Learning Disability
Details of the Conference to be held at the Reebok on 26 September 2001 were highlighted by the Co-ordinator. The conference would also look at the issue of protecting vulnerable adults from abuse following from the Department of Health’s guidance on the protection of vulnerable adults, entitled No Secrets. Members were encouraged to enrol for the conference, which was of direct relevance to one of the newly identified priority areas of the next year’s Work Programme.
RESOLVED:
That the report be noted and the arrangements for this conference be endorsed.
SSNW 01/13 Any other business
There being no other business, the Chair thanked the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen for their hospitality and the meeting was closed.
Date of next meeting:
Friday 21 December 2001 at Warrington.
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