Presentations by the Director of Adult and Community Services, Strategic Cabinet Member for Adult Services and the Chief Executive of NHS Richmond introducing the work of the Directorate, the priorities of the new administration and the current position of NHS Richmond respectively.  

The Committee received presentations from Cathy Kerr, Director of Adult and Community Services at LBRuT, Councillor Nicola Urquhart, Cabinet member for Adult Services, Health & Housing and Joan Mager, Chief Executive of NHS Richmond.

The Director of Adult and Community Services described the duties of the Directorate which fell under the following areas:

FRONTLINE SERVICES

• Social Care
  
  
• Safeguarding
  
  
• Housing
  
  
• Accessible Transport

CORPORATE DUTIES

• Performance Quality Assessment and Service Development
  
  
• Community Planning / Safety & Engagement
  
  
• Performance Management

The Committee would be concerned with the Overview and Scrutiny of work and policies relating to the Frontline duties. Ms Kerr also explained the staffing structure to the Committee and highlighted those staff that they would be likely to see at the Committee.  The Committee heard that the Directorate had:

• 612 Staff
  
  
• 73.1 million budget
  
  
• 4130 users
  
  
• 1496 Personal Budget users

In recent times the Directorate had:

• Introduced personalisation of budgets and was a leader in London in this area
  
  
• Improved Services for homeless families
  
  
• Balanced the Budget
  
  
• Continued to protect vulnerable adults
  
  
• Captured 18.5 million of external investment 

Priorities for the future included:

• Increased efficiencies and budget management
  
  
• Development of the market for those spending a personalised budget
  
  
• A review of Transport Services
  
  
• Greater joined up working with NHS Richmond
  
  
• Smarter Commissioning of Services and getting more from the Council’s contracts

Next, the Cabinet Lead Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing, Councillor Urquhart addressed the Committee.  She described the new Conservative administrations priorities for the future, these were:

• Safeguarding
  This was the Councils highest priority, Councillor Urquhart stressed the importance of maintaining the good work currently taking place and also how things might be improved.  One measure was to set up (?) a Safeguarding Board with and Independent Chairman.
  
  
• Reablement
  As yet the projected savings of the introduction of reablement work had not been seen, it was important that the cost benefits were realised this year.
  
  
• Preventative Services
  Timely and effective preventative intervention especially in families having difficulties can not only help families but save the council money.

She also mentioned the importance of maintaining and improving adult health in the older generation of Richmond Borough residents by encouraging vaccination.

Finally the Chief Executive of NHS Richmond, Joan Mager addressed the Committee.  She provided a background to NHS Richmond and then referred to the following points:

• Recent Achievements including:
  
  The Development of a strategic plan
  
  Putting in place the building blocks to more Out of Hospital Care
  
  Whole system transformation regarding Commissioning
  
  Improved performance
  
  Innovated a response in Partnership with Hounslow to the Strategy Plan for Community Health Services
  
  
• Community Health Services and the current situation regarding a recommendation to NHS London on the future of the Community health Services.
  
  
• The structures and Partnerships surrounding the PCT
  
  
• Improvement Strategy
  
  
• Out of Hospital Care
  
  
• Improving Financial Sustainability
  
  
• The Coalition Government Strategy and possible new structures
  
  
• Future Funding and Operating Framework
  
  

In conclusion she informed the committee that the White Paper from Government that would make the future clearer for Health Services in Britain and in Richmond was expected to be delayed from its original date of July and that in the interim preparations would be made for future changes whilst maintaining performance and cost management.