To receive apologies from members unable to attend.

Apologies were received from Councillor Palmer and Co-optees Martyn Kingsford and Keith Sangster.

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Members are requested to declare any interests orally at the start of the meeting and again immediately before consideration of the matter.  Members are reminded to specify the agenda item number to which it refers and whether the interest is of a personal or prejudicial nature.

Elected members are also reminded of the requirements of Section 106 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 that they should declare and not vote on specified matters if they are two months or more in arrears with their Council Tax payments.

Margaret Dangor declared a personal interest as the wife and carer of an adult services service user.

In accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16 of the Councils Constitution the Chief Executive (as Proper Officer) has called in the following decision of the Cabinet, having been requested to do so by two members of the Health, Housing and Adult Service Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

“Cabinet noted the Section 256 Agreement between the Council and NHS Richmond under the National Health Service Act 2006 and planned expenditure relating to this agreement”.

The reasons for the call-in, as supplied by Councillor Jaeger and Councillor Jones, were as follows:

1. "There has been no scrutiny, or detail, of the areas planned to receive funding under this agreement There has been no scrutiny of the principles agreed between the Council and NHS Richmond for the use of this funding There have been no budget papers submitted to scrutiny showing the impact of this funding on the wider ACS budget"
   
   
2. "1. No budget papers submitted to scrutiny showing the impact of this funding on the overall Adult Social Care budgets. 2. No scrutiny of areas planned to receive funding under this agreement between the Council and NHS Richmond. 3. No scrutiny of the principles agreed between the Council and NHS Richmond for the use of the funding."

A report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services, Health and Housing is attached.

The Committee received a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing, the purpose of which was to consider a decision of the Cabinet to note the details of a Section 256 agreement between LBRuT and NHS Richmond.  This agreement would govern the transfer of funding from NHS Richmond to the Council to support expenditure on Adult Social Care, which was also of benefit to Health Services.

The report explained that Cabinet had noted the agreement and planned expenditure at its meeting of 23 March 2011. 

Councillors Jaeger and Jones had called in the decision of cabinet for Scrutiny by the Committee and Councillor Jaeger introduced the reasons for call – in to the Committee.  These reasons were as follows:

Ø      There had been no scrutiny or detail, of the areas planned to receive funding under this agreement.

Ø      There had been no scrutiny of the principles agreed between the Council and NHS Richmond for the use of the funding.

Ø      There had been no budget papers submitted to scrutiny showing the impact of the funding concerned on the wider Adult Social Care or Adult Community Services Budget.

Councillor Jaeger stressed that the Section 256 agreement, the transfer of monies and strengthened partnership working were to be welcomed but that more details should have been discussed with scrutiny before a decision was made.  In addition she referred to the following:

Ø      That there had been mixed messages about what these monies could legitimately be used for from the Department of Health and NHS Richmond.

Ø      That it was recognised that changes in health services were moving quickly but that the Committee must be kept informed as the situation developed.

Ø      That it seemed that a comparable amount money had been taken from and resubmitted to the ACS budget in recent months but had not replaced those area subject to the initial cuts.  The Committee was concerned as to how this was justified.

Councillor Jones concurred and particularly emphasised the importance of scrutiny in the decision making process.

Members of the Committee briefly discussed the reasons for call in.  Comments included:

Ø      That consideration should be given when transferring services from the Health Service to Local Authorities that LA eligibility criteria would then apply to services which would have been free to all on the NHS.

Ø      That Mental Health was included where it was identified as a priority by NHS Richmond.

The Committee heard from the only registered speaker, Mr R. Hunter, a member of the public.  In particular he referred the following to the attention of the committee:

Ø      That the agreement and the partnership ethos it embodied, was welcomed and should continue.

Ø      That if there had been more information available about these funds prior to the efficiencies made by ACS at LBRuT Tangley Hall may have been able to remain open.

Ø      That the message of NHS Richmond that it would not support the use of such funds to prevent closures of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.