Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 25 October 2011.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the last Decision Session of the Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Adult Social Services held on 25 October 2011, be approved and signed as a correct record.

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in the business on this agenda.

The Cabinet Member was invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests she might have in the business on the agenda.

No interests were declared.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak at the meeting can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Monday 21 November 2011.

Members of the public may register to speak on:-

• an item on the agenda;
• an issue within the Cabinet Member’s remit;

·        an item that has been published on the Information Log since the last session. Information reports are listed at the end of the agenda

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report provides the Cabinet Member for Health, Housing & Adult Social Services with an annual update of the Carers Review 2010/11.

RESOLVED: That the report be received and noted.

Reason: To comply with the recommendations of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to highlight the importance of the work of Carers in accordance with the council’s Corporate Strategy.

The Cabinet Member considered a report, on the Carers Strategy, that had been recommended to her by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Officers gave an update and confirmed that:

·        the York Carers Centre was now established as an independent organisation and was beginning to grow.

·        three active and well established carer led forums were now in place across the City.

·        they had worked actively with the Library Service during Carers Week 2011 to distribute information and raise carer awareness.

·        the Flexible Carer Support Scheme had continued to provide an increased number of direct payments to support and sustain carers in their caring role.

·        they were working towards better engagement with the hospital and GP’s to promote carers issues and raise awareness.

·        that they were working on promoting the Carers Friendly Employment Mark.

The Cabinet Member thanked officers for the very impressive work they had done and confirmed that:

·        more information does need to be provided in public places which was accessible to people who may not recognise themselves as carers.

·        the waiting list for Carers Assessments of Need does need to be reduced in length.

·        It was vital that support was in place for all young carers.

Officers confirmed that a Young Carers Task Group was actively in place and that the Young Carers Revolution (the young carers forum) had produced a DVD which all Secondary School Headteachers had seen.  Officers would continue to work with York schools to raise awareness and increase the school based support available to young carers.

RESOLVED: That the report be received and noted.

Reason: To comply with the recommendations of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to highlight the importance of the work of Carers in accordance with the council’s Corporate Strategy.

This report asks the Cabinet Member to approve the North Yorkshire and York Dementia Strategy, and the local plan to deliver the Strategy in York.  It also seeks agreement to sign up to the Dementia Declaration.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the North Yorkshire and York Dementia Strategy be approved.

(b)  That the report of the York Dementia Working Group be noted.

(c)  That officers sign up to the Dementia Declaration.

(d)  That the action plan proposed in Annex D of the report be agreed.

(e)  That an update be received on the Dementia Without Walls project and that officers from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation be invited to attend the meeting.

Reason:         To improve the quality of life for those living with dementia.

The Cabinet Member consider a report that requested her approval on the North Yorkshire and York Dementia Strategy and the local plan to deliver the Strategy in York.  The Cabinet Member also considered whether officers should sign up to the Dementia Declaration.

Officers gave an update and gave their apologies for not bringing the report to an earlier meeting but they had been co-ordinating with other parties.  Officers confirmed that the National Dementia Strategy for England was published on 3 February 2009 and the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust had been leading work since then to develop a joint local dementia strategy covering both City of York and North Yorkshire County Council. Officers stated that a separate York working group had been in place since 2010 which had  identified the priorities for York from the National Strategy and officers were actively trying to achieve these priorities.

The Cabinet Member thanked officers for the report and stated that she would like to receive an update at a future meeting. She was pleased to see that a new strategy for early diagnosis and support was in place.

Officers confirmed they had been actively working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on a project called ‘Dementia Without Walls’ which was a 12 month project to support people living with dementia. It was agreed that an update would be brought to a future meeting and officers from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation would be invited to attend.¹

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the North Yorkshire and York Dementia Strategy be approved.

(b)  That the report of the York Dementia Working Group be noted.

(c)  That officers sign up to the Dementia Declaration.

(d)  That the action plan proposed in Annex D of the report be agreed.

(e)  That an update be received on the Dementia Without Walls project and that officers from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation be invited to attend the meeting.

Reason:         To improve the quality of life for those living with dementia.