Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest or other registerable interest they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

[Please see attached sheet for further guidance for Members]

Members were asked to declare at this point in the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registerable interests they might have in respect of the business on the agenda, if they had not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests.

None were declared, although in relation to agenda item 5 (Homelessness Future Resettlement Pathway) the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, Cllr Steels-Walshaw, noted in the interests of transparency that she had worked for Changing Lives in the past.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meetings held on 15 May, 12 June, and 10 July 2024.

Members considered the accuracy of the minutes of the meetings held on 15 May 2024, 12 June 2024 and 10 July 2024. It was suggested that suitable words could be added to minute 47 (Briefing on Adult Autism and ADHD Assessment services) of the 15 May meeting to reflect the current situation for those not on the ‘priority’ pathway.

Resolved: That subject to the suggested addition, the minutes of the meetings held on 15 May 2024, 12 June 2024 and 10 July 2024 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. Members of the public may speak on agenda items or on matters within the remit of the committee.

Please note that our registration deadlines are set as 2 working days before the meeting, in order to facilitate the management of public participation at our meetings. The deadline for registering at this meeting is 5:00pm on Monday 9 September 2024.

To register to speak please visit www.york.gov.uk/AttendCouncilMeetings to fill in an online registration form. If you have any questions about the registration form or the meeting, please contact Democratic Services. Contact details can be found at the foot of this agenda.

Webcasting of Public Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. The meeting can be viewed live and on demand at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

During coronavirus, we made some changes to how we ran council meetings, including facilitating remote participation by public speakers. See our updates (www.york.gov.uk/COVIDDemocracy) for more information on meetings and decisions.

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Richard Harrison, director of a local independent pharmacy group, spoke in relation to agenda item 4 (Community Pharmacy Provision in York), giving an overview of his group’s work at its pharmacies across York. He noted the impact of the freezing of government pharmacy funding at 2015 levels and a 40% increase in costs in the nine years since on the sustainability of the sector, and how closures had created ‘pharmacy deserts’, often in deprived areas. He also noted that the ICB had turned down three recent applications, including one from his company, to open a pharmacy in Clifton.

Mr Harrison then responded to questions from the committee, and confirmed that:

·       His company, Haxby Group Pharmacy Limited, trading as Citywide Health, had not closed any pharmacies, and was yet to decide whether to appeal the ICB’s decision on its application to open a pharmacy in Clifton.

·       Government funding for community pharmacies was now largely based on Pharmacy First consultations rather than prescription dispensing. Given financial constraints his group no longer offered free blister packs for multiple medications, although free refillable trays could be provided for carers and family members to use.

·       Car parking charges at Tower Court were a challenge although a system was in place to allow visitors to Tower Court Pharmacy to park for free.

·       Prescription dispensing machines were in use in three of the group’s pharmacies and could help provide a better service to those just attending a pharmacy to collect prescriptions.

Members are asked to consider an update on the provision of community pharmacy services in York, including recent changes and the potential impact on resident access to pharmacies.

Members considered an update on the provision of community pharmacy services in York, including recent changes and the potential impact on resident access to pharmacies.

Officers were joined by the Programme Lead for Primary Care from NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB in providing an overview and responding to questions from the committee. The Chair also invited Mr Harrison, the public participant, to join the discussion. It was noted that:

·       Community pharmacy was an important asset to the city, although there were challenges around funding and workforce. The council had no direct responsibility for pharmacy services, which were commissioned by the ICB, but there was a statutory duty to produce a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) and to comment on applications to open pharmacies in relation to the PNA.

·       The PNA considered access to and quality of services and was informed by public consultation. At the time of publication of the current 2022-25 PNA, it was felt there while there were differences between weekdays and weekends, there was adequate choice of pharmacies with good geographic spread. With no national benchmark available, the locally determined benchmark used was a 15-minute walk.

·       Through the Health and Wellbeing Board a supplementary statement noting a gap in provision had been issued following the Clifton pharmacy closure in February 2024, and support had since been given to three applications to open a new pharmacy in the Clifton area; all three applications had been rejected by the ICB.

·       The ICB’s pharmacy committee had followed official guidance in using the current 2022 PNA in determining the applications rather than supplementary statements; although there had been unprecedented pharmacy changes including closures over the last few years, supplementary statements were considered statements of fact rather than a vehicle for assessing the impact of proposed changes. In the case of the Clifton applications the pharmacy committee had not been assured that relevant criteria under NHS pharmacy regulations around improved access, reasonable choice and innovative approaches had been met.

·       The regulations were complex and could offer greater clarity. Given that national systems did not appear to be working for residents in this case, it was suggested that the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, be invited to visit York to look at the situation around ‘pharmacy deserts’. It was also suggested that given the complexities of the application process, support could be offered to those submitting applications to open pharmacies where there was a gap in provision.

·       Community pharmacy operated on a contractor model, and there was no cost to the council or the NHS from the opening of a new pharmacy as this was borne by the contractor. There was no longer any margin in dispensing as funding was based on delivering Pharmacy First appointments. Given the increased numbers attending pharmacies for prescriptions, staff were often kept busy on work pharmacies were not reimbursed for, which in turn affected their capacity for Pharmacy First appointments.

·       National NHS efforts to put more pharmacists into GP practices had contributed to staffing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Members are asked to consider an update on the council’s plans to reduce homelessness through the resettlement pathway. Consideration of this item has been deferred from the committee’s 12 June 2024 meeting.

The committee considered a report on resettlement pathways for those over the age of 16 in York who found themselves homeless. Discussion of this item had been deferred from the committee’s 12 June 2024 meeting.

Officers provided an overview and responded to questions from the committee. It was confirmed that:

·       Work was underway to bring in-house the community wellbeing resettlement services currently run by Changing Lives, including the operation of the single persons hostel at Union Terrace, and the women-only hostel at Robinson Court. Transfer of services and approximately 45 staff to the council would take place on 30 November 2024. The transition project was being resourced from existing budgets.

·       Alongside this a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was in development. This would take a Housing First approach focusing on rapid re-housing and would support individuals and families to establish and maintain tenancies through cross-agency support services. It would aim to address the specific needs of disabled people, prevent rough sleeping, tackle domestic abuse and make more homes available.

·       There was an integral relationship with Children’s Services around youth homelessness with protocols in place for care leavers and homeless 16- and 17-year-olds. Responsible managers were supported with Ofsted registration and a specific Ofsted-registered site for homeless 16- and 17-year-olds was being developed at Scarcroft Road.

·       Liaison was taking place with the Probation Service in relation to the early release of prisoners; with expected numbers in York at fewer than five, any demand for homelessness services could be accommodated within existing resources.

·       The data-led performance framework referred to in the Equalities Impact Assessment at Annex C was in development with partners and Business Intelligence colleagues. This would include qualitative local information drawing on lived experience of services alongside statutory quantitative data.

With reference to the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy it was noted that:

·       Partnership working was embedded in the new strategy and was integral to providing wraparound support alongside the core services delivered by the council. Consultation was taking place with partners, including Changing Lives and the Salvation Army, in drafting strategic priorities over the coming weeks.

·       The strategy would be driven forward by a new strategic governance structure with two elements: an operational board chaired by the Head of Housing Management and Housing Options, and a multiagency strategic partnership board chaired by the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Integration which would report to the York Place Board of the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

·       Lessons learnt from the review of the previous contract with the Salvation Army, which had recently been considered by the Audit and Governance Committee, would inform this work. As part of that process the Director of Housing and Communities had held meetings with the Salvation Army’s regional director and assistant director responsible for local services.

·       Compliance with financial and contractual regulations would be the responsibility of senior managers at the council but the effectiveness of outcomes will be monitored and challenged by the strategic board. Robust performance evaluation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s work plan for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The committee considered its work plan for the 2024/25 municipal year. Several points were raised including:

·       The continued suitability of the thematic rotation of meetings by Directorate area, given the very large remit of the committee, and that a number of work plan items remained unallocated.

·       The need for the committee to feed into the development of the Council’s Autism and Neurodiversity Strategy. This had been earmarked for spring 2025, but it was noted that concerns had been raised, including by the York Disability Rights Forum, over the present position around access to assessment for autism and ADHD, particularly for those not on the priority pathway.

·       That no items were currently scheduled for the January 2025 meeting; and that options for this meeting might include the unallocated practical item on reablement technology, the report of the Task and Finish Group on Home Care Commissioning, or the proposed update on the in-house homelessness resettlement service.

·       That rather than make significant impromptu alterations to the work plan, the chair and vice-chair should consult with officers and circulate suggestions to the committee.

Resolved: That the chair and vice-chair liaise with officers to suggest suitable scheduling of unallocated items.

Reason:     To keep the committee’s work plan updated.