Agenda item

This report advises the Executive Members of the key strategic issues facing housing and adult social care in the next few years and how these high level issues link the 6 service plans for 2007-10.

Please note: The Service Plans (Annexes 2 – 7) can be viewed on the Council’s website www.york.gov.uk under Council Meetings or via the link below:

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.asp?CId=441&MId=1407&Ver=4

Please note that a revised copy of this report has been attached (with amendments highlighted) and the agenda republished on 22 March 2007

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services be advised to note the report.

Decision of the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  So that the Executive Members be briefed on the key challenges facing housing and adult social care in the next few years.

Members considered a report which advised the Executive Members of the key strategic issues facing housing and adult social care in the next few years and how these high level issues link the 6 service plans for 2007-10.

Six service plans were produced for approval to cover the period 2007-10 and attached as annexes to this report. However, there was a danger that these were seen as separate plans as the links were not apparent. To try and make this clearer and more explicit the departmental management team had identified 5 High Level themes that summarise the future developments in HASS :

·        Long Term Planning for Change

·        Independence, Choice and Control

·        Preventative Strategy

·        Quality and Excellence

·        Customer Involvement and Participation

These were set out in more detail in Annex 1 with key examples of work-streams in the 6 service plans that needed to be seen as linking across the department.

Officers reported that Annexes 5 and 6 were incomplete and had information missing from the Resources section. Revised copies would be circulated to Members.

Members queried about whether officers had filled the staffing vacancy for the Approved Social Worker in Mental Health Services which was critical for meeting statutory obligations. It was reported that officers had recruited two new social workers recently.

Members raised concerns about the appointments which were not being filled in the PCT, and that the council needed to watch this closely as a lot of the mental health services were provided by the PCT. Concern was also raised about the PCT not consulting the council in relation to the appointment for an Assistant Director for Mental Health, which had previously been unsuccessful. It was raised that the council would want to be involved in this in future as the post would be managing council staff. The Director for Housing and Adult Social Services reported that he would be writing to the Chief Executive of the PCT to express concern over the lack of consultation about the appointment to that post.

It was queried how officers intended to promote community involvement and generate a sense of community. Officers reported that the Local Area Agreement (LAA) was one area that could be use, along with having a dialogue with ward committees and neighbourhoods regarding any issues of concern, such as health, care of vulnerable people, or food and diet for children. It was suggested that Neighbourhood Watch and other organisations, such as church organisations, could also be used as a source for dialogue on these issues.

Members queried what was being done to improve opportunities for affordable housing in the city in order to achieve the 50% target. Officers reported that they would be working with developers to see how they could increase the amount of affordable housing made available on developments to meet the 50% target. It was raised that the lengthy planning inquiries into proposed developments such as Germany Beck and Derwenthorpe had impacted on the current figure of affordable homes being secured on new developments.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services be advised to note the report.

Decision of the Executive Members for Housing and Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  So that the Executive Members be briefed on the key challenges facing housing and adult social care in the next few years.