Issue - decisions

The Executive Member considered a report that provided background information for the overall Financial Strategy and presented the savings proposals and growth assumptions for her portfolio. This provided the opportunity for her to obtain feedback in advance of the finalisation of the overall Financial Strategy which would be presented to Executive on 13 February 2020.

With regard to the closure of council care homes, the Executive Member advised that the reason most homes closed was because they did not meet the standards required by the Quality Care Commission (CQC) and that there was not an economy of scale to run small care homes. She also noted that the continuing health care budget was interdependent with the budgets of other organisations. The Corporate Director for Health, Housing and Adult Social Care explained that all beds were included in re-provision and this was an issue because of the York demographic of self-funders which impacted on the market. The Executive Member clarified that extra care meant extra care in people’s homes.

With regard to continuing healthcare, the Corporate Director for Health, Housing and Adult Social Care explained that the approach to long term healthcare was one of working with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to strengthen commissioning and brokering arrangements. She added that greater savings could be achieved when CYC was commissioning on behalf of the CCG.

The Head of Finance, Adults Children and Education was in attendance to outline the finance strategy. He noted the importance of the social care precept and outlined expenditure and savings as detailed in annexes 1 and 2.

In response to questions raised by the Executive Member, the Corporate Director for Health, Housing and Adult Social Care explained that:

·        The use of robotics was designed to release time for the human contact aspect of delivering care.

·        Increasing independence was the aim of robotics. This was an underdeveloped element of social care nationally and it was the council’s aim that York would be part of determining the debate. The expertise at the universities in York could be capitalised as part of this.

·        With regard to ‘talking points’, rather than expecting citizens to come into the Council West Offices, Officers were going out into the community and talking to people through informal points that had been set up in libraries and community hubs. The intention had been to place the talking points in parts of the city where people wanted them. This had proved to be a positive and meaningful way for people to share their stories. The Executive Member noted the importance of placing those opportunities in communities.

Resolved: 

(i)      That the feedback from consultation for the Health and Adult Social Care portfolio, as set out in Annex 3 to the report, be noted

(ii)      That the following be agreed for inclusion within the overall financial strategy to be presented to Executive on 13 February 2020:

a)           The 2020/21 revenue savings proposals for Health and Adult Social Care portfolio, as set out in Annex 1 to the report.

b)           The 2020/21 revenue growth proposals for Health and Adult Social Care portfolio, as set out in Annex 2.

Reason:     To ensure that stakeholders have the opportunity to feed into the budget process in advance of the finalisation of the Financial Strategy 2020/21 to 2024/25.