Agenda and minutes

Councillor Dave Liversidge – Annual Leave

Councillor Jon Collins – Other City Council Business

Alison Michalska

Candida Brudenell

Kay Ball

Colin Monckton

In the absence of Councillor Liversidge, Councillor David Mellen chaired the meeting.

None.

The Sub-committee confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2014 as a correct record and they were signed by the person presiding at the meeting.

Helen Kearsley-Cree provided an update for the Sub-committee on arrangement s for the launch of the Look After Each Other initiative and meetings regarding the Student Commissioning  and Children's Commissioning Reviews.

Antony Dixon, Strategic Commissioning Manger, presented an initial work programme for the Sub-Committee for the period April to October 2014.

RESOLVED to note the provisional agenda items shown below:

16 April 2014  Residential Care Commissioning Proposals and Pricing

June 2014  Financial Vulnerability Advice and Assistance - Update

  Public-Health Procurement Plan

  Child Development Strategic Commissioning Review

  Health Improvement Strategic Commissioning Review –

  Update

  Interim Evaluation of Lead Organisations, Citywide Priority

  Group of Established Communities Joint Working

July 2014  Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Contract – Update

  Health Improvement Review Commissioning Update

  Youth Provision – Update

September 2014  Children in Care Contracts Commissioning

  Financial Vulnerability Advice and Assistance Commissioning Intentions

October 2014  Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Contract Commissioning Intentions

Following previous consideration of related issues by the Sub - committee established its meetings on 10 July and expects December 2013, Irene Andrews, Market Development Programme Manager, introduced a report of the Director of Quality and Commissioning.

Following an evaluation of resubmitted established community priorities applications to be appointed lead organisations, the report recommended that Nottingham Equal and the Pakistan Centre be appointed as joint lead organisations for the Established City Wide Communities Priority Group of established communities until 31 March 2015.

RESOLVED

(1)  to appoint Nottingham Equal and the Pakistan Centre as joint Lead Organisations for the city-wide priority group of Established Communities until 31 March 2015;

(2)  to request that the Director of Quality and Commissioning submit a report to the June 2014 meeting of the Sub-committee which evaluates the success or otherwise, of measures to promote joint working between the two organisations.

Reasons for Decision

(1)  To support the Sub-committee's decision to move to a more streamlined model of grant funding for Communities of Identity via lead organisations, to deliver outcomes for each of the priority groups which would provide greater transparency and accessibility for the Communities of Identity.

(2)  To provide an early indication to the Sub-committee of the effectiveness of measures to encourage joint working between Nottingham Equal and Pakistan Centre in the delivery of this contract.

Other Options Considered

To fund only one organisation.  Rejected as inappropriate. The assessment of bids process resulted in two organisations scoring identically, a decision which had been upheld on review.

Antony Dixon, Strategic Commissioning Manager introduced a report of the Corporate Director for Children and Families. The report provides background on the devolution of Department of Health funding to local authorities and practitioners under the criteria to be satisfied for a local authority to access such funds.  The City Council's BCF Plan, approved on 26 February 2014 by the Health and Well-Being Board, now required further amendment to take into account the latest release of additional funds.

RESOLVED

(1)  to approve the Better Care Fund Plan for 2014/15 and 2015/16 as detailed in appendices 1 and 2 of the report, as required by the NHS England Regional Team;

(2)  to approve the following allocations, as detailed in appendices 3 and 4 of the report:

  (a)  an additional £1.292 million in BCF funding in 2014/15 to be transferred from Nottingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to the City Council by way of an agreement under section 256 of the National Health Service Act 2006; and

  (b)  £447,000 of the additional £1.292 million of BCF funds available for the following external elements:

  Scheme   £(m)

  Dispersed along provision  0.184

  Intermediate care posts   0.263

  Total:   0.447

  (c)  the following realignment of former health transferred funding schemes, totalling £840,000 in 2014/15:

  Scheme   £(m)

  Hospital-based social care services  0.455

  Access and rapid response services  0.356

  Intake re-enablement service   0.029

  Total:   0.840

Reasons for the Decision

The report confirms that in addition to the already planned transfer of £900 million from NHS centralised budgets to adult social care budgets, a further £200 million is being made available to local authorities to assist preparations for pooled budget arrangements from April 2015 and in making progress against the national conditions and performance measures contained in the locally agreed plans.

Accessing the additional funding will supplement Nottingham city's initial allocation of £5.8 million by a further £1.292 million,  but this is conditional on agreed two-year plans for use of Better Care Fund (BCF) resources being in place.

Other options considered

None.  The actions are required in order for the City Council to access additional funding under the criteria attached to the use of BCF funds.

Antony Dixon, Strategic Commissioning Manager introduced a report of the Corporate Director for Children and Families.  The Sub-committee was asked to approve the following areas as agreed Strategic Commissioning Intentions for 2014/15 to be progressed through application of the commissioning pathway.

Learning Disability  Residential Placements

  Transitions

  Levels of Care

  Supported Living

  Carers/Respite

Financial Vulnerability  Welfare Rights Provision

Advice and Information  Access to Employment

  Housing/Debt Advice

  Housing Options

Youth Provision   Youth Provision

In addition, the Quality and Commissioning Directorate will also lead on the following major programs commissioning activity during 2014/15:

-  Looking After Each Other (building community capacity)

-  Child Development Strategic Commissioning Review

-  Integrated Adult Care

RESOLVED to approve Learning Disability, Financial Vulnerability Advice and Information and Youth Provision as the Strategic Commissioning Intentions Programme for 2014/15.

Reasons for Decision

To continue to seek improvements to the commissioning processes in the City Council and the city through the continued application and embedding of the Corporate Commissioning Framework by the Quality and Commissioning Directorate.

To reduce the level of risk for the City Council in its Commissioning Programme.

Other areas considered for review but rejected

•  Adults and Children Non-Statutory Provision Identifying further limitations to via a broad brush review process.  Rejected due to a lack of sufficient detail required by the process.

•  Mental Health Provision.  Rejected.  Transformational change programmes still need to be assimilated before further reviews.

•  Whole Life Disability Provision.  Rejected.  Pre-existing Strategic Commissioning Reviews are expected to deliver priority areas for future development.

•  Older people provision.  Rejected.  Integrated Adult Care Strategic Commissioning Review still in progress and work already undertaken to address priority areas.

Lisa Black, Head of Revenues Benefits and Welfare Rights introduced a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Resources, including proposals to change the existing Emergency Loans Scheme, introduced in April 2013 into a Small Loan Scheme, to be administered by the Nottingham Credit Union.

RESOLVED

(1)  to operate the Emergency Loans Scheme as a pilot Small Loan Scheme, reflecting the principles of the Hardship Support Scheme, as detailed in the report;

(2)  to approve an allocation of £200,000 from the Emergency Hardship Fund to provide small loans until such time as the allocation is fully utilised;

(3)  to approve a dispensation from paragraph 5.1.2 of the Contract Procedure Rules in accordance with Financial Regulation 3.29 to enter into an agreement with Nottingham Credit Union to administer the Scheme in 2014/15.

Reasons for Decision

To enable lending of small loans based on affordability and create an alternative to short-term high street loans and doorstep lenders and to ensure the effective operation of the pilot Scheme in 2014/15.

Other options considered

Full implementation of existing Scheme.Rejected.Would fail to recognise learning outcomes that the original Scheme was insufficiently flexible in its operation to benefit citizens.

End existing Scheme without replacing it. Rejected.  Risks the health and wellbeing of citizens, encouraging them to use higher interest-charging alternatives.

Knock-on effects of higher demand for homelessness, advice and family support services. Increased reliance of citizens on other stretched voluntary services.

The Sub-committee decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining agenda item(s) in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, as defined in Paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The appendix contained  advice relating to legal professional privilege.

As minute 86, above.