Agenda item

For the Select Committee to consider the findings of the Working Group on the Savings Programme to 2023 proposals relating to certain Adult Social Care Grant Schemes and funding for Social Inclusion services. To pre-scrutinise the proposals going forward to the Executive Member for Adult Services and Public Health.

The Committee considered the findings of the Working Group on the Savings Programme to 2023 proposals relating to certain Adult Social Care Grant Schemes and funding for Social Inclusion services and pre-scrutinised the proposals going forward to the Executive Member for Adult Services and Public Health.

Councillor Briggs, a member of the working group, presented the group’s report and outlined the process that had been undertaken through the series of meetings and discussions. The detail of the working group meetings and conclusions was included within the report presented. Councillor Taylor, a member of the working group, noted that the group were not asked to make alternative recommendations to those presented and that she had not been in agreement with them. Councillor Harrison, a member of the working group, noted that he was also not in agreement with the recommendations of the group.

The Committee agreed the following:

a)    To acknowledge that a robust Working Group process, chaired by Councillor Penman, and consisting of 7 members of HASC in total was established and worked to throughout the past 6 months.

b)    To note that Member participation was strong, regular and consistent

throughout.

c)    To note that 5 meetings took place in total including 3 prior to the public

consultation, 1 during the consultation and a final meeting in late April to discuss the outcomes of the consultation

d)    To acknowledge that Members were kept fully informed throughout the

process by officers and were given every opportunity at each of the

meetings to fully debate the issues and ask relevant questions.

e)    To note that Members were properly updated on the outcomes of the

consultation exercise including being notified of the concerns raised by

those who responded.

f)     To note that following the Working Group process, the savings

recommendations are going to be taken forward to the Executive Member in June with the report to include the main points that result from the HASC debate of the draft Executive Member report.

The Committee then moved to pre-scrutinise the proposals that would be put forward to the Executive Member at her Decision Day. The Director of Adults’ Health and Care presented the report and the background to the proposals in detail. Broadly, the Committee heard that:

·         The County Council’s Savings Programme to 2023 entailed a reduction in Council expenditure by at least £80 million by 31 March 2023 to deliver a balanced budget.

·         The County Council’s Adults’ Health and Care Department had savings targets of £40.6m by 31 March 2023. Informed by feedback from the Balancing the Budget Consultation, proposals on how these savings could be achieved were developed by the Department.

·         A 6-week public consultation on the proposals had been carried out from 7 February 2022 to 21 March 2022.

·         Making challenging yet necessary proposals to reduce funding as set out within the report and in the knowledge that service users may be impacted was a difficult process for the Council. However, officers had been scrupulous in their research and in forming partnerships with other organisations to ensure that the impact from the proposals would be mitigated wherever possible. This included signposting grant recipients to other forms of funding and working with them to enable them to apply and seek alternative grant awards.

·         Throughout the process the working group had been kept informed and engaged with the development of the proposals and their feedback had been incorporated into the final recommendations.

The Committee discussed the proposals. Some Councillors suggested delaying the grant reduction by a year given the ongoing cost of living crisis and other financial pressures. The Director noted that, whilst this suggestion was very well intentioned and would mean a short term reprieve for grant recipients, it would likely impact more significantly later on in the SP23 process and larger reductions to critical services would likely be required at a later stage.

Councillors sought reassurance from the Director that the grant recipient organisations would be supported to seek alternative sources of funding. The Director gave his assurance that the Council would continue to actively work with the current grant holders to explore ways that the services could continue to be sustained after the current grant award had ceased. It was agreed that the Committee would receive a report at a future meeting which detailed the work being conducted with the grant recipients.

Members thanked the officers who had been involved in producing the proposals noting that they had been compassionate throughout a challenging piece of work. Members also acknowledged the work of community groups and organisations and also the volunteers involved in keeping these running and noted the excellent services they provided.

Overall the debate focused upon the moral dilemma that was presented with the requirement to make the SP23 savings whilst supporting vulnerable residents. Members also felt strongly that the County Council should continue to lobby Government regarding the reduction in public funding which had led to the Council’s budget deficit and noted this as part of the ‘wider background’ to the proposals.

The Chairman moved to the vote and the Committee voted as follows:

For: 8

Against: 3

Abstain: 2

The Committee therefore resolved to recommend to the Executive Member for Adult Services and Public Health that she:

For Adult Social Care Grants

1.     Approves the ceasing of the following Adult Social Care Grant Schemes, thereby contributing £320,000 of savings towards (SP23) the savings programme to 2023:

a. the Neighbourhood Care and Support grant scheme;

b. the Community based Support Grant scheme; and

c. the Rural Connections grant scheme

2.    That the Executive Member for Adult Services and Public Health notes that robust monitoring of the impact of any or all of the proposed changes will be established and enacted so that officers and providers can respond with any appropriate mitigation(s) as required.

For Social Inclusion

3.    Approves the strategy for delivering homelessness services in Hampshire as detailed in this report and the reduction in Hampshire’s funding of £360,000 for homelessness services from April 2023.

4.    Subject to recommendation 5 being approved, gives approval to spend up to £6.3million for a period of up to 3 years on the delivery of homelessness services as set out in this report from April 2023.

5.    Delegates authority to the Director for Adults’ Health and Care to finalise spend for contracts up to the amount outlined above following any decisions made by Districts and Boroughs with regards to possible contributions towards homelessness services.

6.    Notes that the above proposed spend is based on anticipated District/Borough contributions and is subject to decisions by District/ Borough Councils.

7.    Gives approval to awarding grants to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, New Forest District Council and Winchester City Council subject to their decision-making processes, up to a maximum annual value of:

·         Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council - £376,000

·         New Forest District Council  -£36,000

·         Winchester City Council - £24,500

8.    Delegates authority to the Director for Adults’ Health and Care to finalise the amount of the grants up to the value outlined above subject to agreement by the aforementioned District and Borough Councils.

9.    Notes that the County Council will continue its positive relationship with District, Borough and City Councils to identify additional sources of funding to help enhance the county wide offer in line with their statutory duties in this space.

10.Notes that the County Council will continue to work with all relevant organisations and service areas including Public Health, Adults Health and Care service areas, and District and Borough Council’s to ensure that wider service areas help to minimise the likelihood of people becoming homeless.