Agenda, decisions and minutes

It was noted that Stuart Carlton (Assistant Director - Children's (Early Help)) was attending the meeting on behalf of Debbie Barnes (Executive Director of Children's Services).

There were no declarations of interests made at this point in the proceedings.

The Executive Councillor for Culture and Emergency Services was pleased to report that a Community Hub (which includes library provision) had recently opened at Wainfleet.  Further to this, Members were advised that the number of communities with library provision had increased since Greenwich Leisure Ltd had taken over the contract, owing to the introduction of Community Hubs.  

The Executive Councillor for Development advised that the Spitalgate Heath, which had formerly been known as the Southern Quadrant, within the South Kesteven District Council area was one of 14 across the country selected by the Government as a Garden Village.

During consideration of the minutes, it was agreed that Minute 39 – 'Announcements by the Leader, Executive Councillors and Executive Directors' would be amended to read: -

The Executive Councillor for Community Safety and People Management advised that the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel at its meeting on 19 December 2016 had confirmed the appointment of Mr B Skelly to the role of Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable, as recommended by the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner.  Mr Skelly would take up the position from February 2017.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Executive held on 20 December 2016 be agreed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to the above amendment being made.

(To receive a report from the Executive Director Adult Care and Community Wellbeing, which sets out the issues, seeks approval, in principle, to certain principles to be reflected in the Better Care Fund (BCF) submission and delegates to the Executive Director, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services, the approval of the final BCF Plan for submission)

That the Executive:

(1)      note the timetable for the making of the Better Care Fund (BCF) submission for 2017/18 and 2018/19 and the anticipated conditions, as set out in the report, including those in relation to the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs).

(2)      approve the making of a BCF submission for 2017/18 and 2018/19.

(3)      endorse the following principles as those that should guide the development of the BCF submission:

·         The scope and level of pooling to be commensurate with the BCF for 2016/17 with the addition of the pooled fund for community beds.

·         That the work carried out with District Councils in relation to the Housing for Independence Strategy form the basis of the submissions relating to DFGs.

·         To develop a performance mechanism to enable the release of DFG allocations to the District Councils to reflect the national guidance when it is published and the County Council's status as Accountable Body.

·         A regular performance reporting mechanism is produced for both the Adult Scrutiny Committee and the Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board through 2017/18, detailing both BCF national metrics and those related to DFG spend and activity by district.

·         Provided that the mandated minimum for protection of adult care amount for 2017/18 and 2018/19 is commensurate with the said amount for 2016/17, the Council accept the mandated minimum as the amount to be shown in the BCF submission as made available by the CCGs for the protection of adult care.

·         No contingency be provided against the financial consequences of underperformance against targets including targets for non-elective admissions and delayed transfer of care.

(4)      approve the submission of a Lincolnshire application for pilot graduation status.

(5)      delegate to the Executive Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services, authority to approve the final form and the making of the BCF submission for 2017/18 and 2018/19 and the application for pilot graduation status to the Secretary of State on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council.

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director Adult Care and Community Wellbeing, which provided Members with information on the Lincolnshire Better Care Fund (BCF) Narrative Plan 2017/18 – 2018/19. 

The report set out the issues; sought approval in principle to certain principles to be reflected in the BCF submission; and sought delegation to the Executive Director Adult Care and Community Wellbeing, in consultation with the relevant Executive Councillor, for the approval of the final BCF Plan for submission.

The Director of Adult Care advised that in Lincolnshire the BCF represented a pooled budget total of £196.5m in 2016/17 of which £53.8m was the national allocation funded through the NHS.  The use of the BCF national allocation must be agreed by the five signatories, which included the Executive and the four clinical commissioning groups, plus the Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board.  The submission date for the Better Care Fund 2017/18 was 26 January 2017. 

Members were advised of a number of significant changes, as detailed on page 14 of the report, which would affect the BCF submission for Lincolnshire in 2017/18 and in particular highlighted that the funding for the BCF would be channelled through two different routes.  The familiar NHS route, which presents £53.8m (2016/17 figure) in Lincolnshire and a new route direct from central to local government via a Section 31 payment. The new route represented growth in the overall BCF and in Lincolnshire would mean an additional £2.1m in 2017/18, £12m in 2018/19 and £10m in 2019/20.  Members noted that the national BCF allocation would grow by £25m by the end of the decade.

During consideration of the report, the following points were noted: -

·       Further to a conversation in relation to spending of Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), it was suggested that a regular performance reporting mechanism be produced for both the Adult Scrutiny Committee and the Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board through 2017/18, detailing both BCF national metrics and those related to DFG spend and activity by district;

·       It was also suggested that an item on the Better Care Fund 2017 – 2018/19, specially concerning the element relating to the DFG, be presented to the meeting of the Executive on 7 February 2017, to allow the Executive to give due consideration to the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the expenditure of the DFG;

·       It was noted that in terms of the expenditure of the BCF the County Council was the designated Accountable Body.  Further to this, it requested that a performance mechanism was established to enable the release of DFG allocations to the District Councils to reflect the national guidance when it was published and the County Council's status as Accountable Body.

It was noted that the Adults Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider a report concerning the Better Care Fund Narrative Plan 2017/18 to 2018/19 at its meeting on 11 January 2017.

RESOLVED

That the Executive:

(1)      note the timetable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

(To consider a report from the Executive Director for Environment and Economy, which seeks approval, in principle, to the continued award of grant funding to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire)

That the Executive:

(1)  approve the award of grant funding to Citizens             Advice Lincolnshire for a single year (2017/18) at a level which is 10% below the current figure.

(2)  delegate to the Executive Director for Environment and Economy, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for NHS Liaison, Community Engagement the approval of all necessary legal documentation and the entering into of the grant agreement.

(3)  review the level of any future allocations.

A report from the Executive Director for Environment and Economy was considered, which sought approval, in principle, for the continued award of grant funding to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire and to delegate the conclusion of legal documentation and the decision to enter into the Grant Agreement to the relevant Chief Officer, in consultation with the relevant Executive Councillor.

Members were advised that the current two-year Grant Funding Agreement had provided funding of £684,594 per annum to enable delivery of such support.  Although the existing Agreement was due to expire in March 2017, it was noted that funding had been identified from within the service area to enable the continuation of grant funding at the same level for a further two years, 2017/18 and 2018/19.

The benefits of the Lincolnshire Citizens Advice, in particular, the Income Maximisation Project were discussed.  It was noted that the Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee considered the Citizens Advice Lincolnshire Annual Summary Report on an annual basis.

During consideration of the report, it was suggested that the award of grant funding to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire be approved for a single year (2017/18) at a level which is 10% below the current figure, owing to County Council's ongoing budgetary pressures.  Further to this, it was suggested that the level of any future allocations should be reviewed.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee advised that the Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee had considered a report on the Citizens Advice Lincolnshire at its meeting on 14 December 2016.  It was noted that the Committee had unanimously supported the recommendations contained in the Executive's report and its comments were detailed on page 32 of the report.

RESOLVED

That the Executive:

(1)  approve the award of grant funding to CitizensAdvice Lincolnshire for a single year (2017/18) at a level which is 10% below the current figure.

(2)  delegate to the Executive Director for Environment and Economy, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for NHS Liaison, Community Engagement the approval of all necessary legal documentation and the entering into of the grant agreement.

(3)  review the level of any future allocations.