Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

Purpose

To detail the new Transport Policy for adults which sets out the Council’s approach to the provision of travel assistance for Care Act 2014 eligible residents.

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member agree

1.    The new Assisted Transport Policy, (see Appendix 1);

2.    The suggested timeframe for implementation of the policy and engagement with affected residents.

Agreed

1.    The new Assisted Transport Policy.

2.    The suggested timeframe for implementation of the policy and engagement with affected residents.

Andy Biddle, Director of Adult Social Care (ASC), introduced the report.

In response to questions from members about the costs for residents without a learning disability, Mr Biddle explained that transport costs had increased as a result of demand with more and more people needing support to get to day-time activities. In addition, providers' fuel costs and hourly rates had increased. The approach until now had not been equitable which is why ASC wanted a clear policy.

With regard to possible issues with the way Motability cars were being used, in some cases people have had to be reminded of the guidelines on their use; sometimes clarity was needed. ASC was aiming for a level of equity with the policy but at the same time avoiding a "one size fits all" stance as that could restrict using discretion.

Members requested an update after the six-month review of the policy in October 2025. Councillor Winnington said unless there were major complaints then an informal briefing would be satisfactory rather than a decision meeting. He asked if the policy had been brought largely as costs had risen and until now had not had a major impact on the ASC budget. Mr Biddle said that although costs were a material driver in bringing forward the policy and ASC had to be accountable for public money, the main reason was equity and to be clearer with day care costs.

Councillor Winnington agreed equity and clarification were important. Some people might use ASC services when they had other options whereas others were eligible for ASC support. Initially the report was for noting but he thought it should be a decision report to ensure openness and transparency and also because an audit trail was needed for the imminent inspection of ASC. Inspections in other areas had shown the importance of involving elected members in decision making.

The Cabinet Member agreed

1.    The new Assisted Transport Policy.

2.    The suggested timeframe for implementation of the policy and engagement with affected residents.

Purpose

·       To provide analysis of all complaints and other contacts received during the period of 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 for social care services provided to adults in Portsmouth.

·       To compare these to the previous 12 months.

Noted the report which is for information only and is not subject to call-in.

Andy Biddle, Director of Adult Social Care, introduced the report, noting there was a reduction in complaints referred to the Ombudsman and that 31% complaints were upheld compared with 48% last year.

Members asked if the two highest reasons for complaints (inadequate service and staff communication) were related to services being less available than in the past or inadequate, or people's expectations and how information was communicated. Mr Biddle said it was a mixture of all these factors. There was great public awareness of the NHS and healthcare but not of social care. People often only came into the "orbit of need" at times of great stress and difficulty. Funding was very complex and was often threaded through complaints but the service was fairly consistent, as shown by the reduction in upheld complaints, and national eligibility criteria were applied as specified in the Care Act. It can sometimes be difficult for informal carers to adjust while services were arranged. ASC was discussing how to use the website and put more information on it as currently most people got information from phoning.

Members agreed the report was impressive and it was very positive that complaints were resolved internally. They recognised being on the social care frontline could be a thankless task.

As to how staff who received compliments were recognised, compliments were written and verbal and not all were passed on. Staff were being nominated for the Great British Care Awards for the first time this year. Mr Biddle wrote to staff who had received compliments to acknowledge and thank them. ASC had introduced a feedback mechanism for staff and there was a general expectation for staff to talk to managers. ASC was asking staff to tell stories where they had done complex work to show the broad range of what they did.

Councillor Winnington thanked everyone for their contributions and the staff involved in complaints and compliments. The report was a good news story and although there was still work to do, the situation was better than last year and moving in the right direction. Only three complaints were referred to the Ombudsman. It was recognised that some people may not be satisfied with the response to their complaint. Complaints could help prevent the same issue happening to others. Compliments were not always acknowledged so it was good that Mr Biddle was writing to staff.

The Cabinet Member noted the report which is for information only and is not subject to call-in.

Purpose

To update the Cabinet Member and Spokespeople on the progress made to bring the Portsmouth Rehab and Reablement Team (PRRT) together with the Community Independence Service (CIS) to form Portsmouth City Council (PCC) Adult Social Care, (ASC) service for physical, home-based intermediate care delivered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust).

Noted the report which is for information only and is not subject to call-in.

Andy Biddle, Director of Adult Social Care, introduced the report.

Members said it was good to see Systems Thinking methodology had been used when merging the Community Independence Service (CIS) and the Portsmouth Rehab & Reablement Team (PRRT) to become the Community Rehab Service.

With regard to using the grant funding for recruitment, Mr Biddle said ASC had great difficulty in attracting applicants for temporary contracts so it was decided to take the risk of having permanent employees with the hope they could be absorbed into the service if roles changed. The Market Sustainability & Improvement Fund and Discharge Grant were both set into the budget for this financial year but it was not known yet if they would continue. £600m had been announced in last week's budget for adult and children social care; the existing grant covers both but it was unknown if Portsmouth's share of £600m would go into this. There was an element of "spend to save" in reablement in that it prevented fewer people calling on services. Grant funding of adult social care across local authorities was complex and would probably not be known until December when the local government settlement was made.

Councillor Winnington thanked all involved. It had been difficult merging the two services and there had been disquiet but very few staff had left because of it. Mr Biddle said exit interviews had been carried out and staff had often moved into different areas so their skills and expertise were not lost and continuity was ensured.

Councillor Winnington said there was some misunderstanding about the nature of the other service, particularly those moving from CIS to PRRT. Having two reablement teams was not sustainable without core funding. The way the services were brought together was a tribute to integrated working. With government funding more and better could be done. Reablement was different for everyone so meant a person-centred reflective approach when hearing from residents but IT and admin support were also needed. He looked forward to seeing how new the service progressed in the next few months.

The Cabinet Member noted the report which is for information only and is not subject to call-in.