Social Work And Health Committee - 26/06/2006

At a MEETING of the SOCIAL WORK COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 26th June, 2006.

 

Present:-

 

Lord Provost John R LETFORD

 

 

 

BAILIES

 

C D P FARQUHAR

Neil I C POWRIE

Bruce D MACKIE

Helen WRIGHT

 

Ian BORTHWICK

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Jill SHIMI

Fraser MACPHERSON

Will DAWSON

Kevin KEENAN

Helen DICK

Elizabeth F FORDYCE

George REGAN

Nigel DON

Roderick A J WALLACE

Julia M STURROCK

Bob DUNCAN

Charles A WEBSTER

Fiona M GRANT

Joe FITZPATRICK

Derek J SCOTT

Joe MORROW

Jim BARRIE

 

 

 

Baillie Wright, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 15th May, 2006 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I OLDER PEOPLE SERVICES

 

Bailie Borthwick declared a non financial interest in this item by virtue of his employment with Age Concern.

 

There was submitted Report No 418-2006 by the Director of Social Work advising members of the Council's position with regard to its current and future capacity to meet the Scottish Executive's requirements in respect of waiting time initiatives and shifting the balance of care for older people towards home based services.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) that care at home services continue to be rebalanced incrementally towards intensive home care, using the mechanisms outlined in the report;

 

(ii) that waiting lists and waiting times are kept under review by the Director of Social Work and the Committee be advised regularly of progress towards targets and on waiting times;

 

(iii) that additional community care monies of 1,798,000 be earmarked for 2007/08 and beyond for investment in additional intensive home care packages and residential care;

 

(iv) that the Director of Social Work be instructed to pursue with NHS Tayside the completion of a commissioning strategy as outlined in the Report, and the release of resource to accompany redesign of NHS services; and

 

 

(v) that a Best Value Working Group be established to review the policy issues covered within the report.

 

II COMMUNITY CARE PACKAGES FOR ADULTS

 

There was submitted Report No 381-2006 by the Director of Social Work seeking delegated authority to authorise expenditure on community care packages for adults up to proposed levels and to approve those levels.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) that delegated authority be given to the Director of Social Work to agree funding for care packages and approved the financial guidance regarding care packages as outlined in the report; and

 

(ii) that the Director of Social Work be instructed to review the guidance as outlined in report annually;

 

III STAFF DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2006-2008

 

There was submitted Report No 380-2006 by the Director of Social Work on the key training and development needs for the Social Work Department and the strategy for meeting these needs.

 

The Committee agreed to note the content of the report and agreed the priorities outlined by the Social Work Department for training and developing its staff.

 

IV SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT - SCOTLAND'S HEALTH AT WORK (SHAW) SILVER AWARD

 

There was submitted Agenda Note AN221-2006 reporting that the Social Work Department had achieved the SHAW Silver Award on 20 April 2006, the first department in the Council to do so. This award recognised the significant efforts by the department to support and value its employees through the provision of a Staff Support Service. The award also recognised the important contribution of the workforce in taking responsibility for improving its health and wellbeing.

 

The department would continue to work corporately and jointly in partnership with health promotion partners on national and local initiatives. An action plan would be developed to sustain the progress that has been made and would outline the Director of Social Work's commitment to developing new strategies and ideas to achieve the SHAW Gold Award within a realistic timescale.

 

 

 

 

Helen WRIGHT, Convener