Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Adult Commissioning and Health (ACH/17/71) on approval to the Promoting Independence Policies, which include ‘Choice in Care’ and ‘Support and Arrangements for People Funding Part or All of Their Care’,attached.

An Impact Assessment is attached as Appendix 3 to the report.

(Councillors Connett and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Adult Commissioning and Health (ACH/17/71) on approval to the Promoting Independence Policies, which included ‘Choice in Care’ and ‘Support and Arrangements for People Funding Part or All of Their Care’.

On the 14th June 2017, the Cabinet agreed the Promoting Independence Policy which could be found at https://new.devon.gov.uk/adultsocialcareandhealth/policies-and-procedures/ and in order that the Council could continue to embed ‘Promoting Independence’ into adult support and care, two new policies had been formulated that clarified the approach to service user choice in meeting eligible care needs and also the approach the Authority would take for those people who had the financial means to fund their own care.

The two new polices, appended to the report, described the duties relating to aspects of adult support and care as defined by the Care Act 2014.

The Choice in Care Policy set out the principles of choice in adult social care and provided clarity to staff and the public on how choice would be provided within the parameters of the duty to achieve best value and promote independence.

The ‘Support and Arrangements for People Funding Part or All of Their Care’ policy was in line with national legislation and the Council’s Promoting Independence Policy. It specifically related to people who had eligible needs for social care support but also the financial means to pay for that support and clarified the role of both the Council and the individual.

The Head of Service’s Report also incorporated an Impact Assessment, attached at Appendix C, relating to the possible impacts of the proposal, and had been circulated for the attention of Members at this meeting in order that as part of its determination of the next steps in the process the Cabinet might have full regard to the responsibilities placed upon it to exercise its Public Sector Equality Duty, under s149 of the Equality Act 2010, where relevant.

No new significant social or equality impacts were anticipated or had been identified from the proposed policies.  In addition, an impact assessment on the implementation of the Care Act had been published in June 2015 https://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/care-actimplementation-

impact-assessment-updated-september-2015/ which was scheduled to be reviewed by June 2018 and there would be a further opportunity to evaluate any impact of implementation of all aspects of the Care Act.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability, carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

It was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED that the proposed policies on “Choice in Care”, as at Appendix A and “Support and Arrangements for People Funding Part or All of Their Care”, as at Appendix B be approved.

[NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78