Stephen Beet (Head of ASC and Retained Functions) and Emma Crowther (Service Director for Integrated Commissioning) delivered the Quarterly Performance Report for H&ASC and discussed:

a)    Livewell Southwest Referral Service (LRSS) ‘front door’ waiting lists had reduced;

b)    Care Act Assessment waiting times and sizes had also reduced, and a new IT system had been adopted;

c)    The number of ‘Care Act Reviews’ conducted per month had increased, with 61.4% of people receiving an annual review;

d)    The process for reporting ‘Adult Safeguarding’ matters had been changed, resulting in higher quality referrals and a reduced investigation response time;

e)    Numbers of people receiving ‘Direct Payments’ for care in Plymouth was above the national average at 25.5%, allowing people greater choice and control;

f)     The quality and resilience of commissioned care providers remained stable, and strong oversight was in place. Waiting times for ‘Domiciliary Care’ remained low however, the number of people in ‘Nursing Care’ remained high. Exploratory work was being undertaken to understand the causes and possible solutions;

g)    ‘No Criteria to Reside’ figures remained low for Plymouth however there were sustained pressures in Cornwall.

In response to questions, the Panel discussed:

h)    Increased capacity amongst Domiciliary Care providers;

i)     Safeguarding waiting lists, complexity, and investigation times;

j)     Adult Mental Health service demand, waiting lists and delays;

k)    Staff sickness, absences and the use of temporary cover.

The Panel agreed to:

1.    Note the report;

2.    Request further clarity regarding the number of Adult Mental Health referrals and assessment delays;

3.    Request further details regarding staff sickness and absences.

Helen Slater (Lead Accountancy Manager) delivered the Quarterly Finance Update for H&ASC and discussed:

l)     The Adult Social Care (ASC) budget was the largest revenue budget within the Council, at £103 million for 2024/25;

m)  Month Two forecast reporting showed savings on the majority of packages: Domiciliary Care £139,000, Supported Living £105,000, Residential Long-stays £400,000 Direct Payments £40,000;

n)    There was a pressure of circa £1million at Month Two, largely due to overspend within Nursing Care. Following analysis, it had been identified that this was due to the number of clients exceeding expected levels;

o)    There were also pressures relating to ‘client income’, which was not performing as forecast. Budget containment activity was ongoing between partners to re-evaluate package rates and client numbers to mitigate risks;

p)    Overall, a ‘nil variance’ was reported for the ASC budget at Month Two as it was expected that this £1 million pressure would be resolved in year.

In response to questions, the Panel discussed:

q)    A ‘Deep Dive’ would be conducted to explore the budget variance;

r)    The current financial position was an early year indication, and would be subject to changes.

The Panel agreed to note the report.

Ross Jago (Head of Oversight and Governance) delivered the Quarterly Risk Report for H&ASC and discussed:

s)     Risks regarding the Adult Social Care Workforce had reduced but would continue to be monitored to track long-term market sustainability;

t)     Risks around Adult Social Care Reform had increased however, these would likely be subject to change following the upcoming King’s Speech;

u)    Budgetary pressures including the ‘Living Wage’ increase continued to present a financial risk.

The Panel agreed to note the report.