Agenda item

Presentation by Steve Cullington, Care Services Manager

Conclusion

That the Care Services Manager be invited to a future meeting of the Panel to further discuss sheltered housing specifically for young vulnerable people.

The Care Services Manager thanked the panel for the opportunity to give a presentation on sheltered housing.  He apologised for the amount of information that he had given members but said he would be happy to come back to a future meeting and discuss any issues that the panel had.   The presentation covered the Warden Service/sheltered housing, Supporting People (SP) issues, the Helpline Community Alarm Service and the Service and Business Plan for 2006/07.   He began with the sheltered housing and referred to the 40 schemes within the district, which were visited on a regular basis by a scheme manager, that amounted to currently 1313 tenants.  The number of dwellings within the scheme varied and also the rurality of some scheme meant that some scheme managers looked after more than others.  Most schemes had community centres and all units were connected to the 24hour Care Centre in Grantham, which was open 365days a year and provided support and an emergency service at all times to ensure that help and assistance was readily available.  Scheme managers worked 9.00am – 5.00pm but outside these hours mobile staff were on hand to provide an effective and efficient response if required.  This was a fairly unique service delivery at least in Lincolnshire.  Typical duties of a scheme manager were then listed and the Care Service Manager stressed that Supporting People (SP) was to support people to live independently not care for them.  He referred to the “one size fits all” service that was available in 2003 and the findings of the Best Value Review and satisfaction survey that were undertaken.     As a result of the findings of the BVR and satisfaction survey a new flexible level of service was now offered from core to level 4.

·Core Monthly visit

·Level 1 A weekly visit

·Level 2 Monday, Wednesday & Friday visit

·Level 3 Daily visit including weekends

·Level 4 Twice daily visits

Currently there were only a handful of tenants, which had the level 4 service.  These services were in the main paid for by the SP grant.  Eligibility for the SP grant was that if you were in receipt of housing benefit then you would get the SP grant.

The costs for the new levels of service were:

·Core Monthly visit£3.19

·Level 1 A weekly visit£6.76

·Level 2 Monday, Wednesday & Friday visit£11.00

·Level 3 Daily visit including weekends£41.97

·Level 4 Twice daily visits£81.62

Following the introduction of the SP programme in 2003 a formal support plan was introduced for each resident which the scheme manager completes on a regular basis.  This monitors the residents and if required the scheme manager can arrange extra visits if necessary.  The current levels of service were then discussed.  Assumptions were made following the survey carried out in 2003 when residents were asked, “If you had a choice, how often would you like to be visited?” The service charges were calculated on assumptions made from the results of the survey, which had caused problems as the number of take up for the different levels of service has not materialised.

Supporting People had been extremely helpful and agreed to change the SP contract which the Council had to deliver this “new” service.  They agreed to pilot the scheme, as they wanted to assess the idea of choice and flexibility with a view to extending the service to a wider area in Lincolnshire.  Although problems have been encountered the residents really do like the opportunity to have a choice and following the recent satisfaction survey the question “Overall how do you rate the support you receive?” of those who responded 96% were satisfied.   The Care Service Manager said there was still a lot of work to be undertaken and there were concerns that the proposals of the Lincs SP would not help a long term solution, but he would be pushing the current service for accommodating choice relating to individual needs as this seemed to be what the residents wanted.

The following questions were then asked:

·              Was a complaint procedure in place for residents?  The Care Services Manager replied that the council had it’s own formal complaints procedure which was available to any resident.  In addition the scheme manager had a local complaints booklet in which local complaints were noted and responded to.

·              Were scheme managers trained to respond to these complaints? Yes.

·              How was the SP grant accessed?  If a resident received housing benefit they would automatically be entitled to the SP grant.

·              How did scheme managers keep track of vulnerable people within sheltered housing? The Care Services Manager said that problems had been encountered in the past but Tenancy Services did work closely with Care Services and the council now had a sensitive lettings policy, which since its introduction had seen a reduction in complaints and neighbour problems.  Also scheme managers now accompanied prospective tenants to viewings of accommodation.

·              How did the service cope with the Black Minority Ethnic groups? All staff had the relevant training and everyone was treated fairly.

·              What will happen if the housing stock is transferred?   All RSL would be subject to SP conditions and therefore the SP grant conditions would remain the same.

·              Concern was expressed that a lot of complaints concerning vulnerable people were in the 35 – 45 year age range, why did it seem that older people were not seen as vulnerable in today’s climate?  The demographics in South West Lincolnshire were changing as generations change and there was a national drive to offer floating support rather than designated schemes to include a range of flexible services for all age ranges.

·              Did all staff working with vulnerable people have an enhanced CRB check?  Yes as part of the 2003 review all staff have enhanced CRB checks.  Are they reviewed regularly?  Not sure currently how they are reviewed.

·              Did those residents on the service level 4 all have to pay the £81.62?  All those residents who currently receive the level 4 services were in receipt of SP grant.  The SP see the cost as a small price to pay in order for people to live relatively independent lives and to keep their “own front door”.

·              What access do residents have to financial benefits?  Scheme managers actively encourage all residents to apply for those benefits to which they are entitled and they will help fill out the necessary forms for them.

·              Will the SP grant continue after 2010?  This was up to the government and the comprehensive spending review.

·              How certain are we that diverse groups are not discriminated against, what safeguards are in place?  At the recent council meeting the offer document to tenants were agreed. This document contains allocation policy that any new housing association would have to undertake to treat everyone equally and fairly.

·              What was discussed at visits?  Daily life, what goes on, general chat, whatever the residents wants to talk about.

Reference was made then made to a recent incident that happened at a Stamford scheme where the scheme manager was not aware that a vulnerable person had moved in to the premises which had caused problems.  The Care Service Manager was not aware of the incident and said that often any problems were dealt with locally by the scheme manager. 

The Care Services Manager then briefly outlined the workings of the helpline service which monitored 40 South Kesteven sheltered housing schemes together with 20+ other housing providers’ schemes including South Holland DC stock, plus nearly 2,000 private individuals which amounted to 5,500 connections.   He outlined who the service was for and referred to the preventative technology grant of which Lincolnshire’s share was £1.2m.  This offered the opportunity to put telecare out to the wider community to access support in appropriate situations.  New choices offered by Telecare included the use of sensors and communications technology to provide remote support to people who were vulnerable at home, for example sensors which could detect falls.   The future of the helpline service would be via alarm telephones.

He concluded his presentations by saying that a desktop review of sheltered housing would be undertaken looking at how to make the service more efficient and effective.  He was aware of the concerns being expressed by LSVT but the service would remain the same and so would the conditions if transfer went ahead.  Currently work was being undertaken for the helpline service to be accredited under the Telecare Services Association & National Accreditation Scheme.  SP was constantly changing and work was needed to make sure that all policies and procedures were fit for purpose.

Further comments were made about the complaints procedure and the incident at Stamford together with how terminology always seemed to separate the BME groups.   As the presentation had been geared more towards the older generation it was agreed that the Care Services Manager be invited to a future meeting to look at sheltered housing and the younger generation.