Category: Department of Adult Social Services

Audit & Risk Management Committee (Wirral Council) 29th November 2011 Part 6 Internal Audit Update

Cllr Jim Crabtree asked if Cllr Ron Abbey had a question. Cllr Simon Mountney said it was unfair to ask [Colin Hughes]. He said the question should be put to the Director of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management [Bill Norman] at the earliest opportunity. Cllr Ron Abbey said the wanted his question minuted. He … Continue reading “Audit & Risk Management Committee (Wirral Council) 29th November 2011 Part 6 Internal Audit Update”

Cllr Jim Crabtree asked if Cllr Ron Abbey had a question.

Cllr Simon Mountney said it was unfair to ask [Colin Hughes]. He said the question should be put to the Director of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management [Bill Norman] at the earliest opportunity.

Cllr Ron Abbey said the wanted his question minuted. He referred to item 4 section 4.3 (b)(i) and the audit undertaken of the Department of Adult Social Services Day to Day Procurement System. He said that the issues raised in the audit had not been addressed by the Department of Adult Social Services, but following the reorganisation responsibility now rested with the Department of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management. He wanted to know the timescale and when the committee would see it, even as an interim announcement between meetings sent to the Chair, Deputy Chair, spokespersons and the rest of the committee.

Colin Hughes said that he was sure they would their best to comply, but he was not familiar with it.

Cllr Ron Abbey said the Department for Adult Social Services actions had not been actioned and responsibility had been given to the Department of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management to resolve it following the reorganisation. He wanted timescales as to when it would be delivered and reported on in the interim period between meetings. It was important that recommendations were made into actions as speedily as possible rather than not actioned. Cllr Abbey said this issue went back months and months and months. He wanted them to be a bit more prompt and he said the critical report showed we’re “not good at dealing with anything as an organisation”.

Audit & Risk Management Committee (Wirral Council) 29th November 2011 Part 3 Internal Audit Update

The committee considered the Internal Audit update. A council officer said it covered from the beginning of September to October and that he wanted to bring to the committee’s attention several items. At 1.5 the format and content of Internal Audit reports was under review by a working party. This included the Chief Internal Auditor, Deputy Chief Internal Auditor, Chair of the Audit & Risk Management Committee and Deputy Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee. 4.6 detailed several high-profile items, there was no specific recommendation for action but he wanted to highlight these. 4.3(b)(i) dealt with the issue of the failure to implement agreed recommendations, it needed further action to encourage officers to urgently implement the recommendations.

The officer said that 4.2.1 dealt with Internal Audit staffing as the “current staffing was in peril” due to maternity leave, sickness leave which had been exacerbated by two officers unavailable as they were seconded full-time to deal with the Anna Klonowski recommendations. A member of staff was also going on jury service. Group auditors had been seconded to the corporate governance team full-time from Monday. They had been authorised to engage appropriate staff through the corporate agency contract. Staff would be selected next week.

Cllr Ron Abbey said he had a number of questions and thanked officers for the report. He said that staffing issues were covered in item 5 but caused short-term difficulties. Referring to 4.3 (b)(i) he said it could slip off the side and never be actioned. As it was high risk and high priority, he said that the officer dealing with it was not sitting here was “ridiculous” and “scandalous”.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 2 Paula’s presentation on Invest Wirral, business angels, social enterprise, planning, business rates, schools, DASS (Department of Adult Social Services)

Paula Basnett continued by saying that there were the business forums and businesses were increasingly contacting Wirral Council more and more. Under the new structure, they would go out to see businesses, agree an action plan and bring in support from sector experts (not local authority employees). From referral to action plan, the relationship manager would agree the needs and requirements of the business. The action plan would go to Paula. This support was for two types of businesses, those with five or more employees with a turnover of over £100,000 and micro-businesses with one to five employees and a turnover of £100,000 or less.

The New Brighton conference had brought business angels with money (a bit like Dragon’s Den) looking to invest in businesses that couldn’t get help from banks with their projects. There was a business angels network and a new focus on social enterprises. She said social enterprises were a business and make a profit, the only difference was in the commercial sector that the profit went to owners or shareholders but in as social enterprise it was given to who the social enterprise supports.

Paula also detailed help and advice they give businesses in the areas of development control, business rates, planning permission, schools (entrepreneurship) as well as support to schools. She said there was a SME Project Manager, Micro-business Manager, Business Angel scheme and Social Enterprise Team.

She said they were also working with social enterprises with their business plans specifically to do with working with the Department for Adult Social services.

Blue Badge charges recommended to increase from £2 to £10 (Wirral Council)

Having read through next Thursday’s Cabinet agenda I noticed the report (which is item 36 on the agenda) entitled Introduction of New Procedure for Allocation of Blue Badge Parking for Disabled People.

In the interests of openness, I’ll declare at this stage that although I don’t hold a Blue Badge, my wife does.

If the recommendations in the report are adopted next Thursday, Wirral Council is going to increase the charge for Blue Badges from £2 and £10 and bring in a new assessment process for eligibility for Blue Badges starting from next month.

A private company Northgate Information Solutions will distribute the Blue Badges (at a cost to Wirral Council of £4.60 each), but Wirral Council will still need to decide on applications. On Wirral 25,500 Blue Badges (8% of the population) have been issued.

There will also be some changes to the Blue Badge scheme as a result of government regulations coming into effect at the start of next year.

If you are eligible for a Blue Badge but don’t know how to apply this page on Wirral Council’s website has details of who is eligible and how to apply.

Health and Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 20/6/2011 – Part 1

The new Chair Cllr Glasman welcomed people to the meeting, she asked for any declarations of interest or declarations of party whip. There were none so she asked people to introduce themselves.

Sue Lowe why the resolution passed at the last meeting (below) had not resulted in a report on this meeting’s agenda or an agenda item referring to it.

Committee recommends to Cabinet that the current process of change should continue with all due diligence for the best interests of service users and their carers, ensuring that the quality of service is maintained or improved, and that a progress report be brought to the next scheduled meeting of this Committee.

Howard Cooper apologised there was not a report but said he would give a verbal update.

Cllr Watt said it was an important report that the previous committee had requested. Howard Cooper went into detail about the changes, starting with residential care for vulnerable adults after the Cabinet resolution. He said there were tender arrangements made for older people last year. 85% of providers had tender for the work at the new rate of fee. Roughly half the providers (but the wording varied) had been reluctant to accept the new fee. There was the potential for legal action, however Wirral Council’s view was that the contracts were provided at a price, therefore the providers were bound by the contract. These contracts continued to exist.

People’s needs had been assessed and placements found at homes. They had contracts for the full range of services and had not yet received a legal challenge. There was a fall of business for residential and nursing care provision. Short break respite placements were continuing in homes contracted for this purpose to meet demand. This time of year (between the school holidays and the Spring) was the peak time for demand. There was also short break provision for people with learning disabilities which had previously been provided at Mapleholme.