Policy And Resources Committee - 06/09/2021

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held remotely on 6th September, 2021.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor John ALEXANDER, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 23rd August, 2021 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

II A NATIONAL CARE SERVICE FOR SCOTLAND - CONSULTATION

There was submitted Agenda Note AN31-2021 reporting that the Independent Review of Adult Social Care had recommended the creation of a National Care Service, with Scottish Ministers being accountable for adult social care support. The First Minister had set out a commitment to start formal consultation for the new National Care Service in the first 100 days of the Parliament with a view to introducing legislation in the first year of the Parliament. However, the Scottish Governments ambition was to go beyond that. The consultation published therefore sought views on creating a comprehensive community health and social care service that supported people of all ages. It was focused on exploring the suggestions for significant cultural and system change that would need to be supported by primary legislation, new law, and to ensure the governance and accountability across the system to deliver successfully for people.

The Scottish Government were proposing that the National Care Service would define the strategic direction and quality standards for community health and social care in Scotland. It would have local delivery boards which would work with the NHS, local authorities, and the third and independent sectors to plan, commission and deliver the support and services that the people of Scotland required.

The proposals also took forward recommendations of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care around:-

- Ensuring that care was person-centred and human rights based.

- Providing greater recognition and support for unpaid carers.

- Improving conditions for the workforce.

- Commissioning for public good.

- More effective approaches to scrutiny and improvement of social care services.

The consultation was divided into the following themes:-

- Improving care for people.

- The scope of the National Care Service.

- Community Health and Social Care Boards.

- Commissioning of services.

- Regulation.

- Fair work and valuing the workforce.

Officers in relevant Council services had been asked for comments on the consultation paper and a briefing with elected members would be arranged to gather their input. These comments would help to shape a draft report and the consultation submission that would be submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee for approval prior to submission to the Scottish Government.

The Committee noted the position.

III REVISION OF DUNDEE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION SCHEME

Reference was made to Article VI of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 7th December, 2021 (Report No 292-2020 refers), wherein the Committee had been informed that NHS Tayside and Dundee City Council had completed the statutory review of the Dundee Health and Social Care Integration Scheme (required by Section 44 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) Scotland Act 2014) and had agreed that a revised scheme should be prepared.

There was submitted Agenda Note AN30-2021 reporting that work to progress the production of a revised scheme has progressed more slowly than had originally been intended. In part this was due to the second wave of the pandemic at the beginning of 2021. However, additional time was also taken to clarify, through the Tayside Joint-Chief Executives Group, the scale and scope of the revision work in order that this could be progressed through a joint approach across all Tayside partners (corporate bodies and Integration Joint Boards).

The following key areas of progress had been achieved:-

- A Principal Officer from Angus Health and Social Care Partnership had been seconded to project manage the revision process.

- An Integration Project Group had been established with representation from each Council, NHS Tayside and each Health and Social Care Partnership across Tayside and had met regularly since April, 2021. The Legal Manager was the Dundee City Council representative on this group.

- A Project Initiation Document (PID) had been agreed through the Tayside Joint-Chief Executives Group following consultation with IJB Chief Officers. This set out how partners would work together to revise the schemes across Tayside including the aims of the project, drivers for change, project scope, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, outline timescales, project reporting and risks to project delivery.

- The Principal Officer had undertaken a review of integration schemes in place across Scotland, with particular attention to the small number of schemes that had recently been revised following the completion of the statutory review in other Partnerships.

- The Principal Officer had begun the process of compiling discussion documents to support stakeholder engagement in the re-drafting of scheme text for sections of the scheme identified as priorities for revision through the Tayside joint-Chief Executive Group.

- The Principal Officer leading the project would work with the Legal Manager to provide updates to elected members through appropriate local reporting and communication routes (including further formal reports to the Policy & Resources Committee where this was required at key points in the revision process). The target for full project completion, including submission to the Scottish Government for parliamentary approval of the revised scheme, remains March 2022.

The Committee noted the updated position.

IV SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGIC UPDATE

There was submitted Report No 252-2021 by the Chief Officer, Health and Social Care Partnership providing an overview of strategic suicide prevention arrangements in Dundee and collaborative developments across Tayside.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the content of the report;

(ii) remitted the Chief Officer to submit to a future meeting, a report regarding the outcomes of the suicide prevention stakeholder event planned for November, 2021;

(iii) remitted the Chief Officer to submit to a future meeting, the draft Dundee Suicide Prevention Strategic and Commissioning Plan once this had been refreshed;

(iv) remitted the Chief Officer to submit the draft Tayside Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2021-2024 once this had been finalised; and

(v) noted the publication of the toolkit to support the development of local area Suicide Prevention Action Plans appended to the report at Appendix 1.

V MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING STRATEGIC UPDATE

There was submitted Report No 254-2021 by the Chief Officer, Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership briefing the Committee about local and Tayside strategic mental health and wellbeing developments.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the contents of the report; and

(ii) remitted the Chief Officer to present to a future meeting, a report outlining the outcome of the review of Dundee Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategic Plan in October, 2021.

VI SUPPORTING CLIMATE COMMITMENTS AHEAD OF COP26

There was submitted Joint Report No 234-2021 by the Executive Director of City Development and the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services informing Committee of the C40 Cities: Race to Net Zero Pledge; The Edinburgh Declaration; and the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration, and seeking approval for the Council to become signatories to the three declarations, demonstrating the City's ongoing commitment to tackle climate change ahead of COP26.

The Committee remitted the Executive Director of City Development and Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services to prepare formal responses enabling the Council and City of Dundee to become signatories to the C40 Cities: Race to Net Zero Pledge; The Edinburgh Declaration; and the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration.

VII TAYSIDE MEALS CENTRE

With reference to Article III of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 28th January, 2019 (Report 48-2019 refers) and Article IV of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 28th October, 2019 (Report 369-2019 refers), there was submitted Report No 253-2021 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services seeking approval for Perth and Kinross Council to participate in the joint arrangements for the Tayside Contracts Central Production Unit facility. Perth and Kinross Council had requested to be included to receive their school meal provision from the facility from January, 2022.

The Committee agreed to the inclusion of Perth and Kinross Council in the joint arrangements for the Tayside Contracts Central Production Unit.

John ALEXANDER, Convener.