PAPER E
|
SCRUTINY
COMMITTEE – 23 NOVEMBER 2006 WIGHTCARE
ENQUIRY SC06/06 – UPDATE ON RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY, PERFORMANCE AND
PARTNERSHIPS AND DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE |
REASON
FOR CONSIDERATION
To
consider an update from the Cabinet Member for Island Health, Housing and
Community Wellbeing in relation to the Wightcare Enquiry undertaken by the
Committee.
BACKGROUND
The
Scrutiny Committee agreed the following recommendations at its meeting on 22
June 2006 in relation to its Wightcare enquiry :-
1.1
The Scrutiny Committee are agreed
that Wightcare provides an excellent home care service. Wightcare are not able to provide a service
to private self-funded clients or direct payment clients and therefore often
operate with clients who are less economically attractive to private
providers. Wightcare provides a service
that employees are proud of - leading to much flexibility and immeasurable
goodwill, which is valued by service users.
1.2
The Wightcare service is
apparently more expensive than that of the private providers. The Committee
question the calculation of the relative unit costs of all the providers and
therefore recommend that a detailed analysis of the costs of an in-house
service is undertaken to ensure like is compared with like. The Committee also
recommends that other options are considered, for example establishing an
(arms-length) social enterprise (potentially in tandem with the local Health
care trust). This could be beneficial in terms of retaining the value added
elements of this service, for example responsiveness and flexibility, and one
able to accept private payers.
1.3
It
is therefore recommended that the decision to transfer Wightcare to a private
provider should be deferred during this financial year, to allow a fuller
Review of the financial circumstances of Wightcare and its ability to
compete more favourably with the private sector providers, and for an extensive
consultation with service users and their families/carers.
1.4
The Committee believe
that the £420,000 identified saving accruing from a transfer this year
can be found by retaining this as a short-term priority of this Council. Hence,
the required efficiency savings will reduce to £2 million rather than £2.4
million, and £400k will be deducted from planned new priorities spending. The
Committee have received no compelling argument to support the planned new
priorities, in particular the seeming targeting of considerable extra resources
to adults and young people with learning disabilities and older people with
mental illness; although of course they recognise how vulnerable all Adult
Services’ clients are.
1.5
It is further
recommended that:
·
The review prioritise modernisation of Wightcare through providing the
necessary IT software for them to operate at the highest efficiency level
possible.
·
The review help reduce
the unit cost of Wightcare Home Care hours by transferring the operation from
Bugle House to less expensive office accommodation.
·
The review examine in
detail the existing contract compliance by all current private providers.
Agenda
and Minutes of the Scrutiny Committee held on 20 April 2006; 18 May 2006; 22
June 2006 and 27 July 2006
Contact
Point : Paul Thistlewood,
Overview And Scrutiny Team,
' 823285,
e-mail paul.thistlewood@iow.gov.uk.
JOHN LAWSON
Director of Policy, Performance and Partnerships and
Deputy Chief Executive