Commission on the future of Adult Social Care

The primary objective of the Commission will be to shape the future of social care so that residents can be supported in achieving their aspirations for a healthy, happy life in a place they call home, playing a part in their family and community as much as they wish..

Outline for the group

The Commission will meet six times from October/November 2021 through to April/May 2022. The Commission will be supported by officers to develop and refine practical recommendations to shape the future of Adult Social Care within the borough. The Policy Commission will not be a formal meeting of the Council; however, meetings will be held virtually and be open to the public to attend. Stakeholder representatives will be invited as appropriate to provide their views and expertise regarding the themes of the Commission. The Commission will also hold a formal call for evidence, with wider representatives invited to submit their evidence for consideration. All meetings will be open to the public to attend. The final report of the Commission will be presented to Cabinet in June 2022.

It is proposed that these meetings will last approximately three hours, with context information and background reading being provided in advance as appropriate. These meetings will be structured around themes and issues, with evidence and information being provided by officers and partner organisations to support discussion and planning.

Membership

The membership of the Commission will be set in line with previous approaches. It will be chaired by the appropriate Portfolio Holder, as appointed by Cabinet. The Labour and Conservative groups will each appoint a further two Members, with one Member to be appointed to represent the Independent, Green and Liberal Democrat groups. This will give cross-party representation on a 3:2:1 ratio. Two co-opted members of the Commission will be invited. One to represent the NHS and one the local community and voluntary sector.

Agreed Commissioners are:

• Cllr Val Armstrong, Councillor for Lache, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
• Gary Cliffe, Chief Executive, West Cheshire Voluntary Action
• Cllr Gillian Edwards, Councillor for Weaver and Cuddington
• Alison Lee, Managing Director, Cheshire West Integrated Care Partnership
• Cllr Gina Lewis, Councillor for Winsford Over and Verdin
• Cllr Keith Millar, Councillor for Neston
• Cllr Lynn Riley, Councillor for Frodsham, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
• Cllr Neil Sullivan, Councillor for Handbridge Park, Shadow Cabinet Member for Legal and Finance

The Commission will be supported to conduct its work by relevant services across the organisation. Evidence will be provided by officers and external experts as required.

It is acknowledged that this Commission will be undertaking an intensive work programme throughout the autumn and winter of 2021-2022. Whilst this Commission will require a time commitment from Councillors, it is advised that the group has a consistent membership across all meetings as far as possible to support better understanding of interdependencies across themes, and place recommendations into a broader context.

Timescales and areas of focus

It is proposed that this Commission will meet six times to consider the following issues:

October 2021

Call for Evidence.

Request evidence and feedback from partners and the public to support the Commission.

November 2021

Developing a vision for Social Care.

Set and agree a vision of what Adult Social Care within the borough will look like in the future, within the existing legislative framework.

December 2021

Funding and Paying for Care.

Consider how services can be appropriately funded and paid for, enabling the Council to respond to the expected Government consultation on future funding for adult social care.

February 2021

The role of communities and engaging with people who draw on social care.

How can local communities, carers and individuals be engaged and supported to meet needs of people who need support? How do we move further towards social care practice which builds on the strengths of individuals rather than deficits?

Consider how people who draw on services, carers and communities can best be empowered and engaged in the planning, organisation and delivery of services.

March 2022

Workforce; Technology

Consider how to recruit, retain and develop an appropriately skilled, engaged and motivated workforce.

Consider how the opportunities of new technologies can best be harnessed to improve services.

April 2022

Commissioning high quality, ethical care.

Consider how to best commission care that is high quality and delivered in a sustainable way that values and adequately rewards staff whilst remaining affordable.

May 2022

Agreeing recommendations.

Agree recommendations to go to Cabinet.

June 2022

Report to Cabinet.

Cabinet to consider the proposed recommendations.