The Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss the mid-year performance and financial position of the Health and Adult Social Care portfolio, alongside a report on responding to the council's medium-term financial plan. The committee was also set to review strategies for learning disabilities and the annual report of the Stockport Safeguarding Adults Partnership.

2024/25 Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resources Report: Health and Adult Social Care

The committee was scheduled to consider a joint report from the Director of Public Health and the Director of Adult Social Care, detailing the delivery of portfolio priorities from April to September 2024. This report, based on the 2024/25 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA), was intended to provide forecast performance and financial data. The committee was asked to review progress against key projects, outcomes, targets, and budgets, identify areas for corrective action, and highlight significant issues for Cabinet. The report also aimed to identify how strong performance and good practice could be shared across services.

The report highlighted work on preventing ill-health, promoting wellbeing, and tackling health inequalities, including the introduction of the NHS lung health check programme in Tame Valley and revised NHS health checks focusing on high-risk individuals. It also detailed progress in commissioning sexual health screening services, contraceptive services, and supporting a new women's health hub. Efforts to increase public awareness of vaccination benefits, particularly MMR, and the use of the local Stop Smoking and Support Grant were also noted. The report indicated that Stockport Primary Care Networks were developing and delivering on local population health priorities, with the Making Every Contact Count Approach being integrated into induction programmes. The One Stockport Local offer for Adult Social Care was developing, with an increasing number of appointments available. A successful bid to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for supporting people with multiple disadvantages was mentioned, with a planned launch in January 2025. A Technology Enabled Care (TEC) first approach was being implemented to support independence. The report also detailed progress on the Think Carers Strategy 2024-2029 and the co-produced Stockport Learning Disability Strategy. The Building the Right Support peer review and the implementation of a Provider Market Management System were also referenced.

Financially, the report indicated a forecast outturn position for the Health and Adult Social Care portfolio of a £457,000 overspend, representing 0.4% of the cash limit budget. This overspend was primarily aligned with Adult Social Care. The report detailed variances within specific service areas, including underspends in Prevention Wellbeing & Independence and overspends in Enablement & Recovery, Support & Care Management, and Mental Health services. Public Health was forecasting a breakeven position, though underlying financial pressures on external contracts might require a drawdown from reserves. The report also outlined the planned use of earmarked reserves and the portfolio savings programme, which aimed to achieve £3.292 million in savings.

Responding to Our Medium-Term Financial Plan

The committee was scheduled to consider a report outlining the strategic approach to responding to the council's medium-term financial plan. This report acknowledged the significant funding gaps faced by councils nationally and the increasing cost of delivering services due to factors such as the cost of living crisis, inflation, and rising demand in children's and adult social care. The report presented outline draft change proposals, totalling £8.937 million, intended to contribute to a balanced budget position. The committee was invited to provide early comments and feedback on these proposals, with further consultation and engagement planned before Cabinet decisions in February 2025.

The report detailed several proposed savings initiatives within Adult Social Care and Health, including:

• Maximising Prevention and Independence: Aiming for £1.1 million in savings by further rolling out Technology Enabled Care, embedding One Stockport Local appointments, delivering the Learning Disability Strategy, and conducting Care Act reviews.
• Managing the External Care Market: Targeting £750,000 in savings by ensuring optimum commissioning levels and appropriate externally commissioned support.
• Fairer Charging: Proposing £750,000 in savings through a consultation on changes to the Adult Social Care charging policy, including removing subsidies, ensuring all recipients have financial assessments, removing the cap on maximum assessed charges for homecare, removing capital discounts, introducing charges for arranging care for fully self-funded individuals, and introducing interest charges on accrued debt and charges for property protection.
• Productivity: Aiming for £1.998 million in savings across all directorates through improved prevention, digital technology, automation, robust contract management, and efficient service delivery.

Learning Disability Strategy 2024-2029

The committee was scheduled to review a report setting out Stockport's vision for enabling people with learning disabilities to have happier, healthier, and more independent lives over the next five years. The strategy, developed in partnership with the Speaking Out Group, PossAbilities Making it Real Board, and Opportunities Together, is structured around five pillars:

1. Gets Me Out of the House: Focusing on employment, lifelong learning, day and night opportunities, and holidays.
2. Getting to Where I Need to Be: Addressing transport, including bus, train, taxi, walking, and cycling.
3. Are the People who Support Me Wise and Kind: Encompassing support from family, friends, support workers, social workers, and health workers.
4. Living a Healthy Life: Covering healthy lifestyles, annual health checks, and addressing health inequalities.
5. Home, Family and Friends – Where I Live: Pertaining to living arrangements, relationships, and friendships.

The strategy outlines current initiatives and commitments, such as developing a Provider Forum to discuss issues like holidays and employment, creating an Independence Opportunities Framework, and developing an Accessible Travel Charter. It also addresses building trust with social workers, improving the quality of annual health checks, and enhancing experiences for inpatients at Stepping Hill Hospital. The strategy also includes commitments to review overnight short breaks, develop supported housing options, reduce barriers to building relationships with animals, strengthen the technology offer, and support parents with learning disabilities.

Stockport Safeguarding Adults Partnership Annual Report 2023/24

The committee was scheduled to consider the annual report of the Stockport Safeguarding Adults Partnership. The report detailed progress made against the Strategic Business Plan, learning gained from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), and priority actions for the coming 12 months. The report highlighted the launch of a new 3-year business plan, jointly developed with the Stockport Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, with priorities including improving partnership working and information sharing, effective transitions from childhood to adulthood, and understanding complex trauma and assessing risk.

The report noted a significant increase in SAR referrals, with 15 received and six progressing to SARs. Key achievements included the launch of a new risk matrix and safeguarding thresholds tool, and improvements in performance reporting mapped against business plan priorities. The report also detailed the demographic profile of individuals involved in SAR referrals and multi-agency safeguarding activity, noting a higher prevalence of physical abuse in local data compared to regional benchmarks. Future priorities include refreshing the multi-agency training programme, recruiting an adult with lived experience to the Partnership Governance, and strengthening the scrutiny and oversight of performance data.

Stepping Hill Foundation Trust Update

A verbal report was scheduled to provide an update on the estates and funding situation at Stepping Hill Foundation Trust.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee was also due to consider a report outlining planned agenda items for future meetings and forward plan items within the committee's remit. This included identifying any reports or updates members wished to receive in the forthcoming municipal year. The report noted that Stepping Hill Foundation Trust's estates update was a recurring item.