This meeting was an opportunity for the committee to review the council's budget for adult social care and public health in the 2025/26 financial year, and to consider how adult social care services had been transformed.

Adult Social Care and Public Health Budget 2025/26

The committee received a report on the proposed budget for Adult Social Care and Public Health in 2025/26.

The report explained that:

The overall position is dependent on the outcome of the Local Government Finance Settlement (expected in mid-December 2024) and further consideration of inflationary pressures and interest rates. Therefore, significant uncertainty remains.

The report explained that the budget included £540,000 of growth, which included:

• £40,000 to deal with growing demand on the Social Service Customer Service team. The report says > Growing demand and increased workload threaten the quality of care on this line and the efficiency of other Priority 1 services like Housing. Additional resources are now needed to mitigate delays and safeguarding risks that would otherwise escalate, impacting the safety and wellbeing of residents.

• £500,000 of growth was included because of transitions from Children's Services into Adult Social Care because the service users are turning 18.

  Following an in-depth review conducted by our transitions and finance teams, there will be six cases of large care and support packages transitioning from Children’s Services in 2025/26. They have complex physical, autism and mental health needs. None of the cases are projected to be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding.

• £34,000 of growth was included to reflect the increase in mental health workload.

  The mental health workload has also increased significantly. There has been a 12% increase in Care Act referrals between September 2023 and June 2024 (due to increased complexity and increased need for larger packages of support and need for specialist placements).

The report also set out how the £1.55m of proposed savings was to be achieved. The savings included:

• £800,000 by continuing the 'prevention initiatives' that were started in 2024/25. These aim to: > expand the use of specialist equipment, our comprehensive reablement services (which help people live more independently, for longer), and bringing residents with physical and learning disabilities in supported living closer to their loved ones in RBKC if that is their choice. This will enable us to continue providing high-quality care that is less intrusive, resulting in greater independence, choice and outcomes for residents.
• £60,000 by continuing to improve the management of voids in accomodation for people with learning disabilities.
• £30,000 by remodelling the short breaks bed-based service at Kingsbridge Road.
• £90,000 through increasing the use of the 'general needs' housing allocation policies for people with learning disabilities or autism.
• £750,000 by building 65 extra care units for older people at Lots Road.
• £325,000 by investing in digital transformation, particularly direct payments.
• £400,000 by ensuring that people eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding receive it.
• £100,000 by letting a contract for reablement services.
• £100,000 by redesigning day services at Chamberlain House.
• £784,000 of staff savings over 2 years.

Adult Social Care Transformation

The committee received a report that described the transformation work that had taken place in Adult Social Care. This included working with housing colleagues and developers to increase the amount of specialist accomodation in the borough, and encouraging the use of technology-enabled care.

The report highlighted the directorate's ambition:

to mainstream technology-enabled care, ensuring those who want it can make use of it.

Some of the specific technology-enabled care solutions that were discussed included:

• Virtual Wallet
• Brain in Hand
• Personal alarms and monitoring systems

Select Committee Work Programme 2024/2025

The committee received a report on the draft work programme for the rest of the financial year.

The report highlighted that the North West London Integrated Care Board had started a public consultation on adult specialist palliative care services, including those at the Pembridge Hospice which is based at the St Charles Hospital site.

It also provided an update on the ASCHSC Action Tracker 24-25, and the progress of the North West London Access Programme, which is seeking to improve access to GP's.