Issue - meetings

That a report and the business case be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee for consideration.            

The Head of Social Services for Adults introduced a report to describe the proposal to transform the service delivery of Double Click from a Social Services run work-scheme to a Social Enterprise working in partnership with Flintshire County Council as a new business.  He introduced Rhian Evans, the Mental Health Support Service Manager, to the Committee. 

The Head of Social Services for Adults detailed the background to the report, explained why the Social Enterprise Model had been chosen, highlighted the changes for the Service and detailed the impacts on staff, service users and the local authority. 

Councillor D.I. Mackie raised concern that there was no business case available to Scrutiny and said that he would not be able to support the recommendation without the business case.  He was also concerned that the report did not contain more detail of what the future held and of the future financial implications on the authority. 

The Mental Health Support Service Manager explained that a draft business case was in place and that advice and input had been sought from the Senior Business Advisor.  The Head of Social Services for Adults said that the future aspirations would include offering more training places and added that he expected the cost of the Business Manager to be reviewed yearly and expected the funding required for this to reduce over initial years.  The Chair suggested that the wording of the recommendation be amended to allow the Committee to consider the Business Case before supporting the recommendation that Cabinet progress the issue. 

Councillor D. Evans queried whether the service, which had been established for over ten years, had made a profit during that time.  The Mental Health Support Service Manager explained that it had not been a business during that period so had not made a great deal of money but that income had increased in the past year.  The Chair then suggested that the report and business case be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee for consideration.  The Director of Community Services said that he was grateful for the comments made and added that the business case was about building the business over the next three years. 

RESOLVED:

That a report and the business case be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee for consideration.