Issue - meetings

(a)       That the report be noted; and

(b)       That feedback be provided to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee who are responsible for the overview and monitoring of performance;

(c)        That the Environment and Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committees be requested to examine the adaptation process with a view to suggesting any improvements; and

(d)       That the item on adaptations be discussed further at the joint workshop with the Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Chief Officer (Social Services) introduced the report for the Committee to note and consider elements of the 2014/15 Improvement Plan Monitoring Report relevant to the Committee for the period July to September 2014.

Independent Living

The Team Manager - Performance referred to measure PSR/009a which represented Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) adaptations for one child and explained that the outturn had been adversely impacted by the sourcing of specialist equipment required for the work and delays to the grant process.  She went on to say that the work had been completed one month after it had started.

The Chief Officer stated that performance had been improved through adjustments to the Occupational Therapist assessment process, with no negative impact on quality.

Councillor David Mackie raised concerns around the average days taken to deliver major adaptations in owner/occupier and private rented properties compared with those in Council owned properties.  The Chief Officer commented on improvements made to the joined-up approach by Social Services and Housing to undertake this work and suggested this as a topic for the joint meeting to be arranged in the New Year.  The Service Manager - Disability Services spoke about the different processes involved and the potential for delays if consent was not received promptly from landlords.

In response to similar comments from Councillor Joe Johnson, the Service Manager pointed out the complexities for some adaptations which could involve seeking planning permission or obtaining quotes from contractors.  She said that improvements had been made to reduce stages of the process and welcomed any suggestions from Members.

Councillor Hilary McGuill suggested the grants could be accessed directly by the applicant to arrange their own adaptations.  The Service Manager said that this was already an option, however most residents preferred the Council to undertake this.  It was hoped that the introduction of a further option to enable Care & Repair to carry out work would help to speed up the process and improve future performance figures.

In response to a request from Councillor McGuill, officers agreed to provide details on the time taken from a request for DFG adaptations through to completion of the work.

Councillor David Wisinger asked about the various sections involved in processing a DFG application and whether this could be better prioritised, possibly with involvement by the Planning department.  The Service Manager explained that the Housing section had undertaken work on the list of approved contractors to speed up the process on quotations.

The Chair reminded the Committee of the recommendation in the report which gave an opportunity to feedback comments to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Hilary Isherwood felt that the application process could be further simplified through the use of a single point of contact and that perhaps Age Concern could be involved to assist with applications from vulnerable people.

The Service Manager suggested that a group of Members may wish to view the flowchart process to see if any improvements could be made.  The Chair said that this had already been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44