Issue - meetings

(a)       That Members accept the report for information on the future structure of the Children’s Integrated Disability Service, and note the implications of the increasing Direct Payments service for children; and

(b)       That the Director of Community Services provide a written reply to Members on why there had been a large increase in the income recovered in 2011/12. 

The Head of Social Services for Children introduced the report to provide Members with a combined update as to the future structure of the Children’s Integrated Disability Service (CIDS) and to inform Members as to the current position in relation to Direct Payments for young people. 

                        The Head of Social Services for Children detailed the background to the report.  It was reported that the management of the social care aspect of the CIDS was to transfer back under Children’s Fieldwork Services from August 2012.  The Head of Social Services for Children said that it was important to ensure the stability of the team and she felt that this could be achieved under the new arrangements. 

                        Councillor D.I. Mackie said that he had had difficulty in reading the report and queried the entries at paragraph 2.02 and 3.01.  He also referred to the chart on page 29 which provided details of the unused direct payments which had been recovered.  The Director of Community Services said that Direct Payments and CIDS were linked as CIDS recommended direct payments and said that paragraphs 2.02 and 3.01 explained that the CIDS project had been re-evaluated.  On the query about the chart on page 29, he said that the authority had a responsibility to ensure that payments were being used in the way that they were designed for and added that the income recovered could be used for others in need of the service. 

                        The Head of Social Services for Children said that packages for Direct Payments varied year on year and were based on need.  On the issue of income recovered she gave an example of when the payment had been calculated but was no longer be needed, so would be recovered.  It was interesting to note that within Adult Social Care a growth in demand for Direct Payments saw a comparable reduction (and sometimes savings) in other budget areas, but this had not been the case for Children’s Services. 

                        Councillor R.J.T. Guest referred to the table at paragraph 3.06 and requested an explanation of why the income recovered had been approximately 10% in years 2009/10 and 2010/11 but had increased to nearly 30% in 2011/12.  In response, the Director said that he would provide a written reply to Members of why this had happened. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       That Members accept the report for information on the future structure of the Children’s Integrated Disability Service, and note the implications of the increasing Direct Payments service for children; and

(b)       That the Director of Community Services provide a written reply to Members on why there had been a large increase in the income recovered in 2011/12.