Issue - meetings

(a)       That the Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee support the   submission of the strategy for approval to the Welsh Government and the ongoing work     of the partnership.

(b)       That the Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee be updated once the Welsh Assembly have made their findings known.

Ms D. Cooper presented the draft Information and Consultation Carers Strategy which outlined how Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board had worked together with Local Authorities across North Wales and the 3^rd sector to develop the above strategy, as required by the Carers Strategy (Wales) Measure. This Measure, for the first time, placed a duty on Health Services to meet the needs of carers.  The strategy would assist in identifying, informing, recognising the needs of, and signposting carers to appropriate services. Flintshire already had a commissioning strategy in place for carers services. Money allocated to North Wales for the implementation of the Measure was  £97,000 in the first instance with a further £97,000 once the strategy was approved by Welsh Government.

            The Director of Community Services welcomed the strategy and the funding which would enable partnership working to heighten the profile of carers.  He said the cost of the anticipated increase in carer assessments would need to be addressed in future years.  In 2011-12, Flintshire undertook 673 carer assessments. If this increased, the council would need additional funding and would work in partnership.  The Director of Community Services said that the third sector played a central role in providing services for Carers and Flintshire commissioned services in excess of £400,000.

Councillor D. Wisinger welcomed the news and asked how carers accessed information about support.  Ms D. Cooper said that the role of the strategy would be to sign post carers to relevant third sector services.  The Partnership Development and Performance manager said that NEWCIS provided information and newsletters to carers and that she could be contacted if information was required.

            Councillor S. Jones asked if the £97,000 was for Flintshire or North Wales.  Ms D. Cooper confirmed that it was for North Wales and for training purposes, not new services.  After the first year of operation statistics would be submitted to the Welsh Assembly to inform them on decisions for funding years 2 and 3.

RESOLVED: -

(a) That the Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee support the submission of the strategy for approval to the Welsh Government and the ongoing work of the partnership.

(b) That the Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee be updated once the Welsh Assembly have made their findings known.