Agenda item

That the draft North Wales Population Needs Assessment be noted.

The Chief Officer (Social Services) introduced a report to provide a summary of the outcomes of the population needs assessment for Flintshire.  He gave background information and context and introduced Christy Hoskings, Planning and Development Officer, Social Services, and invited her to present the report. 

                        The Planning and Development Officer explained that the aim of the Populations Needs Assessment was to provide an evidence base which identifies some of the key care and support needs for people in North Wales and improve understanding of the current and future population.   She said the Assessment would be a valuable source of information for local authorities and their partners and would enable them to inform future partnership arrangements, commissioning strategies and develop services. 

The Planning and Development Officer advised that the Assessment is a requirement of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2014 which places a duty on the 6 North Wales Councils and Health Board to jointly assess the needs of the population and the services required to support those needs.  She explained that the Assessment covered the following themes:

·         Children and Young People

·         Older People

·         Health/Physical Disability

·         Learning Disability and Autism

·         Mental Health

·         Sensory Impairment

·         Carers

·         Violence against Women, domestic abuse and sexual violence

The Planning and Development Officer explained that North Wales had also chosen to highlight the following further themes :

·         Substance misuse

·         Homelessness

·         Veterans

·         People in the secure estate

The Planning and Development Officer gave an overview of the findings for each of the themes above and what actions had been recommended for North Wales Counties moving forward.  She reported that the Assessment must be published by 1 April 2017 and would be reviewed by April 2019.  Following completion of the assessment local authorities and the Health Board are required to design area plans based on the findings in the population needs assessment.  The plans will outline how each County will meet the needs of its population and what areas will have joint initiatives with Health and what areas will have regional initiatives to cover need. 

The Chair thanked the Planning and Development Officer for her detailed presentation. 

                        In response to a query raised by Councillor David Wisinger concerning the direct payments scheme for care, Officers gave an assurance that the care needs of any individual would always be met regardless of the circumstances around  payment of carers.

Councillor Cindy Hinds expressed a concern around the ‘top-up’ fees charged in some private care homes.   Officers acknowledged that this practice caused financial strain on residents and their families and advised that in such circumstances negotiations would take place with the owner of the care home to either reduce or take away the charge as appropriate. Cllr Hilary McGuill requested a list of the homes that currently charged ‘top-up’ fees.

The Chair referred to page 404 of the report and asked how the need to provide a further 178 care home placements (based on projected need) by 2020 would be addressed.  The Senior Manager Integrated Services referred to the extra-care schemes in Flint and Holywell, and the Council’s priorities to develop care for people at home and to improve services in the community.

The Chair commended the Chief Officer and his team for their hard work and initiatives in developing the Flintshire element of the population needs assessment. 

RESOLVED:

That the draft North Wales Population Needs Assessment be noted.