Witnesses:
Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for
Adults and Health
Sinead Mooney, Cabinet
Member for Adults Social Care
David Lewis, Cabinet
Member for Finance and Resources.
Nicola Kilvington,
Director of Corporate Strategy & Policy, Surrey County
Council
Rachel Wigley, Director,
Finance Insights & Performance
William House, Strategic
Finance Business Partner for Adults, Wellbeing and Health
Partnerships
Sarah Kershaw, Strategic
Director of Adults, Health, and Wellbeing
Nicola O’Connor,
Strategic Finance Business Partner
Paul Richards, Area Director
East & Mid Surrey, Adult Social Care (ASC)
Jonathan Lillistone, Assistant
Director of Integrated Commissioning
Nikki Roberts, CEO, Surrey
Coalition of Disabled People
Key points
raised during the discussion:
- The Cabinet Member
for Finance and Resources introduced the Item and provided an
overview on the draft budget for 2024/25 and the Medium-Term
Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2028/29.
- The Chairman
questioned if there had been any further opportunities identified
to work cooperatively with the borough and district councils to
close any budget gaps. The Strategic Director of Adults, Health and
Wellbeing explained that the Directorate worked closely with the
district and borough councils in delivering care, but there were
several financial challenges within some of these councils that
increased difficulties in how the Directorate would deliver
services in the future, but options to work together more
effectively would always be explored. A Member asked if the
Directorate was anticipating service withdrawals from borough and
district councils. The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources
explained that there could be a risk partners resorting to
statutory rather than discretionary services, which could have
consequences for the Council. There was currently no direct
indication that services would be withdrawn. The Cabinet Member for
Adult Social Care highlighted that the Council funded some district
and borough council schemes such as ‘meals on wheels’
and the Directorate were committed to continue this.
- A Member questioned
whether the Service was being ambitious enough in extra care
housing numbers.The Cabinet Member for Adults Social Care explained
the Directorate was bound by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
regulations, which restricts the size, height and density of
properties, and number of residents. The
Director of Integrated Commissioninghighlighted that the
Directorate would avoid introducing risk and officers who were
working on the programme had been as ambitious as possible with the
number of units. Good progress had been made on Regulation 3
applications, with planning approval on the Guildford site and
construction starting in 2024, outline
planning approval for three sites in the next part of the
programme, and the remaining three sites would be due to come
forward for outline planning approval. Overall, this means that the
Directorate are at 360 units towards the 725 targets, with further
plans in the pipeline to achieve the full
target.
Abby King
and Robert Evans arrived at 10.32 am.
- In reference to the
Medium-Term Position being uncertain with continued pressures, the
Chairman asked what opportunities there were to put in place
Transformation programmes, which could alter major cost drivers.
The Strategic Director of Adults, Health and Wellbeing explained
there were ...
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