Agenda item

The Chairman welcomed Caroline Dinenage MP, Minister of State for Care, to the meeting.

The Minister thanked members and the Chairman for inviting her to speak and noted that the integration of health and social care was vital in reforming the system and delivering effective services to those most in need of them. The Minister said that her focus would be centred around reform, housing, integration and loneliness, and she was looking forward to working with local government on the green paper for the care and support of older people. She noted that a parallel project would be run alongside the green paper which would focus on working age adults, and that part of this process would include roundtables and ongoing discussions with both the LGA and ADASS. The Minister acknowledged that funding was an issue for local government and she referenced the £2 billion in additional funding which she said would help commission sustainable and diverse services.

The Minister was not able to stay to take questions from members but the following comments were made following her departure:

·         Members did not feel that the Minister understood the full extent of the funding pressures local authorities were under and they questioned where money set aside went after the Dilnot cap was scrapped. Members were keen to press the Government on the £2.3 billion funding gap and for the Government to look at the whole picture on social care, which would include the impact closing local libraries, community and youth centres had on vulnerable people.

·         Members felt that the Government needed to work more closely with local government in relation to the green paper and that there should be a greater focus on prevention.

·         Members asked how we could reset the conversation about local health services and the interaction between local authorities and the NHS. It was suggested that more could be done to encourage local authorities and the NHS to work in partnership. It was noted that in some areas there had been disputes between local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) about the Better Care Fund.

·         Lord Porter noted that the delayed transfer of care (DTOC) figures had come down month on month and the local authorities ought to be praised for the work they had done to contribute towards this reduction.

Decision

Members noted the Minister’s presentation.