Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER

ADULT SOCIAL CARE

PART II

    INTEGRATED COMMUNITY EQUIPMENT SERVICES - FUTURE SERVICE

    1. The Executive Member has approved proposals to establish a single integrated community equipment service for Hampshire located at Basingstoke and to terminate the partnership agreement with Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust and Portsmouth City Council..

    2. Currently in Hampshire there are two equipment services, one situated in Hampshire and the other in Portsmouth.

    3. The Basingstoke service was established in 1997 and provides a service for the former Primary Care Trust areas of Blackwater Valley and Hart, Mid Hants, North Hants, New Forest and Eastleigh & Test Valley South. Serving a population of approximately 900,000. It is managed by the County Council.

    4. The Portsmouth Service is managed by Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust and provides a service for Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust and the former Primary Care Trust areas of Fareham & Gosport and East Hampshire. It serves a population of approximately 545,000 of which 325,000 live within Hampshire.

    5. The expiry of the lease on the current Basingstoke site in August 2007 presented as an opportune time to consider how Integrated Community Equipment Services should be provided in order to meet the future challenges presented by its changing environment.

6. In order to inform the evaluation of how any proposal would meet the strategic

    Direction of the Adult Services Department a list of essential service benefits was identified by the Department as:

    _ Consistency/equity across Hampshire in terms of:

    * application of eligibility criteria
    * procurement and stock control practices
    * quality monitoring
    * management arrangements
    * meeting regulations covering the maintenance of equipment

    _ A focus on promoting the best interests of Hampshire clients

    _ Flexibility to respond rapidly and effectively to future changes in demand and nature of service provision

    _ Rapid and effective distribution system

    _ Consistent budget strategy and financial management processes

    _ A high level of recycling in a cost effective manner

    7. Considerable progress in partnership working has been made in the current financial year between the new Hampshire Primary Care Trust and Hampshire Adult Services:

    · Agreement has been reached on the overall size of the Integrated Community Equipment Services budget to ensure the sustainability of the service and to meet national performance targets.

    · Both partners are committed to securing the agreed additional funding to achieve this integrated budget and to complete a S31 agreement.

    · The Integrated Community Equipment Services Pooled Budget Group agreed that funding will be split on a 50/50 basis.

    · The Hampshire Primary Care Trust has confirmed its support for a one, Hampshire wide service, to be managed by Hampshire Adult Services.

    8. Commissioning one Hampshire wide Integrated Community Equipment

      Service managed by the County Council and withdrawing from the Portsmouth provides the best option. Specifically it offers:

    _ Best value in terms of staffing and overheads through the development of the new service model.

    _ Consistency of service delivery and policy implementation. Service discrepancies which currently exist between Basingstoke and Portsmouth ICES will be removed, enabling the implementation of a Hampshire wide service specification, agreed by both HCC and Hampshire PCT. Additionally, it will facilitate the harmonisation of the role of other complementary services across the county, in particular, Red Cross.

    _ Consistency of monitoring arrangements and performance data.

    _ Reduced risk through not being dependant on the priorities of other local authority and PCT providers.

    _ Transparency, flexibility and quality.

    9. On the basis of a strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats analysis, cost

      benefit analysis and ongoing revenue costs this option offers the best fit in terms of meeting desired future service benefits, provides the best financial return for partners and offers the most flexibility to meet likely future changes to service provision.

    10. The Service supports the three new corporate priorities; Hampshire safer and more secure for all, Maximising well-being & Enhancing our quality of place. It does so through the timely provision of equipment to disabled, frail and elderly citizens. The range of equipment purchased and stocked is essential to enable people to remain within their own homes or within a community based setting. Most of the equipment is recycled and re-issued. It promotes independence and wellbeing and is central to safe and timely hospital discharges. The service prevents hospital, residential or nursing home admissions by minimising the risks of falls, immobility and breakdown of formal or informal care arrangements.

                PATRICIA BANKS

                Executive Member for Adult Social Care

4IR170207