Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Limited Liability Partnership Strategic Governance Group (LLPSGG) and introduced Mr Jim Wilson, Independent Chairman of SBCares.  Members were advised that a representative from the NHS had not yet been appointed and that Mrs Torrance would follow this up in advance of the next meeting of the Group.

DECISION

NOTED.

Minute of the Meeting of the Limited Liability Partnership Strategic Governance Group held on 11 August 2015 to be approved and signed by the Chairman.  (Copy attached.)  

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the meeting of 11 August 2015.

DECISION

APPROVED the Minute for Signature by the Chair.

Verbal update by the Chairman of SB Cares on the recent announcement of new members of Non-Executive Board Members.  

Mr Wilson informed Members that two new non-executive members of the SB Cares Board had been appointed, with the potential for another member to be selected at a future date.  The successful appointees were Mr John Webster and Professor Bill McKelvey.  Mr Webster had 30 years of Local Government experience, with 7 years as a Financial Director.  He was Business Advisor to Essex Cares, a local authority trading company.  Professor McKelvey held a number of Non-Executive Directorships in complex public sector and commercial organisations.  He had considerable experience of transformational change on a national basis. Mr Wilson added that a programme of induction was planned for both gentleman and it was expected that Mr Webster and Professor McKelvey would attend the next SB Cares Board meeting later this month.

DECISION

NOTED.

Consider reports by the Finance and Commercial Director of SB Cares on the performance of SB Cares on:

            SB Cares Budget Monitoring at 30 September 2015

            There had been circulated copies of a report by the Finance and Commercial Director of SB Cares informing the Strategic Governance Group of the financial position for SB Cares at 30 September 2015.  The report advised that the budget monitoring position to 30 September 2015 based on actual income and expenditure showed a profit of £253k during the first six months.  The report also advised that the Senior Management Team had reviewed the progress made to deliver agreed efficiencies and new business and a profit of £480k was now predicted.  This was in line with the Business Plan agreed by Members in October 2014 and with the Council's 2015/16 budget.  Ms Collins explained that a further two new homecare contracts had now been agreed and a pay award for staff had resulted in some movement in the income and expenditure figures, as detailed in the report.

DECISION

NOTED:-

(a)     SB Cares financial position at 30 September 2015; and

(b)     that information would be shared with Scottish Borders Council to inform the revenue monitoring position.

            Key Performance Indicators for SB Cares

            There had been circulated copies of a report by the Finance and Commercial Director of SB Cares updating the Strategic Governance Group on the development of SB Cares Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).  The report explained that the partnership agreement between Scottish Borders Council and SB Cares was signed on 1 April 2015 and included the governance arrangements and reporting requirements.  SB Cares had now developed four KPIs and these will be presented to the Strategic Governance Group on a quarterly basis.  The agreed KPIs were -  the number of clients which SB Cares supported across the services they provided; the average number of carers who supported those clients; absence levels; and the number of staff employed by SB Cares, including posts being recruited.  Further development of KPIs included customer satisfaction; productivity; complaints; and market share.  Ms Collins advised Members that there had been a number of staff who had retired and gone on maternity leave and that recruitment was now in progress to appoint to these posts.  In addition, the staffing figures reflected those employees who had transferred under TUPE arrangements for the new homecare contract.  Mr Barr advised Members that there were now appropriate strategic management tools in place for SB Cares to move forward and develop in line with its Business Plan.  Discussion followed in relation to way in which homecare was delivered to individual clients and Ms Crombie explained that, in some cases, a varied number of carers visited one client on any particular day and for varying lengths of time.  Client hours were currently based on what service the individual had received prior to the transfer to SB Cares.  Further information would be presented to the Strategic Governance Group at future meetings.  Officers provided clarification on further points raised by Members.

DECISION

NOTED:-

(a)     the current KPIs for SB Cares; and

(b)     the continuing development of KPIs for SB Cares.

Update by the Operations Director of SB Cares on Registration of SB Cares Services with the Care Inspectorate on: 

          Current Grades

          There had been circulated copies of a report by the Operations Director of SB Cares on Registration with the Care Inspectorate.  The report explained the areas of assessment and that there were a number of themes, namely Quality of Care; Quality of Environment; Quality of Staffing; and Quality of Management and Leadership.  The grades allocated by the Care Inspectorate were detailed in the report.  Ms Crombie advised Members that the initial grades had been inherited by SB Cares and that each grade had been maintained or improved upon.  The report included a detailed list of establishments/services and grades covering the period from 2009 to 2015.  Ms Crombie added that in some situations, the focus within a service could change and this was not always apparent in inspection reports.  Members were of the opinion that the report required more narrative to explain situations and provide clarification and it was agreed that the format of future reports which detailed Care Inspectorate assessments would reflect this.

DECISION

(a)        NOTED the report.

(b)       AGREED that future reports detailing Care Inspectorate assessment grades would include more narrative to explain situations and provide clarification.

          Ms Crombie advised Members that the Care Inspectorate report on St Ronans had been published the previous week.  This had been too late to include in the report considered at this meeting but would be included in the next report presented to the Strategic Governance Group.  Mr Wilson advised Members that the report compared very favourably with the private sector.

          DECISION

          NOTED the verbal update.

          Members were advised that the dates for future meetings would be amended to accommodate the Scottish Parliamentary Election scheduled for May 2016.  Details would be circulated once final arrangements had been made.

          DECISION

          NOTED.

Before proceeding with the private business, the following motion should be approved:-

“That under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the aforementioned Act.”

DECISION

7.         AGREED under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the business contained in the following items on the ground that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 8 of the part 1 of Schedule 7A to the Act.

SUMMARY OF PRIVATE BUSINESS

1.        

Private section of the Minute of the Meeting of the Limited Liability Partnership Strategic Governance Group held on 11 August 2015 to be approved and signed by the Chairman.  (Copy attached.) 

Minute

Members approved the Private Section of the Minute of 11 August 2015.

Business Plan

Members considered a presentation by the Managing Director SB Cares.

Efficiencies Progress Update. (Copy attached.)

Efficiencies Progress Report

Members considered a report by the Operations Director SB Cares.

New Business Development Update

Members considered a report by the Service Development Manager SB Cares.