Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Jeffrey Room, The Guildhall, St. Giles Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE. View directions

Contact: Tracy Tiff 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

The Chair to note any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Sally Beardsworth (Deputy Chair);  Councillors Davenport and Duffy.

2.

Declarations of Interest (including Whipping)

Members to state any interests.

Minutes:

There were none.

3.

Deputations and Public Addresses

The Chair to note public address requests.

 

The public can speak on any agenda item for a maximum of three minutes per speaker per item.  You are not required to register your intention to speak in advance but should arrive at the meeting a few minutes early, complete a Public Address Protocol and notify the Scrutiny Officer of your intention to speak.

 

Minutes:

There were none.

 

4.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 72 KB

The Scrutiny Panel to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2019. 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2019 were signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record.

 

5.

Witness Evidence

5a

Chief Executive, Northants - Age UK pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Minutes:

In the absence of the Chief Executive of Northants Age UK, the Chair highlighted the points to Panel.

 

The Panel noted  the written report; the contents of which would inform the evidence base of this Scrutiny Review.  

 

5b

Deputy Chief Executive, Northants Carers pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Gwynn Roberts, Deputy Chair, Northants Carers, presented his written report to the Panel, highlighting the salient points contained within.

 

The Scrutiny Panel made comment, asked questions and heard :

 

·         The good work undertaken by various organisations and groups was highlighted.  For example some services run by Northants Carers – statutory assessments. These are currently offered county wide and it was queried how these would continue to run without causing disruption post Unitary.  The contract is due to come to an end in October 2021. 

 

·         There is a need to build on Partnerships.  The voluntary sector can bring in funding.

 

·         There is not a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, in existence for adults as there is for children.

 

·         Nursing care can often be difficult to obtain.  State funded nursing homes are very few and far between.  It is never an easy thing to find nursing care for a family member, often it has to be done in limited time.  The expense of private care was noted.

 

·         The project that is funded by NCC – “not enough money in the pot” was reported to the Scrutiny Panel.  Wellingborough was chosen as a pilot, mainly due to the size of the Borough for the Ageing Well Project. 

 

·         Northants Carers has a “sitting service” and carer’s gym membership, which are very popular.  It has won a national award for bringing together various professionals – Breathing Space Project.

 

·         In Northamptonshire, investment in carers is relatively good.

 

·         Gwynn Roberts confirmed that the organisation is hoping to do more work with St Andrews. 

 

·         It was noted that the BAME Community is hard to reach.  Northants Carers works with a number of partners and other groups.  Recently, it put on events in Wellingborough.  It runs an Asian Ladies Carers Group.  Northants Carers works with the organisation “Dostiyo”. It also works with faith groups and individuals.

 

·         Regarding Wellingborough’s Agency Well Project it was noted that discussions underway regarding post unitary. 

 

·         Northants Carers provides support to unpaid carers, for example lunch group etc, telephone support line, contingency plans, crisis plans, advice regarding benefits.

 

·         It can be very isolated for carers.

 

The chair commented that there are key themes emerging:

 

·         Assistance for the BAME community

·         Need for joined up communications

·         Exploration of a centralised system  - centralised important

 

It was suggested that the following organisations are invited to answer the core questions and attend the next meeting:

 

·         Dostiyo

·         NBA

·         Zimbabwe Women