Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Edric Hobbs (Cllr Martin Lovell as substitute), Cllr Christine Lawrence (attending online), Cllr Lucy Trimnell (attending online) and Cllr Tony Robbins).

To approve the minutes from the previous meeting.

Resolved that the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee - Adults and Health held on 10^th October 2024 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive and note any declarations of interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

(The other registrable interests of Councillors of Somerset Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes: City, Town & Parish Twin Hatters - Somerset Councillors 2023 )

There were no new declarations of interest.

The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, please see details under ‘click here to join online meeting’.

No public questions were submitted.

To discuss the work programme.

To assist the discussion, the following documents are attached:-

(a)  The Committee’s work programme

(b)  The Committee’s outcome tracker

Please use the following links to view the latest Somerset Council Forward Plans and Executive Forward Plan of planned key decisions that have been published on the Council’s website:

Somerset Council Forward Plans

Somerset Council Executive Forward Plan

There was a request for an update from Avon & Somerset Police on domestic violence, possibly to come to the 27^th February all member briefing.

There was a request to review the items on the action tracker that had a red RAG rating and for more details on actions taken.

There was a request for an update on dentistry, which is due to come to Scrutiny Committee – Adults & Health in 2025.

Lead Member for Adults Services, Housing and Homelessness, Cllr Sarah Wakefield, introduced the item. Cllr Wakefield highlighted that as a result of the Newton Europe transformation programme Adults Services is exceeding expectations, that mitigations are being worked on with relation to Intermediate Care, and that there was a risk of a large strain on the budget of the increase in National Insurance on Care Providers.

Christian Evans, Head of Finance Business Partnering, then gave a brief presentation on the Quarter 2 figures that now included housing.

During the discussion the following points were raised:-

• The underspend needs to be put in context of the need to prepare for winter.
• It’s positive that changes seem to be working with more support at home.

The Chair thanked the officer for the comprehensive report.

Lead Member for Adults Services, Housing and Homelessness, Cllr Sarah Wakefield, introduced the item. Cllr Wakefield highlighted that there is currently a Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) in place due to the cold weather offering beds to rough sleepers, and encouraged people in contact with a rough sleeper to please refer them. She explained the work on this strategy and the timeline for its development.

Mark Leeman, Strategy Specialist (Housing), Kirsty Larkins, Director of Housing, and David Baxter, Strategic Housing Manager, then gave a presentation which explained:-

• The strategy is a statutory requirement.
• Ownership and responsibility rests with Somerset Homelessness Reduction Board, who will develop the action plan in the early part of next year.
• The consultation process and a summary of the consultation response.
• That feedback in the consultation relating to some groups (illegal migrants and displaced people) being treated preferentially is not accurate and work needs to be done to address that.
• The strategy is based on three principles: Increasing early help and prevention, ending rough sleeping, and suitable and affordable accommodation and support.
• Detail on the third principle including the particular challenges in different areas of Somerset.

During the discussion the following points were raised:-

• This is a bold and necessary vision for Somerset.
• There are a mountain of challenges, reflecting wider socioeconomic issues affecting the county and specific challenges to Somerset. It is dependent on national policies.
• Glastonbury has the highest density of vehicle dwellers per population in the UK.
• There is a need to ensure that local authorities are adequately funded to address this.
• Is there potential for aging people with spare rooms to provide temporary accommodation with flexibility?
  • We are looking at home match home share for key workers. We hope that this will be available in the new year.
• Will Members be able to have input on the action plan as well as the draft strategy, and is it appropriate to bring the strategy at this point?
  • We are on a tight timescale as we are currently not compliant but have an extension from MHCLG. It needs to go to Executive Committee in January. There will be a briefing for members of this committee on housing.
  • The action plan doesn’t need to be approved by the Council but we would be interested in feedback from this committee.
• There is reluctance from some rough sleepers to attend services provided if there are drug users or alcoholics there.
  • Yes, rough sleepers can be reluctant for a variety of reasons, need to make sure accommodation offers are flexible. It will be a housing first model, where a rough sleeper gets their own front door and then other services are pulled in.
• Work needs to be done to address the housing supply side or we won’t be able to address rough sleeping in full.
  • Yes, the enabling team are working closely with planning colleagues, but there are competing demands on money from developments on schools, roads, etc. We need to make sure housing doesn’t fall off the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97.

Lead Member for Public Health, Climate Change and Environment, Cllr Graham Oakes, introduced the report and explained that it was part of a national goal to be smoke-free (reduce levels of smoking to 5%) and that this would have a dramatic effect on the economy and health in the county.

Rachel Handley, Consultant in Public Health, and Laura McCrimmon, Registrar in Public Health, gave a presentation on the report and asked for the input of the Scrutiny Committee. They explained:-

• The timeline.
• The local and national context.
• The reasons why people smoke.
• The effect of smoking in Somerset.
• The specific groups that are prioritised for support.
• What will help people to quit.
• Services currently provided and what works.
• The Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

• The importance of the broader scope of the report and the call to action.
• Whether the tobacco industry has been asked to contribute to the cost to the NHS in Somerset?
  • Not at the moment that we are aware of. We have looked at how polluters pay climate change costs. At the moment taxation around tobacco and nicotine products try to deter people from accessing them.
• Good to see the connection with food mentioned – if people don’t quit because they’ll eat too much, if they have a problematic relationship with food or if you can’t afford food. Food pantries would be a good place to talk to people.
  • Food pantries is a great idea.
• Surprised people aren’t aware of our services. It would be good to involve workplaces in signposting as well as council services.
• It’s important for young people to talk to other young people - do you have any plans for champions for people who have used support services?
  • We do have good case studies from younger people who have managed to quit, but they are often very reluctant to share those. Smoking being cool, it’s hard to be a person who tries to help people to stop. We hope to have more opportunities.
  • Bridgwater College have done work to ask young people why they are vaping – a lot of them have done it to help with anxiety and stress. Bridgwater College has done mindfulness sessions to help them manage it in a different way.
• The year of people born before the cut-off point, the challenge of ‘we’re the last year’ may be counter-productive.
• What’s the direction of travel currently in Somerset if we did nothing?
  • There would be 45,000 reduction – would leave us with 15,000 smokers in 2030.
  • Somerset more or less follows along with the England average – we wouldn’t reach the 5% target until 2050. Currently see 2000 people a year come through smoke free services, 60% of those quit successfully as a result.
• What’s the effect of vaping? It’s increasing and can introduce people to smoking.
  • Vaping is at least 20x less harmful than smoking cigarettes, as nicotine isn’t that harmful. But it can be mentally worse with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 98.

Stephen Miles, Strategic Manager – Adults & Health Commissioning, presented a report which provided an update on the procurement of Extra Care Housing. He detailed:-

• The progress made since this item last came to the Committee.
• The process of gathering feedback from tenants, care and support staff, internal colleagues and learning from other councils.
• The 2 stage procurement process that is compliant with regulations and best practice.
• The key proposals for the new Extra Care Housing offer.
• The plan to develop the offer and increase the overall level and range of need supported gradually and the ability to step up and step down deliver of care.
• The move to ensure social landlords provide all of the housing support rather than the care providers.
• There would now be a consistent charging policy across the schemes and how charges can be increased in line with inflation.
• The recommendations to the Executive outlined in the paper.
• The timeline of the process.

During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

• Is there a major difference between the 2024/25 and 2025/26 figure?
  • Every rate has seen a decrease compared to current rates paid.
• This has happened because of the competition in the market, very pleased the process has been completed.
• The process is very robust, officers have put in a lot of work.

The Chair thanked the officer for the presentation.