Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest or dispensations submitted.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Pratt and Khan.  There were no substitutions for absence. 

To submit the Minutes of the meeting of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17^th March 2017 for approval as a correct record.

Recommended                     -   That the Minutes be received and approved as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Wednesday, 17^th March, 2017 were submitted for approval as a correct record.

Recommended        -            That the Minutes be received and approved as a correct record.

To approve the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2017/18 and to provide the Committee with feedback from Cabinet.

Recommended                     -   That the feedback provided by Cabinet on the draft 2017/18 Overview and Scrutiny Work Programmes be noted and the 2017/18 Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme be approved.

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer submitted the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2017/18 for approval.  He reported on the feedback the work programme had received from Cabinet and informed the Committee that an additional item, Care Navigation Pilot, had been requested for placing on the work programme. 

Resolved                               -   That the work programme for the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2017/18 be approved with the addition of a further item ‘Care Navigation Pilot’.

To update the Committee on local issues relating to Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

Recommended                     -   That the report be noted.

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer submitted a report to update the Committee on local issues relating to Personal Independence Payments (PIPs).  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer reported that a representative of the Department of Works and Pensions had been invited to attend the Committee to discuss Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) but the invitation had been declined.  He reported that they had been directed to publicly accessible information on the organisation’s website and informed that the Department of Works and Pensions would be willing to answer any questions derived from the Committee meeting. 

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer outlined what PIPs were and details were given of the available data on the number of claims submitted and those that had been refused and gone to appeal.  He referred to the large number of reassessments that had taken place and subsequently been approved and pointed out that concern had been raised about this both nationally and locally as well as the length of time taken to process a PIP application.  He reported that the Chair of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee had submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Works and Pensions seeking data relating to mandatory reconsiderations at Hyndburn level and on receipt of response would keep other Committee members informed. 

The following questions were submitted to be referred for response to the Department of Works and Pensions:

·         Mandatory reconsiderations are the first stage of an appeal, how many go on to ultimately take the appeal to Court?

·         Are those assessing applications on the basis of medical information adequately qualified to do so?  

Members of the Committee expressed their disappointment that representatives from the Department of Works and Pensions were not present at the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.  They also accepted that the length of time it took to process a PIP application was unacceptable.

Resolved                           (1)   That the Overview and Scrutiny Officer conveys the Committee’s disappointment to the Department of Works and Pensions that a representative could not attend the Committee;

                               (2)  That the Overview and Scrutiny Officer requests that the Department of Works and Pensions review how they process PIP applications to reduce the length of time it takes and the number of mandatory reconsiderations; and

                                            (3)   That the questions, as set out in the minutes above, were submitted to the Department of Works and Pensions for response.

Recommended                     -   That, in accordance with Section 100A(4)  Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during the following item, when it is likely, in view of the nature of the proceedings that there will otherwise be disclosure of exempt information within the Paragraph at Schedule 12A of the Act specified at the item.

Resolved                               -   That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during the following item, when it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, that there would otherwise be disclosure of exempt information within the Paragraph at Schedule 12A of the Act specified at the item.

(The report will contain exempt information under the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, Paragraph 3  -  Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

To update the Committee on the delivery of Disabled Facilities Grants.

Recommended                     -   That the report be noted.

Exempt information under the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

The Regeneration and Property Manager submitted a report to update the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the delivery of Disabled Facilities Grants.  She provided an overview of the process for disabled facilities grants which included the initial assessment of need by an Occupational Therapists before being referred back, with a recommendation, to the Council who would then send the Adaptations Officer to visit the home and carry out a means test (criteria as set out by the Government).  She reported that the Council had 6 months to award the grant once the applicant had satisfied the criteria and a completed application form had been received.  She explained that approved applicants could choose if the adaptation works were carried out by the Council or privately and that they would be given 12 months to carry out these works.  She informed the Committee that previous delays in processing applications had been due to a lack of Occupational Therapists (due to cost cuts) but Lancashire County Council were now trying to recruit to fill vacant posts.  She indicated that there were only 21 jobs in the system to be dealt with in Hyndburn and that they were currently working with Lancashire County Council to raise the profile of grants.

Advanced questions were submitted by Members of the Committee and responses were given as follows:

·         Hyndburn Borough Council took the decision of if an award should be granted.

·         The Government set the parameters across England and Wales based on individual needs. 

·         There had never been a failure to meet targets because the 6 month deadline only began once the application had been approved.

·         The Occupational Therapists would be expected to prioritise emergency applications.

·         The 15% fee to employ the Council was included in the grant.

·         Twenty-one jobs were on the waiting list for Hyndburn.

·         The Council was already taking appropriate action to reduce delays but there had been a slow-down in referrals and Lancashire County Council were presently trying to recruit Occupational Therapists.

The Chair of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Officer agreed to raise awareness of the disabled facilities grants.

Resolved                           (1)   That the Overview and Scrutiny Officer write to  Lancashire County Council to raise awareness of the importance of recruiting Occupational Therapists as soon as possible to aid the process of dealing with disabled facilities grant application forms; and

                                            (2)   That the Chair of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee raises the issue of disabled facilities grants at the County’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

                               (3) That the Overview and Scrutiny Officer raise the issue of promoting the availability of disabled facilities grants with the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to ensure all those in need were made aware of the grants.