Free Personal Care Implementation Advisory Group minutes: August 2018

Attendees and apologies

In attendance

• David Fotheringham, Scottish Government (Chair)
• Mike Liddle, Scottish Government
• Susan Brodie, Scottish Government
• Claire Stewart, Scottish Commission for Learning Disability
• Fiona Hart, East Ayrshire H&SCP
• Patrick Welsh, West Lothian Iintegrated Joint Board
• Jonathan Sharma, COSLA
• Jane Johnstone, Scottish Government, Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser
• Yvette Burgess, Director of Housing Support & Enabling Unit
• Julie Slaven, West Dunbartonshire H&SCP
• Garrick Smyth, COSLA
• George Bowie, Angus H&SCP
• Jennifer McCourt, Glasgow H&SCP
• Morag Johnston, CIPFA Directors of Finance
• Donald Macaskill, Scottish Care

Apologies

• Julie Rintoul, Scottish Government, Health and Social Care Analysis
• Guy McGivern, Scottish Government, Health and Social Care Analysis
• Karen Hedges, Scottish Care
• Chris Creegan, Scottish Commission for Learning Disability
• Sally Witcher, Service User Group Member
• Sharon Wearing, Glasgow H&SCP

Items and actions

Item 1: Welcome, introduction and apologies 

1. David Fotheringham welcomed those present and apologies were noted.

2. As Kenneth Leinster was a member of this group and represented both South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and Social Work Scotland (SWS), it was agreed that Scottish Government officials will approach SWS to enquire if one of their members would like to continue sitting on the Implementation Advisory Group (IAG).

Item 2: Previous minutes

3. The Draft Minutes of the 21 May 2018 meeting were amended to add 'for implementation plan' in line 1 of point 9 and thereafter approved.

Item 3: Verbal update on progress since last IAG

4. David Fotheringham provided an update on the work that has been completed over the summer period.  That the extension of free personal care was discussed at the Health and Sport Committee the 5th June. Legislation for the extension of free personal care to those under the age of 65 was approved by Parliament on 13 June and signed by the former Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on the 19 June. This legislation now confirms that the extension of free personal care will be carried out by each local authority by 1 April 2019.

5. Members were informed that the Finance sub-group met twice over the summer period and carried out discussions electronically. The main areas that the Finance sub-group considered were in relation to costs of existing service users; additional demand; assessment costs and the model proposal from Scotland Against the Care Tax (SACT). 

Item 4: Guidance: sections 1 and 2 

6. Susan Brodie took the group through the proposed amendments and agreed updates to sections 1 & 2 of the guidance. The group agreed that on completion of these amendments and additions these sections are now complete.

Item 5: Guidance: section 4

 7. The group discussed this section and considered that this should not be re-drafted for the new guidance but to issue as an information section which will be linked to various relevant pieces of guidance and ongoing work.

Item 6: Monitoring

8. Mike Liddle opened discussions relating to monitoring of the extension of free personal care to the group. The group agreed the importance of obtaining appropriate real data as soon as possible to enable the actual impact of the extension, so that this may be monitored effectively is paramount. The use of specified monitoring forms, although may be extra work for local authorities, may be worth carrying out as this information may provide numerous outcomes such as volume of assessments, information from service users and financial impact on local authorities. 

Item 7 : Communication plan 

9. The group discussed the strategy of a communication plan and agreed on a targeted approach for service users, service providers, including advocacy and local authorities.  

Item 8: AOB

10. No other business raised.

Item 9: Next meeting

11. Information relating to the next meeting will be sent to members in due course.