Hampshire County Council Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee Meeting

Apologies were received from Councillors Branson, Briggs, Bryant, Burgess, Craig, Harvey, Harrison, Joy, Tree and Taylor.

Councillors Collett, Groves, Ford, Pankhurst and Crawford were in attendance as substitute members for their respective groups.

Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter considered at the meeting they must declare that interest at the time of the relevant debate and, having regard to the circumstances described in Part 3, Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members' Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code. Furthermore Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Non-Pecuniary interest in a matter being considered at the meeting they considered whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 2 of the Code, considered whether it was appropriate to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 June 2023 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee did not receive any deputations.

The Chairman did not have any announcements.

The Committee considered the report setting out proposals to initiate a Working Group to oversee and scrutinise the approach and outcomes of the Hampshire County Council Care Service proposals formal public consultation.

Members noted that, at it’s meeting on 18 July 2023, Cabinet had approved a set of service recommendations in relation to the proposed future service direction of the County Council’s Older Adults service. Some of the proposed service changes were set out within the HASC covering report including some proposed care home closures and modifications to existing homes. Ahead of any specific scrutiny or decision making, it was planned to enter into a ten week formal public consultation on the proposals beginning on 4 September 2023. Members agreed that a HASC Working Group be established to oversee the consultation and to report back to the wider Committee ahead of pre-scrutiny in January 2024 and a decision by the Executive Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health not before February 2024.

Members discussed the proposed membership of the Working Group as set out within the Terms of Reference (ToR) at section 8.1. A proposal was put forward, and agreed unanimously, that the membership be amended to the following:

x9 Working Group members comprising x5 Conservative group, x2 Liberal Democrat Group, x1 Labour Group and x1 Independent Group.

The Chairman requested that the names of nominated Councillors from each group be emailed to Democratic and Member Services following the meeting.

RESOLVED:

i)             That the HASC set up a Working Group to oversee and scrutinise the approach and outcomes of the HCC Care Service proposals formal public consultation, as per the attached Terms of Reference (taking into account the revision at recommendation ii below).

ii)        That HASC agrees to amend section 8.1 of the Working Group Terms of Reference to reflect the agreed membership as set out below:

x9 Working Group members comprising x5 Conservative group, x2 Liberal Democrat Group, x1 Labour Group and x1 Independent Group.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee’s work programme be approved.