Agenda item - Chair's Communications

3.1       The Chair informed the Board that he had asked for Item 10 – Providing Homes for People with Learning Disabilities, to be deferred.  The Chair reported that he had made recent visits to learning disability services and had listened to feedback.  As a result, he considered it was necessary to conduct a review of all services provided to people with learning disabilities, rather than looking at separate aspects of the service.  The Chair stated that he would like the review to be led by someone from another local authority and that the emphasis of the review should be from the user perspective. 

3.2       Councillor Norman stated that he was disappointed that the report had been deferred and was concerned that the delay would create uncertainly in people’s minds.  He stressed that the process had been developed over a long period and he felt it was time a decision was made.  Councillor Norman believed that the service needed to be managed in a different way and there was a need to move forward in the ways set out in the report.    The Chair replied that the intention of the open review was to modernise the service for the benefit of service users.

3.3       Councillor Morgan considered that it would have been more appropriate to have delayed the proposals before the report had been published.  He was concerned at the lack of certainty for staff and service users.  The Chair replied that budget papers had been published in December and that proposed changes to the service had been known for some time.

3.4       Councillor Theobald asked if the wider review would include all alternatives including outsourcing.  The Chair replied that the review would consider the best approach for the service user.