Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda, reports and meeting recording associated with this minute can be found here.

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting and in doing so acknowledged the attendance of Councillor Cooke as full-time member of the Integration Joint Board and member of this Committee in replacement for Councillor Al-Samarai.

The Chair wished to record the contribution and commitment Councillor Al-Samarai had provided during her many years as a member of the Integration Joint Board and was appreciative of her input and assistance to the Committee.

The Chair acknowledged Councillor Lesley Dunbar who was attending as an observer.

There were no Declarations made.

The Chair indicated that there was no exempt business.

The Committee had before it the draft minute of its last meeting.

Members confirmed the accuracy of the Minute and during Matters Arising the Chief Financial Officer, ACHSCP advised the Committee that the Care Inspectorate Review of Criminal Justice  was almost complete and would be presented to the next Committee and also to the Integration Joint Board and the Clinical Care and Governance Committee.

The Committee resolved :-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the Business Planner.

Members heard from the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), ACHSCP, who confirmed the reports being presented to this meeting and future reporting intentions.

Members were advised that as the Partnership and NHS Grampian continued to function in civil contingency mode, the intended reporting would be subject to review and prioritisation.

This would see some reports being submitted to Members as Service Updates however assurance was provided that this would not preclude scrutiny as any report so shared could be introduced to any or all of the IJB or its Committee Meetings.

The Committee resolved :-

(i)            to note the current planner; and

(ii)          to accept that the planner was subject to late amendments due to the continuing civil contingency operation.

The Committee had before it the Quarter 3 Financial Monitoring and Mobilisation Plan Update submitted by the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), ACHSCP and accepted as a Late Report by the Chair.

The report presented a summary of the current year revenue budget performance for the services within the remit of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) as at Period 9 (end of December 2020); highlighted the current forecast in relation to the additional costs of COVID-19 to be reclaimed from the Scottish Government; and advised on any areas of risk and management action relating to the revenue budget performance of the Integration Joint Board services.

Members heard from the CFO who reminded members that financial scrutiny was a remit of the Committee and that previous reporting during the Emergency Pandemic Measures had been to the IJB.

The CFO advised that the financial status remained largely stable and that additional Scottish Government (SG) had been promised and thus far received to assist pandemic specific additional costs.

Members were further advised that there continued to be extra financial burden on continuing and additional pandemic costs and that SG had again indicated a promised to deliver full funding for these matters when submitted for payment.

The CFO assured that robust measures were in place to capture and record the additional costs which would be delivered to SG.

Members indicated they were assured on financial stability subject to the expected additional funding that would be requested and is expected in relation to additional pandemic related expenditures.

The report recommended :-

that the Committee –

(a)          note this report in relation to the IJB budget and the information on areas of risk and management action that are contained herein; and

(b)          note the budget virements indicated in Appendix F.

The Committee resolved :-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee received a presentation on Operation Home First from the Lead for Research & Evaluation, ACHSCP.

Members heard that Operation Home First was focused and aligned to the Strategic Plan of the IJB and to the continuing adaptions as reported to and approved to the IJB and/or its Committees.

The Committee resolved :-

to note the presentation.

The Committee had before it the report from the Chief Officer, ACHSCP which presented the latest version of the ACHSCP Strategic Risk Register.

The Committee heard from the Business Manager who provided an overview of the report and the SRR.

Members heard that the SRR had been updated to reflect discussion and requests that arose from the Risk Workshop attended by IJB Members in October 2020.

The Business Manager advised that in respect of Risk 3, a report was still awaited from NHS Grampian on their audit of Hosted Services.

Members agreed this was critical to any objective review by the Committee.

Members heard from the Internal Auditor who indicated this was referenced and considered during his reviews.

The report recommended :-

that the Committee –

(a)          note the revised Strategic Risk Register in the Appendix to the report;

(b)          specifically comment on Risk 3 (Hosted Services) as detailed in the report; and

(c)          note that Risk 10 (EU Exit) will remain on the Strategic Risk Register until a decision is made by the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) to remove it, as detailed in the report.

The Committee resolved :-

(i)            to approve the recommendations; and

(ii)          to direct that an updated report on Risk 3 be presented to RAPC as soon as NHSG provide their Audit update.

The Committee had before it the Internal Audit Plan for 2021/22 from the Chief Internal Auditor (Interim) which presented the Internal Audit Plan for the Aberdeen City Integration Joint Board for 2021/22.

Members heard an overview of the report and an explanation on the identification of the areas requiring consideration.

The Chair enquired if the planned audit on progress with the transformation programme would now incorporate Operation Home First (OHF).

The Chief Internal Auditor (Interim) assured that OHF would feature within the audit. Members were also reminded that the purpose of the Audit was to provide assurance and not drive Strategy.

The report recommended :-

that the Committee approve the Internal Audit Plan for 2021/22.

The Committee resolved :-

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it the report from Chief Internal Auditor (CIA) (Interim) which presented the outcome from the planned audit of Contract Monitoring for Social Care Commissioned Services that was included in the 2019/20 Internal Audit Plan for Aberdeen City Council.

Members heard that this report had been approved by the Audit Risk and Scrutiny Committee of Aberdeen City Council, as required by governance, and were provided an overview of the report.

The CIA (Interim) advised that the report was subject to review to enhance its presentation and delivery.

Members heard from the Strategic Procurement Manager (Social Care) that they were participants throughout the audit and that actions had already been taken over the areas highlighted.

The report recommended :-

that the Committee review, discuss and comment on the issues raised within this report.

The Committee resolved :-

(i)            to approve the recommendation; and

(ii)          to note the actions identified and taken to resolve those issues.

The Committee had before it the report from the Chief Finance Officer, ACHSCP which presented an update on the risks relating to the sustainability of social care service providers linked to Covid19 and the processes in place to mitigate such risks.

Members heard from the Strategic Procurement Manager (Social Care) who introduced the report and provided an overview.

Members were advised that no service provider had ceased trading during the pandemic and assured members that all learning was being absorbed and implemented where possible in respect of service provision.

The report recommended :-

that the Committee note the content of this report and the work that is being done to support service provider sustainability in the social care sector

The Committee resolved :-

(i)            to approve the recommendation; and

(ii)          to acknowledge and record appreciation of the efforts being applied within the Procurement Teams to maintain operational capability during the challenging pandemic period.

The Chair enquired of Members regarding the degree of assurance received and/or sought during the meeting.

The Committee resolved :-

to note they had received Confirmation of Assurance from the reports and associated discussions presented and that further assurance had been evidenced by the activity of all staff in not only producing the necessary information but also by the delivery and modifications of processes and services in a regular and sustained manner.

-       JOHN TOMLINSON, Chair