This will be a verbal discussion relating to proposed changes to welfare meals. It was added to the Forward Plan for the 5 November 2019 meeting of the Health and Adults Overview and Scrutiny Sub-committee due to time sensitivity.

The Chair began a discussion on the council’s proposed changes to welfare meals. Members were concerned that a decision had been made to discontinue the service, without proper engagement with the Health and Adults Scrutiny Committee.  Senior officers from the Health and Adults directorate were present to answer Member questions.

Members sought confirmation from officers that the service would definitely be closing in February 2020. Officers confirmed that the service would close.

Officers summarised that the subject of welfare meals had been included as part of a general contracted services report which had gone to Cabinet in February 2019. Officers said that given the number of those affected and the financial impact, the meals on wheels provision alone did not constitute a Mayoral decision. The service was included in a general contracted service report to Cabinet where the intention to review the service was noted.

Officers said there were several reasons behind the closure including direction from the Care Act 2014 to provide services that were less prescriptive and promoted greater independence. They also said that meal provision was a non-statutory provision and that benchmarking had been conducted which found that several other councils had discontinued the service. In addition to this there was low take up of the service, with 160 using the provision and the low take up was affecting the profitability of the contract.

Members asked whether any alternative options were considered such as a staggered closure or outsourcing to a voluntary sector organisation. Officers explained that the council was broadly reviewing service contracts and that it was not a realistic option for the voluntary sector to manage meal provision on behalf of the council. They said considering alternative options for meal provision were available, such as a £3 ready meal from the supermarket and local lunch club options, it was prudent to end the service.

Members wanted to know if an equality impact assessment (EIA) had been conducted against the meals on wheels service. Officers said an EIA was included in the contracted services review report that went to Cabinet. The Committee requested to view the EIA report.

Members asked, in the context of austerity and rise in the use of foodbanks, whether the decision would put the most vulnerable users at risk. There were concerns that vulnerable residents would lose out on a personal contact with the council if the service were to end and  that many of their constituents had reported being distressed by the closure.

Officers said out of the 160 recipients of the service, few had the high level needs described by Members. They also said that as delivery people spent under three minutes with the recipient this would not hugely impact social interaction. Officers also said that the council had a wide range of plans in place to tackle loneliness in the borough.

Members requested to view a copy of the letter sent to inform service users of the decision to end the service. Officers said they could share the letter and that individual consultation meetings had also taken place with those affected.

Members requested a timeline of events and reports leading up to the decision to close the service. They also asked for clarity on whether the decision to close the service would be discussed at Cabinet again as the original report to Cabinet only gave approval to start a ‘review’ of the service, not to close it.

Some Members said due to the highly politicised nature of the service, the decision should have been open to discussion at Cabinet.

RESOLVED:

Having discussed the item, the Committee made the following requests:

1. To view all reports on contracted services (meals on wheels) including the Equalities Impact Assessment.
2. Clarification from senior officers on whether the contracted services ‘update report’ will go to Cabinet so there could be a public discussion on the closure of the meals on wheels service. (This action to be completed by 15 November 2019).
3. To view the correspondence service users received regarding the closure of the meals on wheels service.