To consider the proposal to no longer provide and fit, free of charge, small items of daily living equipment costing less than £50, following the receipt of a public question at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee held on 13th February 2013.
Eddie Sherwood to, Director of Care and Support, to report.
This item will be considered as an urgent item of business under Council Procedure Rule 26 of the Council’s Constitution, on the recommendation of the Chair.
Minutes:
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9.1 |
The Chair, Councillor Mick Rooney, explained that this item had been included on the agenda as an urgent item of business, following the receipt of a public question at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee held on 13th February 2013, which had been referred to this Committee for consideration. |
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9.2 |
In attendance for this item were Euin Hill, representing the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, and Eddie Sherwood, Director of Care and Support. |
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9.3 |
Euin Hill referred the Committee to the circulated submission made on behalf of the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind relating to the Council’s proposal to no longer provide, free of charge, individual small items of daily living equipment costing less than £50. In doing so he made particular reference to the legal issues involved and the Council’s Care and Reablement Strategy. In conclusion, he requested that the proposal be reconsidered and removed from the Council’s budget proposals. |
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9.4 |
In response, Eddie Sherwood gave a short presentation on the proposal, making particular reference to the fact that this was an extension of current policy on the provision of items with a value of under £50 to those items that required an element of installation. He also emphasised that the proposal excluded all equipment for sensory impaired people and that such equipment would continue to be provided in cases of severe hardship. In conclusion, he stated that a review of the proposal was to take place six months after its implementation. |
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9.5 |
A short discussion then took place on the operation and effect of the proposal. |
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9.6 |
RESOLVED: That the Committee:- |
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(a) |
recognises that given the current financial circumstances, there are difficult decisions to be made; |
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(b) |
requests that it receives a report with the results of the review that is planned six months after the implementation of the proposal to no longer provide and fit, free of charge, small items of daily living equipment costing less than £50; |
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(c) |
requests that the Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Independent Living gives consideration to implementing a cap on the total amount people would have to pay if they required multiple items of daily living equipment; |
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(d) |
requests that the Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Independent Living gives consideration to setting aside funds for a hardship fund to assist those who could not afford daily living equipment; and |
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(e) |
requests that communication around the proposal be made clearer so that organisations and individuals were aware of the implications of the proposal, particularly in relation to the exclusion of equipment for sensory impaired people. |
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(NOTE: This item was considered by the Committee as an urgent item of business under Council Procedure Rule 26 of the Council’s Constitution, on the recommendation of the Chair, in order that it could be considered prior to Budget Council on 1st March 2013.) |
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