A VEIL of secrecy has descended on the reorganisation of two major social care issues in Powys.
At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Health and Care scrutiny committee on Wednesday, March 19 councillors were advised by senior staff to go into confidential session to discuss reports on: “recommendations for future service design and operating model for older people’s care homes” and “recommendations for the provision of day opportunities in Powys progress update.”
Committee chairwoman Conservative Cllr Amanda Jenner asked senior staff to explain why the items could not be discussed in public.
Director of social services and wellbeing, Nina Davies said: “We’re requesting to go into confidential session and exclude the public on the grounds that there would disclosure of exempt information which would relate to financial or business affairs of any particular person and individuals.
“We feel these factors outweigh the public interests in disclosing this information.”
She explained this would categories one, two and three of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 was being used to justify going into confidential session.
Cllr Jenner said: “I fully understand why this is confidential today as it’s high level.
“But as things move forward when there’s more awareness and people have been consulted, we should revisit whether or not this is in private session each time this comes back to scrutiny.
“Because it’s going to come to the stage where it’s really important that the public see that all transparency is enabled for this.”
A vote was taken to go into secret session and none of the councillors objected to doing this.
This saw the public side of the meeting come to an end after only five minutes and 10 seconds.
Recommendations from the committee will be added before the reports go before a future meeting of the Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet.
In late 2023, the council started work on remodelling day care provision and move away from day care centres is expected.
This could see more done to access services, organise actives, gain new skills and develop relationships at home, extra care, or residential homes.
Day Care centres were closed at the outset the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago and have never fully re-opened.
In this year’s budget a £120,000 a saving was expected to be made following the review, and this sum is included in next year’s (2025/2026) proposed budget savings.
In March 2020 , 154 people attended Powys Day Centres for Older People, with 33 staff.
Powys Day Services for people with disabilities was attended by 124 people attended and had 70 staff.
