Care Act Easements Report
Verbal Update from Sharon Burgess, Head of Safeguarding, Adults and People Department and Elspeth Smith, Team Manager Safeguarding, London Borough of Enfield – To Note
Minutes:
RECEIVED a verbal update from Sharon Burgess, Head of Safeguarding, and Elspeth Smith, Team Manager Safeguarding, LBE.
NOTED
1. The Council had not used Care Act easements, and was not intending to do so at the moment.
2. The Mental Health Act also had some easements, also not used by LB Enfield.
3. Any issue around not meeting obligations under the Care Act was taken very seriously. There was careful monitoring of demand on services, staff and providers.
4. Appropriate communication and transparency was important. A Care Act easement framework would be published soon, and there was an online pamphlet.
5. Bindi Nagra raised that there had been some interest expressed as to whether the Council would ever introduce easements, but it had not been necessary so far. Enfield’s social care services were well run. He wanted to give reassurance that officers wanted to do the right thing by local people, to assess and to meet needs.