Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and make the following resolution:

That a Senior Environmental Health Officer (DFG Specialist) and two Specialist Housing Standards Officers are appointed to deliver the West Sussex Disabled Facilities Grants Policy 2020-24 within Chichester District to be funded from the Council’s annual Disabled Facilities Grant funding.

RESOLVED

That a Senior Environmental Health Officer (DFG Specialist) and two Specialist Housing Standards Officers are appointed to deliver the West Sussex Disabled Facilities Grants Policy 2020-24 within Chichester District to be funded from the Council’s annual Disabled Facilities Grant funding.

Mrs Graves introduced the item. She explained that the report relates to the Disabled Facilities grants which seek to enable independent living for people with disabilities. The grants are funded from the Better Care Fund and can be used for a number of projects including changes required to a property to enable earlier discharge from hospital. In 2018/19 a total of 180 grant related cases were facilitated compared to 126 in 2017/18. The facilitation of this increase in cases has only been possible via the use of contractors. Mrs Graves explained that the volume of cases is set to increase further and therefore additional staffing is required to ensure that the council has a robust system in place to provide the level of support needed. She confirmed that the staffing costs would be funded by the Better Care Fund.

Mrs Reed added that the complexity of the cases had increased significantly.

Mrs Taylor requested clarification on whether current vacancies were an indication that recruiting to the new posts would be difficult. Mrs Reed explained that although there had been vacancies the new posts would be more specialist.

Decision

The Cabinet then voted unanimously to make the resolution below.

RESOLVED

That a Senior Environmental Health Officer (DFG Specialist) and two Specialist Housing Standards Officers are appointed to deliver the West Sussex Disabled Facilities Grants Policy 2020-24 within Chichester District to be funded from the Council’s annual Disabled Facilities Grant funding.