Issue - meetings

To consider a update report from the Leader of the Council.

Decision

(a)       That the continued COVID-19 emergency response in relation to the organisational reset and planned incident recovery be noted;

(b)       That a review of the Dorset Council Plan is considered in light of the organisational reset and recovery;

(c)        That the report be referred to the next meeting of Resources Scrutiny Committee for consideration.

Reason for Recommendation:  To ensure that Cabinet is aware of the impact of COVID-19 on Dorset’s vulnerable communities and responds accordingly. 

In presenting the report relating the Council’s response the Covid-19,  the Chairman suggested that the Resources Scrutiny Committee may wish to post-scrutinise the update following this meeting. He advised members that an amended version of the report had been circulated as there had been a minor typing mistake at 9.27 of the report.

The Chairman reported that Dorset had experienced a very low number of cases and fatalities. However as of 4 June 2020 (date report was written) there had sadly been 279 deaths in the area (including care homes). He expressed his sympathy for the families who had lost loved ones.

The Chairman invited the Cabinet portfolio holders to address members on work being carried out in their respective areas of responsibility in relation to the Covid-19 response and update on the emerging arrangement for future planning.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care & Health reported that the council had worked closely with Public Health to develop the test and track programme. She also referred to the council’s responsibility, in partnership with Public Health and other local councils,  to develop a Local Outbreak Management Plan. This plan set out what the council would do to identify and control any local outbreak in the council’s areas. The Health and Well-Being Board would be supporting this work to give assurance that local services could manage any future outbreak and provide the best possible protection to local communities.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health also reported on the importance of recovery and the health & care system. The need to look back and learn from how the council responded to the pandemic and in particular to focus on work with care homes across the system and learn valuable lessons. 

In respect of local interventions, on 14 May 2020 all local authorities received a request from the Minister of State for Care to provide assurances regarding local interventions to support residential care homes. The Council was ensuring that all care settings were supported through the crisis. She further advised that shielding work continued and outlined the work around the distribution of PPE in the local area.

The Portfolio Holder for Education and Early Years reported that schools had remained open throughout the pandemic in cluster formation for the benefit of key workers and vulnerable children.  Lesson plans were delivered to children working from home. Most early years provision had reopened from early June with the Council’s support and provision of advice at appropriate. 

The Council was also working with school leaderships to support the provision of school meals and pastoral care. He continued that some secondary school year groups were receiving face-to-face teaching and he  took this opportunity to advise that the Council had continued to focus on safeguarding.

It was also noted, as anticipated, that the number of children in care during the pandemic had increased and this reflected a nationwide pattern.

The Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment highlighted that the above average warmer weather had caused issues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 159