Question
We are aware that there have been a number of issues within Optalis over the past months. Have the relations between RBWM and WBC now improved?
Minutes:
Question
We are aware that there have been a number of issues within Optalis over the past months. Have the relations between RBWM and WBC now improved?
Answer provided by the Leader of Council
Optalis remains key to this Council’s delivery of Adult Social Care and improvement journey. Optalis continues to perform well in all key measures, with many positive comments from local residents who use the services and their families. Plans are being jointly developed to create additional front line capacity in the organisation. This will facilitate continued measured growth, by providing a genuine alternative market option. This will also stimulate further efficiencies in the wider local adult care sector. In addition to this, further opportunities for driving efficiencies and improvements are being developed in partnership with the Director of Adult Services. I would also like to thank the staff at Optalis for all the hard work they have been putting in on the front line throughout the Covid period; many of them have gone above and beyond to make sure our residents are supported and safe.
As you are aware, in terms of the relationship between the two Council co-owners of Optalis, there has been an ongoing dispute in terms of agreeing an equitable split of central costs as laid out in the shareholder agreement. I am pleased to announce that RBWM have agreed to settle two parts of that dispute with positive ongoing negotiations to resolve the third and final element. So, the short answer to your question is yes there is an improvement I am positive about the future, but we do need to let these negotiations conclude over the coming weeks.
Supplementary Question
I have concerns about the current arrangements and feel that they may be unstable in the future. Do you also share that view?
Supplementary Answer provided by the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Services
I think I have shared publicly before that the last 18 months we have been looking at Optalis and we have had a change of strategy. There has also been a review of governance; basically in everything the Company does. It obviously follows that just because a company was doing something when it was set up it does not mean that it is the right thing in perpetuity and that is what has driven this discussion.
I would say that relationships with Optalis have improved dramatically since the appointment of the new CEO, David Birch, and as John answered we are in a much better place than we were.
There are negotiations going on basically to resolve the third of the issues regarding future costs at the moment. I am hopeful of a positive outcome. Things have been much better with Optalis over the last six months and hopefully they will go that way.
We within WBC are fully focussed on getting a relationship which works with Optalis but work most of all basically for our residents because that is who we are all here for to serve.