Agenda and minutes
PDF 223 KBVenue: County Hall
Contact: Sue Whitehead, Tel: (01865) 810262 Email: sue.whitehead@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Note: Revised timings are set out in the addenda
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Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee Speakers will be invited to address the committee at the point in proceedings where the relevant proposals are being considered, as listed in the timetable below.
Minutes: The following requests to speak had been agreed for this meeting and the meeting to be held at 1.50 pm:
Item 4 – Service & Resource Planning 2014/15 – 2017/18
Adult Social Care General - Paul Cann, Age UK Oxfordshire and Action for Carers Oxfordshir
Impact of cuts on the lives of the poorest old folk - Mr Michael Hugh-Jones
Learning Disability Service Budget – Pam Bebbington, trustee of My Life My Choice
Advice Centres/Support Funding:
Ms Suzy Drohan, Oxfordshire Welfare Rights,Barton Neighbourhood Centre Jill Tishler, Oxford City Advice Bureau Fran Bennett, Treasurer and Trustee of Agnes Smith Advice Centre, Blackbird Leys Sue Tanner, Convenor Oxford Advice Forum Carole Roberts, Manager, Rosehill & Donnington Advice Centre, Oxford Lesley Dewhurst, Oxford Homeless Pathways
Environment & Economy Oxfordshire Waste Partnership - David Dodds, Chairman, Oxfordshire Waste Partnership |
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Service and Resource Planning 2014/15-2017/18 The report forms part of a series relating to the Service and Resource Planning process for 2014/15 to 2017/18.
The Committee will consider in turn the Directorate Business Strategies and savings proposed for their service areas. Comments from the Committee will then be fed back to Cabinet in order that they can take the comments into consideration in proposing their budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) at the end of January 2014. Council will meet to agree the budget and MTFP on 18 February 2014.
During the meeting the Director together with the Cabinet Member for the relevant Directorate will be available to respond to questions as follows:
The timings below are indicative and will be updated on the website on Friday 13 December:
1000 – 1020 Overview and introduction (Lorna Baxter) 1020 – 1150 Adult Social Care 1150 – 1320 Environment & Economy Please note that a separate meeting to start at 1.50 pm will consider the remaining strategies.
Revised timings: 1000 – 1020 Overview and introduction (Lorna Baxter) 1020 – 1150 Adult Social Care 1150 – 1250 Environment & Economy
Additional documents:
Minutes: At its meetings on 16 December 2013 the Performance Scrutiny Committee considered a report that formed part of a series relating to the Service and Resource Planning process for 2014/15 to 2017/18.
The Committee considered in turn the Directorate Business Strategies and savings proposed for the service areas including the following annexes. The Director and relevant cabinet member for each Directorate was available to respond to questions.
Annex 1 – Directorate Business Strategies 2014/15 – 2017/18 Annex 2 – New Revenue Budget Pressures and savings 2014/15 – 2017/18 Annex 3 – Service & Community Impact Assessment (SCIAs) Annex 4 – Summary of results from Talking Oxfordshire Annex 5 – Summary of councillor comments from briefing sessions
Paul Cann, Age UK Oxfordshire and Action for Carers Oxfordshire highlighted the following two areas as examples of where the Council by spending on the voluntary sector saved money. He asked that the Council work with voluntary organisations to analyse of the impact of the proposed savings:
1) The subsidy for meals and laundry. The laundry service was provided for 75 people with continence problems. The County Council have identified this as one of the biggest factors in admissions to care. This is the sort of service that keeps people living independently in own homes. 2) Information and advice services. He referred to the major chasm between claims and entitlements and to the large numbers of unclaimed pension credits.
He also spoke in support of the brokerage service.
Michael Hugh-Jones as a local resident referred to the need to raise more money locally. He offered to make a donation to services and felt that others might be similarly willing.
Pam Bebbington, a trustee for My Life My Choice run by and for people with learning disabilities spoke in support of the services provided by that organisation. She highlighted that issues of loneliness and isolation; premature death and higher levels of unemployment affected people with learning disabilities disproportionately and that the loss of support would have a great impact.
Suzy Drohan, Oxfordshire Welfare Rights, Barton Neighbourhood Centre – Organisation spoke in support of funding for Advice Centres noting that they put money back into the community by accessing benefits and entitlements from government. They worked with a range of bodies including social services. At a time of welfare reform where people will be confused and require independent specialist advice. The support reduced the risk of homelessness and supported people to remain independently in their own homes.
Gill Tishler Oxford City Advice Bureau added that the services affected were not mainstream, open access services but support to people with complex needs. She also queried whether the service could be retained only for over 65s or if this was open to challenge on age discrimination grounds. In response to a question she felt it would be difficult for other organisations to provide the services given the pressures on other agencies.
Fran Bennett, Treasurer and Trustee of Agnes Smith Advice Centre, Blackbird Leys pointed out that charitable trusts in ... view the full minutes text for item 20/13 |