Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Hibbert Biles and Councillor Stratford.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2013 (CA3(to be circulated separately)) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2015 were approved and signed as a correct record.

Councillor Tanner had given notice of the following question to Councillor Tilley:

‘Would the Cabinet member tell me what she believes the likely impact will be on children, parents and the wider community if the Donnington Doorstep Family Centre and/or the Grandpont Children’s Centre (in my Isis division in Oxford) lose their County Council funding and are forced to contract or close in future years?’

Councillor Tilley replied:

“Whatever the outcome of the consultation in relation to the future shape of children’s social care referred to in today’s  Cabinet paper,  we are determined to support vulnerable children and their families, but can no longer necessarily directly   support universal services.  I would draw attention to wording in today’s Cabinet paper which makes the point that“.. some universal services ….will no longer be provided directly by the county council. The council is however committed to helping local communities develop or retain their universal provision for children. It is proposed that work will be undertaken to ascertain whether local communities would wish to deliver these services and if so how this could be best achieved.”  

Supplementary: Councillor Tanner asked whether the cabinet member accepted the need for some universal services as raising a child was difficult and needed a “village” which was provided by the Children’s Centres. Councillor Tilley agreed that bringing up a child was difficult but commented that the problem faced by the County Council was that it had to find the savings.</TRAILER_SECTION>

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The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:

Item 6 – Councillor Hards, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance

Item 7 – Emma Burnett, Cultivate Oxfordshire Ltd

Dr Sonia Bues – member of the public

Jo Lovell, member of the public

Claire El Mouden, member of the public

Charlie Payne – member of the public

James Kirkham, service user

Jill Huish – member of the public

Eleanor Pritchard, member of the public

Yan Wong, governor of a local nursery and children’s centre

Katherine Harloe, service user

Juliet Corbett. Service user

Jenny Pawsey, service user

Marchelle Farrell, member of the public

Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families

Councillor Nick Hards, local councillor

Councillor Suzanna Pressel, local councillor

Councillor Brighouse, local councillor

Item 8 – Clive Hill,

Item 9 – Councillor John Christie, Opposition Deputy Leader

At this point Cabinet agreed to vary the order of the agenda.

Cabinet Member: Children, Education & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/023

Contact: Jim Leivers, Director for Children’s Services Tel: (01865) 815122

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA7).

In common with councils across England, Oxfordshire County Council have to make savings across all service areas as a result of reductions in government funding, pressures on all services and restrictions on ability to raise Council Tax. The Children, Education and Families Directorate need to find savings of £8 million.

Nationally, children’s services are now dealing with a growing number of child protection cases and children at risk of neglect.  Over the past few years there has been a 50 per cent rise in the number of children on child protection plans, in part as a response to growing concerns about child sexual exploitation.

Reduced funding and rising demand mean we need to make radical changes to the way services for children and families are delivered.

The overwhelming priority for children’s services must be to meet our legal requirement to keep children safe from abuse and neglect and it would clearly be unsafe to reduce funding of core child protection social work. The Directorate's savings, therefore, have to come from the Early Intervention Service, which includes the current network of 44 Children's Centres and 7 Early Intervention Hubs and the Youth Engagement and Opportunities Team.

The need to make changes, however, presents opportunities to think about new ways to support families within their communities and ensure some of the services provided within Early Intervention continue.

The Council has developed a preferred model for a new 0-19 service based on integrating the services provided by Children’s Centres, Early Intervention Hubs and Children’s Social Care. This approach was recommended by the cross-party Cabinet Advisory Group set up to look at new ways of working.

The £8m that remains from the current £16m budget for the Early Intervention Service will be combined with the £4m budget for Children’s Social Care Family Support Teams to create a wholly new £12m service.

The new service will focus on supporting children on child protection plans, children in need and those identified as vulnerable through Oxfordshire's Thriving Families programme.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED:

·                 That the options identified in the report be put forward for public consultation during the Autumn of 2015

·                 A further report outlining outcome of the consultation along with detailed proposals for the future shape of services be produced for Cabinet consideration in early 2016.

In common with councils across England, Oxfordshire County Council have to make savings across all service areas as a result of reductions in government funding, pressures on all services and restrictions on ability to raise Council Tax. The Children, Education and Families Directorate need to find savings of £8 million.

The Council has developed a preferred model for a new 0-19 service based on integrating the services provided by Children’s Centres, Early Intervention Hubs and Children’s Social Care. This approach was recommended by the cross-party Cabinet Advisory Group set up to look at new ways of working.

The new service will focus on supporting children on child protection plans, children in need and those identified as vulnerable through Oxfordshire's Thriving Families programme. Cabinet had before them a report setting out options for approval for public consultation.

Emma Burnett, Cultivate Oxfordshire Ltd, spoke in support of the work of children’s centres and illustrated their value by reference to her and her family’s experiences. She suggested that the Council should use reserves to keep the centres open even if in a streamlined fashion so that buildings and staff were not lost. She asked that the Council give users and the voluntary sector a couple of years to find solutions.

Dr Sonia Bues, as a clinical psychologist commented that she dealt with people with entrenched problems and that early intervention was vital. Children’s Centres provided this support. It was important that this was easily accessible, universal and non-stigmatising. She referred to press reports detailing how scores of children had been let down and asked that more children not be failed by the closure of the children’s centres.

Jo Lovell, spoke both as a user and then a helper at a children’s centres and referred to the help and support she had received at a difficult time.

Claire El Mouden, as a user of a children’s centre highlighted, by reference to her own experience, why universal access was important.

Charlie Payne, showed Cabinet photos of a children’s centre session and shared with them comments of the parents there which expressed how much they valued the service provided.

James Kirkham, as a father had used the baby cafes and found them welcoming and without the children’s centre he was not sure that he would have built his confidence as a father. He and his daughter felt part of a community and the parenting course he had taken had helped with his step son.

Jill Huish, a user of the service, expressed sadness and dismay at the proposed models all of which she felt to be wrong. The short term savings would be offset by more costly knock on effects. She referred to the wide range of services available through children’s centres. She shared with Cabinet her experience highlighting the courses she had taken. She felt that the support from highly trained staff had avoided social worker intervention.

Eleanor Pritchard, informed Cabinet that she had used her local children’s centre when she had felt  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78/15

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/028

Contact: Stephanie Skivington, Corporate Finance Manager Tel: (01865) 323995

Report by Chief Finance Officer (CA6).

This report is the first in the series on the Service & Resource Planning process for 2016/17 which will culminate in Council setting a budget for 2016/17 in February 2016. This initial report sets the context and the starting point for the process. It sets out:

• the assumptions on which the existing Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) is based,

• known and potential financial issues for 2016/17 and beyond which impact on the existing MTFP, and

•         a proposed process for Service & Resource Planning for 2016/17 including a timetable of events.

The report follows on from and builds on the report presented to Cabinet in May 2015, ‘Addressing the Council’s Future Challenges’.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)            Note the report;

(b)            Approve the Service and Resource Planning process for 2016/17; and

(c)            Approve a four year period for the Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme to 2019/20.

Cabinet had before them the first in the series of reports on the Service & Resource Planning process for 2016/17 which will culminate in Council setting a budget for 2016/17 in February 2016. The report set the context and the starting point for the process, including:

•              the assumptions on which the existing Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) is based,

•           known and potential financial issues for 2016/17 and beyond which impact

            on the existing MTFP, and

•           a proposed process for Service & Resource Planning for 2016/17 including a timetable of events.

Councillor Nick Hards, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance expressed concern at the implications of the County Council being expected to cope with an uncosted commitment to a national living wage. He referred to a nursing home that had an efficient business model but would be adversely affected by the proposals and queried how the Council would cope if it or others changed hands or closed and asked that Councillor Heathcoat give it some consideration. Councillor Heathcoat asked that he write in with this request and commented that a lot of work was going on. He also commented on the difficulties faced within Children, Education & Families and noted that roads and highways was still of concern to the public. He was concerned at the effects of modelling cuts of 25 and 40%.

The Leader in moving the recommendations commented that there would be hard decisions to be made to deliver a balanced budget on 6 February. Lorna Baxter updated the expected timing of the spending review and settlement which did not change the planned approach.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)          note the report;

(b)          approve the Service and Resource Planning process for 2016/17; and

(c)          approve a four year period for the Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme to 2019/20.

Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/087

Contact: Kate Terroni, Deputy Director – Joint Commissioning Tel: (01865) 815792

Report by Director for Adult Social Services (CA8).

This report outlines a proposal for public consultation on the future of the way Intermediate Care is provided in North Oxfordshire. Intermediate Care is services which support people to avoid going into hospital or help people get back home as quickly as possible. The consultation is asking for people's views on Intermediate Care continuing to be provided through a bed-based service in Chipping Norton and on the development of home-based Intermediate Care.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to agree that there is a public consultation on the way Intermediate Care is provided in North Oxfordshire in the future as set out in this report.

Cabinet considered a report on a proposal for public consultation on the future of the way Intermediate Care is provided in North Oxfordshire. Intermediate Care is services which support people to avoid going into hospital or help people get back home as quickly as possible. The consultation was to ask for people's views on Intermediate Care continuing to be provided through a bed-based service in Chipping Norton and on the development of home-based Intermediate Care.

This report outlines a proposal for public consultation on the future of the way Intermediate Care is provided in North Oxfordshire. Intermediate Care is services which support people to avoid going into hospital or help people get back home as quickly as possible. The consultation is asking for people's views on Intermediate Care continuing to be provided through a bed-based service in Chipping Norton and on the development of home-based Intermediate Care.

Clive Hill, Chipping Norton Hospital Steering Group, spoke to ask Cabinet to reconsider plans for Chipping Norton Hospital. He considered that the process was fatally flawed. He felt that comments by John Jackson were meant to intimidate local people by suggesting that they would lose everything by not agreeing to the plan.

He was increasingly confident that local people would be successful at a judicial review both on process and the outcome reached. He highlighted a number of reasons why the Steering Group believed that the plan should be suspended until what they would consider a proper review of healthcare in Oxfordshire had been carried out. This included issues on bed blocking; that the beds at Chipping Norton Hospital were sub-acute beds which means they should be providing a higher level of care than was planned; there should be no downgrade from the current very successful NHS staffed service provided by Oxford health. He added that he had heard that there had been discussions on turning the beds into a ward for geriatric patients which if true was an indication that local people were not being told everything. He went on to raise concerns about the use of the ISIS Centre as the model for the Chipping Norton service. Mr Hill stated that as the beds were sub-acute beds and as such should be commissioned by the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. What was needed in Chipping Norton was a fully functioning Community Hospital.

Councillor Rose stated that he found it offensive that Mr Hill referred to threats and intimidation when the officer had been merely stating the position in a factual way.

Mr Hill responding to a question from the Leader confirmed that he was suggesting that the County Council transfer commissioning to the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

Councillor Heathcoat, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, in introducing the report and moving the recommendations referred to an email that she and all Cabinet Members had received from Mark Taylor, a director from Banbury Heights Nursing Home in Banbury. She added that she had written to Mr Taylor to explain about the consultation. Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80/15

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/029

Contact: Sue Corrigan, Strategic HR Manager Tel: (01865) 810280

Report by Chief Human Resources Officer(CA9).

This report gives an update on staffing numbers and related activity during the period 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2015.  It gives details of the actual staffing numbers at 30 June 2015 in terms of Full Time Equivalents.  These are shown by directorate in the Annex. In addition, the report provides information on the cost of posts being covered by agency staff. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report

Cabinet considered the report that gave an update on staffing numbers and related activity during the period 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2015. It gave details of the actual staffing numbers at 30 June 2015 in terms of Full Time Equivalents. These were shown by directorate in the Annex. In addition, the report provided information on the cost of posts being covered by agency staff.

Councillor John Christie, Opposition Deputy Leader, welcomed the reduction in agency staffing and in querying whether the reduction was likely to continue asked whether more detail on agency staffing could be included in future. Councillor Rose commented that August will generally see a reduction in agency staffing. There was a cost to getting additional information and Councillor Christie agreed to discuss what was available outside the meeting.

RESOLVED:             to note the report

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Sue Whitehead, Committee Services Manager (01865 810262)

The Cabinet Procedure Rules provide that the business of each meeting at the Cabinet is to include “updating of the Forward Plan and proposals for business to be conducted at the following meeting”.   Items from the Forward Plan for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet appear in the Schedule at CA10.  This includes any updated information relating to the business for those meetings that has already been identified for inclusion in the next Forward Plan update.

The Schedule is for noting, but Cabinet Members may also wish to take this opportunity to identify any further changes they would wish to be incorporated in the next Forward Plan update.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.

The Cabinet considered a list of items for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet together with the following two additional items notified at the meeting:

·       Devolution

·       Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy

RESOLVED: to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.

In the event that any Member or Officer wishes to discuss the information set out in the Annex to Item 12, the Cabinet will be invited to resolve to exclude the public for the consideration of that Annex by passing a resolution in relation to that item in the following terms:

"that the public be excluded during the consideration of the Annexes since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda".

NOTE: The report does not contain exempt information and is available to the public. The exempt information is contained in the confidential annex.

THE ANNEX TO THE ITEM NAMED HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THEM.

THIS IS FOR REASONS OF COMMERCIAL SENSITIVITY.

THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THE CONTENTS SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS AND NO COPIES SHOULD BE MADE.

RESOLVED:           that the public be excluded during the consideration of the Annexes since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda.

PUBLIC SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS HELD IN PRIVATE

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/082

Contact: Howard Cox, Infrastructure Funding Manager Tel: (01865) 810436

Report by Director for Environment & Economy (CA12).

The information contained in the annex is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

5.       Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that disclosure would prejudice the position of the authority in the process of the negotiations, to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to discharge its fiduciary and other duties as a public authority.

In June 2013 Cabinet resolved, with respect to major infrastructure requirements associated with new developments, to approve the principle that direct delivery of such major infrastructure by the developers was acceptable; subject to adherence to specific key principles. Following the introduction of the approved processes this report seeks approval of changes to the key principles with regards to Highways infrastructure in order to provide added flexibility and speed up the process of completing S106 agreements.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

Approve:

·                 The substitution of the key principles of direct delivery obligations to be integrated within S106 agreements (for Transport) as set out in Annex 2, in place of those approved by Cabinet on 18^th June 2013.

Revoke:

·                 The previous determination of the content of the key principles in relation to Transport as contained in Annex 1: KEY PRINCIPLES OF DIRECT DELIVERY OBLIGATIONS TO BE INTEGRATED WITHIN S106, taken by Cabinet on 18^th June 2013.

The information contained in the annex is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

5.       Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that disclosure would prejudice the position of the authority in the process of the negotiations, to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to discharge its fiduciary and other duties as a public authority.

In June 2013 Cabinet resolved, with respect to major infrastructure requirements associated with new developments, to approve the principle that direct delivery of such major infrastructure by the developers was acceptable; subject to adherence to specific key principles. Following the introduction of the approved processes the report sought approval of changes to the key principles with regards to Highways infrastructure in order to provide added flexibility and speed up the process of completing S106 agreements.

During discussion Cabinet was assured that the Council would retain control as the legal agreements and monitoring would be in place. They received information about the transfer of financial risk as referred to at paragraph 15 of the report.

RESOLVED:           to:

Approve:

·                 The substitution of the key principles of direct delivery obligations to be integrated within S106 agreements (for Transport) as set out in Annex 2, in place of those approved by Cabinet on 18^th June 2013.

Revoke:

·                 The previous determination of the content of the key principles in relation to Transport as contained in Annex 1: Key Principles of Direct Delivery Obligations to be Integrated within S106, taken by Cabinet on 18^th June 2013.