Agenda, decisions and minutes

An apology was received from Councillor Ian Corkin.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2020 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2020 were approved and signed as a correct record subject to the following amendment, shown in strikethrough and italics, to the Annex to the Minutes:

It was noted that there were no supplementary questions on Questions 2 & 3. above as Councillor Bearder had had no opportunity to not read the response.

This Cabinet meeting will be held virtually in order to conform with current guidelines regarding social distancing. Normally requests to speak at this public meeting are required by 9 am on the day preceding the published date of the meeting. However, during the current situation and to facilitate these new arrangements we are asking that requests to speak are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e. 9 am on [DATE]. Requests to speak should be sent to sue.whitehead@oxfordshire.gov.uk together with a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9 am 2 working days before the meeting.

Where a meeting is held virtually and the addressee is unable to participate virtually their written submission will be accepted.

Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The following requests to address the meeting have been agreed by the Chairman:

Item 6 - Business Management & Monitoring Report for September  2020: Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chair of Performance Scrutiny Committee; Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet member for Finance

Item 7 – Treasury Management Mid-Term Review: Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance;

Item 8 – Workforce Report and Staffing Data Quarter 2 – July – September 2020: Councillor Emma Turnbull, Opposition Deputy Leader (gave apologies)

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/094

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452/Hannah Doney, Head of Corporate Finance Tel: 07584 174654

Report by Corporate Director Customers & Organisational Development and Director of Finance (CA   ).

This report sets out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards

Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 - September 2020.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note this month’s business management and monitoring report.

Cabinet considered a report that set out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 - September 2020.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee advised that at their recent meeting the Committee had looked at various issues with the Business management & Monitoring report.  Councillor Brighouse commented that part of it was around our response to covid 19  and she had been impressed with the way in which staff had stepped up to ensure that services were provided for our residents and expressed her gratitude to them all. Councillor Brighouse noted that some data was missing in the report because it was difficult to collect during this time. The Committee had commented on:

·       The track and trace grant, wanting to know and understand how it was shared and spent;

·       Their wish to continue to look at the projected overspend in relation to EHCPs;

·       Their hope that issues around the high needs block would be taken up by the Education Scrutiny Committee;

·       The Committee’s concern that they did not have the cycling/pedestrian analysis and the hope that this could be prioritised, especially in relation to the active travel work;

·       Their wish to understand more fully the new system for delayed transfers of care in place since September;

·       The figures in relation to fix my street where improvements were needed;

·       Outcomes for care services to support independent living and why these have not been assessed;

·       The use of consultants questioning whether the Council sought to make use of our own staff in the first instance.

Councillor Hudspeth, Leader of the Council, agreed with Councillor Brighouse’s comments thanking staff. On the last point he noted that staff were overworked and that although in the first instance the Council would seek to use our own staff where there was insufficient capacity there was the need to get in additional resources.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, commented that whilst covid was taking up all the time for significant numbers of staff business as usual continued with a focus for instance on meeting the carbon reduction target and a renewed focus on inclusion and equality. The demand for adult and children’s social care continued to rise and was a real challenge. These were the highest risks on the risk register and had been so for many months.

Councillor Phillips referred to the performance indicators commenting:

·       That she was disappointed to see that the LED replacement of street lighting had been reprofiled to be completed by September 2025. The original timing would have saved money earlier on maintenance costs and contributed to the Council’s carbon reduction target earlier.

·       That it was disappointing that the percentage of waste sent to landfill was expected to rise, although no figures or explanation was contained in the report.

·       On the trees surveyed which were above target. However, she noted that the figures referred to 79 out of 84 parishes being completed and queried how the target was set for Oxford as the majority of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101/20

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/093

Contact: Tim Chapple, Treasury Manager Tel: 07917 262935

Report by Director of Finance (CA7).

The report sets out the Treasury Management activity undertaken in the first half of the financial year 2020/21 in compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice.  The report includes Debt and Investment activity, Prudential Indicator monitoring and forecast interest receivable and payable for the financial year.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)             note the report, and

(b)             recommend Council to note the Council’s Mid-Term Treasury Management Review 2020/21.

Cabinet considered a report that set out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 - September 2020.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee advised that at their recent meeting the Committee had looked at various issues with the Business management & Monitoring report.  Councillor Brighouse commented that part of it was around our response to covid 19  and she had been impressed with the way in which staff had stepped up to ensure that services were provided for our residents and expressed her gratitude to them all. Councillor Brighouse noted that some data was missing in the report because it was difficult to collect during this time. The Committee had commented on:

·       The track and trace grant, wanting to know and understand how it was shared and spent;

·       Their wish to continue to look at the projected overspend in relation to EHCPs;

·       Their hope that issues around the high needs block would be taken up by the Education Scrutiny Committee;

·       The Committee’s concern that they did not have the cycling/pedestrian analysis and the hope that this could be prioritised, especially in relation to the active travel work;

·       Their wish to understand more fully the new system for delayed transfers of care in place since September;

·       The figures in relation to fix my street where improvements were needed;

·       Outcomes for care services to support independent living and why these have not been assessed;

·       The use of consultants questioning whether the Council sought to make use of our own staff in the first instance.

Councillor Hudspeth, Leader of the Council, agreed with Councillor Brighouse’s comments thanking staff. On the last point he noted that staff were overworked and that although in the first instance the Council would seek to use our own staff where there was insufficient capacity there was the need to get in additional resources.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, commented that whilst covid was taking up all the time for significant numbers of staff business as usual continued with a focus for instance on meeting the carbon reduction target and a renewed focus on inclusion and equality. The demand for adult and children’s social care continued to rise and was a real challenge. These were the highest risks on the risk register and had been so for many months.

Councillor Phillips referred to the performance indicators commenting:

• That she was disappointed to see that the LED replacement of street lighting had been reprofiled to be completed by September 2025. The original timing would have saved money earlier on maintenance costs and contributed to the Council’s carbon reduction target earlier.
• That it was disappointing that the percentage of waste sent to landfill was expected to rise, although no figures or explanation was contained in the report.
• On the trees surveyed which were above target. However, she noted that the figures referred to 79 out of 84 parishes being completed and queried how the target was set for Oxford as the majority of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102/20

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/095

Contact: Sarah Currell, HR Manager – Business Systems Tel: 07867 467793

Report by Director of Human Resources (CA8).

The report provides an update on key HR activities during Quarter 2 (1^st July – 30^th September 2020) along with a refreshed workforce profile at Appendix 1 and absence data including COVID related absence data which is provided at Appendix 2.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Cabinet considered a report that provided an update on key HR activities during Quarter 2 (1^st July – 30^th September 2020) along with a refreshed workforce profile and absence data including COVID related absence data.

Councillor Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council, introduced the contents of the report and paid tribute to the HR team for the informative report. She commented that staff were the Council’s most valuable asset and highlighted the excellent, professional, dedicated work by all staff during the pandemic. Councillor Heathcoat asked that the Leader on behalf of Cabinet email all staff to thank them for their efforts. Councillor Hudspeth undertook to do this referring to the flexibility shown by staff during these challenging times.

RESOLVED:           to note the report.

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Sue Whitehead, Principal Committee Officer Tel: 07393 001213

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 CA.  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 changes and additions set out in the schedule of addenda.

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