Meeting documents
Cabinet
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
To Members of the Cabinet |
Councillors |
|
|
Keith R Mitchell CBE |
- |
Leader of the Council |
David Robertson |
- |
Deputy Leader of the Council |
C.H. Shouler |
- |
Cabinet Member for Finance |
John Howell |
- |
Cabinet Member for Change Management |
Louise Chapman |
- |
Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families |
Michael Waine |
- |
Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement |
Roger Belson |
- |
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development |
Jim Couchman |
- |
Cabinet Member for Social & Community Services |
Ian Hudspeth |
- |
Cabinet Member for Transport |
Mrs J. Heathcoat |
- |
Cabinet Member for Community Safety |
The Agenda is attached. Decisions taken at the meeting
will become effective at the end of the working day on 27 February 2008
unless called in by that date for review by the appropriate Scrutiny Committee.
Copies of this Notice, Agenda and supporting papers are circulated
to all Members of the County Council.
Date of next meeting: 18 March 2008
If you have any special requirements (such as a large print version of these papers or special access facilities) please contact the officer named on the front page, but please give as much notice as possible before the meeting. |
AGENDA
(Addenda)
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note
3. Minutes
(see also Addenda)
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2008 (CA3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.
4. Petitions and Public
Address
(see Addenda)
5. Financial Monitoring
Cabinet Member: Finance
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/219
Contact: Lorna Baxter, Strategic Financial Planning Manager (01865 816087)
Report
by Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Office (CA5)
(CA5 - download as .doc file)
(CA5 - Annexes 1 - 6 - download as .pdf file)
(CA5 - Annex 7 - download as .pdf file)
The report sets out the Council’s forecast financial position for the 2007/08 financial year based on actuals to the end of December 2007.
The in-year overspend for the Directorates is predicted to be £0.545m a decrease of £0.617m from November (£1.162m). This forecast excludes the City Schools reorganisation overspend of £1.957m (repayment planned over a number of years) and the Schools Transport days variation of -£0.320m. An underspend is also reported on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of £1.144m.
Supplementary estimates totalling £0.005m are requested in the report associated with costs incurred as a result of the July floods. When added to the supplementary estimates agreed previously, the cost to this Council of the floods stands at £1.067m.
Taking into account the virement of £0.400m to Agency Placements from Unallocated DSG (approved by Council on 8 January 2008) which will be reflected in the next report and the supplementary estimate of £0.005m for flood related expenditure the forecast in-year overspend becomes £0.140m, which is 0.04% of the total Directorates’ budget.
Taking into account all known changes, general balances were £21.057m at the end of December. This gives an overall consolidated balances forecast for the year-end of £20.832m.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report;
(b) approve the virements as set out in Annex 2a;
(c) approve the supplementary estimates totalling £0.005m as set out in Annex 2c; and
(d) approve the revised charges for season tickets at Cogges Museum from 1 March 2008, as set out in paragraph 32.
6. Strategic Policy & Economic Development (SPED) Small Grants Fund
Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council, Sustainable Development
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/011
Contact: Helen Ryan, Economic Development & Tourism Officer (01865 815539)
Report by Head of Sustainable Development (CA6).
This report proposes the need to review and amend the original SPED Small Grants fund that was previously resolved by the then Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) Executive on 23 April 2005.
The report briefly describes current operational procedures, before proposing amendments to the grant fund in paragraphs 7- 9. There are three main amendments proposed: a split of the fund into two funds; a new structure for receiving and processing of applications; and a modification to the authorised approval procedure. The report also states how there will be wider notification regarding the availability of the funding and how it will be monitored and reviewed.
The revisions should make the grant application process fairer, more transparent, and easier to manage operationally. It will also ensure that grants support the Council's objectives.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the described revisions to the Grant Fund as set out in paragraphs 7- 9.
7. CPA Annual Update
Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/010
Contact: Paul Edwards, Corporate Performance Manager (01865 815307)
Report by Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy) (CA7).
This report informs the Cabinet about the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment for 2007. It shows that the Council has been classified as a 3 star authority which is improving well. The drop in the overall rating from 4 stars masks significant improvements in most of the components which make up the CPA score for Oxfordshire County Council.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report; and
(b) consider any necessary consequential actions.
8. Annual Report by the Commission for Social Care Inspection on Adult Social Services
Cabinet Member: Social & Community Services
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/006
Contact: Steve Thomas, Performance Information Manager, (01865 815577)
Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CA8).
Each year, the Commission for Social Care Inspection provides an annual report on how each council serves the people in their area who use adult social care. The 2006/7 report for Oxfordshire is attached as Annex 1. Oxfordshire is rated a 2-star authority, delivering good outcomes and with promising prospects for improvement. This rating is based on a four point scale from zero to three stars, with a 2-star rating described as ‘good’. The supporting documentation provided by the Commission for Social Care Inspection describes Oxfordshire as 'a strong 2 star council'.
The report is structured around seven key outcomes, which are used to evaluate how well the council currently serves people, and two further criteria that are used to describe the future prospects for the council. The council was described as good on each individual outcome. On the two further criteria, the council was described as having excellent leadership; and promising commissioning and use of resources.
Within the report the Commission identified over 40 key strengths and 10 areas for development, which the Commission will monitor through regular meetings with officers.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report; and
(b) review progress on the areas for development through the quarterly monitoring of the directorate balanced scorecard.
9. Integrated Risk Management
Plan
(see also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Community Safety
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/220
Contact: Mike Smyth Deputy Chief Fire Officer (01865 855205)
Report by Director for Community Safety & Shared Services/Chief Fire Officer (CA9).
This report informs the Cabinet on the progress of the Integrated Risk Management projects for 2007/08 and the proposed projects for 2008/09. It also details the proposed new strategic Integrated Risk Management Plan 2008-2013, which provides the overarching strategy in identifying risk in the county and the treatment of that risk by the Fire Authority. The report would also, under normal circumstances, report on the consultation exercise. However, due to the consultation exercise not concluding until 24 January 2008, it has not been possible to provide a summary analysis and management responses, though a verbal update will be given at the meeting.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the IRMP 2008/13 Strategy and the IRMP Action Plan 2008/09, subject to the inclusion of any amendments necessary as a result of the consultation process as agreed by the Directory for Community Safety & Shared Services / Chief Fire Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Community Safety.
10. Strategic
Outside Body - Guided Transit Express (GTE) for Oxfordshire Ltd
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/026
In May 2007, the Cabinet appointed Councillor David Robertson, who was then Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport and former Councillor Bill Bradshaw as the Council’s representatives on the Guided Transit Express (GTE) for Oxfordshire Ltd.
The Solicitors to the Company have confirmed that the Council is entitled to nominate one person as a director of the Company. Councillor Robertson is already a director. Lord Bradshaw resigned as a county councillor in January 2008.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to confirm its appointment of Councillor David Robertson as the Council’s representative Director on GTE for Oxfordshire Ltd.
11. Forward
Plan and Future Business
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: All
Contact Officer: Tony Cloke, Assistant Head of Service (Democratic) (01865 815314)
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 CA11. 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.
12.E Exempt Minute
To approve the exempt part of the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2008 (CA12E) and to receive for information any matters arising from them.
The public should be excluded during this item because its discussion in public would be likely to lead to the disclosure to members of the public present of information in the following prescribed categories:
3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)
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, because of discussions between Oxfordshire County Council and contractors with regard to evaluation of invitations to submit outline solutions and the need to protect the future negotiating position of the County Council.