ITEM CC8COUNTY COUNCIL – 1 NOVEMBER 2005REPORT OF THE CABINET
Cabinet Member – Leader of the Council
(Cabinet, 20 September) The Cabinet has considered a draft outline submission for the Oxfordshire Local Area Agreement (LAA) which the Government Office for the South East required to be sent to them by the end of September. The outline summarised the general approach to the LAA and included an explanation of the governance arrangements already being put in place in Oxfordshire. The Cabinet agreed, subject to any further amendments agreed by the Leader of the Council in the light of feedback from the Public Service Board, to approve the draft outline submission to the Government Office. The aim now is to work up the LAA for presentation to the Cabinet in December. This will then be referred to the Council for advice in January before it is finalised with the Government Office, the target date for which is the latter part of February.
(Cabinet, 6 September 2005) Following work by the Corporate Governance Officer Working Party and as a result of the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee’s annual review of the Code of Corporate Governance, the Code has been updated in accordance with CIPFA/SOLACE Guidance. The Cabinet approved the updated Code and agreed the Solicitor to the Council’s recommendation that, for the future, the statutory Statement on Internal Control be the preferred assurance statement for the Council on corporate governance matters. Cabinet Member – Finance (Cabinet, 20 September and 18 October) The Cabinet has considered reports covering the period up to the end of August for both revenue and capital. The projected year end position on revenue balances (net of the City Schools’ Reorganisation) is £13.048m. This represents 2.23% of net budget. Action Plans are being put in place to address expenditure pressures and offsetting areas of underspending are beginning to emerge. It remains likely that the position will improve further as the year goes on.
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered the first in a series of reports informing members on the service and financial planning process and issues for 2006/07 and the medium term, leading up to the determination of budget proposals for 2006/07 and onwards in the new year. The report included an updated Financial Strategy which provides an overarching statement about the conduct of the Council’s finances for the period 2006/07 to 2008/09. It also set out the County Council Management Team’s budget management proposals to meet the efficiencies and savings target of £5m for 2006/07, outlining some of the risks within the proposals and other areas of uncertainty and providing a timetable for the budget process. The report set out the latest known position on potential calls against the sum available to allocate in 2006/07. This amounts to £9.2m. At this stage, it appears that the planned contingency of £9.2m could be fully utilised. It should also be borne in mind that this sum is dependent on achieving the full £5m efficiencies and savings. Further work is being undertaken to determine an up to date position. Noting these issues, the Cabinet approved the updated Financial Strategy 2006/07 to 2008/09 and the CCMT budget management proposals set out in the report. Cabinet Member – Change Management
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has agreed proposals for a pilot Employee Volunteering scheme, which will allow staff paid time to volunteer for community or charity work. As part of their personal development plan, employees will be able to consider whether a volunteering activity in the local community, or within the County Council itself, would meet their development needs. Up to 2 days paid leave would need to be matched with 2 days of their own time to undertake the development activity and the time taken would have to fit with service requirements. The pilot will be open to employees in Resources and Environment & Economy directorates (approximately 900 staff). The resources required to run the scheme are expected to be minimal. The results of the pilot will be brought back to the Cabinet to decide whether to extend the scheme to the rest of the Council. From the experience of other schemes it is expected that take up under the pilot will be no more than 5-10% of eligible employees i.e. 45-90 people. Cabinet Member – Transport
(Cabinet, 6 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered proposals for changes to the Oxford Eastern Bypass, the location of a multiple fatal accident on 28 May. The proposals arise from investigation of the possible provision of a central reserve safety barrier on the Eastern Bypass between Horspath Driftway and Kiln Lane, following a request by the Council on 21 June on a motion by Councillor Barbara Gatehouse. The investigation concluded that there is a strong case for introducing a 50mph speed limit on the whole length of the Eastern Bypass because of the general accident reduction benefit, and that there is an exceptional case for construction of a concrete central reserve barrier. The Cabinet agreed to promote the 50mph speed limit and to authorise the construction of the central reserve safety barrier subject to the cost not exceeding £600,000; and to fund these schemes within the 2005/06 and 2006/07 Casualty Reduction Programme.
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has approved a revised framework for agency arrangements with district, town and parish councils for minor highway functions. These include grass cutting and weed clearance and the removal of unauthorised signs and other unauthorised obstructions of the highway. The intention is that other minor highway activities should be added to the list of delegated functions as required.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has reviewed performance in implementing the Transport Capital Programme for the current year. It is forecasted that the likely outturn will closely match the intentions at the start of the year. The Cabinet noted the progress and forecast and agreed an accelerated programme for Controlled Parking Zones in Oxford and the necessary funding of these schemes as part of the future Local Transport Plan programme.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered a follow up report, referred to it by the Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee, on action plans prepared for each of the 13 topics identified by the former Best Value & Audit Committee when this Review was first reported. In line with the Committee’s recommendations the Cabinet endorsed the Review report on the basis that the recommendations outlined in the action plans are subject to the future identification of resources. The Cabinet has also agreed to write to the Government pressing for the reinstatement of funding for Speed Indication Device ("SID") operations through the Speed Camera Partnership, bearing in mind their huge success in Oxfordshire and the high expectations that have been raised amongst the public. Cabinet Member - Sustainable Development
As reported to the Council on 13 September, the Cabinet has authorised consultation on district housing distribution options, on which the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) has requested advice by 9 December. The Cabinet will be considering the results of the consultation on 6 December. Members are aware that the consultation has been undertaken on the basis of two main alternatives: with most of the additional greenfield requirement divided between Bicester and Didcot; or with a larger part of the additional housing requirement allocated to the southern part of the County (including Wantage & Grove) where there is potential for significant employment growth. Consultees also have the opportunity to express a preference for other alternatives in their responses. Following the September Council meeting the Cabinet’s decision was called in for consideration by the Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee, when arguments were put that the consultation should specify one or more specific additional options. The Committee however decided to accept the Cabinet’s original decision. The Council now has the opportunity to consider whether to offer the Cabinet advice on the options. The background is set out in report CA7 to the 6 September Cabinet. An indication will be given at the meeting of the broad results of the consultation responses received to date, so far as this is possible. The Council is invited to consider what, if any, advice to forward to the Cabinet.
(Cabinet, 6 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered Government consultation papers on both Planning for Housing Provision and a Draft Green Belt Direction. The Housing Paper proposed sub-regional housing markets for high, managed or low levels of new homes according to housing market circumstances and potentially had significant implications for housing numbers in the South East. The Draft Green Belt Direction paper sought to clarify existing arrangements about when proposed developments in green belts should be referred to the Secretary of State. The Cabinet endorsed the responses as set out in report CA8 to the 6 September Cabinet for submission to the Government. The Cabinet has criticised the Housing Provision paper as undermining the plan-led system which provides a reasonable level of certainty for developers, the public and businesses; and will in particular reduce the protection of green belts because of the increased amount of housing that will have to be provided in areas of high demand/high house prices. On the Green Belt Direction the Cabinet has represented that the current system seems to be working reasonably well in Oxfordshire and there appears to be no need to change it.
(Cabinet, 6 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered further steps in the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework, which comprises a portfolio of local development documents including a Statement of Community Involvement as well as the Core Strategy, Site Proposals and Policies. The Cabinet approved a draft Statement of Community Involvement and a set of aims, objectives, issues and options as the basis of the Issues and Options Report which will lead to the development of the Core Strategy and Site Proposals and Policies. The Cabinet authorised the Head of Sustainable Development to finalise these documents for publication and consultation.
(Cabinet, 6 September 2005) The Cabinet has received the Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee’s review of Energy from Waste. The Review concluded that Combined Heat & Power is the most environmentally and economically sustainable option for Oxfordshire. The Cabinet accepted that Combined Heat & Power is one of the most sustainable of the available options. The Cabinet has however as yet made no decisions on the methods that will be employed in the replacement waste management infrastructure it will need to put in place for the coming years.
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report which responded to a Council resolution on 5 April 2005 in the following terms: "This Council agrees to support the principle of fair trade and also to encourage the production and use of local produce. To further these objectives, the Council asks the Executive to consider ways in which it can:
The Cabinet agreed a number of actions in the light of the report, including setting up a contract for purchasing fairly traded tea, coffee and sugar for meetings; developing a list of approved catering suppliers of locally sourced produce and fairly traded goods; investigating the feasibility of installing fairly traded hot drinks machines and ‘green machines’; a fairly traded and local produce publicity campaign; and support for the continued introduction of local produce into school meals where economic and supply considerations permit. Cabinet Member – Children & Young People
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) Further to its report on the Children & Young People’s Plan to the 13 September Council meeting, the Cabinet has considered an updated version of the draft Plan, reflecting feedback to date from partners, including colleagues in the directorates, Youth Offending Team, police, district councils and health services, as well as the comments of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee. The Cabinet agreed to approve the draft Plan for consultation. Further development work will take place in the light of the consultation responses which, together with the Plan in its proposed "final" form, will be brought back via the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee to the Cabinet in March 2006, and thence to full Council for adoption on 4 April. In the meantime the Cabinet has asked officers to report back on the financial requirements of the Plan and how they could be met, in the first instance from existing directorate budgets or otherwise through the budget bidding process.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report, referred to it by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, on how the key recommendations in this review were being taken forward. The main focus of the report was on proposals for implementing the Best Value Review in relation to two key developments: (a) a Children and Young People’s Strategic Board, to promote co-operation between local agencies to improve the well-being of children and young people; and (b) Integrated Support Services and Locality Teams, to ensure responsive and well co-ordinated services for vulnerable children and young people in localities throughout the County. The Cabinet approved the proposals set out in the report subject (in line with the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation) to the outcome of development work on (a) (including detailed proposals on how the Board was expected to work) being reported, together with the responses to consultations in each case, to the Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet early in the New Year.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered proposals for the development of Children’s Centres in Oxfordshire over the next 5 years. The Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee had considered a draft of the proposals on 27 September 2005 and their comments were reflected in the proposals presented to the Cabinet. The proposals are consistent with the Government’s agenda for a joint approach for all key agencies working with children and families from the time before the child is born, offering the potential for parents to access the support they need, when they need it, in a local and accessible venue. Centre services will be developed in partnership with parents, carers and users of services and with local professionals and organisations working in the area. Services and resources will vary according to the needs of the area but will build on and improve existing facilities, for example family centres and nursery schools. The Cabinet approved the proposals as the basis for continuing consultation with public and stakeholders and further development; and requested officers to report to the Cabinet in the New Year on the outcome of consultation on and development of the proposals, together with a full financial and risk assessment for the medium term, to include (in view of the fact that government funding is not guaranteed beyond two years) the identification of implications and options in the event of external funding not being maintained. Cabinet Member – Schools Improvement
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has agreed formal consultation on proposals to delegate a significant amount of the statementing budget to Oxfordshire Schools. National policy initiatives have in recent years been encouraging LEAs to move away from over reliance on the statutory assessment process and statementing as a means of delivering resources to pupils with SEN. A working group has developed an initial scheme for the delegation of the statementing budget and schools have been informally consulted on these suggestions. There has been widespread support for the principles and some of the methodology suggested. The Cabinet agreed to formal consultation on the scheme, subject to approval by the Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement of the final terms of the consultation.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report which summarised the outcome of work undertaken since Cabinet consideration of the County Music Service Budget Review, including a review by an external accountant. This was in the context of the Service having had an accumulated deficit attributed to it of £210,000 over the two years 2002/03 and 2003/04. The Cabinet noted the progress made in improving financial management systems and practices with regard to the Music Service. It agreed to require the inclusion of specific reports on the Music Service within monthly financial monitoring reports to Cabinet and to await completion of the current financial year before determining either how any outstanding accumulated deficit should be treated, or whether the net level of County Council expenditure on the Service should be varied from 2007/08. The Cabinet has also approved a draft constitution for the Music Service House Committee which would give the Committee a scrutinising and consultative role, recommending overall policy for the Service and working with the Director of Music and other officers to ensure its efficient direction.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report, referred to it by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, representing the culmination of the Best Value Review of the cleaning and catering services provided by County Facilities Management (CFM) which had commenced under the former Best Value & Audit Committee. The study had arisen from growing concerns over the financial viability of the services and contained the outcome of research on identified options for the future of CFM which had been requested by the Best Value & Audit Committee. The Cabinet agreed to authorise consultation with schools on the options covered in the report, but focussing primarily on the following three:
The Cabinet has also asked the Director for Learning & Culture to set up a Project Group, led by a suitably qualified and experienced person, to undertake outstanding analysis and carry out further comparative work with other authorities on school meal standards; to manage the consultation referred to above; and to develop practicable options for the future management of the cleaning and catering services. Officers have been asked to report back to the Cabinet by the end of the year with a detailed evaluation of the options in the light of the outcome of the consultation and proposals for next steps. Cabinet Member – Health & Community Services
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report on work undertaken over the last 3 years by the County Council, Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust and the Oxfordshire PCTs to develop improved joint working and to move towards a fully integrated mental health service for adults of working age. The Cabinet agreed to endorse the completion of work to create a fully integrated Mental Health Service for adults of working age through Section 31 partnership agreements with :
Both agreements will be supported by pooled budgets. They will run from April 2006 on an ongoing basis, with a 5 year review period, and the secondment of staff to the respective organisations will continue from 1 November 2005.
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered a request from the Chief Executive of the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority for preliminary views on proposed changes in the way NHS services were provided both within Oxfordshire and more widely. These include the possible reconfiguration of both primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. The Cabinet endorsed the view that one PCT would more adequately meet the health needs of Oxfordshire, whilst reserving the Cabinet’s final position for the formal consultation process after November; and authorised the Chief Executive and the Director for Social & Health Care to work with the Chief Executive of the Strategic Health Authority to support him in his efforts to reconfigure PCTs in Oxfordshire.
(Cabinet, 20 September 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report outlining proposals for the negotiation with the local Learning & Skills Council of contracts for the provision of adult learning services in Oxfordshire for the three year period 2005/06 to 2007/08. The Cabinet had the benefit of advice from the Health & Community Services Scrutiny Committee, who had a number of concerns, centring mainly on the narrow scope of Learning & Skills Council funding and the need to maintain learning services more broadly for adults - especially older people and people with a disability. The Cabinet welcomed and endorsed the comments on the part of the Scrutiny Committee and has advised the Department for Education & Skills and the Learning & Skills Council of the concern that the emphasis which is being increasingly placed in the funding of adult education on qualification-based training, especially for specific employment needs, is at the expense of lifelong learning opportunities in the community. Cabinet Members – Schools Improvement, Change Management
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has approved draft revised policies on retirement, prepared in the light of consultations in respect of the policy for teachers via the Teachers Joint Committee and informal consultations with Unison in respect of ‘Green Book’ employees. The latter is subject to further consultation with the employees’ side through the Joint Consultative Committee. Cabinet Members – Children & Young People, Health & Community Services
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report which presented proposals to enable the implementation of the Cabinet’s decision of 7 June, endorsed by the Council on 21 June, to re-designate the Directors for Learning & Culture and Social & Health Care as the Directors respectively responsible for Children’s Services and Adult Social Services, in line with the requirements of the Children Act 2004, the re-designations to be effective when the necessary organisational changes were introduced. The report outlined the response to a discussion paper setting out the proposed structure of services in the realigned (and renamed) directorates providing, in summary, as follows:
A draft of the report was presented to a joint session of the Children’s Services and Health & Community Services Scrutiny Committees on 27 September. The members of the two Committees endorsed the proposals set out in the report subject to a number of specific comments. In particular they were concerned that the Cabinet should deal sensitively and sympathetically with staff concerns during the change period. The Cabinet recognises that this is an important issue in which management time and effort will need to be invested. The Committees also expressed concern over certain unknown costs of the realignment in relation, particularly to ICT. This is an area where work is still in progress and further report to the Cabinet will be necessary. The Cabinet, noting the comments of the Scrutiny Committees with thanks, approved the proposals set out in the report. It is expected that the operational changes will be made by 1 January 2006 and that the realigned directorates will become fully functional in April 2006. Cabinet Member – Health & Community Services
(Cabinet, 6 September 2005) The Cabinet considered the outcome of a study into the feasibility of creating a cultural centre at the Old Gaol, Abingdon. The study concluded that whilst the proposal would create "a lively, busy and high quality cultural and community hub", there would be a very high capital cost (some £18.2m in total). The consultants advised that opportunities for external funding of such a scheme (e.g. Lottery or commercial partnership) are very limited, and therefore if it were to proceed it would require the local authorities to find most of the capital resource. For the County Council alone, the direct capital expenditure required was estimated at between £4m and £6m. The Cabinet endorsed the conclusion that the creation of a cultural centre as envisaged at Abingdon Old Gaol would not be viable, on the grounds that the capital costs cannot be afforded now or in the foreseeable future by the County Council.
(Cabinet, 18 October 2005) The Cabinet has considered a report on the Fire & Rescue Service’s Improvement Plan, in response to the recent Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) of the Service. The Audit Commission formally reported its findings in July 2005. The Authority was assessed overall as "Good". The Audit Commission report acknowledges the Service as "a high performing, well managed organisation with few significant weaknesses". The Improvement Plan establishes priorities for the Authority, based on the outcome of the CPA, to develop its capacity and processes to manage and deliver service improvement. The report identified a number of priorities as contributing to the Service’s overall strategy of continuous improvement, validated by the outcome of the CPA process, with an indication as to where each priority would be incorporated into the planning cycle. The Cabinet approved the identified priorities for inclusion in the CPA Improvement Plan.
KEITH
R MITCHELL
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