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To Members of the Executive

Notice of a Meeting of the Executive

Tuesday 13 May 2003 at 2.00 pm

County Hall, Oxford

Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact officer: Graham Warrington (Tel: 01865 815321; E-mail)

Membership

The Agenda follows. Decisions taken at the meeting will become effective at the end of the working day on 21 May 2003 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.

AGENDA

Addenda

1. Apologies for Absence
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest
   
   
3. Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 29 April 2003 (EX3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

4. Petitions and Public Address
   
   See Addenda
   
5. Secondary Education in the Banbury Area

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/92
Contact: Robert Capstick, Head of Resources (01865 815155)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX5).

Members will be aware of the pupil protests witnessed in Banbury in the latter part of the Spring term. This arose from a suggestion considered by the governing bodies of the three secondary schools in the town that Blessed George Napier Catholic VA School might transfer to the Drayton School site, with Drayton School transferring in the opposite direction, potentially merging with the adjacent Banbury School.

The report briefs the Executive on the background to the issues, and seeks authorisation for officers to undertake the appropriate needs analysis in the area (on secondary schooling), together with feasibility work on any possible options for change that may emerge. Full consultation with local people would take place on any options which may appear worthy of pursuing further.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

(a) agree that the feasibility work suggested by the Governing Bodies should be undertaken, with an initial report back by the end of the summer;

(b) determine whether any other options which may emerge from a needs analysis should be researched in a similar timeframe.

6. Special Educational Needs - Inclusion in Mainstream Education

1. adopt the proposals set out in Sections 1 – 10 of its report;
2. carry out consultations as set out in Appendix 1;
3. invite Inclusive Solutions to facilitate an exercise on further developing the County Council’s shared vision for inclusion;
4. consider adopting the draft action plan at Appendix 2;
5. ask the Director for Learning & Culture to make proposals for the creation of an SEN Development Partnership Group to co-ordinate the task groups proposed in the draft action plan.

7. Special School Placements: Resource and Assessment Panels

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/13
Contact: Simon Adams, Senior Education Officer, Pupil Services (01865 810602)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX7).

This report was requested by the Executive as one of the actions resulting from consideration of the Scrutiny Review report on Special Educational Needs (SEN). Elsewhere on the agenda the independent member panel on the Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs makes further recommendations to review the operation of the Assessment and Resources Panels in consultation with schools and parents and this report simply sets out the current arrangements.

The Assessment Panel was set up in 1968 to ensure consistency of practice in interpreting the national and local guidance and criteria. Such panels are recommended in the National SEN Code of Practice. The purpose of the Panel is to agree is to consider the recommendations of education officers who are responsible for carrying out statutory assessments of SEN for individual children. An average of approximately ten cases are considered each week. The results of the assessment process are considered by the Resources Panel where proposed provision is not in the local school and/or support exceeds the equivalent of 10 hours a week of individual Teaching Assistant time.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to note the content of this report in the context of the recommendations of the Independent Panel elsewhere on the agenda and to ask officers to review the working of the panels within three months.

8. Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre - Infrastructure

Executive Member: Schools, Learning & Culture
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/94
Contact: Roy Leach, Andrew Coggins (01865 815693/810212)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX8).

This report describes arrangements for the provision of education and library services which might be made for residents at the Accommodation Centre for asylum applicants proposed by the Home Office near Bicester, if this is permitted and its development proceeds. Such provision, and the terms on which the provision would be made, would be subject to contractual arrangements between the provider and the company eventually employed by the Home Office to run the Centre.

The Executive on 15 April 2003 authorised submission to prospective Home Office contractors of a tender to provide such services, comprising a "mainstream" education service for children in the 3-18 age range, adult learning facilities, a ‘youth club’, on-site library, IT centre and crèche, but on the basis that this would be without prejudice to the Council’s opposition in principle to the creation of the proposed Centre. The present report seeks formal authority for the completion of a contract so that appropriate action can be taken if notwithstanding the local objections the Centre development does go ahead.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to authorise the completion, in the event that consent for the Accommodation Centre is given and its development proceeds, of a contract to provide education and library services to the contractors appointed by the Home Office to operate the Centre, subject as set out in the report and to such other terms as the Director for Learning & Culture, in consultation with the Solicitor to the Council, the Head of Finance, and the Executive Members for Schools, Learning & Culture and Children & Young People, may consider appropriate.

9. Headington Quarry First School: Proposed Closure

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/24
Contact: Robert Capstick, Head of Resources (01865 815155)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX9).

The governing body of Headington Quarry First School has resolved that the school should close. As a CE school, the governors elected to use the section of the relevant legislation which permits a Governing Body to issue the appropriate statutory notices (in many school closures, governors actually recommend that course to the Local Education Authority, who then steer the process). The statutory notices expired on April 21, with no objections lodged. The next stage is for the proposal to be considered by the School Organisation Committee, which meets on 15 May and the Executive is being asked to consider the proposal and determine what advice it would like to offer to the SOC.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to support the proposal by the Headington Quarry First School Governing Body for closure of the school.

10. Discretionary Awards for Students

1. to determine not to take up the power in any circumstances and not make any provision for considering applications;
2. to decide to exercise the power only in respect of certain groups or categories of students; or
3. to decide to exercise the power generally and consider applications from all students - but still in accordance with its policies and eligibility.

11. Proposals for New Early Years Units

The Executive is RECOMMENDED:

1. subject to (b) below, to approve in principle the proposals for new Early Years Units from September 2003 at St. Thomas More RC Primary School, Kidlington; Christopher Rawlins School, Adderbury; Blewbury Primary School, Langford Village Primary School, Bicester; Sonning Common Primary School; and Great Rollright CE (Aided) Primary School;
2. to authorise the Director for Learning & Culture, in consultation with the Executive Member(s) for Children & Young People and Schools, formally to determine the proposals in the light of the recommendations and other comments of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

12. Fire Service Dispute

Executive Member: Community Safety
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/77
Contact: John Parry, Director (01865 855205)

The Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer will provide an oral update on the current situation.

13. Capital Programme

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the report;
2. approve the temporary use of funds of £7 million originally identified to cover the anticipated cashflow shortfall on the Oxford City Schools Capital Programme to cover the cashflow shortfall on the main Capital Programme;
3. approve the addition of £22,000 to the Community Safety capital programme in 2003/04 in respect of weighing equipment to undertake vehicle overloading checks;
4. note that the current shortfall of £1.6m can be met by slippage on the capital programme or additional capital receipts.

14. "CPA – The Next Steps"
    
    (See also Addenda)
    

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/91
Contact: David Lines, Head of Performance & Review (01865 810150)

In 2002, the Government introduced Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), which measures both corporate and service performance of local authorities. The Audit Commission is still developing CPA, both in its application across the whole range of local authorities and in its approach to assessment of individual authorities. Within the last few weeks, the Audit Commission has invited comments on its proposals for development of the system in a consultation paper, "'CPA - The Next Steps". An LGIU Policy Briefing summarising the consultation document is in the Members’ Resource Centre. The full consultation document can be seen on the Audit Commission web site (http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/).

A draft response to the Audit Commission prepared by the County Council Management Team is attached (EX14). This generally welcomes the proposals, whilst expressing some concerns over, for example, changes which may disadvantage authorities which are giving priority to strengthening corporate capacity and which ignore investment being made for the future; the limitations of an approach which seeks to make overall assessments of large and complex organisations covering services as diverse as education and social care; and the need for a more effective and consistent BVPI framework.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve the draft response set out in EX14 for submission to the Audit Commission by the 22 May deadline.

15. Banking Services Contract

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/95
Contact: David Wilkins (01865 815441)

Report by Director for Resources (EX15).

The County Council has contracted its banking services with Lloyds TSB plc since 1986. The current contract expires on 30 September 2003. Exploratory discussions have been held to explore an initiative for a joint approach to tendering of some or all banking services. Subsequently serious discussions have been pursued with officers at the City Council on the possibility of joint commissioning of banking services.

The plan is initially for each partner to draw up a broad specification of requirements and invite the major banks to come forward informally with ideas on what they could provide and how they would operate. At that stage all the potential benefits and any disadvantages, transfer costs and risks involved would be fully assessed before pressing ahead with the next stage.

In a parallel initiative, negotiations are taking place with the City Council for the County Council to supply payroll services to them via the facilities provided by our SAP (MIS) system.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposal to explore a joint commissioning arrangement with the Oxford City Council for the contract for banking services.

16. Concessionary Fares

Executive Member: Transport
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/88
Contact: Dick Helling (01865 815859)

The Director for Environment & Economy reports as follows:

Since 2001 District and Unitary Councils in England have been obliged by law to offer elderly and disabled persons passes entitling them to travel at half fare (or less) on bus services. Initially, an elderly person was defined as a woman over 60 or a man over 65. However, with effect from 1 April this year the minimum age for men has been equalised with that for women at 60, thereby making the concession available to a larger number of people. On 1 April 2003 Council referred to the Executive a motion by Councillor Roy Mold which (as amended at the Council meeting) proposed that the County Council should consider joining the District Councils in giving the new entitlement the widest publicity possible.

Since concessionary fares are formally a District Council responsibility, the County Council has not traditionally had any direct involvement in any aspect of these. Any such involvement would lead to extra pressures on staff time, and would be likely also to lead to pressure for County funding towards it. However, when Executive considered the Executive-commissioned Scrutiny Review of bus services on 4 March 2003, they resolved "To ask the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning and Waste Management to discuss with District Councils the possibility, and implications for the County Council, of a Countywide concessionary fares scheme, and report back to the Executive". The possibility of joint publicity could be discussed with District Councils at the same time.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to ask the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste Management to include in their proposed discussions with District Councils about concessionary fares the possibility of publicity for the extension of the concession to men aged 60 to 65.

17. Forward Plan and Future Business
    
    (See also Addenda)