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To Members of the Executive

Notice of a Meeting of the Executive

Wednesday 14 January 2004 at 2.00 pm

County Hall, Oxford

 


Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact officer: Deborah Mitchell (Tel: 01865 815463; E-mail )

Membership

Councillors

 

 

Keith R Mitchell

-

Leader of the Council

Margaret Godden

-

Deputy Leader of the Council

Tony Crabbe

-

Executive Member for Schools

Neil Fawcett

-

Executive Member for Learning & Culture

David Robertson

-

Executive Member for Transport

Anne Purse

-

Executive Member for Strategic Planning & Waste Management

Janet Godden

-

Executive Member for Children & Young People

Don Seale

-

Executive Member for Community Care & Health

John Farrow

-

Executive Member for Community Safety

The Agenda follows. Decisions taken at the meeting will become effective at the end of the working day on 22 January 2004 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

    4. To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 23 December 2003 (EX3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

  4. Petitions and Public Address

    (See Addenda)

  5. Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2004/05 - 2006/07

    (See also Addenda)

    6. Executive Member: Leader of the Council
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/100
    Contact: Jenny Hydari, Assistant County Treasurer (01865 815401)

    Budget Strategy: Report by Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council (EX5A)

    Revised list of Revenue Expenditure Proposals (EX5B)
    Expenditure Appraisals - Non-Schools - Table (download as .xls file)
    Expenditure Appraisals - Schools - Table (download as .xls file)

    Comments of Scrutiny Committees (EX5C)

    At this meeting the Executive is asked to agree draft proposals on which to consult the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee. The Committee’s comments will be reported back to the Executive on 27 January, when a draft budget and capital programme will need to be finalised for submission to the Council on 10 February for approval.

    The report by the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council (EX5A) sets out a threefold budget strategy to provide a framework for the more detailed budget proposals:

    (a) to set a Council Tax with an increase significantly lower than the 13.4% set for 2003/04, that is broadly consistent with the Medium Term Plan adjusted for central government grant and function changes and that gives a level of Council Tax that is sustainable in future years;

    (b) to meet the highest priority service needs, bearing in mind the government’s passporting requirements for schools, to strengthen the corporate centre of the Council and to meet a number of corporate priorities including the question of balances which are largely unavoidable; and

    (c) to have regard to the Council’s aim to improve its Corporate Performance Assessment scoring and to direct resources where that can best be achieved.

    An initial list of prioritised expenditure proposals was presented to the Executive on 28 October 2003, and subsequently to the 5 Scrutiny Committees for their comments – which are set out in EX5C. The revised list now circulated (EX5B) has been produced by the Head of Finance and is the result of further work and refinement. He will report to the meeting in more detail on the effects of the local government financial settlement; the forecast financial position this year; further work by CCMT on priorities; current advice on reserves and balances; the position on capital; and prospects for future years’ budgets and council tax increases.

    As mentioned in the report by the Leader and Deputy Leader, a community budget workshop is to be held on Saturday 10 January and it is envisaged that draft proposals should be formulated for consideration by Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee in the light of that.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to agree draft proposals in the light of the Budget Strategy report by the Leader and Deputy Leader, the revised lists of expenditure proposals, the comments to date of scrutiny committees, the further advice of the Head of Finance and the outcome of the community budget workshop; and to seek the views of the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee thereon with a view to finalising a draft budget and capital programme on 27 January for submission to the Council.

  6. Comprehensive Performance Assessment

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/215
Contact: Neil Lawrence (01865 816036)

Report by Chief Executive (EX6).

The Audit Commission has recently published its 2003 CPA scorecard for Oxfordshire, which sets out refreshed performance scores for our services and gives a short description of progress against our improvement priorities over the last 12 months. This confirms the Commission’s view that the Council is making good progress, both in the way the Council is run and in the quality of its services. It also confirms, in light of this progress, that the Council qualifies for a corporate reassessment in 2004.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. note the successes achieved by the County Council over the last 12 months;

          2. formally request the Audit Commission to undertake a further corporate assessment in 2004.

  1. Oxfordshire’s Strategy for Children with Special Educational Needs

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/208
Contact: Gillian Tee, Head of Children’s Services (01865 815125)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX7).

At the Executive meeting on 14 October 2003, Members approved a draft strategy for children with special educational needs for formal consultation with schools, parents and other partners. The draft strategy was produced as a result of the work of an independently chaired Member panel on special educational needs and received widespread support during the informal consultation phase.

A total of 56 responses were received. 88% of respondents rated the strategy as satisfactory or better and 73% rated it as good or very good. Respondents were asked for detailed comments and these are included in the report.

The strategy has been amended in the light of feedback received and is attached to the report.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. approve the new SEN Strategy for Children with Special Educational Needs;

          2. request officers to report regularly to the SEN Partnership on progress in implementing the strategy and to produce an annual report on progress to the appropriate Executive Members, commencing in July 2004.

  1. Development of Countywide Special Schools Provision, including Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead Schools

    (See also Addenda)

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/195
Contact: Gillian Tee, Head of Children’s Services (01865 815125)

Report by the Director for Learning & Culture, Director for Social & Health Care and Head of Finance (EX8).

The Executive, at its meeting on 14 October 2003, received a report on the outcome of informal consultation on six options in relation to Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead Special Schools, which highlighted that further work was required prior to the formal consultation stage. This further work has now been completed. The report concludes that:

    • in line with the national position, the number of children in the county’s two special schools for children with moderate learning difficulties/complex needs has fallen over recent years. It would now be possible to meet the needs of children with MLD/complex needs in one rather than two schools. there is a need to increase the number of special school places for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties and develop a more flexible range of provision;

    • there is a need to refocus the residential provision at Woodeaton to meet the needs of pupils who have the greatest needs and are therefore most at risk of requiring out-county placement, i.e. those with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to ask officers to consult schools, parents and partners formally on a proposal to:

          1. amalgamate Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead Schools to provide for up to 119 children with moderate learning difficulties/complex needs; to be achieved, in view of the number of pupils currently in each of the two schools and in order to minimise disruption for children, by transferring pupils with moderate learning difficulties from Woodeaton Manor (14 in September 2004) to Iffley Mead School;

          2. increasing the secondary special school provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties from 78 to 100 places, arranged on two school sites; to be achieved by:

            1. maintaining Northfield on its current site for 60 pupils and developing additional provision for 40 pupils requiring therapeutic support on the Woodeaton Manor site; or

            2. relocating Northfield Special School to the Woodeaton Manor site and developing additional EBD special school provision for 40-60 pupils elsewhere in the County;

          3. developing residential provision for 20 pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties on the Woodeaton Manor site as detailed in paragraph 312; to be jointly funded and managed with Social & Health Care to provide consistency and continuity of provision;

          4. using the resources released from the closure of the residential provision at Northfield Hostel (£200,000 revenue per annum plus capital) to support the development of community special schools for children with severe learning difficulties and to carry out any necessary building works at Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead or community special schools.

  1. Special Educational Needs Panels

    2. Executive Member: Schools
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/142
    Contact: -

    Report by Chairman of the Review Group on SEN Panels (EX9).

    This report describes the conclusions of the group set up to review the operation of the Assessment and Resources Panels for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and results from a request by the Executive in May 2003. The Review Group has examined the current legal basis, working practices and membership of the SEN panels. It has commissioned further research on practice in other authorities, considered how best to ensure that schools and parents can be consulted and framed recommendations on the composition and operation of the SEN panels. The legal and financial responsibilities of the LEA through its officers have also been considered.

    The Review Group has accepted the desirability of having wider involvement in decision taking through a panel mechanism. Research by the Group has shown that most LEAs, in accordance with the SEN Code of Practice, use a very similar system with a similar membership. However, a number of changes have been discussed by the Group which it believes will lead to improvements in practice and increased confidence in the SEN panel operation. These are set out in the report.

    Dr Marjorie Evans, Chairman of the Review Group, will be at the meeting to present the report.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to note and endorse the findings of the Review Group as summarised in the report.

  2. 14-19 Area Wide Inspection Action Plan

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/226
Contact: Christine Southall, Schools Adviser (01865 428028)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX10).

‘14-19 area wide inspection’ was introduced in March 2003 under the Learning and Skills Act 2000 (amended 2002). Oxfordshire was inspected from 28 April to 2 May and from 9 to 13 June 2003. Oxfordshire was one of the first four areas to be inspected against an evaluation schedule which was subject to consultation at the time of the inspection. The inspection report on Oxfordshire was published on 6 October and the accompanying ministerial letter charged Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Learning & Skills Council and the County Council as LEA to take the lead in developing and implementing an action plan responding to the findings of the inspection.

The Action Plan has a three year time span and draws on existing plans of the Authority and the Local Learning & Skills Council. Funding is available from the DfES, routed through the Learning & Skills Council, and a request for £494,500 will be submitted with the Action Plan. It should be noted that actions to improve and develop provision arising from the implementation of a strategy for 14-19 may require additional funding from both the County Council and the local Learning and Skills Council in future years.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. note the recommendations of the Oxfordshire 14 to 19 Area Inspection Report;

          2. approve the submission of the 14-19 Action Plan to the DfES and partner bodies.

  1. Secondary Education in the Wantage/Grove Area: Call In of Executive Decision

    (See also Addenda)

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/212
Contact: Robert Capstick, Head of Resources (01865 815155)

On 9 December 2003, the Executive considered a report of the Director of Learning & Culture (EX7), seeking guidance on the next steps to be undertaken on the future of secondary education in the Wantage/Grove area following local consultation on options. The Executive resolved:

    1. to note the outcome of the opinion poll in the Wantage and Grove area, and other public consultation, that showed a majority in favour of the two Secondary Schools option, with one school located in each community;

    2. to request the Director of Learning & Culture to keep this issue under review with a view to developing a plan for secondary education in the area, taking into account:

    • the outcome of the consultation,

    • potential housing growth

    • the 14-19 agenda,

    • the fact that there were adequate places for the immediate future,

    • the ‘building schools for the future’ programme;

      c. to request the Director for Learning & Culture to examine, in conjunction with the Principal and Governors of the school, ways in which attainment at King Alfred’s could continue to be raised.

On 17 December 2003, the Assistant Chief Executive received a request signed by five members of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee to call in the above decision in accordance with the Council’s Scrutiny Procedure Rules in the Constitution in the following terms, citing the following reason:

"The reason for our request is that there was no balanced presentation at the meeting when the decision was taken by the Executive, that the educational perspective was not put, and that the governors of King Alfred’s College had not been officially notified of nor invited to attend the meeting. The background agenda papers considered only the opinion poll and publicity campaign, and did not attempt to address fully the educational arguments. Even if the latter were considered elsewhere or at another time, the papers do not take this into account, and nor does the decision. This is expressly contrary to the Leader of the Council’s categorical statement at the February meeting of the Executive to the effect that any decision would be taken on educational grounds, and not just on the outcome of an opinion survey."

A meeting of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee has been set down for Wednesday 7 January 2004 and any recommendations will be reported at the Executive’s meeting.
  1. Governance Arrangements for the Supporting People Programme

    2. Executive Member: Community Care & Health
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/224
    Contact: Nick Welch, Head of Health & Social Care Partnerships (01865 815714)

    Joint report by Head of Planning & Partnership (Social & Health Care) and Solicitor to the Council (EX12).

    The Supporting People Commissioning Body – on which the County Council is represented by the Executive Member for Community Care & Health – has agreed a "Memorandum of Understanding" to guide relations between it and the County Council as the Supporting People "Administering Authority". The Commissioning Body is recommending the Executive also to adopt the Memorandum, which is a requirement of the Supporting People (England) Directions 2003 made by the Deputy Prime Minister. Its function is to set out how Supporting People will be allocated and co-ordinated. In Oxfordshire, the main instrument for achieving this is the Supporting People Team, which reports to the Head of Planning & Partnership in Social & Health Care but is under the overall direction of the Core Strategy Group, comprising senior officers of the authorities and agencies which are represented on the Commissioning Body. The Memorandum has been drawn up jointly with officers of those authorities and agencies and with advice from Counsel.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve and adopt the Memorandum of Understanding as a basis for the future working of the Supporting People Commissioning Body and Administering Authority.

  2. Forward Plan and Future Business

    (See also Addenda)

Executive Member: All
Contact Officer: John Leverton (01865 815314)

The Executive Procedure Rules provide that the business of each meeting of the Executive is to include "updating of the Forward Plan and proposals for business to be conducted at the following meeting".

The publication date of the next Forward Plan, for the period February – May 2004, is 19 January. It will therefore be necessary to determine its content at this meeting. Recommendations for additions and amendments are attached as EX13 - Schedules 1-3
(Download as .rtf file).

Items from the Forward Plan (as now proposed to be updated) for the immediately forthcoming meetings appear in Schedule 4.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

(a) agree the additions and amendments set out in Schedules 1 - 3 for the purpose of the Forward Plan for the ensuing four months;

(b) subject to (a) above, note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings as set out in Schedule 4.

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