Meeting documents
Cabinet
Tuesday, 7 March 2006
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To Members of the Cabinet Notice of a Meeting of the CabinetTuesday 7 March 2006 at 2.00 pmCounty Hall, Oxford
Contact officer: (Tel: 01865 815384; E-mail) Membership
Decisions taken at the meeting will become effective at the end of the working day on 15 March 2006 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.
AGENDAAddenda
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2006 (CA3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom. Cabinet Member:
Leader of the Council Report by Chief Executive (CA5). This report introduces the Council's proposed Medium Term Corporate Plan 2006-10, to be submitted to Council on 4 April 2006 as one of those plans and strategies which require full Council approval. The draft Plan was circulated in association with the agenda for the 2 March Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee. The Committee’s advice will be reported to the meeting. The Corporate Plan provides a medium-term focus for achieving the strategic priorities agreed by the Cabinet on 17 January. It sets out the context in which the Council operates and the strategic challenges it faces. It describes the role and structure of the Council, including its role as a community leader. It outlines the rationale for the priorities we have set and identifies the areas on which we will focus. Each priority is supported by SMART targets, against which we will measure progress. The Plan goes on to explain our performance management framework and summarises the key elements of the Medium Term Financial Plan. It is intended to produce a separate Annual Report in June, which will provide a review of the previous year, highlighting achievements and challenges faced and commenting on our performance. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED, subject to consideration of any advice from the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee and to the inclusion of consequential and editorial changes in the text as agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to RECOMMEND the Council to approve the Medium Term Corporate Plan 2006-10. Cabinet Member:
Children, Young People & Families Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA6). On 18 October 2005, the Cabinet approved a draft of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) for wide public consultation. The CYPP responds to the new statutory requirement to produce a single, strategic plan for all services for children and young people provided by the local authority and all relevant partners. The CYPP is one of those strategic plans which comprise the Council’s Budget & Policy Framework and therefore must be approved by Council. A draft of this report is to be considered by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee on 28 February and their advice will be reported to the Cabinet. The draft CYPP is circulated only to members of the Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet, but copies are in the Members’ Resource Centre and are on public deposit. A revised version of the Plan taking into account the Cabinet’s decisions will be circulated to all members for the 4 April Council meeting Subject to consideration of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee’s advice, the Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
Children, Young People & Families Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA7). By April 2006, most local authorities should have what the government have termed "Children’s Trust" arrangements in place to improve outcomes for all children, young people and families through more integrated services, strategies and processes, including, where appropriate, joint commissioning and pooling of budgets. In October 2005, the Cabinet, on the recommendation of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, agreed broad proposals to take forward the principle of the Commissioning Trust in the form of a Children and Young People’s Board, requesting that officers undertake further detailed work in consultation with partner agencies. This paper reports back on the work programme. Subject to consideration of the Scrutiny Committee’s advice the Cabinet is RECOMMENDED:
Cabinet Member:
Children, Young People & Families Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA8). In October 2005 the Cabinet received a report outlining proposals for the development of local, multi-disciplinary teams across Oxfordshire building on the learning from pilot programmes and other multi agency work, including the Best Value Review of Services for Vulnerable Children and Young People completed by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee in September 2005. In line with the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation, the Cabinet approved the proposals for wide consultation, subject to the outcome being reported to the Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet in the New Year. It is proposed to develop local, multi-disciplinary teams across Oxfordshire so that staff from different services and agencies can work together more effectively to meet the needs of children, young people and families. Subject to consideration of the Scrutiny Committee’s advice the Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
Children, Young People & Families Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA9). Children’s Centres are ‘one stop shops’ for all parents of young children. In a children’s centre parents will be able to get information about services available – including health, early education, childcare and family support services. Children’s centres across Oxfordshire will be different from each other – responding to the needs of the local community. Some will be on primary school sites as part of the extended schools offer; others will be extended family centres. Some will provide the full offer of services under one roof, others will provide drop-in facilities for parents and sign-posting to existing health, education and childcare services. Maternity services and Health Visitors will be key to reaching parents. Subject to:
the Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
Schools Improvement Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA10). The Schools White Paper "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All - more choice for parents and pupils" was published by the DfES on the 25 October 2005. As a White Paper it is not a consultative document although this does not preclude views on the contents being sent to the Secretary of State. Its publication precedes the drawing up of a Bill, the timing of which is at present uncertain. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the contents of the White Paper and then to focus on those proposals which indicate a change in the role of local authorities. Those proposals are primarily associated with the provision of school places in response to parental wishes; the establishment of Trust Schools; and admissions arrangements. An indication is given as to how these proposals may impact in Oxfordshire. The report also provides a basis for the Cabinet to consider how to respond to the three motions relating to the White Paper which the Council on 10 January referred to the Cabinet, via the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, to advise the Council at its 4 April meeting. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
Schools Improvement Report by Director for Children, Young People and Families (CA11). Following last year’s Best Value Review of County Facilities Management (CFM), this report sets out plans to promote healthy eating for children and young people in Oxfordshire through a viable and effective school meals service. The plans have been developed in the light of a survey of schools’ needs and preferences and the Cabinet is invited to endorse them as a positive way forward. The evidence collected as a result of the recent consultation exercise with schools demonstrates that future school needs can be met by firstly retaining the existing managed service and by introducing a range of support and advisory services. There is also evidence to suggest that some schools would like the option of being able to procure ad hoc services such as emergency staffing cover. For CFM to successfully offer managed services it must position its offer in the middle market sector in order that it is affordable to schools and parents and equally importantly so that the quality of provision meets customer expectations. Effective communication of this strategy to all stakeholders and delivery of the required quality is essential to ensure success. The main focus of the report is on the school meals service. However, CFM also provides cleaning services in schools and some County Council buildings. These are projected to return a surplus in 2005/06. However this part of service is very dependent on the overall pattern of CFM’s business. With this in mind, it is proposed that the current arrangements for providing building cleaning services are maintained in their current form until the customer base from April 2006 onwards is identified more clearly. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
Schools Improvement The Director for Children, Young People and Families reports as follows. The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 conferred a revised power on local education authorities to make discretionary awards to new students. Authorities have three choices:
The local education authority is required to decide each year how far it will exercise its powers to make awards in the following year. Initially the County Council continued to offer awards in line with (c) above, with financial provision in the Education base budget to enable these awards to be funded. In 2001-2002, this funding provision was discontinued and in the light of this the Authority changed its policy, bringing it into line with option (a). In succeeding years the Executive agreed to maintain this approach. In 2006-2007, as in 2005-2006, there is no provision for discretionary awards in the Education Budget. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED not to exercise the power to make discretionary awards for the 2006-2007 academic year and not to make any provision for considering applications.
Cabinet Member:
Social & Community Services The Director of Social & Community Services reports as follows: The existing Thame library is poorly located and unfit for purpose and does not meet the requirements of a modern library service. The inclusion in the capital programme of a replacement library was approved by the Council, on the recommendation of the Executive, in February 2005. A full option appraisal has been carried out and approval of a project appraisal for the scheme (attached - CA13) (download as .doc file) is now sought. Of twelve possible options – three of which were investigated in detail - the conversion of the existing Thame Town Hall has emerged as the preferred option. The Town Hall site has a major advantage being centrally located and accessible from existing controlled car parks and public transport. The project will have a substantial impact in terms of suitability and condition, will help to reach targets within the Asset Management Plan and will offer the opportunity for better use of and participation in library and cultural services. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the Project Appraisal to enable the scheme to proceed, subject to satisfactory terms being agreed with Thame Town Council for the acquisition of the Town Hall.
Cabinet Member:
Sustainable Development Report by Head of Sustainable Development (CA14). The Oxfordshire Economic Partnership has prepared a draft Economic Development Strategy for Oxfordshire 2006 - 2016 for comment. The purpose of this report is to set out a summary of the main points in the draft document and seek agreement on a suitable response. The consultation follows the recent consultation on the Regional Economic Strategy, which was the subject of a report to Cabinet on 7 February 2006. In drafting the EDSO specific attention was paid to the need to ensure that it was "aligned" with the draft Regional Economic Strategy. The report concludes that the draft Strategy provides a useful introduction to economic development issues in Oxfordshire. It does need to reflect more the wider strategic context provided by the Regional Economic Strategy and South East Plan. It needs to include more strategic, evidence based objectives with a commitment to deliver the aims for Oxfordshire. The Council is working closely on the redrafting of the strategy offering evidence, data and knowledge in the process. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the comments in this report as the Cabinet’s response to the draft Economic Development Strategy for Oxfordshire.
Cabinet Member:
Sustainable Development Report by Head of Sustainable Development (CA15). The Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme was approved by the Executive on 21 December 2004 for submission to the Secretary of State. It came into effect on 16 May 2005. The Development Scheme is a public statement of the Council’s programme for the next 3 years for production of the minerals and waste development documents that will make up the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. Preparation of some of these documents has been delayed whilst priority was given to others, to ensure key government targets were met. The programme in the Development Scheme therefore needs to be revised. The Scheme also needs to be rolled forward to maintain a 3 year programme. A revised programme has been prepared, which includes preparation of the core strategy ahead of the site proposals documents and a revised timetable for each document. It covers the period to July 2009. This revised programme is for inclusion in a revised Development Scheme for submission to the Secretary of State. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
Community Safety Report by Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer (CA16). This report outlines progress on the implementation of projects within the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) Action Plan 2005-06 and feedback on the consultation process for the IRMP Action Plan 2006-07. The IRMP Action Plan 2005-06 was approved by the Executive on 16 March 2005 and consisted of 5 projects designed to implement elements of the Integrated Risk Management Strategy. Each project has a defined plan and a series of milestones against which its progress may be assessed. The Service, through the Project Implementation Group, monitors performance and progress and reports quarterly to the Cabinet Member for Community Safety. Proposals for the third IRMP Action Plan were presented to the Cabinet on 18 October 2005 and approved for public consultation. The consultation process lasted 12 weeks and concluded on 27 January 2006. This report provides a summary of feedback received through that process and recommends amendments to the final plan. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
Cabinet Member:
All 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 CA17. 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. February 2006 |
