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ITEM CA3

CABINET

MINUTES of the meeting held on 21 November 2006 commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 3.07 pm

Present:

The Cabinet considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with a schedule of addenda tabled at the meeting, and decided as set out below. Except insofar as otherwise specified, the reasons for the decisions are contained in the agenda, reports and schedule, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

165/06. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor John Howell declared a prejudicial interest in relation to Agenda Item 11 on the grounds that he was Chairman of Parishes Against Gravel Extraction (P.A.G.E).

166/06. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2006 were approved and signed.

167/06. ORDER OF BUSINESS

It was AGREED to vary the order of business as indicated in these Minutes.

168/06. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE

(Agenda Item 8)

The Cabinet considered a report (CA8) on an external review of the Children’s Social Care Service (since realignment of the Early Years and Family Support Service), which was commissioned by the Director for Children, Young People and Families, in May 2006 and conducted by Tom Jones, an independent consultant.

Councillor Chapman highlighted the improvements that had been made to the Service during the last eight months, particularly with regard to keeping children with their families, which indicated a shift in practice culturally. She endorsed the comments made in the written statement submitted by Councillor Fooks but commented that it was not necessary to agree the recommendations "subject to advice from the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee" as was requested in Councillor Fooks’ statement.

RESOLVED: to:

1. endorse the strategy and service modernisation recommendations emerging from the external review, enabling the Directorate to take those forward;
2. endorse the policy shift toward the development of services and decision-making models that mandated family-based decision-making strategy and practice; and
3. endorse the Action Plan as outlined in Annex 1 to the report.
   
   

169/06. FINANCIAL MONITORING

(Agenda Item 5)

The Cabinet considered a report (CA5) that covered the period ended 30 September 2006 for both revenue and capital. The consolidated revenue forecast for the year-end showed a balance of £12.931m. This was made up of £15.285m general balances and a forecast Directorate overspend of £2.354m, which was in part the result of allowing for the proposed additional contribution to the Older People's Pooled Budget.

Councillor Armitage, Speaking as shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, expressed concern at the forecast overspend within the Early Years and Family Support Service and urged the Cabinet to take a more cautious approach to budgetary pressures, in order to avoid such virements as outlined in the recommendations in future.

Ms Skivington responded that she was confident that continued pressure on the Directorates to balance their respective budgets would result in them breaking even by year-end.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note the report;
2. approve the £0.317m virement within Children, Young People & Families to move Disabilities service agreements to Children’s Services;
3. approve the £0.800m supplementary estimate to Agency Placements;
4. confirm that any underspend arising on the Joint Use budget in 2006/07 was not required to be contributed to the capital cost of redeveloping the Cherwell centres; and,
5. approve the changes to the Capital Programme as set out in the report.
   
   

170/06. SERVICE AND RESOURCE PLANNING 2007/08 – 2011/12

(Agenda Item 6)

The Cabinet considered a report (CA6) which was the second in a series that informed Members on the service and resource planning process and budget issues for 2007/08 and the medium term. The report also provided information that would lead the Council to agree a budget requirement and Council Tax level for 2007/08 in February 2007.

RESOLVED: to:

(a) note the report; and

(b) refer the identified budget pressures in the respective service areas and how these would be funded, to the appropriate Scrutiny Committees for consideration and advice, on the basis of schedules to be drawn up and presented to the Committees by the Head of Finance & Procurement with the relevant service officers, following consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Members

171/06. TAKING FORWARD THE CHANGE AGENDA

(Agenda Item 7)

The Cabinet considered a report (CA7), which was the first Annual Report of the Change Management Board and outlined a new organisational development programme. This resulted from the consideration of a report at the Cabinet’s meeting on 15 November 2005 entitled "Taking Forward the Change Agenda".

RESOLVED: to receive the first Annual Report of the Change Management Board and agree the Board’s priorities for its second year of operation.

172/06. EDUCATION PROJECT APPRAISAL – EAST OXFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

(Agenda Item 9)

The Cabinet considered a joint report (CA9) by the Director for Children, Young People and Families and the Director for Social and Community Services which outlined proposals for a New Children's Centre and Adult & Community Learning Centre at East Oxford Primary School site.

RESOLVED: to approve the detailed project appraisal ED 667.

173/06. DISABILITY EQUALITY SCHEME

(Agenda Item 10)

The Cabinet considered a report (CA10) on the Disability Equality Scheme. A draft Disability Equality Scheme was attached to the report for approval and included a statement on the ways in which disabled people had been involved in its development and the Council's process for implementing impact assessments.

Councillor Couchman thanked officers for their work in completing such a detailed scheme that was in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

RESOLVED: to:

1. agree the Disability Equality Scheme; and
2. agree that subsequent annual progress reports would be submitted to the Cabinet Member for Social Care & Policy Co-ordination for consideration under Delegated Decisions.
   
   

175/06. MINERALS AND WASTE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK: CORE STRATEGY

(Agenda Item 11)

Councillor Howell withdrew from the meeting for the duration of this item.

The Cabinet considered a report (CA11) on the Core Strategy document, which formed part of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. The Strategy set out the Council’s vision, spatial strategy and core policies for minerals and waste development in Oxfordshire over the next 20 years.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve the Aims, Objectives and Preferred Options for the Minerals and Waste Core Strategy and approve in principal the supporting text of the Preferred Options document referred to in the report;
2. authorise the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to finalise the Core Strategy Preferred Options document for publication and consultation in accordance with Regulation 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004;
3. authorise the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to prepare and publish the Sustainability Appraisal report to accompany the Core Strategy Preferred Options document; and
4. authorise the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to finalise arrangements for consultation on the Core Strategy Preferred Options document.
   
   

176/06. GIFTED CHILDREN SCRUTINY REVIEW

(Agenda Item 12)

The Cabinet considered a Scrutiny Review (CA12) concerning Oxfordshire County Council's Gifted Children, which outlined how they were identified and how the resources allocated to them were provided. The review was undertaken by the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee.

Councillors Hibbert-Biles and Tilley presented the report and thanked the Scrutiny officer involved for his clear and concise work. They urged the Cabinet to consider the creation of a full time, centrally based position with responsibility for Gifted and Talented children across the whole of Oxfordshire. They also urged that Governing Bodies be encouraged to identify Gifted Children more effectively.

Councillor Waine responded to the Review’s recommendations and a copy of his response is attached at Annex 1 to the signed minutes. He responded that with regards to an Oxfordshire-wide post for Gifted and Talented Children, a new consultant would be joining the team and would lead on primary aspects. He further responded that encouragement of Governing Bodies was in hand via the provision of Governor training and the use of Governor News to keep the issue high profile. He stated that all secondary schools had Gifted and Talented registers and were being advised on how to address personalisation for the pupils registered. The current round of Inclusion Briefings had ‘More Able, Gifted and Talented’ as an item to be discussed, in which this message would be made clear.

RESOLVED: to:

1. to endorse the Cabinet Member’s response to the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations; and
2. to advise the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee accordingly.
   
   

177/06. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

in the Chair

Date of signing 2006

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