Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/023

Contact: Steven Fairhurst Jones, Corporate Performance & Risk Manager Tel: 07932 318890/Katy Jurczyszyn, Finance Manager (Finance, Strategy and Monitoring) Tel 07584 909518

Report by Policy & Performance Service Manager (CA8)

The report sets out Oxfordshire County Council’s progress towards Corporate Plan priorities and provides an update on the delivery of the Medium-Term Financial Plan at the end of April 2019.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)     note the contents of this report;

(b)     approve a temporary virement of £2.2m from the corporate contingency budget to the SEN Home to School Transport budget for 2019/20 as set out in paragraph 21.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report on Oxfordshire County Council’s progress towards Corporate Plan priorities that provided an update on the delivery of the Medium-Term Financial Plan at the end of April 2019.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance commented on the wealth of information provided but queried whether there was sufficient change month on month to need a monthly report. Councillor Phillips commented on the rag ratings for public health that were based on both data and officers’ judgement. It was important that outcomes be based on data.

Councillor Phillips referred to Annex 3 and the rise in staffing numbers. She asked about the use of the Vacancy Management System. She also queried the inclusion of the virement request in this report rather than the Revenue Outturn report at Agenda Item 6

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council, introduced the contents of the report in relation to performance, risk and human resources. Councillor Heathcoat commented that the report would continue to evolve. There were many positives in the report including the number of people helped to live “safe and well”; the response time of the OFRS to respond to incidents; public health checks and recycling rates. On agency staff going forward she would ask that historic information be included to give a clearer idea of the trend.

Councillor David Bartholomew, Cabinet Member for Finance responded to points raised by Councillor Phillips. He had shared similar concerns about a monthly report and it was inevitable that there would be repetition. The method of production was being fine-tuned and he would like to see a summary of key changes included in the report. It was better to start from a position of having it all and refining from there. Responding to the query on the virement Councillor Bartholomew explained that the outturn report was about the 2018/19 financial year but that the virement in the report at recommendation (b) was a new virement relating to 2019/20.

Councillor Bartholomew introduced the contents of the report in relation to finance and moved the recommendations.

During discussion Cabinet welcomed the format, finding it transparent and robust. It was acknowledged that it was early days but they welcomed keeping up to date on a monthly basis.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)     note the contents of this report;

(b)     approve a temporary virement of £2.2m from the corporate contingency budget to the SEN Home to School Transport budget for 2019/20 as set out in paragraph 21.