Issue - meetings

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

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/

Contact: Steven Fairhurst Jones, Corporate Performance & Risk Manager Tel: 07932 318890/Hannah Doney, Strategic Finance Manager (Assurance & Reporting) Tel: 07584 174654

Report by Corporate Director Customers & Organisational Development and Director of Finance (CA7).

This report sets out Oxfordshire County Council's (OCC's) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities and provides an update on the delivery of the Medium Term Financial Plan from 1 October to 31 October. A summary of overall performance and description of change is contained within the report. The report contains three annexes:

·         Annex A shows our current performance against targets and summarises progress towards overall outcomes set out in our Corporate Plan.

·         Annex B sets out the new Leadership Risk Register which has been developed as part of the Council’s work to strengthen risk and opportunities management

·         Annex C sets out the current financial position, providing detailed explanations of significant budget variations and an update on the Medium-Term Financial Plan including the delivery of savings agreed by Council in February 2019 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)       note the contents of this report; and

(b)       approve the virements set out in Annex C – 2a and note the virements set out in Annex C – 2b.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report that set out Oxfordshire County Council's (OCC's) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities and provided an update on the delivery of the Medium Term Financial Plan from 1 October to 31 October 2019.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance welcomed the clarity in identifying changes since the previous report (paragraph 13 refers) and welcomed the three improved indicators particularly that for the timeliness of Education & Health Care Plans (EHCPs). She noted that two indicators, those relating to the proportion of people walking/cycling and the levels of energy use had moved from green to amber. Councillor Phillips stressed that it was important to meet targets as they were linked to savings. Councillor Phillips referred to a number of indicators still causing concern including those relating to delayed discharges of care and unaccompanied asylum seekers.  In terms of finance Councillor Phillips went on to highlight that 80% of of savings were forecast to be met by year end and commented on the overspend in the High Needs Block due to the increase in EHCPs

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council in introducing the business and risk elements of the report stated that the report gave a detailed picture against priorities in a transparent and timely way. It confirmed there was continuing good progress against targets. For the first time it included an annex on risk (Annex B). Councillor Heathcoat highlighted the work on electric blanket testing by Trading Standards and the Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service.

Councillor David Bartholomew, Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the finance element of the report.

Councillor Lawrie Stratford, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Public Health referred to the position on delayed discharges of care. It was frustrating to be low in the league table relative to other local authorities. He did feel that the relative position was perhaps not how it was portrayed as he believed that the counting elsewhere was done differently.

The new Director was working well with the health service and steps were being taken to improve the reablement contract. Locally they did ensure that the time people were in hospital was shorter than in many other hospitals.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)       note the contents of this report; and

(b)       approve the virements set out in Annex C – 2a and note the virements set out in Annex C – 2b.