Issue - meetings

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

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/126

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452/Hannah Doney, Head of Corporate Finance Tel: 07584 174654

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

This report sets out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 – December2020.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)            note this month’s business management and monitoring report;

b)           approve virement set out in Annex C-2b relating to the Rough Sleeping; Drugs and Alcohol Grant Scheme and note the virements set out in Annex C-2c;

c)            approve the bad debt write-offs set out in AnnexC;

d)           note the allocations of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund as set out in Annex C-5c.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet had before them a report setting out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 at December 2020.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Opposition Leader, thanked the administration for supporting amendments to the budget proposed by the Labour Party in relation to young people with mental health problems and added that she was very impressed with the work done by Children, Education and Families to support these young people.

Councillor Brighouse advocated a more holistic approach to these issues.  She noted that 50% of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) were not completed within 5 months and asked if the right children were getting access to EHCPs or if some might only be temporarily distressed for example.

Councillor Brighouse also referred to long waiting times for access to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) and stated that the outcomes were not clear to the Council.  She accepted that it was a national problem but believed that Oxfordshire could set an exemplary standard.

Councillor Brighouse asked that consideration be given to using funds for EHCPs and CAMHS differently – for example ensuring that there was a mental health professional in every secondary school to provide support there.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, noted that the highways public satisfaction survey had shown that 50% of people in Oxfordshire were not satisfied with the overall situation.  The Performance Scrutiny Committee would need to examine where there was room for improvement.

Councillor Phillips welcomed the funding for youth services noting that the evidence showed that youth workers get to know families and can often provide advice before problems escalate.  These issues were reflected in the Risk Register which showed the highest risks related to the demand for services for vulnerable children.

Councillor Phillips noted the in-year overspend of £11.5m in the High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant and asked for more detail on the plans to bring this into line with its operating budget.  Increasing demand and reducing budgets were leading to an unsustainable situation – even given the innovative approaches being identified and implemented by staff.

Councillor Phillips welcomed the government’s announcement of a comprehensive review of children’s social care but noted that there was no completion date.  She hoped that the Chancellor would announce an increase in the early intervention grant to provide sufficient resources while this review takes place.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat introduced the report which showed that the Council continued to perform strongly despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.  There were 14 RAG rating indicators showing Green, 12 showing Amber and none showing Red.  There were no score changes in the Leadership Risks.  Along with the Workforce and Staffing report which was also on this agenda, this report highlighted the hard work that the Council’s teams continue to undertake during these challenging times.

Councillor Heathcoat noted in particular a number of areas of work in her own portfolio including the work of the Trading Standards team in tackling scams, the Safe and Well visits which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17