Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/081

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes, louise.tustian@oxfordshire.gov.uk; Kathy Wilcox, Head of Financial Strategy, 07788 302163

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources/Director of Finance (CA6).

The business management reports are part of a suite of performance, risk and budget documents which set out our ambitions, priorities and financial performance. The 2022 – 2025 Strategic Plan sets out the Council’s ambitions for the next four years. It also shows our priority activities for the current financial year.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)                  note the report and annexes

b)                  agree the virements in Annex B-2a and the supplementary estimate request in Annex B-2c.

c)                  write off a debt of £0.3m for advance payments and the cost of arranging alternative provision in relation to a home care provider that went into administration in early 2017.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report presenting the September 2022 performance, risk and finance position for the council.

Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance, summarised the report.  The remaining red indicators could be mostly grouped as relating to two particular areas: children’s services and financial management.  The Council faced considerable headwinds which were reflected in the red indicators in the report: notably the ability to make savings and to handle outturn variations in the dedicated schools grant

Councillor Miller drew attention to the expected £6.6m deterioration in the financial position – a large part was driven by the considerable financial pressures facing children’s services.  He noted that the Leader had written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the significant financial challenges facing the Council and that other councils have indicated that they were on the brink of bankruptcy.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Young People’s Services noted that the issue of the deficit in the High Needs Block had been around since 2014.  Consultants were looking at a project called “Delivering Better Value” but other similar projects around the country were finding it difficult to achieve their goals.  She hoped that the government would soon realise that it needed to address the deficit of £3.4bn across the country in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disability.

Councillor Brighouse added that all services across the system were also stretched for resources.  However, it has been possible to bring down the numbers of children being taken into care and provide more support to families when they need it.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, addressed the rate of abandoned calls to the Council.  This had increased to 24% where the target was 10%.  She apologised to those who had not been able to obtain an answer.  Staff turnover, and in particular the loss of very experienced staff, had contributed to the problem.  However, they were recruiting as quickly as possible and there was already improvement in the October statistics.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery & Environment, commented on three red indicators under his portfolio:

·       The difficulties in the number of electric vehicle recharging points related to technical problems at a Park & Charge site.

·       Retrofitting in low income households was running behind target because the Council received the money for it late.

·       The drop in garden waste for composting this dry summer has contributed to the reduction in recycling.  It might be worth reconsidering what is measured as this gives a misleading impression.

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Sudbury and agreed.

RESOLVED to:

a)              note the report and annexes

b)              agree the virements in Annex B-2a and the supplementary estimate request in Annex B-2c.

c)              write off a debt of £0.3m for advance payments and the cost of arranging alternative provision in relation to a home care provider that went into administration in early 2017.