Agenda and minutes

This meeting will be held virtually in order to conform with current guidelines regarding social distancing. Normally requests to speak at this public meeting are required by 9 am on the day preceding the published date of the meeting. However, during the current situation and to facilitate these new arrangements we are asking that requests to speak are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e. 9 am on Friday 7 August 2020. Requests to speak should be sent to sue.whitehead@oxfordshire.gov.uk together with a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9 am 2 working days before the meeting.

Where a meeting is held virtually and the addressee is unable to participate virtually their written submission will be accepted.

Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The Chairman had agreed the following requests to speak:

Item 5 Revised Budget 2020/21:

Councillor Laura Price, Opposition Deputy Leader

Councillor Emma Turnbull, Shadow Cabinet Member for Education & Cultural Services

Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Family Services

Councillor John Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment (including Transport)

Report by the Corporate Director for Customers and Organisational Development and Director of Finance

This report sets out Oxfordshire County Council's (OCC's) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities at 30 June 2020. A summary of overall performance and description of change is contained within the report. The report will be considered at Cabinet’s 18 August meeting.

The report contains two 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 Leadership Risk Register which has been developed as part of the Council’s work to strengthen risk and opportunities management

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report and consider any matters for future attention by the Committee.

Performance Scrutiny Committee considered a report (prior to its consideration by Cabinet on 18 August 2020) that set out Oxfordshire County Council's (OCC's) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities at 30 June 2020. A summary of overall performance and description of change was contained within the report. The report will be considered at Cabinet’s 18 August meeting.

The report contained two annexes:

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

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

Celia Prado-Teeling, Team Leader, Performance gave a brief summary of the contents of the report. She advised that there was no financial update in this report as the following item was on a revised budget 2020/21. The information in this was based for the first time on the new outcomes framework.

During discussion Members:

·         Expressed disappointment that they had not been given information on the current financial situation. Members were assured that the Revised Budget 2020/21 report included the latest financial position.

·         Asked what was being done to ensure that delayed transfers of care cases which were on the rise did not reach pre-covid levels. It was AGREED that Members receive a briefing paper as an update to the earlier report received in February 2020.

·         Asked that the issue of Personal Protective Equipment be included in the risk register given its importance and the risk of a second spike in covid 19 cases.

·         Requested that the table in the covering report to the Committee on the RAG rating of performance include the two previous positions to give a better indication of the trend.

·         Queried whether the camera information available on walking and cycling was used to inform the information in the report and urged greater use of technology to provide accurate information.

·         Commended the improvement with regard to Education & Health Care Plans and asked for further details and an assessment of the sustainability of the improvements achieved. It was AGREED that a note be circulated to Performance Scrutiny Committee members addressing the points raised and also including information on the timeliness of CAMHS.

·         Noted that the indicator ‘Enhanced digital connectivity for residents and businesses’ had moved from green to amber and requested information on the reasons for this. It was AGREED that a note be circulated to Performance Scrutiny Committee members.

·         Highlighted the figures relating to children cared for by the local authority set out on page 9 of the report under Areas for Improvement and requested that the figures be broken down between in county and out of county placements. It was AGREED that a note be circulated to Performance Scrutiny Committee members.

Report by the Director of Finance

On 18 August 2020 Cabinet will consider a revised budget for 2020/21 and will be recommended to recommend the revised budget to Council on 8 September.   The Revised Budget 2020/21 report and proposals will be published on 10 August 2020. 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to consider and comment on

a)                  the savings set out in Annex 1 of the Revised Budget 2020/21 report to Cabinet on 18 August 2020

b)                 the revised revenue budget for 2020/21 set out in Annex 2 of the Revised Budget 2020/21 report to Cabinet on 18 August 2020

The Performance Scrutiny Committee considered the Revised Budget for 2020/21.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of the Council, Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members: Councillors David Bartholomew, Ian Corkin, Mark Gray, Steve Harrod, Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Lawrie Stratford, and Liam Walker and CEDR officers attended to present the information and respond to questions.

Councillor Laura Price, Opposition Deputy Leader, Councillor Emma Turnbull, Shadow Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Family Services and Councillor John Sanders, Shadoe Cabinet Member for Environment (including Transport) commented on the revised budget for consideration by the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee considered the savings and revisions to the revenue budget and commented as follows:

General points:

A number of Committee members and speakers expressed concern that the proposed savings identified would not be re-instated and may result in poorer delivery of services, particularly where this related to vacant staffing posts

Committee members asked for an equalities impact assessment to be prepared on the budget proposals as it was felt that there was not clear enough evidence that any potential negative impacts on equalities had been fully considered

The following points were raised in relation to specific Directorates savings proposals:

Children, Education and Families:

The Committee noted that there is likely to be an increase in demand for Children, Education and Family service once schools re-open in September and the Committee remained concerned that the proposed savings may make it difficult if there is a rise in demand. In particular, given that the SEND Inspection had highlighted where the Council still needed to make improvements, the Committee was particularly concerned to see any savings proposed in this area.

Strong concerns were expressed about the proposed £175,000 reduction of the Youth Fund that was agreed by Council in February. Members noted that this funding had been agreed in order to undertake a feasibility study to re-establish Council run youth services. Whilst the Cabinet Members advised that the assessment would still be undertaken at a reduced cost, this was not in line with the wishes of Councillors in relation to the funding agreed by Council in February and Members expressed concern that the work would not deliver the vision for youth services that had been anticipated.

In relation to the proposed Family Safeguarding Model transformation savings the Committee noted that the service had only recently been reconfigured and questioned why these figures were not identified as part of the last budget setting process.

Adult Social Care:

The Committee queried the rationale behind reconfiguring the Didcot Area Community Support Service and sought reassurances that this would not lead to unmet demand or a wider reconfiguration of Community Support Services.

The Committee also sought reassurances that care homes and care providers would be involved in any fair cost of care exercises in relation to savings in demand management.

Public Health:

In relation to vacancy management proposals, the Committee queried whether this would potentially result in a lack of capacity within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36/20