Agenda item

The Committee is provided with a report which sets out budget proposals for the period 2022/23 to 2025/26, which are included in the 2022/23 budget consultation.

The report provides the opportunity for the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to comment on these, alongside the financial context, and on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities in which these proposals are made.

The following annexes are attached to this report:

• Annex 1a – The Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities.

• Annex 1b – Engagement feedback on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities

• Annex 2a – Existing Planned Budget Pressures and Savings

• Annex 2b – New Proposals for Investments, Pressures and Savings

• Annex 2c – COVID-19 Pressures

• Annex 3a – Overarching Equality Impact Assessment.

The Performance & Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee is RECOMMENDED to consider and comment on:

• The Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities (as set out in Annex 1a).

• The engagement feedback on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities (as set out in Annex 1b)

• The revenue savings, pressures and investment proposals for 2022/23 to 2025/26 and combined impact on directorate budgets (as set out in Annex 2a – 2c)

The Committee was provided with a report which set out budget proposals for the period 2022/23 to 2025/26, which were included in the 2022/23 budget consultation. In addition, the Committee was provided annexes on:

·       The Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities.

·       Engagement feedback on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities

·       Existing Planned Budget Pressures and Savings

·       New Proposals for Investments, Pressures and Savings

·       COVID-19 Pressures

·       Overarching Equality Impact Assessment

The report provided the opportunity for the Committee to comment on these, alongside the financial context, and on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities in which these proposals were made.

The Leader of the Council introduced the budget proposals for 2022/23 to 2025/26 and informed Members that the proposals were all based around the Administration’s nine priorities. The Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee was invited to consider and comment on the engagement feedback on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities and how the budget proposals for 2022/23 – 2025/26 aligned with those priorities.

Members were reminded that comments on the proposals would be included in the Budget and Business Planning report which was submitted to Cabinet on 18 January 2022, along with the outcome of the public consultation. These would be taken into consideration by Cabinet in setting out their proposed revenue budget for 2022/23 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) to 2025/26.

Reference was made to a number of pieces of information yet to be received

which would have an impact on the proposed budget which included the Local Government Finance Settlement, confirmation of council tax base and the

collection fund position for each of the County’s district council, confirmation of business rates income including and the collection fund position and the outcome of the public consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Finance gave the Committee an overview of the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy for the Council. Reference was made to the uncertainty caused by Covid and the pressures this has caused.

The main financial pressures were around adult social care, the implications of the Environment Bill, demand for high needs education. There were £12.7m of savings earmarked. Details of directorate proposals were provided in the presentation.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services provided the Committee with details of the five strands of the consultation process which was taking place on the budget. The public consultation on the 2022/23 budget proposals was launched on 2 December 2021 and would run until 5 January 2022.

Members were informed that throughout October and November 2021, the Council had undertaken public and stakeholder engagement to inform the development of the new strategic plan and the budget-setting process. There were five strands to this:

1.    A residents’ survey to understand residents’ priorities and experiences

2.    Public discussion groups

3.    Young people’s discussion groups to ensure that young people’s voices are included

4.    Stakeholder workshops and survey – with participation from the voluntary and community sector and town and parish councils

5.    Councillor engagement – discussions at locality groups and follow-up survey to ensure the views of all county councillors were sought.

Members were informed there would be an in depth all Council briefing on the engagement work in January.

Points raised by the Committee

·       The Committee noted that the Council does not currently have a Corporate Plan. Therefore, the Committee focused on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s identified nine priorities to assess whether the budget proposals were appropriately allocated to resource delivery of the nine priorities. It had been difficult to determine if appropriate resources had been allocated to each priority area as these had not been clearly defined.

·       Members welcomed that details of deliverables and KPIs for each priority area would be developed.

·       The priority areas were listed 1 to 9 which gives the impression that this was their order of importance. This was not the case, so this needed to be made clear in the Corporate Plan.

·       Reference was made to Risk Stratification and whether budget proposals have taken account of the greatest risks to residents. 

·       Members recognised the pressures caused by Covid-19, however, it was not clear from the budget proposals how each Directorate budget allocation would enable the Council to achieve its objectives.

·       The budget proposal does not set out details of how the new investment would contribute towards delivery of each priority with details of annual deliverables and targets.

·       The proposed new investment does not correlate with the results of the public consultation exercise to date, for example: Children & Young People was number 1 priority in the consultation and yet level of new investment, placed this as 6th

·       How would new investment address key public concerns of traffic congestion and improving roads and pavements?

·       Young people had identified integrated transport and access to nature as top 2 priorities, yet this was not reflected in terms of additional investment.

·       From the details on the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy and the proposed Council Tax increase contained in the report, it was not clear what residents would get as a result of the proposed Council Tax increase.

·       Reference was made to the implications on the priorities of failed Council bidding for funding.

·       With Climate Change at the heart of this Administration’s work, the budget proposal (£690k) does not make clear how the budget proposals contribute towards combatting Climate Change. Reference was made to investments around supporting zero carbon infrastructure, development of pathways to zero carbon Oxfordshire, preparation for Environmental Bill and increasing capacity to deliver EV policy and others. However, there were no deliverables mentioned.

·       Members noted the significant challenges which faced Adult Social Care and the implications this had on the budget, however, there was concern that more funding was required. A suggestion was made that to assist Cabinet for next year’s budget setting process, a joint Working Group be set up between this Committee and People OSC to undertake a review of the pressures and challenges facing Adult Services in order to help Cabinet by identifying possible options and make recommendations.

·       In relation to Children Services, the Committee noted that there were also budgetary challenges in this area and the proposals did not provide assurances that these challenges would be met. The Committee agreed that Cabinet should be asked how Scrutiny could support the Council on this issue.

·       The accessibility of the budget needed to be better i.e. narrative was required to explain the various tables and graphs.

·       Concern was expressed that the Family Solution Plus programme did not have the required level of investment due to the budgetary pressures of partners.

·       Reference was made to an opportunity to invest to save in tackling health inequalities but providing additional funding to focus on Tier 1 tertiary prevention. A detailed action plan of how this could be delivered across all Council Departments would help shift Council focus into supporting health partners more effectively.

·       The budget proposals were not clear for cultural services and libraries.

·       Concern was expressed regarding the proportion of savings to re-investment, and it was asked that focus on this be given in future budget process.

·       There were no details of the budgetary support in the future for the Scrutiny function in the budget proposal. Cabinet should consider what resources were required to deliver the best practice scrutiny function.

·       There were some concerns regarding the Council’s current approach to budget consultation and consultation in general.

·       Workforce issues and retention and recruitment of staff was a concern for the Council and for significant public sector and business partners. Cabinet could consider the potential benefits of a County wide workforce commission to identify options moving forward.

·       A clearer idea of how the revenue budget would support the delivery of the capital programme would be beneficial.

·       There were questions asked relating to the reach of the consultation process and Members noted that the methodology and results of the process would be communication at the January briefing to all Members of the Council.

There were a number of observations and questions asked in relation to the engagement process in the budget process and responses were subsequently provided and are attached as an appendix to these minutes.

The Committee considered and noted the Budget proposals for 2022/23, which included the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities, the engagement feedback on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities, the revenue savings, pressures and investment proposals for 2022/23 to 2025/26 and combined impact on directorate budgets.

It was agreed that scrutiny officers would prepare a draft report on the Committee’s comments and suggestions on the budget proposals, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee, prior to submission to Cabinet. 

RESOLVED – (1) That Budget proposals for 2022/23, including the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities, the engagement feedback on the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities, the revenue savings, pressures and investment proposals for 2022/23 to 2025/26 and combined impact on directorate budgets be noted.

(2) That a report on the Committee’s consideration and findings on the budget proposals be brought before the next meeting of the Committee for agreement, prior to submission to Cabinet for consideration.