Decisions

The Live Well team wish to use the extension provision for a number of supported living contracts..  Commissioning also wish to issue new contracts where all options to extend have been utilised or a new specification needs to be developed for supported living contracts.  An annex will be provided with all of the contracts being affected on all the contracts that due to their value require a key decision.

The Committee was required under the Constitution to consider the Pay Policy Statement for 2024/25 and make a recommendation to Full Council on the statement.

The statement was summarised by Lorna Baxter, Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer, noting that the ratio between the highest and lowest paid at the Council had reduced.  This was largely due to the implementation of the National Living Wage over the last couple of years.

Councillor Bartholomew noted that Full Council agreed to the appointment of the new Chief Executive at a certain pay rate.  The Chief Executive commenced on 1 March 2023 and a month later received a salary increase.  This would certainly never happen in the private sector.  He believed that this should have been made clear to Council.

Officers responded to points made by Members as follows:

·       The Chief Executive received the local government pay award on 1 April 2023 as did all other council employees.  The level of increase was not known until later in the year but officers agreed that it would be better to flag this in future if an appointment is made late in the financial year.

·       The position of Chief Fire Officer was not on the list that must be reported – perhaps because not many local authorities were responsible for the fire service.

·       Staff on lower grades received up to a 10% increase while it was 3.5% for chief officers.

Councillor Bartholomew proposed an amendment to add c) to the recommendations:

“c) Ensure that for future appointments it will be made clear to Full Council that any pay rise will be applied in April even if a senior officer is appointed in March, for example.”

The amendment was agreed.  The recommendations were then agreed as amended.

RESOLVED to

a)                  Receive the report.

b)                  Recommend the 2024/25 Pay Policy Statement prior to progression to Full Council for approval.

c)                  Ensure that for future appointments it will be made clear to Full Council that any pay rise will be applied in April even if a senior officer is appointed in March, for example.

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To provide a case to extend the local stop smoking service by 12 months

Councillor Nathan Ley introduced the report on the local stop smoking service to the meeting. Cllr Ley noted the negative health impacts smoking has on the United Kingdom as a whole, particularly on families with lower income and those who have mental health issues. Cllr Ley invited Derys Pragnell, Public Health Consultant (Live Well Promote and Prevent), to provide any thoughts on the report, to which there was agreed confidence in the ability of the provider to continue the good quality of service.

Cllr Ley thanked the officers for the report and agreed to all of the recommendations within it.

RESOLVED to:

a)    Approve the budget for and authorise the Director of Public Health to extend the current Specialist Stop Smoking Service contract by one year to 30^th June 2025.

b)    Delegate authority to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Head of Legal and Deputy Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Officer, to award an extension to the Stop Smoking Service Contract as referred to in this report, in line with Council procurement guidelines.

To propose the 2024/25 revenue budget, MTFP and capital programme for recommendation to Council in light of comments from the Performance & Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee and consultation feedback.

Recommendations approved.

These decisions are not subject to Scrutiny call-in.

Cabinet noted the observations in the report.

There were no requests.

There were none.

There were none.

RESOLVED that the public be excluded during the consideration of the report since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda.

Members discussed the report and proposed to amend recommendation b) as follows:

To instruct officers of the Council  to write to Watlington Parish Council on behalf of the Trust (i) expressing its disappointment concern at the fact it allowed the family into with the occupation of the property by a family without going through the procedures mandated by the Committee at its meeting on 28 April 2022, (ii) advising that occupation on the current basis should must not carry on beyond 31 August 2024 without formal arrangements being in place and (iii) advising that occupation beyond 31 August 2024 will require further renovation work to be carried out at the property so its energy performance rating is improved; and (iv) reiterating the offer to work collaboratively, including a face to face meeting, to resolve any issues with the occupation of the property and enable a timely transfer of the Trust to Watlington Parish Council; and

The amendment was agreed and the recommendations as amended were agreed.

RESOLVED:

(a)                To allow the family of Ukrainian refugees currently occupying 33 High Street, Watlington to remain there until the earlier of 31 August 2024 and the date when the transfer of the Trust to Watlington Parish Council has completed (at which point the management of the property will cease to be the Council’s responsibility);

(b)               To instruct officers of the Council  to write to Watlington Parish Council on behalf of the Trust (i) expressing its concern with the occupation of the property by a family without going through the procedures mandated by the Committee at its meeting on 28 April 2022, (ii) advising that occupation on the current basis must not carry on beyond 31 August 2024 without formal arrangements being in place, and (iii) advising that occupation beyond 31 August 2024 will require further renovation work to be carried out at the property so its energy performance rating is improved; and (iv) reiterating the offer to work collaboratively, including a face to face meeting, to resolve any issues with the occupation of the property and enable a timely transfer of the Trust to Watlington Parish Council; and

(c)                To agree not to pay any of Watlington Parish Council’s legal fees.

The Committee considered the Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31 March 2023 and the recommendation to authorise its submission.

It was clarified that the accounts followed the usual local authority format whereby income is denoted with a minus number.

Richard Hodby confirmed that there was no tax liability as the interest was exempt for a charity.

RESOLVED to:

a)                          Approve the Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31 March 2023 annexed to this report and

b)                          Authorise a Council officer to submit data from the Statement to the Charity Commission online before midnight on 31 January 2024 so that annual financial reporting obligations are complied with.

6 month notification to extend the contract by 8 Months with a value of upto  £849,333. The extension period will be from 1^st August 2024 to 31^st March 2025. This will allow for appropriate transition and design time post engagement for the recommissioning of a new model of Respite Services for Oxfordshire.

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