Decisions

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2023 were approved as a correct record.

Recommendations agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED, (38 voting in favour, 17 abstentions) to:-

a)    increase the Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances by 5.3%, with effect from 1 April 2022,  in line with the percentage rise in employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from the 2022-23 Local Government pay award

b)    add the following special responsibility allowance omitted from the report:-

Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

Current                  5.3% uplift

£7,200.00               £7,584.00

The time being 3.55 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.1

The motion was carried unanimously.

The time being 3.55 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.1

The amendment by Councillor Andy Graham, as set out in the Schedule of Business, was carried by 36 votes to 15.

The substantive motion, as amended, was carried by 36 votes to 15.

RESOLVED (36 to 15):-

Oxfordshire’s Spare Seats programme has offered children a safe and affordable bus to school for c. 35 years. This Council apologises unreservedly for its decision to send ‘withdrawal’ letters to parents under its Spare Seats scheme without parental or wider public consultation. The wording of its withdrawal letters caused significant anxiety and distress to parents in predominantly rural areas, with up to 235 children affected in the short term and as many as 1,384 students in the medium term.

To date, the Council has defended its decision on the basis that it has no legal obligation to operate the scheme, adding that its continuation: “reinforces children travelling to schools further away than their nearest school”.

Council recognises that a recent letter sent to the parents/guardians of 235 children regarding possible withdrawal of spare seats has caused anxiety. It notes that officers are working to identify commercial or community alternatives for those who are not offered a spare seat from September.

Council recognises that national policy on home to school transport has beenfollowed by all administrations over the past c35 years, and that we continue to provide transport in line with national policy. Council notes that no authority has a legal obligation to operate the spare seats scheme, but recognises the successful efforts of officers over many years in working with schools and parents to identify alternatives where spare seats become unavailable

This Council restates its commitment to the Spare Seats scheme and to the principles of safeguarding parental preference, tackling climate change, encouraging social mixing and ensuring children’s safety. The School Transport Working Group has published a review of the scheme and Council asks that its recommendations be assessed by the People Scrutiny Committee as rapidly as possible and its recommendations communicated to the Cabinet

This Council requests the Cabinet Director of Children’s Services to write to all parents/guardians whose children benefit from the scheme to reassure them that this Council is giving active consideration to improving Spare Seats   committed to providing spare seats wherever possible and/or encouraging replacement community transport services to ensure that there is no loss of services to parents and pupils. This Council requests the Cabinet to provide a written explanation to members of this Council surrounding the withdrawal letters and to work with the Chair(s) of relevant committee(s) to ensure that members can discharge their democratic duties as scrutineers of Council policy

The motion was lost (17 voting in favour, 38 against).

The motion was carried unanimously.

Recommendations agreed (40 voting in favour, 15 abstentions).

Recommendations agreed unanimously.

Recommendations agreed unanimously.

Directors of Public Health had a statutory duty to publish an annual report on a subject of their choice that they feel demonstrates the state of health within their community. 

Council had before it the report relating to the period 2022-23 which focussed on the theme of excess weight.

Following debate it was:-

RESOLVED (on a motion by Councillor Mark Lygo, seconded by Councillor Liz Leffman, and carried unanimously) to note the Director of Public Health Annual Report and to take every opportunity to support actions and initiatives that will progress related work.

Council received the report of the Cabinet.

In relation to a question from Cllr Jane Hanna, Cllr Mark Lygo confirmed that he would submitting a further report to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on provision of primary care services and information provided to the County’s residents

In relation to question 1 (Cllr Yvonne Constance to Cllr Andrew Gant) Cllr Gant undertook to provide a written response on the specific issues concerning the footpath used by pupils at King Alfred’s School in Wantage.

In relation to question 2 (Cllr Donna Ford to Cllr Calum Miller) Cllr Miller undertook to provide a written response on the dispute resolution costs relating to the Children’s Service department.

In relation to question 6 (Cllr John Howson to Cllr Calum Miler) Cllr Miller undertook to provide a written response on any adjustments made to the County Hall building by the previous administration.

In relation to question 13v (Cllr Sally Povolotsky to Cllr Andrew Gant) Cllr Gant undertook to provide a detailed response on the repair project including projected timings.

In relation to question 17 (Cllr Ian Middleton to Cllr Calum Miller) Cllr Miller undertook to meet with Cllr Middleton on options for  the Glebe House site.

1.     Ms Jamila Azad to Cllr Andrew Gant

2.     Mr Matthew Webb to Cllr Andrew Gant

3.     Mr Saj Malik to Cllr Andrew Gant

4.     Ms Jenny Wells to Cllr Andrew Gant

5.     Ms Yasmin Qureshi to Cllr Andrew Gant

6.     Mr Ian Yeatman to Cllr Andrew Gant

7.     Dr Erdem Pulcu to Cllr Andrew Gant

8.     Mr Richard Parnham to Cllr Andrew Gant

9.     Mr Peter West to Cllr Andrew Gant

10.Ms Bernadette Evans to Cllr Andrew Gant

11.Mr Edward Glover to Cllr Andrew Gant

Richard Parnham (Item 9 – Citizens Jury)

Mark Boulle,

Clinton Pugh

Anne Gwinnett,

Ken Pelton (Teams) (Item 18)

Sarah Singleton,

 Asha Gill

Charlotte Cusworth

Pete

(Item 19)

The Chair welcomed Councillor Trish Elphinstone (Rose Hill & Littlemore) and Martin Reeves, Chief Executive, to their first meeting of the Council.

The Chair reported the following:-

·       The Council has won a gold award for its commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion at work, and has also secured a spot on Stonewall’s Top 100 list which recognises exceptional employers who are committed to supporting their LGBTQ+ staff and customers.

·       Jamie Kavanagh of ICT Services secured 2^nd place in the CS “Future Data Leader of the Year Awards.  He was highly commended in a field of over 100 data professionals from across the UK.

There were none.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Bulmer, Field-Johnson, Murphy and Thomas.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care is asked to

·       Approve the s75 NHS Act Agreement as drafted and agreed by Officers of the ICB and the Council on advice from each party’s solicitors

·       Authorise the Council financial contribution as set out in the agreement and the associated risk share

The new agreement will commence on 1 April 2023. It has been agreed by the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board at its meeting on 21 March 2023. The new agreement replaces that dating from 1 April 2013 with the former Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group

The s75 agreement gives authority to the Council and the ICB to pool financial and other resources to deliver better outcomes for the people of Oxfordshire. The new agreement extends our approach to integrated commissioning led by the Council on behalf of the partners and will support the further development and implementation of partnership working in Oxfordshire. The agreement incorporates the Better Care Fund for Oxfordshire.

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services AGREED to:

a)    Approve:

               i.         The Agreement of a s75 NHS Act 2006 pooled commissioning budget with Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board from 1 April 2023. The draft Agreement is included in the report as Annex 1.

              ii.         Delegation to Corporate Director of Adult Services and the Council s151 Officer to finalise the Agreement prior to signature in line with the Council’s scheme of delegation.

             iii.         The financial contributions as set out at paragraph 10 and the risk share set out at paragraph 30.

b)    Note:

               i.         The Agreement will commence on 1 April 2023. It has been approved for completion by the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board at its meeting on 21 March 2023. The Agreement replaces that dating from 1 April 2013 with the former Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

              ii.         The Agreement gives authority to, and binds, the Council and the ICB to pool financial and other resources to deliver better outcomes for the people of Oxfordshire. The Agreement extends the approach to integrated commissioning led by the Council on behalf of the partners and will support the further development and implementation of partnership working in Oxfordshire. The Agreement incorporates the Better Care Fund for Oxfordshire.

             iii.         The governance arrangements for the new s75 Agreement.

            iv.         That any future development of the s75 Agreement which proposes an expansion of strategic scope, and the relevant budgets may require wider public consultation.