Agenda and minutes

Councillor Peter Raynes – Finance Portfolio Holder

Councillor Peter Mason – Cabinet Support Member

Lorraine Butcher – Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning

Peter Bates – Chief Operating Officer

Brenda Smith – Director Adult Social care and Independent Living

Stephanie Cordon – Head of Communities

Tony Crane – Director of Children’s Services

Caroline Simpson – Director Economic Growth and Prsoperity

Peter Hartwell – Head of Public Protection and Enforcement

Kevin Melling – Head of Highways and Transport

Alex Thompson – Finance lead – Strategy and Funding

Jo Wilcox – Corporate Finance Lead

Mark Nedderman – Senior Scrutiny Officer

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on  3 December 2013.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2013 be confirmed as a correct record.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of the existence of a party whip.

There were no members of the public present who wished to speak

To consider a report of the Chief Operating Officer (to follow)

The committee considered the 2014/15 pre-budget report.

The report highlighted the main proposals in the budget for 2014/15 and the context for the financial challenges for the future. The strategy supported the Council’s priorities in the three year plan agreed by Council in February 2013. The report also set out the engagement plan for the current budget setting process. 

The Chief Operating Officer informed the committee that the Council was in a strong financial position. The report stressed however, that the Council still faced challenging circumstances during the next year and the future.  The Council’s ambition was to continue to improve services and to provide better outcomes for local people within appropriate funding levels.

The report proposed:

·         Maintaining reserves at a prudent level that protected vital services and managed cash flow during the transformation of services;

·         Accepting the Government Offer of a Council tax  freeze grant;

·         Allocating £17.5 million to support more  vulnerable residents through continuation of the Local Council Tax Support Scheme;

·         No external borrowing, but to utilise up to £37 million of the Council’s resources to support planned Capital expenditure in 2014/15

The committee then heard from each Head of Service in the following order:

Children and Families

Positive steps had been made and were continuing to be made in reducing the number of cared for children, and in particular in reducing the number of out of borough placements. This had reduced the Council’s costs considerably and provided better outcomes for children. Additionally, better partnership  working, particularly with health colleagues  was producing efficiencies and this coupled with extra efficiencies expected through improved commissioning was expected to drive down costs further. Transport costs were under review as fewer children were now in care, it was expected that savings could be delivered. The Council was particularly pushing forward the initiative to develop further independent travel training for those with Special Education or Social needs.

Adult Social Care

The key theme within adult social care was the need to provide more for less. The Council had ambitious plans to stimulate the social care market in order to ensure that the market was able to respond to individual need to provide conditions whereby more people would take up direct payments in respect of personalised budgets.  The Council would be realigning its commissioning plans in order to collaborate more effectively with health partners and would be reviewing its funding commitments, for example, in respect of intermediate/transitional care beds. The impacts of the new Care Bill were still being analysed.

Environmental Protection and Enhancement

Two major change projects had been highlighted within this directorate to provide significant savings as part of the Councils’ drive to introduce arms length delivery vehicles. These were bereavement services and ANSA (waste fleet management and grounds maintenance and mechanical street sweeping play areas, trees drainage etc)

There had been a significant amount of pothole repairs undertaken during the current financial year. This has resulted in a major improvement in the condition of the highway. New arrangements for the treatment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

To consider a report of the Head of Governance and Democratic Services.

The Committee reviewed its work programme.

 RESOLVED – That the work programme be noted.