Agenda and minutes

The Members had before them:

A.         The Agenda papers (previously circulated); and

B.         The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 15 October 2015 (previously circulated).

A copy of document A will be attached to the signed Minutes.

Mr M L Bayliss, Mr S E Geraghty, and Mrs L C Hodgson declared an interest in agenda item 8 as members of Worcester City Council.

Mr J P Campion and Mr M J Hart declared an interest in agenda item 8 as members of Wyre Forest District Council.

Mr A I Hardman declared an interest in agenda item 8 as a member of Wychavon District Council.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in writing or by e-mail indicating both the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case Wednesday 18 November 2015).  Further details are available on the Council's website.  Enquiries can also be made through the telephone number/e-mail address listed below.

None.

A Minute's silence was held for Jim Parish who had passed away recently.

The Minutes of the meeting of 15 October 2015 have been previously circulated

RESOLVED:  that the Minutes of the Cabinet held on 15 October 2015 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Cabinet considered the emerging Corporate Plan:  FutureFit 2020 and its proposals including a programme of communications and engagement in Autumn 2015.  The details were set out in the report and its Supporting Information.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Leader of the Council introduced the report and commented that:

·         Worcestershire was a county that was achieving at the moment. Over a 5 year period, the County had the 3^rd fastest growing LEP area and productivity was the fastest rising of any LEP in the country. Nine out of ten schools in the county were rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted. More money had been invested in infrastructure. However there was still a long way to go

·         The Council was determined to listen to the public and this was reflected in a gradual change in perception of the Council by the public

·         A lot of effort had been made to engage the business community which was paying off

·         There was a drive towards inward investment and self-sufficiency for the County and with the future government proposals to return business rates to local councils by 2020, this Council would be in a good position to rely on the endeavours of the people of Worcestershire rather than central government hand-outs

·         The Adult Social Care budget was under control and he was hopeful  that the financial settlement from the government would address the pressures facing social care

·         A meeting was planned with the Secretary of State to discuss the devolution deal for the County

·         Continued emphasis would be placed on growing the Council's own talent to deliver services in a different and more challenging way. Despite the period of austerity, over £1m a day was being spent on Council services. This Council remained a well-managed and financially strong body to develop Worcestershire's ambitions for the future

·         The Secretary of State had indicated that the local government financial settlement would not be announced until 23 December 2015

(b)  The report highlighted the emphasis placed on public communication and engagement with the views of over 50,000 local residents being sought and a roadshow programme that attracted 800 residents. These views had been fed through the planning cycle. The Commissioning process was a cycle and the Council would continue to look at the best and most appropriate mechanisms to provide services that maximised value for money. The most appropriate delivery mechanism would alter as circumstances changed

(c)  The Cabinet Member for Health and Well-being explained that he had been contacted by a representative of the Worcestershire Carers Association who had expressed a concern about the savings proposed to be made in supporting employment for people with learning difficulties and the inability to re-commission the service following the failure of the current provider to re-tender for the service. This referenced paragraph 58 and the supporting papers and was a consequence of delivering the service in a different way. There was no market interest and the current provider did not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1699.

The Cabinet considered proposals for proactively managing demand for Council services.  The details were set out in the report and its Appendix.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Health and Well-being introduced the report and commented that the Council was taking an activity and outcome-driven approach to this area of work with prevention being a key objective. The All-age Prevention Strategy had 5 key themes. In particular, he highlighted commissioning prevention services based on evidence of effectiveness and within the funding available; and Gate-keeping services in a professional, systematic and evidenced way. An 'early help offer' had been developed. Throughout the implementation of the Early Help Strategy the demand on children's social care and other specialist services had continued to increase. Following comments received about greater clarity after a peer review, the Strategy had been refreshed and re-focussed. A new integrated service with public health would be developed with an associated budget of £9.5m. It was envisaged that this new service would be up and running by October 2016. He hoped that the Health and Well-being Board would provide challenge and feedback on this new integrated service. The Cabinet Member with Responsibility explained that the Council would have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty and Equality Impact Assessments and other statutory duties such as under the Childcare Act 2006    

(b)  It was important that the Early Help Strategy reached out to those children requiring help from the Council at as early stage in their life as possible to enable support to be targeted effectively. A joined-up strategy was required to support families working with partner organisations to ensure improved outcomes. This would not be a quick fix but there should not be any further delay 

(c)   A Member from outside the Cabinet commented that the proposals represented nothing more than a service budget reduction. Prevention was about young people and when they attended youth centres, the Council had the ability to gather intelligence about vulnerable individuals. In response it was commented that the key issue was addressing the cause of the problem in a social setting and not necessarily providing additional funds for the sake of it

(d)   A Member from outside the Cabinet was concerned about the proposals to delegate responsibility for the implementation of the projects to officers and Cabinet Members without any further recourse to public debate. In response it was commented that delegated decision-taking was a legitimate process that ensured that decisions were made in an efficient manner whilst providing the same opportunity to influence the decision-making process. Reports to Cabinet Members would be publicised ahead of the decision and their decision could also be called-in just as for Cabinet decisions

(e)   A Member from outside the Cabinet emphasised that good outcomes were being achieved in Early Help under the children community arrangements and there was strong evidence base in local areas to support this assertion

(f)   The Council was still spending a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1700.

The Cabinet considered using reserves of £2m for the procurement of Innovation Partnerships for the development of technology in care.  The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Social Care introduced the report and commented that the project would support the Council's strategy for preventing people coming into care, promote independence and help self- funders. Technology would help all communities but particularly those who were frail and in need of some support. The personalised technology was not new but was aimed at enhancing the quality and safety of everyday living. It was recommended that one-off monies of £2m be set aside from Directorate reserves to invest in the development of new technologies

(b)  This project was not necessarily about budgetary reductions but improving the quality of life of the County's ageing citizens. The intention was to ensure as many people as possible lived in their own homes independently for as long as possible. Working with technology companies to develop new technology was vital in achieving this aim

(c)  The technology would be tested in the environment with the people who needed it and if it did not work satisfactorily, then alternative technological solutions would be sought

(d)  A Member from outside the Cabinet commented that the use of new technology was welcomed however there was a concern that this technology was being used to reduce budgets. Introducing technology should not be at the expense of human contact with staff. Cabinet members might also wish to note that the County had the highest tariff for the rapid charge for electric cars in the country

(e)  A Member from outside the Cabinet stated that there should be an awareness of the impact of introducing new technology to old and often confused people who might not understand the implication of its use

(f)  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Social Care added that there were cost savings to be made but the aim of providing new technology was not to reduce human contact with staff/people but to reduce the dependency on direct support and provide an element of choice for the individual on how to make contact.

RESOLVED:  that

(a)  the New Technologies in Care Project be endorsed and its contribution to making revenue savings and mitigating cost pressures to a total of £5.2m be noted;

(b)  the procurement of one or more Innovation Partnerships for the development of technology in care be approved;

(c)  the set aside of a total of £2m from Directorate reserves for one-off investments to be made on the basis of business cases from Innovation Partners that can demonstrate clear benefits be approved;

(d)  Full Council be recommended to approve the addition of this £2m of Directorate reserves to the Capital Programme; and

(e)  authority to approve individual business cases and appoint one or more Innovation Partners to such Partnerships be delegated to the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1701.

The Cabinet considered arrangements for the development and oversight of West Midlands Rail Limited and County Council representation on its Board of Directors.  The details were set out in the report and its Supporting Information.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Cabinet Member for Highways introduced the report and commented that West Midlands Rail partner authorities had been developing a proposal for increasing local involvement and influence over the local rail services for approximately two and a half years, in line with Government policy on devolution and evidenced by the benefits experienced elsewhere (e.g. Merseyside) from local control of rail services. In order for partner authorities to be active partners in the future management of the West Midlands rail franchise, the Department for Transport required that an appropriate governance framework was in place. The aims of the partnership were consistent with the Council's priorities. It was important for the Council to be involved in the West Midlands Rail Limited as a member to increase its influence and improve benefits to the County of the rail network

(b)  A good rail service was important for the County and the Council had been supportive of the work of Network Rail and other operators to improve the rail network. However the network was under increased pressure and anything that would increase influence over the franchise arrangements should be welcomed. In particular, the Council needed to extend its influence across county boundaries to achieve the best results with the resources available

(c)   A Member from outside the Cabinet expressed concern that the limited financial contribution by the Council would impact upon the ability of the Council to influence the franchise arrangements. In response, it was explained that the Council would receive equal voting rights within the consortium and therefore the proposal represented good value for money for the Council

(d)  The Leader of the Council paid tribute to the work of Councillor Lawrence, the Leader of Wolverhampton City Council, in driving forward these arrangements. These proposals were an important step forward for the West Midlands and Worcestershire and he looked forward to further devolution and influence over the rail franchise arrangements. It would also enable the Council to address a series of historical rail service issues.

RESOLVED:  that

(a)  the potential advantages to Worcestershire of joining a consortium of local authorities to influence the West Midlands Rail franchise be noted;

(b) the proposed governance arrangements for the development and oversight of West Midlands Rail Limited, established as a company limited by guarantee with a Board of Directors appointed from each of the constituent partner authorities for the purpose of providing local democratic strategic guidance for the specification of the new West Midlands rail franchise being let by the Department for Transport (DfT) during 2017, be approved;

(c) Worcestershire County Council joining West Midlands Rail Limited as a member be approved;

(d) the appointment by the County Council of the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways as a principal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1702.

The Cabinet considered arrangements to bring County Regulatory Services currently discharged through Worcestershire Regulatory Services (including Trading Standards and Animal Health) back in-house to the County Council.  The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Localism and Communities introduced the report and commented that the County Council as a commissioning council had undertaken a review of regulatory services which had concluded that bringing trading standards back in-house was the most viable option for the County Council to deliver the most capacity within the service for the budget assigned. It was proposed that the County Council would leave the Joint Committee on 31 March 2016 and then put in place a short-term services contract as needed with Bromsgrove District Council for the continued delivery of county functions through WRS, at the end of which functions would transfer back to the direct control of the Council. Full Council had approved these proposals in relation to non-executive functions. Cabinet was considering executive functions  

(b)  The proposals for Trading Standards were necessary to ensure that the Council fulfilled its statutory duties. There were some minor issues to be resolved with district councils but this should not prevent the proposed arrangements

(c)  The transfer of trading standards back under the direct control of the County Council should not be seen as a failure of policy but as natural progression. It was part of the natural commissioning process of reviewing the structure of services to ensure that they evolved as circumstances dictated. Shared services were not always the answer. What was important was that the service was affordable and worked best for the people of Worcestershire. The Commissioning process was not always about externalising a service

(d)  A Member from outside the Cabinet reminded members that this radical change of approach by the County Council had only recently been communicated to district councils. He queried how the available funding would cover the cost of providing 11 fte trading standards officers

(e)  A Member from outside the Cabinet stated that it was a relief that the trading standards service would be brought back in-house. The provision of 11 fte trading standards officers was the minimum needed to cover the statutory duties for the service. As the County Council led the move to creating a joint service, it should look to recompense the district councils appropriately. What proposals were there to appoint a head of service?  The Head of Community and Environment explained that a trading standards manager would be appointed in due course. The Head of Service responsibilities would be undertaken within the existing organisation structure

(f)  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Localism and Communities added that as a member of the shared service, the County Council had pushed to reduce overhead costs and thereby reduce the contributions from district councils. The new arrangements would allow the on-going management costs to be absorbed by the County Council. Discussions were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1703.

The Cabinet considered the Worcestershire County Council Renewable Energy Strategy and Renewable Energy Research Paper.  The details were set out in the report and its Appendices.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for the Environment introduced the report and commented that alongside the Council's Renewable Energy Strategy, a Renewable Energy Research Paper had been produced to provide information on the benefits of renewable energy and what development of renewables could mean for Worcestershire. A lot of helpful comments were received following the public consultation exercise on the Strategy and Research Paper. The Strategy was necessary to maximise resources from income generation in a co-ordinated way across the entire Council estate. It did not prejudge future planning applications. The energy market was prone to fluctuations and therefore it was important that with the proposals to reduce the Feed-in Tariff that all sources of energy were considered

(b)  It was time for a refresh of the Council's Renewable Energy Strategy. £30m of the Council's Pension Fund had been invested in off-shore wind farms. It was important that renewable energy was considered as part of the energy use proposals

(c)  The Council should look to introduce more plug in points for electric vehicles as part of the Strategy

(d)  A Member from outside the Cabinet commented that the overall policy should be welcomed however there were certain reservations about renewable energy. The problem with wind turbines was that they were ineffective on still days and when this happened it tended to affect large areas. So to suggest that electricity could be imported from wind farms in Germany was potentially flawed. Bio-mass was questionable in terms of its benefits to the carbon balance. He pointed out that the Government had not ruled out 'abated' coal-fired power stations. Other countries were still building coal-fired power stations and this country was putting itself at a disadvantage by closing such facilities

(e)  A Member from outside the Cabinet stated that in principle Bio-mass was a great solution to the county's energy needs. However in reality maize was being grown for burning and burnt. This had a negative impact on the quality of the soil and on the local highways network

(f)   The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for the Environment added that this country imported all its coal from overseas and there were difficulties obtaining it. New power stations were being built with the latest technology to reduce emissions.

RESOLVED:  that

(a)        the Worcestershire County Council Renewable Energy Strategy be adopted; and

(b)       the Worcestershire County Council Renewable Energy Research Paper be endorsed.

The Cabinet considered a Resources Report.  The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)  The Leader of the Council introduced the report and commented that at the end of September 2015, £20.8m of the £27.5m target had either been delivered or confirmed as on target. He was confident that the outturn figure would be delivered. The forecast demand pressure for Children's Services remained consistent. The overall financial pressure forecasted last month of £5.1m could now be reduced to around £3.1 as a result withdrawing £1.4m from Earmarked Reserves. The overall target was on track and on time. Capital spend lagged behind expectations at this stage but he anticipated that it would catch up towards the end of the year as projects were delivered. The profile of the Council's borrowing was being managed with prudence and skill and he thanked officer for that

(b)  It was encouraging to see that the slight overspend was under control but it should be emphasised that it represented a variance of under 1% of the overall cash authorised limits.

RESOLVED:  that

(a)        the Cabinet Member's conclusions concerning revenue budget monitoring up to 30 September 2015 be endorsed;

(b)       the current progress regarding the FutureFit programme be endorsed;

(c)        the Cabinet Member's conclusions concerning capital budget monitoring up to 30 September 2015 be endorsed; and

(d)       the Cabinet Member's conclusions regarding the treasury management half yearly report be endorsed.