County Buildings, Stafford
DDI (01785) 276148
Please ask for Tina Randall
Email:[email protected]
Corporate Review Committee
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
2.00 pm
Oak Room, County Buildings, Stafford
John Tradewell
Interim Chief Executive
20 January 2015
AGENDA
1.
Apologies
2.
Declarations of Interest
3.
Minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2014
(Pages 1 - 4)
4.
Quarterly Performance Report
(Pages 5 - 18)
Report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy,
Finance and Corporate Issues
5.
Volunteering in Staffordshire
(Pages 19 - 24)
Report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy,
Finance and Corporate Issues
6.
Outcomes of Overview and Scrutiny Work October - December
2014
(Pages 25 - 32)
Report of the Democracy Manager
7.
Work Programme
(Pages 33 - 40)
8.
MTFS Working Group Final Report
(Pages 41 - 60)
Report of the MTFS Working Group
9.
Exclusion of the Public
The Chairman to move:“That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of
business which involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as
defined in the paragraphs of Schedule 12A (as amended) of Local
Government Act 1972 indicated below”.
PART TWO
(All reports in this section are exempt)
Membership
Philip Jones (Chairman)
Simon Tagg (Vice-Chairman)
Frank Chapman
Carol Dean
Brian Edwards
John Francis
Derrick Huckfield
Kevin Jackson
Brian Jenkins
Kath Perry
John Taylor
Susan Woodward
Mike Worthington
Scrutiny and Support Manager: Tina Randall Tel: (01785) 276148
Note for Members of the Press and Public
Filming of Meetings
The Open (public) section of this meeting may be filmed for live or later broadcasting or
other use, and, if you are at the meeting, you may be filmed, and are deemed to have
agreed to being filmed and to the use of the recording for broadcast and/or other
purposes.
Recording by Press and Public
Recording (including by the use of social media) by the Press and Public is permitted
from the public seating area provided it does not, in the opinion of the chairman, disrupt
the meeting.
Agenda Item 3
Minutes of the Corporate Review Committee Meeting held on 25 November 2014
Present: Philip Jones (Chairman)
Attendance
Simon Tagg (Vice-Chairman)
Frank Chapman
Brian Edwards
John Francis
Derrick Huckfield
Kevin Jackson
Brian Jenkins
Kath Perry
John Taylor
Susan Woodward
Mike Worthington
Also in attendance: Ian Parry
PART ONE
34.
Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
35.
Minutes of the meeting held on 14 October 2014
RESOLVED: The minutes were approved as a correct record.
36.
Corporate Complaints Annual Report 2013-14
The Committee considered the Corporate Complaints Annual Report which was
presented by the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy, Finance and
Corporate Issues. This is the first full year that the Corporate Complaints Team has
administered the corporate complaints service. Complaints regarding adults and
children’s social care are administered separately by the Team, and scrutinised by the
Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee.
In considering the report Members queried the accuracy of the reported number of
complaints made via Councillors; whether the total number of complaints included
complaints made to Councillors about highways issues and whether there was an
aggregate of all ‘complaints’ brought to the Council, and asked if examples of complaints
could be included in the report.
The report only included the number of formal complaints made by Councillors that are
reported through to the Council Call Centre. These are then recorded by the Corporate
Complaints Team. Many highways issues are dealt with by the frontline highways team.
It is only those complaints that are not resolved at the frontline level within the stated
timescale, and then reported to the Corporate Complaints team that are included in the
reported figures. Examples of complaints are not included in the report to ensure
complainants’ confidentiality. Members asked if next year’s report could make it clear that
the report is a formal complaints report. The Complaints team work with all service areas
-1-
Page 1
to ensure that intelligence regarding issues being raised by the public are captured and
learned from.
Members highlighted the role that they have in resolving complaints and the intelligence
that they gather regarding public concerns about issues and the Council’s performance in
dealing with matters of concern.
The Cabinet Member acknowledged the important role that Members have in reflecting an
understanding of public concerns, but reiterated that this report was about formal
complaints, although both concerns and formal complaints were important. Public
concerns are however captured in a different way.
Members wanted to understand the performance of the Council in regard to all complaints
and asked where the complaints regarding adults social care services provided by
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust were reported. The County
Council Corporate Complaints Team administers all adults’ social care complaints in
accordance with the Regulations. The complaints are all seen by the Corporate
Complaints Team and are reported to the Trust Board, but are reported to the Council’s
Commissioner for Care and his Senior Leadership Team on a regular basis. It was
explained that details of these complaints are reported to the Healthy Staffordshire Select
Committee for scrutiny on a regular basis.
Members reiterated that they would like to see a complaints report that captured residents’
concerns resolved at the frontline as well as formal complaints so they have a complete
picture of residents’ concerns, and asked that a further breakdown of the time taken to
resolve complaints at Stage 2 be provided in bar chart format. Members also sought
reassurance that we are learning from complaints where the outcome is maladministration
or personal injustice and that all Members are made aware of any changes made as a
result. Finally, they requested that it be made clear that the details of complaints recorded
as ‘Staff Related’ are against staff rather than by staff.
RESOLVED: That Members of the Committee visit the Corporate Complaints Team to
see how complaints are managed;
That the amendments made in regard to content of the report are made to next year’s
report.
37.
Community Engagement Report
The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues
introduced the report that reflects a new approach to the way it was planned to engage
with communities so that we commission services to meet their needs, taking into account
changes in the way people are leading their lives, specifically the increasing use of, and
reliance on, social media.
Members sought reassurance that we are not duplicating work being undertaken by
Staffordshire Police and local councils, but that the Observatory were working closely with
them. It was explained that it was a partnership project and information was fed in from
various partners and shared with them.
-2-
Page 2
Members reiterated that they are a rich source of intelligence regarding local communities
and asked how this resource is tapped into. Members are represented on school
governing bodies and there should be a mechanism for feeding back their views. The
Cabinet Member acknowledged that he would welcome suggestions as to how this could
be improved. Members acknowledged the success of the Members’ Events. Members
proposed that the Committee set up a Working Group to explore capturing the elected
Member role in community engagement. An issue was raised illustrating the importance
of feedback to Members on progress with consultations.
Members asked if there was any detail of the relative use and effectiveness of the various
methods of engagement shown in the diagram in Appendix 1 of the report. Details of
numbers of people who are using and have responded by these different methods of
engagement are reflected in final reports. Different types of engagement are used
according to the purpose of the engagement. Whilst recognising the importance of social
media, Members stressed that many people do not use social media and that we would
still need to capture their views. The same credence is given to complainants who use
more conventional methods of engagement as to those who use social media.
Members stated that the Locality Forums work very well in South Staffordshire and
consideration could be given to introducing them in other parts of the county. This links in
with the ‘Localities – new ways of working’ item on the Work Programme.
RESOLVED: A Working Group is established to explore capturing the elected Member
role in community engagement.
That consideration is given to rolling out Locality Forums across Staffordshire.
38.
Work Programme - November 2014
The 6 January meeting would be retained in the calendar in case of call-in(s).
Members requested that the visit to the Corporate Complaints Team be added to the
Work Programme and that the item on the Shape of Local Government, debated initially at
the last Council meeting, be prioritised and that the Scrutiny and Support Manager
consider the mechanisms by which this discussion could be considered, allowing a
significant amount of time for debate, and report back to the Committee.
The Scrutiny and Support Manager reported that the item on Volunteering in Staffordshire
would now be considered at the meeting on 28 January and that an update on
Transformation would be added to this Agenda.
Members requested that a Working Group be established to explore capturing the elected
Member role in community engagement further. Consideration could be given to
combining this item with the item on Locality working.
Members also considered the role of Members in Commissioning be prioritised.
RESOLVED: That the above amendments be made to the Work Programme.
Chairman
-3-
Page 3
Page 4
Agenda Item 4
Local Members’ Interest
n/a
Corporate Review Committee – 28th January 2015
Quarterly Performance Report
Recommendations
That Scrutiny members:
1. Note and challenge the performance position and advise of any further information or
action required.
2. Provide feedback on the performance report itself.
Report of Philip Atkins, Leader of the Council and Ian Parry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues
Summary
What is the Scrutiny Committee being asked to do and why?
Scrutiny Committee is being asked to note and challenge the performance position and
to be assured that performance is aligned to the Strategic Plan.
Report
Background
This report follows on from previous presentations to Corporate Review Committee in relation to
the Strategic Plan and the Business Plan. This is the position for Quarter 2, 2014/15.
Page 5
Quarterly Performance Report
Report Summary from Philip Atkins, Leader of the
Council and Ian Parry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues
Philip Atkins, Leader of the Council, said:
“Staffordshire County Council, working with partners and business, has successfully laid the foundations
for a stronger, more diverse economy offering our people more highly-skilled, better paid jobs. Our
enterprise earned royal recognition when The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh opened two new
businesses at i54 South Staffordshire in the autumn. The development epitomises how we are working
collaboratively, at pace, for a more prosperous future for Staffordshire people.
“Unemployment continues to fall, more quality jobs are being created, and as a result we are winning
more investment from Government to accelerate the work we are doing. We continue investing in sites to
attract cutting edge companies to Staffordshire, investing in training so that our people have the right
skills to compete for the better paid jobs and the opportunities they bring, and improving standards in
education to ensure that Staffordshire’s young people leave school with bright futures ahead of them.”
Ian Parry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues, said:
“Crime in Staffordshire continues to fall, and working with partners we continue to turn around the lives of
people young and old in some of Staffordshire’s most troubled families.
“Older people are getting more support to choose the care they need and live the lives they want, and
the numbers of children coming into our care are stabilising.
“There is more hard work ahead, but the County Council will continue to work with partners and the
public to find new ways of delivering results and value for money for local people.”
Page 6
Report Summary
1.
This Quarterly Performance Report provides an overview of Staffordshire County Council’s
performance and highlights the progress we are making in delivering our three priority outcomes
focussed upon ensuring:
•
•
•
2.
The people of Staffordshire will be able to access more good jobs and feel the benefits of
economic growth
The people of Staffordshire will be healthier and more independent
The people of Staffordshire will feel safer, happier and more supported in and by their
community
This report also provides an update on our continuing drive to be a well-run council, including the
financial position of the county council and delivery of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.
Report Commissioner: Kate Waterhouse
Job Title: Head of Insight, Planning and Performance
Tel. No: 01785 277893
Email: [email protected]
Page 7
O U TCOM E O N E—T H E PEOPLE OF STAFFORDSH IRE W ILL BE ABLE T O ACCESS M ORE GOOD JOBS AN D FEEL TH E
BEN EFITS OF ECON OMIC GROW TH
Quarter Two, 2014/15
W ORKLESSN ESS
ECON OMIC PROSPERITY
U N EMPLOYMEN T
BU SINESS ST ART U PS
N umber of business start-ups, April 2012—July 2014
Percentage of working age job seekers allowance claimants, April 2013—
September 2014
600
5%
500
The percentage of JSA
claimants in
Staffordshire (1.2%)
continues to be below
both that for the W est
Midlands (2.8%) and
England and W ales
(2.2%).
4%
3%
2%
1%
England and W ales
300
200
100
0
Sep-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
Jun-14
Apr-14
May-14
Mar-14
Feb-14
Jan-14
Dec-13
Nov-13
Sep-13
Staffordshire
Oct-13
Aug-13
Jul-13
Jun-13
May-13
Page 8
Apr-13
0%
400
April
May
June
July
Aug
2012/13
West Midlands
G
Source: NOMIS
Sept
Oct
2013/14
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
March
2014/15
Source: BankSearch
The number of
new business
start-ups fell by 5%
between April
2014-July 2014
compared with the
same period in
2013. However,
Staffordshire
consistently
outperforms the
national and
regional
business
A
survival rates.
EDU CATION AN D SKILLS
SCH OO L O FSTED RAT IN GS
KEY ST AGE 4 ATT AIN MEN T
Percentage of schools rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted,
August 2010 - August 2014
As of August 2014, 79% of
all schools in Staffordshire
85%
were rated as being 'Good
80%
or Outstanding' by Ofsted,
75%
compared to 81% nationally.
The target is for 80% of
70%
schools to be ‘Good or
65%
Outstanding’ by 2015 and
60%
90% to be ‘Good or
55%
Outstanding’ by 2016.
50%
Aug-10
Aug-11
Staffordshire
Source: Ofsted
Aug-12
England
Aug-13
Aug 14*
Statistical Neighbours
* Provisional Ofsted data for
management information
(not official statistics).
Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades including English
and Maths, 2008 - 2014
There has been a
70%
reduction in the
percentage of pupils
60%
achieving 5+ A*-C
50%
grades including
40%
English and Maths
30%
(54.4%), however
20%
Staffordshire
remains above the
10%
national average
0%
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014*
(52.6%).
Staffordshire
A
Source: DfE
National
* Provisional unvalidated results. Validated results released January 2015
A
Outcome One – The people of Staffordshire will be able to access more good jobs and feel the
benefits of economic growth
Performance Summary
The Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimant rate in Staffordshire continues to decrease and remains
below the national average and our neighbouring authorities. In September 2014, 1.2% of Staffordshire’s
working age population claimed JSA, compared to 2.2% nationally.
The number of new business start-ups fell by 5% between April and July 2014 compared with the same
period in 2013. However, this needs to be considered alongside the reduction in job seekers allowance
claimants and the high rate of business survival. In Staffordshire, 62% of businesses created in 2009
were still in operation after three years, compared to 59.7% nationally.
As at August 2014, 79% of schools in Staffordshire were rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted which is
an increase of 20 percentage points since 2010. This is lower than the national average (81%), but
slightly above our statistical neighbours (78%). The county council has set a target of 80% of all schools
in Staffordshire being ‘good or better’ by August 2015 and 90% of all schools being 'good or better' by
August 2016.
Provisional, unvalidated results show that the number of pupils achieving 5 or more grade A*-C GCSEs
including English and Maths has reduced in 2014 compared with 2013. However, Staffordshire is still
performing above the national average with 54.4% of pupils achieving this level compared to 52.6%
nationally. The drop in results can be attributed to changes in the way that the results are recorded this
year. This is the first time that a pupil’s first attempt at an exam counts in terms of the results, rather than
their final or ‘best’ attempt.
Priority Actions
The county council and Entrust will continue to support schools in order to improve results at Key Stage
4. The county council and Entrust provide access to a wide range of support to schools including help in
specific subject areas, behaviour support and work with teaching and learning mentors to help them
progress and improve.
Following approval in July 2014, the £82.2million Growth Deal was signed in October 2014. This will
result in thousands of new jobs being created in Staffordshire and it is also estimated that the growth
deal will bring a further £10million from public and private sector investment. Development work is due
to begin from April 2015 and the investment will support the long-term economic plan drawn up by the
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership. Projects scheduled for 2015/16 are the
development of the Lichfield Park employment site (1,100 jobs), Meaford employment site near Stone
(2,200 jobs) and Bericote Four Ashes employment site in South Staffordshire (1,080 jobs). There will
also be £16.1million investment to construct the Stafford Western Access Route, which will aid growth
and cut congestion in Stafford.
Current Activity
In October 2014, Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine manufacturing centre and a new facility for the hi-tech
printing firm, International Security Printers were officially opened on the i54 South Staffordshire
employment site by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. i54 South Staffordshire is being developed in
partnership by Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council and Wolverhampton City
Council. Jaguar Land Rover’s engine manufacturing centre will employ 1,400 staff when it reaches full
capacity, bringing the total number of jobs on site to 2,000.
The growth deal investment will also support the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Advanced Manufacturing
Skills Hub, which will provide the skills and engineers needed by businesses and will increase
traineeships and apprenticeships opportunities. Phase one of the hub is now running in Tamworth,
Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle. The Torc Professional and Technical Centre officially opened in
Tamworth in October 2014. The centre forms part of South Staffordshire College’s manufacturing and
Page 9
engineering skills hub which will also include an automotive and engineering centre. New electrical
engineering courses started on site in September 2014.
Since May 2014, the Superfast Staffordshire broadband project has provided over 20,000 homes and
businesses in Staffordshire with the ability to receive fibre broadband. The £27million partnership
programme is in addition to BT’s commercial roll-out that aims to connect more than 370,000
Staffordshire premises by the end of 2014. The combined investment from Superfast Staffordshire, BT
and other private sector programme will mean 95% of homes and businesses across the county having
access to super-fast broadband by Spring 2016. In October 2014 an interactive map went live which
enables Staffordshire residents to do a postcode search to find out when and where fibre basedbroadband is likely to become available in their area. The map is available to view and search via the
following link: http://superfaststaffordshire.co.uk/where-and-when/where-and-when/
Page 10
O U TCOME T W O —T H E PEOPLE OF STAFFORDSH IRE W ILL BE H EALTH IER AN D MORE IN DEPEN DEN T
Quarter Two, 2014/15
H EALTH Y LIFESTYLES
SOCIAL C ARE
H EALTH Y LIFE EX PECT AN CY
SU PPO RT
Percentage of life spent in good health, 2010-2012
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
Page 11
10%
0%
Males
Females
Staffordshire
West Midlands
England
Source: Office for National Statistics
Males in Staffordshire
spend a larger
proportion of their life
in 'good' health
compared with females
in Staffordshire and
males in the W est
Midlands and England.
Females in
Staffordshire spend a
smaller proportion of
their life in 'good' health
compared with females
in the W est Midlands
A
and England.
Percentage of social care users that feel that they are supported to
make their own decisions about their social care and/or services, April
2013 - July 2014
Staffordshire
100%
remains above the
90%
national average in
80%
respect to the
70%
percentage of
60%
respondents of the
50%
40%
Adult Social Care
30%
Survey that feel that
20%
they are supported
10%
to make their own
0%
decisions about
their social care
Staffordshire
West Midlands (2013/14 outturn)
and/or
England (2013/14 outturn)
Family Group (2013/14 outturn)
G
services.
Source: Adult Social Care Survey
PH YSICAL A CT IVITY
I N D EPEND EN CE
Percentage of respondents of the Active People Survey achieving at
least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, 2012-2013
60%
In 2013,
Staffordshire had a
50%
similar percentage
of adults achieving at
40%
least 150 minutes of
30%
physical activity per
week compared to
20%
the national average,
despite a slight
10%
decrease compared
0%
with 2012.
Staffordshire
W est Midlands
England
Percentage of older people (65 and over) who were still at home 91 days
after discharge from hospital into rehabilitation/reablement services,
April 2013-August 2014
Staffordshire has
100%
performed better than its
90%
statistical neighbours since
80%
February 2014 in respect
70%
to the percentage of older
60%
50%
people (65 and over) who
40%
were still at home 91 days
30%
after discharge from
20%
hospital into rehabilitation/
10%
reablement services,
0%
however Staffordshire was
below the national average
Staffordshire
West Midlands (2013/14 outturn)
in August 2014.
England (2013/14 outturn)
Statistical neighbours (2013/14 outturn)
2012
2013
Source: Sport England Active People Survey (figures are population estimates based on survey
respondents)
A
R
Source: Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust
A
Outcome Two – The people of Staffordshire will be healthier and more independent
Performance Summary
Although overall life expectancy is higher for females (83.0) than males (79.4) in Staffordshire, the latest
figures show that the healthy life expectancy for males (64.5) is higher than females (62.3). Males spend
a larger proportion of their life in 'good' health compared with females in Staffordshire. Staffordshire’s
males also spend longer in good health than males in the West Midlands and England, whereas
Staffordshire’s females spend a smaller proportion of their life in good health compared with females in
the West Midlands and England.
In 2013, Staffordshire had a similar percentage of adults achieving at least 150 minutes of physical
activity per week compared to the national average, despite a slight decrease compared with 2012. In
2013, Cannock Chase and Tamworth were significantly worse than the national average and Lichfield
and South Staffordshire were significantly better than the national average. In 2013 there was also a
similar percentage of inactive adults in Staffordshire (28.5%) compared with the national average
(28.9%). Cannock Chase and Tamworth were significantly worse than the national average (33.7% and
36.4% respectively) and Lichfield and Stafford were significantly better than the national average (21.2%
and 24.0% respectively).
Staffordshire’s performance in respect of the ‘percentage of older people who were still at home 91 days
after discharge from hospital into rehabilitation/reablement services’ has been close to or above the
2013/14 national and regional benchmarks each month since the start of the 2014/15 financial year. The
figures for the most recent months tend to be under-reported because where checks have not yet been
completed in terms of whether a person is still at home after 91 days, they cannot be counted as being at
home. The reported figures tend to rise as the outstanding checks are completed. Caution should be
taken with the benchmarks for England, the West Midlands and the statistical neighbours as they
represent the final outturn for the period 2013/14 and may not reflect changes in performance that have
taken place since that time. Staffordshire’s apparent dip in performance in September 2013 coincided
with the introduction of the new CareDirector client management system which necessitated a short
break in recording during the transition to the new system.
Priority Actions
To increase levels of physical activity in Staffordshire, the Active Staffordshire programme is being
developed. This is a joined up approach between a number of partner organisations to increase physical
activity and ensure all opportunities to promote, commission and deliver physical activity are maximised.
Partnership links have been made with Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) and an
implementation plan is currently being developed to roll out this approach across the County.
In terms of Adult Social Care, a Direct Payment Survey took place earlier in 2014 targeting all people in
receipt of a direct payment which funds their care and support services. The aim of this survey was to
test the extent to which people who use direct payments enjoy the choice that direct payments can bring.
The survey results showed a high rate of satisfaction with the local choice of support available on which
to spend their budgets. Over two thirds of respondents (70%, or 251 respondents) said that their direct
payment had afforded them a considerable increase in choice and control. The findings of the survey will
further help to improve and develop services across Staffordshire.
The Care Act will become law by April 2015, although implementation is phased. It will create the need
for expansion of the integrated health and social care agenda and will complement the work already
undertaken by the council and its partners through the Health and Wellbeing Board. Key elements
include prevention, better access to information about choice and control, and a good range of providers
to choose from. This duty to promote people's wellbeing applies not just to users of services, but also to
carers and is the driving force behind the new legislation. One of the factors local authorities will have to
consider surrounds identifying carers in the area who might have support needs that are not being met.
The new legislation with its emphasis on prevention means that carers should receive support earlier
before reaching crisis point.
Page 12
Current Activity
There are a number of programmes currently commissioned to support individuals to change their
behaviour to support their wellbeing. These include health checks, stop smoking services, weight
management programmes and physical activity programmes.
The health check programme is a targeted initiative aimed at identifying people over 40 with a risk of
cardiovascular disease. This scheme operates across the whole of Staffordshire.
Stop smoking services continue to perform well and fewer adults are smoking. Smoking during
pregnancy figures are also falling, however they are still higher than the national average, particularly in
Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands. A new integrated lifestyle service for pregnant and
post natal women has been commissioned in North Staffordshire. This service will provide additional
capacity to identify and support pregnant smokers to quit.
Weight Management programmes cover the whole of Staffordshire and have a range of commercial and
public sector providers. In addition, local areas have commissioned nutrition programmes to improve
healthy eating. Areas in Staffordshire have also been commissioned to deliver programmes that improve
physical activity levels through increasing walking and swimming, and targeting programmes for older
people.
A programme of personalisation training is currently under way which targets operational staff in the
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Partnership Trust to further embed the personalisation agenda. Work
continues with our partners to understand and improve adult social care users’ experience in terms of
feeling supported to make their own decisions. The Personalisation and Practice Quality team supports
practitioners in the Partnership Trust and the County Council by providing advice and support on personcentred assessment and support planning.
Page 13
O U TCOME T H REE—T H E PEOPLE OF STAFFORDSH IRE W ILL FEEL SAFER, H APPIER AN D MORE SU PPORTED IN
AN D BY TH EIR COMMU N ITY
Quarter Two, 2014/15
SAFEGU ARDIN G
LO OKED A FTER C HILD REN
N umber of looked after children, April 2013—July 2014
Percentage of children with long term placements, April 2013—June 2014
80%
1,000
990
980
970
960
950
940
930
920
910
900
Jul-14
The number of
children in long
term placements
had been steadily
increasing and has
now started to
stabilise.
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Source: Staffordshire County Council Families First
Jun-14
May-14
Apr-14
Mar-14
Feb-14
Jan-14
Dec-13
Nov-13
Oct-13
Sep-13
Aug-13
Jul-13
Jun-13
Apr-13
0%
May-13
Jun-14
May-14
Apr-14
Mar-14
Feb-14
Jan-14
Dec-13
Nov-13
Oct-13
Sep-13
Aug-13
Jul-13
Jun-13
May-13
Apr-13
70%
The number of children
who are 'Looked After'
by Staffordshire County
Council increased to
977 in April 2014 but
has fallen slightly to 970
at the end of July 2014.
Source: Staffordshire County Council Families First
Page 14
V OLU N TEERIN G
C OMMU N ITY SAFETY
FEELINGS O F SAFETY
RECO RD ED C RIME
FO RMAL AN D I N FO RMAL VO LU N TEERIN G
Rate of recorded crime (per 1,000 population),
April 2012—August 2014
Percentage of respondents who feel safe in
their local area
100%
4.5
90%
Percentage of respondents who engage in
Volunteering
35%
4.0
80%
Wave 14
70%
3.0
60%
W ave 15
Wave 16
30%
3.5
25%
2.5
50%
20%
2.0
40%
1.5
15%
30%
1.0
20%
10%
0.5
10%
0.0
0%
Wave 8
Wave 9
W ave 10
Wave 11
Wave 12
During the Day
Wave 13
Wave 14
W ave 15
W ave 16
May
June
July
Aug*
2014/15
After Dark
The percentage of respondents of the Feeling the
Difference Survey that felt safe in the day and after
dark remains high, however there has been a slight
dip in W ave 16 compared with W ave 15.
Source: Feeling the Difference Survey
April
G
Sept
Oct
2013/14
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
March
2012/13
0%
The rate of crime has decreased in August 2014
following an increase betweenGApril and July 2014.
There has also been a substantial decrease compared
with August 2013.
Source: Staffordshire Police
5%
G
Formal
Informal
The percentage of respondents who are engaging in
formal volunteering or informal volunteering has
increased in W ave 16 following a dip in W ave 15.
Source: Feeling the Difference Survey
A
Outcome Three – The people of Staffordshire will feel safer, happier and more supported in and
by their community
Performance Summary
The percentage of respondents who are engaging in either formal volunteering (such as unpaid help for
any group, club or organisation) or informal volunteering (for example unpaid help for any friends or
neighbours who are not relatives) has increased in Wave 16 (March 2014) of Staffordshire’s Feeling the
Difference Survey following a dip in Wave 15 (November 2013).
Most respondents of the Feeling the Difference Survey stated that they felt safe during the day (98.7%).
The percentage of respondents that felt safe after dark is substantially lower than during the day
(84.1%), but remains high in comparison with feelings of safety after dark in previous waves.
The rate of recorded crime in Staffordshire has decreased in August 2014 following an increase between
April and July 2014. There has also been a substantial decrease in August 2014 compared with August
2013. Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford and Staffordshire Moorlands recorded the lowest rates of
crime across Staffordshire, with the rates being highest in Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire and
Tamworth. There has been a 6% reduction in the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour reported
to Staffordshire Police between April – August 2014 compared with April – August 2013. The Office of
the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) also reports on performance relating to crime and disorder
for the Force (including Stoke-on-Trent). At Force level, overall incidents have remained relatively static
over the last 3 years, with an average of 743 incidents per day (up to July 2014). These include crimes,
anti-social behaviour incidents, alarm related incidents, domestic incidents, transport incidents and police
generated activity. Crime over the past 3 years has reduced, however the last 12 months (up to July
2014) has shown a slight increase of 2.5% compared to the previous period which is an extra 1,457
crimes. There has been an average of 167 crimes per day in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. The
Force has seen overall reductions in Burglary, Vehicle Crime and Criminal Damage but has experienced
increases in Violence and Sexual Offences.
The number of children who are 'Looked After' by Staffordshire County Council has increased over the
past seven years; however the population remained static when measured at March 2013 and March
2014. Despite this, the looked after children population increased to 977 in April 2014 but has fallen
slightly to 970 at the end of July 2014. There has also been an upward trend in the number of children
subject of a child protection plan; however this is in line with keeping the right children safeguarded and
is now around the expected value for similar Local Authorities based on deprivation levels. The
percentage of children in long term placements has also been steadily increasing and in June 2014
stabilised at 71%.
Measures relating to safeguarding are not rated as Red, Amber or Green as targets are currently being
set by Families First.
Priority Actions
A key priority is for every child in Staffordshire to have the best start in life and to ensure that all 0-5 year
olds are safe, healthy and ultimately achieve at school. Although the county council funds and provides
a wide range of support for under 5s and their families, only 25% of families are benefiting from the
services that are currently commissioned by Staffordshire County Council and only a quarter of these are
from the most deprived communities in the county. Parents and communities have therefore been asked
to take part in a major public consultation on proposals to change how the county council helps parents
to give their children the best start in life. The new proposals aim to help make more children under 5
happier, healthier and ready for school. This will be achieved by using resources differently and working
with partners to focus more effort on connecting parents to what they need, when they need it and in a
wider range of settings.
The Building Resilient Families and Communities (BRFC) programme, which is Stafforshire’s approach
to the government led ‘Troubled Families’ initiative has helped turn around the lives of over 940 families
in the county. The purpose of the programme is to help bring security and opportunity to families and
Page 15
communities in Staffordshire by helping families get back into work and school, reduce anti-social
behaviour and prevent young people from committing crime. The BRFC programme is working with over
1,400 families, and is on track to meet the government’s target to turn around 1,390 families by March
2015. Staffordshire ranks in the leading 30% of local authorities in the country and will now help to
develop a new tool to demonstrate how the programme is saving public money.
Current Activity
More than 2,700 children have been registered for the free childcare places through the county council’s
Think2 scheme. Parents on Working Tax Credits whose household income is below £16,190 and those
meeting the benefits criteria for free school meals are also eligible for the free places. Parents can check
if they qualify and apply at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/think2.
Staffordshire County Council has been awarded £29,750 by the Big Lottery Fund to help voluntary
organisations, community groups and social enterprises across Staffordshire bid for a total of £25million
joint funding from the European Social Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. The project will work with the
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Enterprise Partnership and the local voluntary and community sector to
provide support, advice and guidance to organisations at a series of information events, roadshows, and
networking opportunities.
Page 16
A W ELL-RU N C OU N CIL—CORPORATE H EALTH
Quarter Two, 2014/15
FIN AN CE/T RAN SFORMATION
Revenue Budget Variance
Capital Programme
Previous
3.2%
Latest
Previous
Latest
Previous
Latest
-0.1%
The latest revenue forecast
outturn shows an overspend
of £8.6m (1.7%). Since
quarter 1, action has been
taken to address identified
risks.
The latest capital outturn
projection is £131.5m,
compared to the quarter
1 forecast of £145.5m, a
decrease of 9.6%. This
projection is a fully
funded position.
-5.5%
Previous
Page 17
1.7%
Latest
H U MAN RESOU RCES
Percentage of available days lost due to sickness absence (including schools)
Savings Tracker
Percentage of available days lost to sickness absence, including schools (rolling 12 months)
Undelivered
Low
Medium
High
Delivered
£35.3 million Savings are categorised
into confidence of
Quarter 2
delivery. The latest
position shows that we
Undelivered
are currently under target
due to a range of factors
including delays in
Medium
implementing the Youth
Offer, additional notice
for ending Early Years
contracts, the non
High
delivery of the
Information, Advice and
Delivered
Guidance savings, and the
risks of achieving savings
across the local health
and care economy.
Source: Staffordshire County Council Finance & Resources
3.5%
3.0%
Percentage of available days lost
£39.4 million
Quarter 1
2.5%
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
0.0%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2011/12
Short term
Long term
Q1
Q2
Q3
2012/13
Local Government
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
2013/14
Public Sector same size
Q4
Q1
2014/15
Private Sector same size
Staffordshire County
Council (including
schools) consistently
performs better than
the public sector
(same size)
comparison in terms
of the percentage of
available days lost due
to sickness absence.
The average number
of days lost between
Quarter 2, 2013/14
and Quarter1,
2014/15 due to
sickness absence was
7.19 (2.75%).
Source: Staffordshire County Council Human Resources and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Link to Strategic Plan – This report details performance against the three outcomes in the
Strategic Plan and our continuing drive to be a well-run council.
Link to Other Overview and Scrutiny Activity – Performance against our outcomes and
commissioning intentions will be reviewed at relevant Scrutiny Committees.
Equalities and Legal Implications – These are considered as part of the performance
management and business planning processes.
Resource and Value for Money Implications - These are considered as part of the
performance management and business planning processes.
Risk Implications – The risk implications are considered as part of the performance
management and business planning processes.
Climate Change Implications – None identified.
Health Impact Assessment screening – n/a
Contact Officer
Name and Job Title: Kate Waterhouse, Head of Insight, Planning and Performance
Telephone No.: 01785 277893
E-mail: [email protected]
Appendices/Background papers
n/a
Page 18
Agenda Item 5
Local Members’ Interest
N/A
Corporate Review Committee– 28th January 2015
Volunteering in Staffordshire
Recommendation
1. That the Corporate Review Committee consider the content of the report as an
update on the current progress of VAST and Staffordshire Council of Voluntary
Youth Services (SCVYS) against their contracts in relation to volunteering.
Report of Ian Parry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transformation
and Finance
Summary
What is the Select Committee being asked to do and why?
2. This report provides an update on the progress of the work of VAST and
Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS) against their
contracts in relation to volunteering.
3. At the last meeting on 25th November, the Corporate Review Committee
discussed recent trends in volunteering as reported by quarterly ‘Feeling the
Difference’ resident survey. The survey stated that residents self reporting as
volunteering informally had reduced from 31.4% to 21.2% along with reported
formal volunteering reducing from 14.7% to 13.4% between 2012 and 2013.
4. As a result, the committee requested an update on the impact of the Council’s
commissioning arrangements for promoting volunteering in Staffordshire, and the
performance against these contracts.
Page 19
Report
Background
5. Across the country volunteering plays a critical role in communities. Volunteering
can take a number of forms, such as helping a neighbour with their shopping or
coaching their school sports team, and is generally widespread across the
country. The National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) found that
approximately 15.2 million people across the UK volunteered at least once a
month in 2012/131.
6. Because of the importance of volunteering, Staffordshire County Council invests
nearly £800,000 in these two infrastructure organisations in order to support and
develop the capacity of the voluntary sector. The Council commissions third
sector infrastructure organisation VAST to develop and support the voluntary
sector and SCVYS to deliver services relating to promote the growth of the
voluntary sector in the delivery of positive activities for young people.
7. Both the VAST and SCVYS contracts have robust performance management
arrangements. VAST submit a quarterly performance report and have formal
quarterly contract management meetings with the Commissioning Delivery Hub,
and SCVYS submit monthly performance reports and have monthly meetings
with the Commissioner for Families to discuss performance (for more information
see paragraphs 12 – 24). In addition, they are in regular contact with
Staffordshire County Council and partner organisations as they fulfil their
responsibilities.
8. In Staffordshire volunteers and community groups provide invaluable support to
almost all of the work the local authority undertakes. As well as the thousands of
formally registered volunteers across the County, Staffordshire County Council
now has over a thousand volunteers, and there are many more people who
volunteer informally to help their community, including activities such as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
1
Supporting local libraries during events and activities
Acting as a school Governor
Visiting prisoners
Driving older people to appointments or support and befriending
Test purchasing Age restricted products
Acting as a Trustee for a local charity
Helping out at a local Alzheimer Cafe
National Council of Voluntary Organisations, 2014. How many people regularly volunteer in the UK?
http://data.ncvo.org.uk/a/almanac14/how-many-people-regularly-volunteer-in-the-uk-3/
Page 20
9. It is important to acknowledge that there a number of other organisations involved
in promoting and supporting volunteering in Staffordshire. However, for the
purpose of this report the focus will remain on the performance of VAST and
SCVYS against their contracts with Staffordshire County Council.
10. This report will now go on to give a short overview of both the current
arrangements for supporting volunteering in the County and the performance
data from VAST and SCVYS over the past year as requested by the Committee.
Volunteering in Staffordshire
VAST Progress Report
11. At the end of 2012, VAST successfully tendered to deliver the County Council’s
voluntary sector Infrastructure Support Service and Volunteer Support Service.
12. The VAST contract runs from May 2013 to May 2015, with the option to extend
for a further year in both 2015 and 2016, potentially extending the contract
through to May 2017). The contract is worth £487,540 per annum (£325,040
Infrastructure support and £162,500 volunteering).
13. The contract is set out into two lots; Infrastructure Support Service and
volunteering support. The first lot, Infrastructure Support Service has four
service outcomes, to ensure:
a. Staffordshire’s voluntary and community sector (VCS) infrastructure
supporting service has a robust governance structure.
b. Staffordshire’s VCS has a strong and influential voice
c. Staffordshire’s VCS have the infrastructure, skills and knowledge for
sustainability
d. Staffordshire’s VCS are well connected across all sectors, particular their
own and private sectors.
14. VAST provide strategic engagement and representation for local voluntary sector
groups and organisations, as well as one-to-one development and support for
issues such as business planning, fundraising and mentoring.
15. The second lot, Volunteering Support has two service outcomes attached:
a. Ensuring Staffordshire’s volunteering supporting service has a robust
governance structure.
b. Staffordshire has a growing, diverse volunteering marketplace with
improved quality opportunities for volunteers and voluntary and community
sector organisations.
Page 21
16. VAST help people to volunteer by providing support and guidance as well as
helping to match them with local opportunities. In addition they support Voluntary
organisations to become ‘volunteer ready’ by providing support with recruiting
and managing volunteers. This includes the recently developed ”Volunteer in
Staffordshire” website to match potential volunteers to suitable placements
(www.volunteerinstaffordshire.org.uk).
17. In terms of supporting volunteering in Staffordshire, lot 2 is the most relevant part
of the contract. The table below sets out the performance of VAST against a
number of stated measures in the contract:
Figure A: VAST volunteering performance statistics - Quarter 1 & 2 of
2014/15
Measure
Number in Cumulative
Cumulative % Target
total in year
of target
per year
last
quarter
(quarter 2)
Supporting volunteers
New volunteers
1856
2369
43.1%
5500
identified
Volunteering
294
812
101.5%
800
opportunities identified
Volunteers matched to 514
683
91.1%
750
opportunities
Supporting targeted groups of volunteers
Long term unemployed 3
12
48%
25
(6 months or more)
Young people not in
107
112
448%
25
education, employment
or training (NEETS)
Vulnerable adults
19
31
516%
6
Supporting voluntary organisations
Organisations
438
438
n/a
n/a
registered on Volunteer
Matching System
Support sessions to
156
199
82.9%
240
organisations to
become volunteer
ready
18. In addition VAST have engaged with 37 private and public sector organisations
around Employer Supportive Volunteering, with 23 organisations participating
and 130 placements being created in 2014.
19. The figures indicate that progress to develop and support Staffordshire’s
volunteering community is continuing and that levels of volunteers are increasing.
Page 22
Work on the performance reporting for the contract is ongoing to ensure that the
data is fully robust and matches the requirements of the service specification.
SCVYS Progress Report
20. Since 2011 the County Council has contracted with the Staffordshire Council for
Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS). SCVYS are not commissioned to support
volunteering directly; rather they are commissioned to deliver services to promote
the growth of the voluntary and community sector in the delivery of positive
activities for young people. This includes:
a. Engaging more young people in positive activities by facilitating access to
education and recreational leisure time activities provided by the
community and voluntary sector, with a particular emphasis upon hard to
reach communities
b. Support a wide range of volunteering placements for young people
between the ages of 13 to 25.
c. Deliver training and mentoring programmes to enable adults to become
engaged in the delivery of the services for young people within their local
community.
d. Facilitate the growth of sustainable educational and recreational leisuretime activities delivered by the community and voluntary youth sector.
e. Offer young people and adults the opportunity for accreditation through
appropriate programmes including (but not limited to) the Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award, ASDAN and Youth Achievement Awards.
21. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) runs until September 2015 and is worth
£301,000 per annum.
22. SCVYS support communities and the voluntary sector to expand and grow a wide
range of positive activities and help young people to take up those opportunities.
So despite not directly commissioning SCVYS to increase volunteering, it is still
an important part of the work they undertake.
23. All 112 member organisations of SCVYS enable the personal and social
development of the young people who attend through informal learning, equality
of opportunity, empowerment and voluntary participation. Weekly sessions are
delivered by almost 6,000 volunteers and 253 paid workers most of whom are
part time.
Page 23
24. In terms of supporting volunteering in Staffordshire, Since March 2013 SCVYS
has:
a. Increased the amount of voluntary groups being support with from 97 to
117
b. Increased the number of adult volunteers engaged in supporting the
delivery of services to young people from 4700 to 5359
c. Worked with 853 young volunteers (under 18), with 434 young people
gaining accreditations
d. Increased the attendance of young people regularly attended voluntary
sector activities from 18500 to 19423
25. SCVYS have also been commissioned to support the transition of youth services
as set out in the Youth and Community Service review. This includes undertaking
local engagement work and supporting voluntary youth provision through
infrastructure support to build local community capacity and to produce a detailed
review of current voluntary youth participation arrangements and produce an
options paper to help inform future commissioning. This contract runs from 1st
May 2014 to 31st March 2015 and is worth £180,840.
Conclusions
26. In conclusion, the picture for volunteering in Staffordshire is positive, and both
VAST and SCVYS are delivering on their contracts effectively. However, it is
important to consider how we approach supporting the voluntary sector in the
future to maximise the potential of communities.
27. The current VAST contract ends in April 2015 (with an option to extend for a
further year in 2015, and again in 2016) and the SCVYS contract expires 30th
September 2015. The Council will have to consider how it might want to recommission voluntary sector support in the future, but no decision has been
made yet.
Contact Officer
Andrew Donaldson
Strategic Policy and Partnerships Manager
T: 01785 278399
E: [email protected]
Page 24
Agenda Item 6
Corporate Review – 28 January 2015
Outcomes of Overview and Scrutiny Work October – December 2014
Recommendation
That Corporate Review reflects on the outcomes and impact of overview and
scrutiny over the three months from October – December 2014 and identifies areas
of good practice, learning and opportunities for development that will continue to
enhance the work and impact of scrutiny going forward.
That following consideration by Corporate Review the report be presented to the
next full council meeting highlighting the work and impact of scrutiny over this period.
Report of the Democracy Manager
Background
This report provides an overview of scrutiny work that has been undertaken since
October 2014, highlighting how the Select Committees have added value to the
democratic process and the priorities of the County Council and its partners.
Introduction
1. From October to December 2014, key pieces of work have included:
• The culmination of the Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee’s work
exploring the issue of children missing from education. The committee
undertook a review following national concerns regarding the issue. The
investigation highlighted strengths locally in terms of partnership working to
identify and support children missing from education and led to
recommendations to HMRC and the Department of Education around
communication and information sharing.
• The Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee’s consideration of consultations
and potential substantial variations, including East Staffordshire Clinical
Commissioning Group’s (CCG’s) Improving Lives Programme and the draft
strategy for emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young
people and involvement in the pre-decision informal engagement process
considering Better Care Fund arrangements.
• Cabinet Members have provided progress reports on diverse areas of work
for example the development of Dementia Centres of Excellence, Superfast
Staffordshire (broadband), flood risk management, the Council’s
Transformation Programme, complaints management and the Youth and
Community service.
• Three Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee Joint Accountability Sessions
have taken place with Burton Hospitals NHS Trust, South Staffordshire and
Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and with Mid Staffordshire NHS
Foundation Trust before the Trust was dissolved in November 2014.
• Consideration of the effectiveness of partnership arrangements including the
receipt of the, annual reports of Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board
Page 25
and Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership and an
update on Infrastructure+.
Corporate Review
2. In October the Committee received reports in respect of the Council’s
performance and transformation progress. These discussions led to a
recommendation that volunteering be considered in more detail. Specifically
there was a request to investigate the impact of funding provided through VAST
and Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services (SKVYS) service level
agreements to promote volunteering in Staffordshire. The outcome of discussions
on the Transformation update was that further consideration be given at a future
meeting to the lessons learned from the Infrastructure+ project.
3. The Committee considered a report detailing scrutiny outcomes between July
and September and requested that the report be presented to full Council. This
took place on 11 December. Of particular note is the contribution to policy
development that the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee made in
regard to Best Start; the work that Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee
had completed in regard to children missing out on education; Healthy
Staffordshire Select Committee’s responses to high profile consultations and
Corporate Review’s work in response to call ins and performance monitoring. The
report presented to full Council is available at
http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/documents/s56441/Outcomes%20of%20O
verview%20and%20Scrutiny%20Work%20July%20September%202014.pdf
4. The November meeting focussed on two main items – the Corporate Complaints
Report for 2013-14 and a report on community engagement. Members wanted it
to be made clear that the report related to the formal complaints made to the
Council. It was commented that informal complaints made to Councillors and
resolved at a local level are a rich source of information regarding public
concerns. (This discussion fed into discussion later on the agenda in regard to
community engagement). Importantly Members sought reassurance that the
Council was learning from cases where the outcome of review is
maladministration or personal injustice and that Members are made aware of any
changes made. A request was made that Members visit the Corporate
Complaints team. The report on community engagement led to recommendation
that a Working Group be established to explore how the elected member role in
community engagement is captured.
Medium Term Financial Strategy
5. The MTFS Working Group met on the 10 November with the Head of Families
First. Families First provides children’s social care services in Staffordshire. The
Working Group focussed on the amount that is spent on supporting looked after
children and in particular the costs of different placement types. A number of
other important issues were referred to including the work undertaken to prevent
children becoming looked after in the first place and the need to seek
permanency for children as promptly as possible through, for example, adoption
Page 26
where appropriate. This session was followed up on the 17 November by a
meeting with the Cabinet Member for Children and Community Safety.
6. On the 18 November the Working Group met with the Chief Executive of the
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust which provides adult
social care services. Members concentrated on the details of the contract
between the Trust and the Council, in particular the ongoing cost of the services
provided, the ability to make efficiency savings through integration and where
those savings sit. They also discussed the impact of legislation on the contract
and the MTFS and the future of the contract going forward. On the 5 December
the Working Group met with the Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing
to explore a number of issues in more detail.
7. During December the Working Group met on an additional two occasions to pull
together their findings and consider the first draft strategic plan 2015-19 and the
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-2020. A number of points were identified
by the group. General points included, that big decisions should be taken
collectively, that there needs to be clarity around preventing the predicted
overspend, forecasting the financial position in five years time is challenging and
that some areas of the Council may need to come under more pressure to
subsidise other areas. The Working Group will be presenting their findings to the
28 January Corporate Review meeting.
Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee
8. The Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee met on four occasions.
The Committee received its regular reports on the Customer Service’s Annual
Report on adult social care; the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Adult
Safeguarding Partnership Board Annual Report 2013/14 and the Annual Report
of the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board. Members requested that
complaints made to Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust
were scrutinised by the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee.
9. The Committee continues to scrutinise the outcome of the review of youth and
community services. Members were keen to see the impact of changes in the
service. Arrangements have been made for Members to see the live database
that SCVYS have developed mapping existing activities. There will be further
scrutiny of progress at the January meeting.
10. In November Members undertook Level 1 Safeguarding training and in December
members had a single item agenda on child sexual exploitation, following their
earlier review of the topic, and high profile national reports. Jonathan Drake,
interim Assistant Chief Constable from Staffordshire Police attended to give an
overview of the current position in Staffordshire and work that was being done to
target this crime. Given the vulnerability of looked after children, Members of the
Corporate Parenting Panel were invited to attend this meeting. Representatives
from Stoke City Council were also invited. Members expressed concerns
regarding taxi licensing practices. In advance of the meeting the Chairman had
written to local borough and district councils asking them for details of their
current practices and enclosing an extract from the Jay Report on child sexual
Page 27
exploitation in Rotherham, asking for their comments. As a result borough and
district councils will discuss licensing practices at their Responsible Bodies Group
and the Safeguarding Children’s Board will consider training and safeguarding
policy and procedure in this regard and report back to the Committee for further
consideration. Members have asked to be updated on the Board’s action plan on
the recommendations in the Jay report and will continue to scrutinise this topic on
a quarterly basis. Members asked what specialist intervention services had been
commissioned locally and were interested to learn that there was an opportunity
to review arrangements with Stoke City Council.
Prosperous Staffordshire
11. The Committee has met on three occasions and has received updates on
Superfast Broadband, the W2R project at Four Ashes, the Transport Review,
HS2, the Countryside Estate Management Review and flood risk management
arrangements.
12. The Superfast Broadband project is progressing well and the only concern that
Members raised was in regard to the small percentage of household/premises
that will not have coverage. It was proposed that the Vice Chairman share
Severn Trent Water Authority contact details with the Project Manager to explore
the possibility of resolving coverage in these areas.
13. The W2R project will be accepting waste from Telford and Wrekin from 2016.
Discussion with the Ministry of Justice and private developers is being
undertaken at the Bericote Industrial Estate regarding a combined heat and
power network to utilise waste heat from the plant.
14. In regard to the transport review, Members supported the Cabinet Member’s
proposals in regard to independent travel training and the move of Special
Educational Needs children from bespoke home to school transport to public
transport. This was being undertaken with the proviso that pupil safety should be
fully considered and the option to return to bespoke transport be retained if
difficulties were encountered in using public transport.
15. The Cabinet Member offered to take up further discussions with HS2 Ltd in
respect of issues regarding building society refusal of mortgages on properties on
part of the route.
16. The Committee were updated on the soft market testing that would be
undertaken in January to identify and establish a range of alternative delivery
models for managing the Council’s 6,000 acre countryside estate. A further
progress report will be presented for scrutiny in March 2015.
17. The Council is now in the final stages of an inter-agency agreement with
Shropshire County Council. Members were updated on progress with the
establishment of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act that could
establish the Council as a Sustainable Drainage System (SUDS) approving body.
This could have resource implications for the Council. Members stressed the
importance for all partner agencies continuing to work together on this matter.
Page 28
18. The Committee has had a Working Group with representation from the Safe and
Strong Select Committee reviewing children missing out on education and has
now presented its final report to the Cabinet Member. The report highlighted the
concerns that the Committee had in regard to children that were not known to
authorities, and in particular safeguarding concerns. Members were reassured
that Staffordshire had robust processes and procedures in place to track children
missing out on education. The Vice Chairman has written to Her Majesty’s
Revenue and Customs to ask if information could be shared between
organisations and will continue to pursue this. The report has also been shared
with the Children’s Commissioner and the Chair of the Safeguarding Children
Board. A letter has also been sent to the Department for Education asking them
to reconsider making it a requirement for parents/carers to register their school
aged child with the local authority in which they live.
Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee
19. The Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee has met twice, on 10 November and
the 5 December 2014. On the 10 November the Cabinet Member for Health,
Care and Wellbeing presented a report updating the Committee on the Better
Care Fund submission which had been ‘Approved with Conditions’ in October.
Members expressed concern in relation to the execution of the plan and the
Cabinet Member confirmed that it was in all partners interest to succeed and that
everyone was motivated to do so as the risk and the gain is shared. There was a
need to move spend from acute services to community and preventative services
without de-stabilising the health economy. The Cabinet Member detailed how the
Better Care Fund had been challenging. The work undertaken to date was noted
by the Committee and a progress update will be shared in March 2015.
20. Details of the Drugs and Alcohol Strategy were shared. The Committee were
particularly interested in the outcomes achieved and those which were expected.
Members asked about crime and child protection and requested reported
domestic violence figures be included, to which the Cabinet Member gave an
assurance they would be in future. The Committee agreed to continue to monitor
the progress and effectiveness of the Strategy.
21. The Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health of Children and Young People
Strategy which is intended to look at how services can be joined up better was
discussed by the Committee. Members queried the quality assurance of training
and raised concerns regarding the pressures that children and young people
encounter. The Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Lead referred to the need
for schools to be ‘emotionally healthy’. The Committee agreed to form a Working
Group to support the implementation of the strategy.
22. Members were advised of the outcome of the proposals for the provision of
Hearing Aids by North Staffordshire CCG. The Trust’s proposals had not been
supported by Committee and had been referred back to them together with a
statement that the Committee had the option to refer the proposals to the
Secretary of State for Health if they were approved.
Page 29
23. On 5 December the Committee received an update from East Staffordshire CCG
on the Improving Lives Programme. The Chief Accountable Officer referred to the
engagement activity on the programme and progress made. Two bidders had
been asked to put forward their solutions by the 22 December and the final bids
would be submitted in February. In response to Members questions it was
confirmed that the Outcomes Framework included clinical measures, patient
reported measures and patient experience measures and the CCG would share
the Framework with the Committee when appropriate. Members wanted
assurances over the effectiveness of the outcomes framework. It was anticipated
that the contract would be awarded in March 2015. More information on the
engagement activity was sought to enable the Committee to feel confident that
the CCG had done enough in this area. It was agreed that the CCG would return
to the Committee in April to provide more information.
25. In December the Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing provided an
update on Dementia Centres of Excellence. Members queried the funding
arrangements for current residents, the location of the new centres, the quality
expectations of current and future provision and whether the model was
financially viable. The Cabinet Member responded to the Committee’s queries
and undertook to take away comments and concerns regarding the standards of
the service and care provided and the need to ensure excellence. A further report
will be submitted to the Committee on the 3 February 2015, providing a summary
of the content of the finalised contract and areas of concern raised by Members.
26. The implication of the Care Act 2014 was submitted to the December meeting.
Members noted that the Care Act includes making provision for prisoners. This
was a new area of support with risks around the resources required to deliver this
which could amount to approximately £700,000. The Safe and Strong
Communities Select Committee will be considering the safeguarding implications
of the Care Act in February.
27. Following earlier consultation with Committee Members, the Scrutiny and Support
Manager introduced the revised Code of Joint Working. This code details work
with the District and Borough Health Scrutiny Committees and has been in
existence since 2003 and revised on a number of occasions. The Code had been
amended to take into consideration the findings and recommendations from the
Francis Inquiry, as national and local health provision has changed and because
it is timely to reaffirm with Districts and Boroughs the roles of the different tiers of
scrutiny. It was emphasised that as the County Council is the primary upper tier
for health scrutiny, powers are then devolved to the District and Borough
Councils. It was agreed that the Code would be taken forward for formal
agreement.
Health Accountability Sessions.
28. In October a Health Scrutiny Accountability Session was held to consider the
performance of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. This was the final time
that the Trust would be held to account before it was to be dissolved on the 1
November 2014. Members of the Trust’s management team, representatives
from the Trust Special Administrators, Committee Members from the County,
Page 30
together with Members from District and Borough Council and members of the
public were in attendance. There was emphasis again on the Trust’s recruitment
of nursing staff, in particular the current arrangements put in place due to a
shortage. Members also discussed the Trust’s financial performance, complaints
management, discharge arrangements and transition arrangements. As it was
their final accountability session the Trust outlined how challenging they had
found the accountability sessions and that it was well known within the hospitals
that the management team attended these meetings and were challenged
robustly on their performance. Representatives explained that being held to
account by elected Members had focussed the Trust on the delivery of services
and kept them on ‘their toes’.
29. On the 21 October the Chief Executive of Burton Hospitals NHS Trust discussed
the work undertaken following on from the Sir Bruce Keogh Review in May 2013
and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) review in April 2014. Members queried
the use of agency staff. The Trust had the same challenges in recruitment as
elsewhere but details of a number of measures to address issues were
discussed. Members queried the financial position of the Trust and it was
confirmed that as a result of some of the quality improvements made, the Trust
had a number of financial challenges but that this was not unique to the Trust as
an acute provider or to some of the other Trusts which have been through the
Keogh review process. Members referred to the consultation on surgery and
sought assurances about the future of the community hospitals and were
interested in the partnership arrangements with University Hospital North
Staffordshire and Derby Hospitals. The Committee will continue to monitor
developments and will be scrutinising the Trust in more detail at the 30 March
Accountability Session.
30. In December an Accountability Session was held with South Staffordshire and
Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. There was a focus on providing
effective services to people with complex needs and learning disabilities and a
case study presented. Members asked for additional information in relation to the
Trust’s performance, in particular benchmarking, and comparison with similar
organisations and questioned the Trust about presentation of the data concerning
complaints serious incidents and compliments. Communication, in particular the
sharing of information with GPs, carers and service users was discussed.
Questions were also raised in respect of recruitment, the cost and use of agency
staff and access to pediatric services.
Looking Ahead
31. It is clear that each of the Select Committees have continued a full work
programme of activity aided by the ongoing engagement with the Cabinet
Members on service reviews and developments.
32. Committee Work Programmes focus on the Council’s Commissioning Plans and
there are opportunities to support the Council to achieve these plans through
robust and proactive pre-decision scrutiny. As the Council reaffirms its key
priorities for the year ahead Corporate Review and the other Select Committees
Page 31
will need to consider the extent to which these priorities are reflected in select
committee work programmes.
33. To be effective Select Committees need to continue to be:
• Rigorous in identifying issues in a timely way for which it has a genuine
opportunity to feed in new insight into the development of services for the
communities of Staffordshire and for which it has the time and capacity to
have an impact. Members are reminded of the existence of the Forward Plan
of Key Decisions as a useful tool in identifying forthcoming decisions for which
the Select Committees may have an interest in investigating further.
Consider wide ranging evidence, where appropriate, not solely relying on
information presented by Directors but also evidence from the wider
engagement of frontline staff, service users and the public to help inform the
evidence base of scrutiny investigations. The Healthy Staffordshire Select
Committee is building strong links with Healthwatch to ensure a wide range of
service user and wider evidence is utilised in holding local health trusts to
account.
Link to Strategic Plan
34. The Select Committee work programmes have produced recommendations that
have directly contributed to the Council’s strategic priorities.
Link to Other Overview and Scrutiny Activity
35. This is a summary of the work programmes of all of the Select Committees from
October – December 2014.
Contact Officers
Name: Louise Barnett, Scrutiny and Support Officer
Telephone No.: 01785 276144 Address/e-mail: [email protected]
Page 32
WORK PROGRAMME – 28 January 2015
Corporate Review
Page 33
The Corporate Review Committee is the Council's principal scrutiny committee. It is responsible for co-ordinating and approving the
scrutiny work programmes, overseeing the work of the Select Committees and ensuring coherence of approach to cross cutting policy
themes. The committee also has a key role in challenging progress around the Council’s ambitions of running the business well.
The Committee also scrutinises those areas of the County Council's activity focused on corporate improvement. Its remit covers:
•
Holding the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council to account for achievement of the overall vision of a connected Staffordshire.
•
The Council’s overall performance and approach to managing performance and Strategic Corporate Planning
•
The Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy
•
The Council’s on-going programme of improvement and transformation.
•
The committee is responsible for scrutiny of achievement against the Council’s strategic priorities
•
The Council as a commissioning organisation including how it uses customer insight to drive improvements in services
We review our work programme regularly to ensure it remains relevant to the challenges facing local communities, the council and partners.
County Councillor Philip Jones
Chairman of the Corporate Review Committee
If you would like to know more about our work programme or how to raise issues for potential inclusion on a work programme then, please
get in touch with: Tina Randall, Scrutiny and Support Manager - 01785 276148 / [email protected] or
Nick Pountney, Scrutiny and Support Manager - 01785 276 153 / [email protected]
Calendar of Committee Meetings
7 July 2014 @ 2pm
15 July 2014 @ 2pm
2 September 2014 @ 10am
14 October 2014 @ 2pm
25 November 2014 @ 10am
6 January 2015 @ 10am
28 January 2015 @ 2pm
23 February 2015 @ 2pm
31 March 2015 @ 10am
12 May 2015 at 10 a.m.
A reserve date is also scheduled for 9 March 2015.
Meetings usually take place in County Buildings, Martin Street, Stafford.
Agenda Item 7
Membership - County Councillors
Philip Jones (Chairman)
Simon Tagg (Vice Chairman)
Frank Chapman
Carol Dean
Brian Edwards
John Francis
Derrick Huckfield
Kevin Jackson
Brian Jenkins
Kath Perry
John Taylor
Susan Woodward
Mike Worthington
Date of Meeting
Topic
Link to Council’s Strategic
Priorities
3 June 2014
Workshop to consider the priorities for
scrutiny at the County Council
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Page 34
7 July 2014
Achieving Excellence – Libraries in a
Connected Staffordshire Call In
Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report
2013-14
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Background/Outcome
The workshop provided an opportunity to
discuss and agree principles by which
Select Committees should effectively plan
their work programmes. Corporate Review
endorsed the principles arising from the
workshop which included issues being
chosen and prioritised based on the impact
scrutiny can have on decision making and
local communities; Select Committees
should be innovative in their use of
methods of undertaking scrutiny and
selecting topics including using the forward
plan, performance and financial data and
public calls for evidence; further training
and support should be developed for all
Scrutiny Members and that an outcomes
report would be presented to Corporate
Review on a quarterly basis.
The decision had been called in on the
basis of concerns around the capacity of
volunteers, the community impact
assessment and the consultation process.
Assurances were given in respect of the
Council’s statutory duties, the changing
pattern of usage and discussions over the
capacity of volunteers. Following a vote
the decision was allowed to proceed as set
out in the original Cabinet report.
Corporate Review endorsed the report
prior to it being presented to Full Council.
15 July 2014
Centres of Excellence for Dementia and Well run Council: making the
Ageing Well Call In
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
The committee considered the Call In of
the Centres for Excellence for Dementia
and Ageing Well. The decision was
allowed to be implemented but with
Date of Meeting
Topic
Achieving Excellence Quarterly
Performance Report
Page 35
Transformation Update
Link to Council’s Strategic
Priorities
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Consideration of Call in of Supporting
People Delegated Decision
2 September 2014
Strategic Property Partner
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Background/Outcome
the final contract be undertaken by the
Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee
before it is signed and the Healthy
Staffordshire Select Committee seek
specific assurances around the quality of
the care provided and the implications for
staff.
Members highlighted issues in respect of
improving educational attainment figures,
issues in respect of falling crime figures,
risks around reductions in services that
provide low level support and access to
primary health care.
Members welcomed the focus on delivering
innovation rather than focussing on savings
targets but expressed concern that the
Select Committees wouldn’t have capacity
to effectively scrutinise the projects
detailed. Additional risk information was
requested to be included in future reports.
The 3 delegated decisions in respect of
Supporting People that had been called in
were considered resulting in a vote for the
decisions to be implemented as set out in
the delegated decision notices.
The committee agreed the principles being
established through the Strategic Property
Partnership and would continue to monitor
implementation should the partnership be
approved. In addition to the added value
the partnership would bring the committee
also sought assurances over the ability to
take account of Member and community
opinion.
Date of Meeting
Topic
Improving Outcomes for Children and
Young People with Special Educational
Needs (SEND)
14 October 2014
Achieving Excellence Quarterly
Performance Report
Transformation Update
Page 36
Scrutiny Quarterly Outcome Report –
July – Sept 2014
25 November 2014
(Contact: Tina
Randall – Scrutiny &
Support Manager)
Corporate Complaints
Community Engagement
Link to Council’s Strategic
Priorities
Living well: Support
independence at all ages
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management.
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Background/Outcome
Members welcomed the single assessment
approach that brought together support
from health, education and social care and
the extension to support from 0-25. The
committee considered the means of
measuring the success of the proposals
including qualitative measures of impact as
well as educational attainment etc. The
implementation of the proposals will be
monitored with case study reporting in 12
months.
To consider and challenge the progress the
Council is making against its stated
strategic priorities.
Corporate Review to consider the work of
and impact of the Select Committees over
the past quarter.
The Committee to consider the types of
corporate complaints being received and
the learning that is being used to improve
customer service. Visit to Corporate
Complaints Team for Members being
arranged. Email request sent to Members
for consideration of dates. Visit arranged
for Councillors Woodward and Edwards on
11.2.15.
Date of Meeting
6 January 2015
28 January 2015
Topic
Link to Council’s Strategic
Priorities
Background/Outcome
Meeting Cancelled
Quarterly Performance Report
Volunteering in Staffordshire
Page 37
Medium Term Financial Strategy
Working Group Report
Third Quarter Scrutiny Outcome Report
– Oct- Dec 2014
23 February 2015
Transformation Update
Strategic Property Partner
The Shape of Local Government going
forward
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management.
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
To consider and challenge the progress the
Council is making against its stated
strategic priorities.
To consider and formally agree the
Committee’s recommendations to Cabinet
from the MTFS working group.
Corporate Review to consider the work of
and impact of the Select Committees over
the past quarter
To consider and challenge the progress the
Council is making against its stated
strategic priorities.
Consideration of the plans to engage a
strategic property partner following
selection and before the contract is signed.
Committee to continue to monitor progress
with the contract with specific reference to
the challenges faced and learning.
Date of Meeting
9th March TBC
31 March 2015
(Contact: Nick
Pountney – Scrutiny
& Support Manager)
Topic
Background/Outcome
RESERVE DATE
Meeting to be confirmed
Quarterly Performance Report
Transformation update
Summary of scrutiny work 2014-15 and
forward plan items.
Page 38
Member Training and Development
Proposed changes to the constitution
12 May 2015
Link to Council’s Strategic
Priorities
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
To consider and challenge the progress the
Council is making against its stated
strategic priorities.
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
Well run Council: making the
most of our assets, managing
change well, transforming
ourselves, innovation,
integration and outcome based
performance management
To review the programme for Member
training and development during 2014-15
and to make suggestions for items to be
included in the 2015-16 programme.
Items for Consideration for the Work Programme
Suggestion item
Link to the Council’s
Commissioning Plans
Background
Possible Option
Childhood Obesity
Living Well: Enable positive
behaviour and support those
who need it.
The Chair proposed this item at the
Triangulation meeting on 28.10.14.
Obesity and overweight have significant
implications for health, social care, the
economy and are also associated with
educational attainment. Staffordshire does
not compare well with other authorities.
The Health Scrutiny Committee held an
enquiry day on Childhood Obesity. The
outcomes of this should be reviewed prior to
consideration of the way forward.
Possible Enquiry Day
Page 39
Outcome: Referred to Healthy Staffordshire
Select Committee – November 2014. The
Committee have agreed to undertake scrutiny.
Commissioning
Review of the
Strategic Business
Plan
Well run Council: making
the most of our assets,
managing change well,
transforming ourselves,
innovation, integration and
outcome based performance
management
The Chair proposed this item at the
Triangulation meeting on 28.10.14.
Well run Council: making
the most of our assets,
managing change well,
transforming ourselves,
innovation, integration and
outcome based performance
management
The Leader proposed that the Committee
consider progress against the priorities set
out in the Business Plan.
Members play a key role in the
commissioning process. The Council is
supporting an integrated approach to
better understanding our residents and
communities. We need to understand
better how the Council is using Insight and
local member knowledge to inform our
commissioning decisions and how
Members can gain assurance that we are
getting value for money and that expedient
financial controls are in place. Members
may wish to investigate a range of
commissioning models across the
organisation.
Well run Council: making
the most of our assets,
managing change well,
transforming ourselves,
innovation, integration and
outcome based performance
management
The Deputy Leader proposed that we
scrutinise the Council’s new model of
working and in particular whether the new
model was reflecting local priorities and
the role of local Members.
Core+ (Review of
Back Office Support
Services)
Well run Council: making
the most of our assets,
managing change well,
transforming ourselves,
innovation, integration and
outcome based performance
management
The Deputy Leader proposed that the
Committee consider what strategic support
services the Council requires in
transactional form given the reduction in
the size of the organisation.
Shape of local
government going
forward
Well run Council: making
the most of our assets,
managing change well,
transforming ourselves,
innovation, integration and
outcome based performance
management
Role of Members on
external bodies
Well run Council: making
the most of our assets,
managing change well,
transforming ourselves,
innovation, integration and
outcome based performance
management
Page 40
Localities – new
model of working
Outcome: At the November meeting Members
proposed that the Locality Forums in South
Staffordshire be rolled out across Staffordshire
Briefing note being prepared and presentation
to Committee arranged for 23 February 2015
Councillor Jenkins proposed that we
consider the role of Members on external
bodies
Agenda Item 8
Local Members’ Interest
n/a
Corporate Review Committee - 28 January 2015
Scrutiny of the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-20
Recommendation/s
1. That the Committee agree their final report on the Medium Term Financial Strategy
(MTFS) 2015-20, subject to any amendments, for submission to the Cabinet at their
meeting on the 4 February 2015. The final report is attached as an appendix to this
report.
2. If the Committee does wish to make amendments, it is recommended that the
Committee give permission to the Chair to approve the final version.
Report of the Medium Term Financial Strategy Working Group
Report
Background
3. The Committee is responsible for scrutinising the development of the County Council’s
MTFS and the annual budget and council tax setting process. The work of scrutiny
helps to ensure that the Council develops a good and balanced budget, which is in line
with the Council’s aims and objectives and is used as a base to determine spending.
As part of the Committee’s Work Programme Planning for 2014/15, Members agreed
to set up a Working Group to undertake this work.
4. The attached final report sets out details of the work the Committee’s Working Group
has undertaken between October 2014 and January 2015; and their conclusions and
recommendations for submission to Cabinet. Members are now asked to agree this
report for submission to the Cabinet for their response.
Next Steps
5. Any amendments to the report which are requested by Members will be made and the
report provided to the Chair for final approval. The report will be circulated to Members
of the Cabinet prior to their meeting on the 4 February.
6. The Chairman will present the final report to the Cabinet who will consider the
conclusions and recommendations, and will provide a response to each one. The final
consideration of the MTFS will take place at the Full Council meeting on 12 February.
Page 41
Full Council will be provided with details of scrutiny recommendations and the
Cabinet’s response as part of that report.
Link to Strategic Plan
7. The MTFS is the financial expression of the aims and objectives of the County Council,
which are set out in the Strategic Plan.
Link to Other Overview and Scrutiny Activity
8. In preparing their report, the Working Group have taken into consideration any work
undertaken by the County Council’s Select Committees where budget related matters
were raised.
Implications
9. The equalities and legal; resource and value for money; risk; and climate change
implications are referred to in the attached report.
Contact Officers
Nick Pountney
Scrutiny and Support Manager:
01785 276153
[email protected]
Carol Bloxham
Scrutiny and Support Officer
01785 276155
[email protected]
Appendices/Background papers
Final Report of the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015 – 2020 Working Group
Page 42
1
Corporate Review Committee
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015 - 20
Final Report of the Medium Term Financial
Strategy Working Group
Page 43
MTFS Working Group
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-20
2
Contents
Page Number
Chairman’s Foreword
3
Conclusions and Recommendations
4
Scope
5
Methods of Investigation
7
Membership
8
Findings
8
Implications
17
Acknowledgements
18
List of Appendices / Background Papers
18
Page 44
MTFS Working Group
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-20
3
Chairman’s Foreword
Following the approach adopted in previous years the Working Group again focussed
its attention on those areas of the budget where the greatest risks to the stability of the
financial plan lay. Accordingly, the Working Group looked at the Staffordshire and
Stoke on Trent NHS Partnership Trust, Families First and Looked After Children in
particular detail.
Our findings and recommendations are summarised at the start of the report. If there
is an over-riding recommendation it is that whilst vision and fresh thinking is the
foundation of innovation, new ways of working should be evaluated by methods that
are both rational and empirical, that all concerned should be alert to the dangers of
over-optimism and that rigorous efforts should be made to unearth unforeseen and
adverse consequences.
I pay tribute to Members and I am indebted to the officials whose assistance has been
invaluable, Nick Pountney, Carol Bloxham, Rob Salmon and Rachel Spain.
County Councillor Philip E Jones
Chairman
Medium Term Financial Strategy Working Group
Corporate Review Committee
Page 45
MTFS Working Group
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-20
4
Conclusions and Recommendations
1.
Overall, given the assurances we have had to date, we feel it has been
demonstrated that the process of preparing the County Council’s Medium Term
Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2015 – 2020 and setting the 2015/16 Annual Budget
and Council Tax has been robust. There remain some key projects that must
be delivered during the period covered by the MTFS. We are aware that
resources have been aligned to ensure delivery of these key projects. The
County Council must continue to ensure appropriate capacity exists to
implement these within timescales necessary in order for the objectives set out
in the MTFS to be achieved. If the assumptions which have been made are
correct and we accept assurance from the Leader and his Cabinet that they
constantly monitor and review those assumptions made, we can conclude that
the proposals meet the principles of a good and balanced budget, subject to our
comments and recommendations, which are set out in this report.
2.
We note the key MTFS risk areas highlighted in the report to Cabinet in
December 2014: Strategic Plan and Draft Medium Term Financial Strategy
2015/20 which need to be managed and that the majority of the risk appears to
be around ‘Care’. The County Council must continue to transform the way it
delivers services to meet the increasing demand for care services, the
expectations arising from new legislation, best practice and ensuring value for
money.
3.
We note that the Deputy Leader of the Council is confident that if the identified
‘mission critical’ items are managed, the MTFS over the 5 years will balance.
The Working Group is clear however that failure to achieve these will have
significant impact of the ability to achieve our MTFS priorities hence ongoing
robust monitoring, and where necessary remedial action, will be crucial.
4.
Mindful of the use of reserves in the current year and the likelihood of having to
call on reserves in 2015/16 budget, together with significant risks identified
within the MTFS going forward, we recommend an appropriate contribution is
built into the base over the ensuing period to restore uncommitted reserves to
an appropriate level.
5.
We feel strongly that those commissioning decisions which have significant
impact upon local communities should be matters that sit with Cabinet to take
decisions upon rather than for these being delegated to a Cabinet Member. We
would recommend that Cabinet and the Senior Leadership Team plan future
significant decisions to facilitate collective ownership by Cabinet of such
decisions, whilst recognising that at times timely decision making may require
accountable decision making by the relevant Cabinet Member.
6.
While budget accountability letters are signed off by senior officers, we weren’t
presented with the evidence that individual service plans are signed off in the
same way. We identified a weakness in non delivery and accountability at
individual service level. We seek further assurances of the robustness of the
developments and monitoring of individual plans and where plans highlight clear
Page 46
MTFS Working Group
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-20
5
savings targets or pressures we recommend that these plans are subject to
peer review. .
7.
At the time of the submission of our report there are still some uncertainties
around key aspects of the MTFS. National approval of our Better Care Fund
submission for example is still awaited. Given these issues we would
recommend that the MTFS Working Group should continue to meet over the
coming months to gain assurances and to further explore the financial impact of
matters highlighted in the MTFS and the effective contingency planning
arrangements in place.
8.
Given the significance of the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent NHS Partnership
Trust we reiterate previous recommendations that in respect of governance,
the County Council should be appropriately represented on the Trust’s Board or
though a joint officer appointment.
9.
We recommend that further investigations take place in terms of the feasibility
of moving to a zero based budgeting approach for key services subject to
service transformation. We believe this would provide the rigour and challenge
needed to ensure a clear focus on value for money and efficiency gains.
10.
To all commissioners we would recommend that they take ongoing steps to:
•
•
•
11.
identify signs of overspend.
continue to challenge on a value for money basis services provided by
third parties and commissioners.
devise and hold ready for deployment, plans for corrective intervention
when necessary
We recommend that critical path analysis should be rigorously applied to any
plan and that the Cabinet Members should react more quickly to redress any
deviation.
Scope
12.
The County Council’s five-year MTFS provides the financial framework for the
delivery of the Council’s Strategic Plan. The MTFS Working Group of the
Corporate Review Committee is responsible for providing challenge during the
development of the Council’s MTFS and the annual budget and council tax
setting process. The work of scrutiny helps to ensure that the Cabinet develops
a good and balanced budget.
13.
A good and balanced budget is one where:
•
•
•
It has a medium term focus, supporting the Leading for a Connected
Staffordshire Business Plan.
Resources are focused on Vision for Connected Staffordshire and priority
outcomes.
It is not driven by short term fixes.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
14.
In assessing whether the budget is good and balanced the Committee had
reference to:
•
•
•
•
15.
It demonstrates how the County Council has listened to consultation with
local people, staff and our partners.
It is transparent and well scrutinised.
It is integrated with the capital programme.
It maintains financial stability.
Income equals expenditure.
Savings targets and investment proposals are credible and achievable.
Key assumptions are “stress tested”.
financial strategy in the wider planning context;
how the budget is constructed and decisions made;
what criteria, information and consultation shape the budget; and
resource allocation according to priority.
We have taken a risk based approach to MTFS scrutiny in 2015/16, and have
focused on areas where spending is:
•
•
•
•
•
more volatile,
subject to significant external influence;
heavily reliant on grant funding;
impacted by national economic factors or
where there is a consistent history of overspend.
16.
The MTFS position shows a shortfall in the 2015/16 financial year followed by a
small surplus in 2016/17 and a greater one in 2017/18. By far the greatest
shortfall can be attributed to care budgets (Adult Care and Looked after
Children).
17.
The importance of delivering within budget will be increasingly important in
future years. Currently the County Council are utilising accumulated general
reserves to balance budgets. Whilst this is an appropriate and recognised
mechanism for financial management it is unsustainable over the long term if
used in isolation of other financial management levers. The Working Group has
been given assurances that the levels of reserves are currently appropriate.
Continued overspending must be addressed however.
18.
The County Council's commissioning priorities are identified within the
Business Plan. The new approach to service delivery challenges service leads
to be outcome focussed. The MTFS process introduces challenge at each
stage of the commissioning cycle. We understand that this approach is still
evolving and that the full impact of this challenge may take time to filter
through.
19.
We understand that Cabinet and the Senior Leadership Team will regularly
monitor whether identified efficiency savings are on track to be delivered. We
recommend that greater emphasis is given to budget reporting to Corporate
Review alongside reporting against the Council’s Strategic Plan. The individual
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Select Committees will continue to hold Cabinet Members and commissioners
accountable for implementation and impact on local communities.
20.
We decided to interview commissioners separately from Cabinet Members to
identify differences in priorities or approach between the two areas which could
potentially deliver savings but which had yet to be highlighted. We wanted to
separate process from vision.
21.
We recognise that the core role of the County Council is changing and the role
of individual Members has changed.
The recent period of significant
transformation has meant huge changes to models of working and raised many
challenges. There is now greater clarity especially around the mission critical
items. The County Council has learned much about partnership working and
innovative delivery models and realise the importance of the timeliness of
effecting change and the impact delays could have on the MTFS.
Method of Investigation
22.
We received the MTFS report from external auditors, Price Waterhouse Cooper
and noted that most areas of the MTFS are broadly in line with comparator
authorities but will need to be kept under review. The earmarked reserves which
largely comprise of school balances are increasing.
23.
We interviewed Cabinet Members and Commissioners responsible for the
People budget, to ascertain:
•
•
•
24.
Whether there is a better way of achieving their outcomes
Are efficiencies/economies passed on
What are the delegated spending powers
A risk based approach to our evidence gathering was used again this year,
focussing proportionately more time on those services which had potentially the
greatest impact on the deliverability of the MTFS. With reference to in-year
finance and performance information this year we decided to conduct seven
interviews:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mr. Ian Parry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy, Finance
and Corporate Issues (interviewed in respect of MTFS overview and
Finance and Transformation)
Mr. Martin Samuels, the Commissioner for Care (interviewed in respect
of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS Partnership Trust and the
budget for Care)
Mr Richard Hancock, Head of Families First
Mr. Mike Lawrence (interviewed in respect of Families First)
Mr Stuart Poyner, Chief Executive of the Staffordshire and Stoke-onTrent NHS Partnership Trust
Mr Alan White ( interviewed in respect of Staffordshire and Stoke-onTrent NHS Partnership Trust and the budget for Care)
Mr Philip Atkins and Mr Ian Parry (interviewed in respect of MTFS
overview and Finance and Transformation)
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Budget Interviews
Date of
Interview
18 September
2014
7 October 2014
10 November
2014
17 November
2014
18 November
2014
5 December
2014
8 January 2015
Interviewee
Ian Parry,
Deputy Leader &
Cabinet Member, Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues
Martin Samuels,
Commissioner for Care
Richard Hancock,
Head of Families First
Mike Lawrence,
Cabinet Member, Children and Community Safety
Stuart Poyner,
Chief Executive, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS
Partnership Trust
Alan White,
Cabinet Member, Health, Care and Wellbeing
Phillip Atkins,
Leader of the Council and
Ian Parry, Deputy Leader and
Cabinet Member, Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues
Membership
The membership of the MTFS Working Group is:
County Councillor Phillip E Jones (Chairman)
County Councillor Frank Chapman
County Councillor John Francis
County Councillor Brian Jenkins
County Councillor John Taylor
County Councillor Susan Woodward
County Councillor Mike Worthington
Findings
Care Budgets
25.
We remain extremely concerned about overspend in the Care budget. Whilst
we recognise the demand led nature of care services there is a need for
renewed and ongoing actions to address overspends as they arise and deliver
against the transformation programme the Council has set. This is crucial to
continuing to deliver services that meet the needs of local communities whilst
providing efficiencies and value for money. We encourage commissioners to
take steps early to identify signs of overspend; to ensure commissioners have
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effective plans for intervention and to continually challenge value for money of
services provided by third parties.
26.
We identified the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust (SSOTP)
as a significant ongoing risk to the MTFS for 2015/16. We understood that the
business case for the Partnership Trust was to provide a better quality service
but also to achieve savings through synergy and re-ablement. Savings and
efficiencies requested by the County Council mid year have proved more
challenging. There is little confidence that this additional £5m in 2014/15 will be
achieved. From our perspective as a Working Group the levers for control
appear to be held by the Trust and risks being seen as a relationship akin to a
purchaser provider relationship rather than a true partnership.
27.
We endorse the Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing and senior
officers’ approach to ongoing relationships and negotiations with the
Partnership Trust. We have in previous years raised concerns around the
contractual relationship between the County Council and the Partnership Trust.
As a Working Group we have yet to receive wholesale assurances that this
relationship is working to its optimum and would recommend that the County
Council and Partnership Trust work closely together in developing a model of
future delivery that achieves the stated priorities of both the Trust and County
Council. We believe that ongoing integration and joint working across health
and care services will deliver greater efficiencies, the benefits of which must be
shared across health and the County Council. We again have been unable to
pin point previous agreements relating to the sharing of savings from
efficiencies. Again this must be addressed as part of any future negotiations
around future service models between the two organisations.
28.
We note the Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing’s assurances that
he intends to personally monitor the relationship with the Trust and would want
regular assurances around both the quality of care but also the level of
innovation that would in turn result in efficiency savings. We agree with the
view of the Cabinet Member that there are difficulties in integrating different
cultures and that this needs to happen before innovation can. We remain of the
view that the County Council must be appropriately represented on the Trust’s
Board or via a joint officer appointment.
29.
The County Council has for some time recognised the importance of
transformation in driving service change and efficiency savings. This must be
the cornerstone of the work of the County Council and Partnership Trust going
forward. We would also recommend that the Council monitoring of Trust
performance and budget management is reviewed to give the Cabinet Member
and the organisation as a whole ongoing assurances over the oversight and
management of the relationship.
30.
The Partnership Trust believe they have made savings and if the amount the
council would have spent on providing services itself was extrapolated this
would have been £15-20m more than what had actually been built into the
contract.
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31.
During our interviews with the Partnership Trust, the Chief Executive highlighted
the challenges arising and despite a focus on re-ablement the Trust had not
managed to stem acute activity or diminish the demand for adult social care. It
was highlighted that integration of staff including back office functions had taken
longer than anticipated.
32.
Issues were highlighted in regard to domiciliary care and the implementation of
the Care Director system (a computerised system for service users records). In
terms of domiciliary care the Trust was of the view that the constraints on the
market had adversely affected the Trust. The Trust was finding it difficult to
procure care at the amount originally envisaged due to inflation. The Working
Group didn’t have time to investigate these issues in detail but would
recommend that internal assurances are gained in respect of the points raised.
33.
The MTFS report 2014 - 19 had identified the Better Care Fund as the single
greatest risk to the MTFS. A joint bid had been worked up from the County
Council, District and Borough Councils and the Clinical Commissioning Groups
(CCGs). £56m funds are available. The Government is actively encouraging
partnership/integrated approaches to service delivery. The County Council must
be focused and determined with a clear understanding of their expectations in
drawing up this arrangement. How the County Council manages its part of the
submission is crucial. The MTFS 2014-19 assumed that an additional £15m
would be received from the fund in 2015/16. We have yet to have sight of the
full detailed implementation plan that accompanies the BCF, hence we seek
further reassurances once the submission has been approved nationally.
34.
Conversations with the Commissioner for Care highlighted the ongoing
overspend in recent years of the Care budget (in 2011/12 overspent by £1m, in
2012/13 by £7.8m and in 2013/14 by £9.5m) and in the current year of £6m
(quarters 1 and 2). Factors that continued to impact upon demand included
more older people needing social care than previously and the number of
people requiring medical care having increased significantly. These are demand
led services and where a client met eligibility criteria for care, they received
support. Every individual in the care system was rigorously assessed against
the eligibility criteria.
35.
Direct payments and personal control of budgets has led to a significant culture
change in the way service users manage their care. Direct payments have a
clear link to increased independence and in turn reduced costs. The
commissioner for care identified swift transition and culture change as key to
ongoing action to address budget overspends.
36.
Staffordshire County Council has shown innovation in integrating Health and
Social Care services. However, we feel that full integration has not happened in
the way it was envisaged in as much as the County Council has not seen
financial benefits through integration. Furthermore, we are concerned that the
financial implications of the Social Care Act could be significant.
37.
We encourage the Commissioner to fully explore the support of family members
at each assessment. All assessments take into account the availability and
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capability of family members to assist within a care package and we note that
carers also have the right to an assessment of their own needs.
38.
We want the Commissioner to proactively work with third parties to drive down
costs. Generally, an amount was agreed with a third party for the operation of a
particular service usually fixed for a year and it is customary for the
Commissioner to be represented on a management board to apply robust
scrutiny.
39.
The second quarter budget monitoring report showed that all age disability was
overspent. Staffordshire’s residential establishments had 51% occupancy
compared to neighbouring authorities who had higher occupancy rates. It is
recognised that the Independent Futures (IF) service isn’t in a position to
deliver its predicted savings targets. In terms of remedial action, additional staff
resources have been put in at a senior level.
40.
The Deputy Leader acknowledged that savings have yet to emerge from IF but
assured the Working Group that mitigating actions were being taken whilst
being sensitive to the identified needs of those that used the service. He has
assured the Working Group that there is a firm grasp on the service going
forward. The Working Group wants however clear ongoing assurances over
the progress of Independent Futures and recommends that this is subject for
regular scrutiny by the relevant Select Committee.
41.
Exceptionally, we suggest the Commissioner for Care should be able to access
independent and specialist medical advice in order to challenge judgements
made on care packages as to whether an individual’s ongoing need should be
met by health or social care.
Families First
42.
We recognise the good Ofsted rating received by Families First in 2014. With
regard to Families First, we accept that much of this cost is difficult to predict so
it is important for the service to work as efficiently as possible. The nationally
directed ‘Staying Put’ initiative whereby young people in care are entitled to
stay in their Foster home until 21 years (previously 18 years) is having an
impact on a budget which is already significantly overspent. The Head of
Families First believes that the aim of the Staying Put policy is positive as it
supports young people’s transition to adulthood but that the financial
implications would need to be quantified and carefully managed.
43.
The Working Group has previously urged the service to identify the true cost of
children placed in Staffordshire by other local authorities. We have been
informed that this figure was difficult to calculate. We continue to believe that a
placing authority should be responsible for all costs appertaining to a young
person and would recommend further actions are taken to address this issue
going forward.
44.
Of the net spend of £81.3 million; the bulk of the budget, approximately £61.3
million is in relation to looked after children services. The Working group notes
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that for the previous five years agreed savings had been achieved but this year
there was an in year £1.9 million saving gap.
45.
There is an in year £2.3 million overspend projection. The numbers of children
and young people in care has fluctuated over the past eighteen months. Last
year it was projected that there would be approximately 940 looked after
children, in April/May there was a high of 980 children and the number is
currently approximately 970.
46.
An additional pressure on budgets is the impact of the national Staying Put
policy which has extended the duration that a young person can stay in care
beyond eighteen. The Council has to pay for these placements and buy other
additional placements. There have been approximately 26-28 young people
who have taken up the opportunity to stay with their foster carers for longer
which has resulted in a £400,000 in year pressure.
47.
The ‘Staying Put’ initiative that has been implemented nationally has until
recently been an unknown quantity but will definitely impact on the budget. We
accept that the initiative is in the best interests of young people but as a
government initiative feel that the full costs of the programme should
recompensed rather than the current pledge of only 10%. Next year costs are
anticipated to rise to £800,000 and then £1.2 million after as it is a cumulative
pressure as people choose to stay put. The Government settlement is £70,000.
48.
We received assurances from the Head of Families First that with regard to the
current projected overspend of £2.3 million there has been mitigation measures
which have bought the overspend down, including council wide recruitment
control measures, and a review of independent placements. An independent
review will check and challenge current interventions and decisions to take
children into care.
49.
The Placement Budget is due to overspend by £3.5 m. The underlying trend is
for continued overspend in this area and this presents a serious ongoing
pressure on MTFS in 2015/16.
50.
We recognise the importance of recruiting and retaining internal foster carers
and the value for money they provide compared to agency foster carers and
especially independent residential placements. We endorse and further
encourage the Head of Families First’s efforts to continue to recruit in-house
foster carers. We queried the incentive for people to work for the local authority
rather than a private foster care agency and suggest that the County Council
consider offering a welcome package as an incentive.
51.
The Cabinet Member for Children and Community Safety could demonstrate
efficiencies made around Families First but accepted that these efforts needed
to continue and be reinforced. We agree the value of early intervention and
suggest it should be applied more widely.
52.
Families First have not achieved efficiencies in the current year and have had
to roll over their savings to 2016/17. We remain concerned about the nondelivery of savings in respect of increasing internal foster carer placements and
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reducing external foster care placements; and about the number of children
coming into care, which does not decrease.
53.
Residential care includes two in house units. There are approximately eighty
children and young people living in independent residential placements and this
includes children with complex needs and disabilities. The cost of a residential
care placement can rise to up to £4,000 per week if for example a child has
severe behavioural issues or a disability. Staff have to be in place for twenty
four hours a day every day to look after children and in addition there are strict
building specifications. Placements paid for in Staffordshire are slightly lower
than the benchmark average.
54.
The number of looked after children are still creeping up nationally and there
are not enough fostering placements. Foster care agencies charge between
£700 - £1000 per week and local authorities need placements.
55.
There are approximately 75 independent units in Staffordshire and an
additional 35 in Stoke, with new independent providers joining the market
regularly.
56.
The County Council is always trying to recruit foster carers but there are
approximately 40-50 foster care agencies competing with the Council in
Staffordshire. Internal placements are sought first before external placements.
There are between 80-90 children in independent residential placements with
approximately 40 requiring specialist care due to their disabilities and 50 as a
result of behavioural issues.
57.
Approximately 200 children and young people in Staffordshire are living in
independent foster care placements and approximately 80 are living in
independent residential care. It cost approximately £500 - £600 per week for an
internal foster care placement compared to £700 - £800 per week for an
agency foster care placement. The cost of an independent residential
placement was approximately £3000 plus.
58.
There is an active foster carer recruitment scheme and numbers remain stable
even though each year a number of foster carers retire and there are 50
competitors. The Council has a good reputation regarding the training and
support that it provides to foster carers and is successful in retaining carers.
59.
Carers allowances have increased to take into account the cost of living by 2%.
Pay starts at approximately £100 per week and increases to between £200300. The County Council has led on work with eight other local authorities in
the area to achieve agreements with a number of agencies to develop some
set arrangements. Some agencies are good and relatively cheap whilst others
are not so good but charge more. Ofsted does not take into account how much
agencies charge for places as it is a private business, but they are subject to
inspection.
60.
Previously, only local authorities and not for profit enterprises could provide
foster carers but this had changed approximately a decade ago with the
introduction of market forces. This has revolutionised fostering and expanded
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the market to make fostering a profession. Planning permission to set up
residential units is not required for less than four bedrooms but the units must
be registered with Ofsted. Most companies take little regard of the needs of the
community before they set up a home.
61.
We encouraged the Head of Families First to move away from expensive
emergency intervention to a greater focus on early prevention and asked why
the Intensive Prevention service only accounted for 1% of the budget. He
replied that Families First provides significant intervention. The Intensive
Intervention service, created in January 2013, spends £10 million on Local
Support Teams which provide early intervention. The service is made up of
approximately ten people and works to prevent teenagers coming into care.
Where a child is at risk of coming into care they will work intensively with the
family for a period of six to twelve weeks on a flexible basis. This service has
shown some success in reducing the number of teenagers who come into care
but the numbers of under fives enter care through safeguarding work has
increased. The numbers of children aged twelve and above coming into care
have decreased.
62.
Historically, Staffordshire had well below the average numbers of children
coming into care compared to its statistical neighbours, however over the past
four years there has been a gradual increase to 55 children out of 1000
compared to a national average of 53.2 per thousand children. There has been
a slight growth in the number of children in the County which may have a slight
impact.
63.
The majority of children coming into care are under five. This group had
originally been underrepresented in the numbers of children subject to a child
protection plan and there had therefore been pro-active and rigorous work
undertaken to ensure safeguarding and improved Ofsted ratings. As a result
more children have been identified who are at risk and need to be on a child
protection plan. There has been an 11% increase nationally and an increase in
the number of court proceedings. There have been new court timescales
introduced and performance indicators to prevent children having to wait to get
permanency which can be through special guardianship arrangements,
fostering or adoption. This has increased the speed of the assessment process
and the number of adoptions. Adoptions have increased year on year from 35,
to 50 last year and anticipated 85 adoptions this year. The numbers of looked
after children have gone up as safeguarding concerns have increased but
these numbers are beginning to stabilise.
64.
We urge the Head of Families First to continue to pursue recruitment of inhouse foster carers. We queried the incentive for people to work for the local
authority rather than a private foster care agency and suggest that the County
Council consider offering a welcome package as an incentive.
65.
The projections regarding the number of looked after children and young
people have been overly optimistic. Although there have been increased
adoptions and internal recruitment of foster carers there is still an increase in
the number of looked after children and young people.
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66.
We shared our concern with the Cabinet Member Children and Community
Safety of the increasing overspend on Looked After Children year on year since
2011/12 culminating in an anticipated overspend in the current year of £2.5m
and a bleak outlook for 2015/16. We asked the Cabinet Member to explain how
he was tackling this and whether he felt he received enough support from his
Cabinet colleagues.
67.
The Cabinet Member said he is satisfied that his Cabinet colleagues have
helped him invest in Children’s Services since 2011 when the authority had
received a poor Ofsted rating. He referred to the installation of Care Director,
the replacement computer programme which would facilitate the input and
sharing of information within the service and which would be live from 19
November. There are no additional funds to enhance his budget. This service
area needed to become more efficient within its resource. Early intervention,
had prevented many children from coming into care and moved those who
needed to come, more quickly through the system. Nevertheless, the pressure
on the service remains due to the increased numbers of children in care.
68.
We reminded the Cabinet Member to be competitive in recruiting in-house
foster carers. In the current year they had made many gains but lost several
resulting in a net gain of 40. Private agencies were attractive in paying more
but feedback from in-house foster carers suggested that they appreciated the
on-going support offered by the authority and in any case, money was not
generally a factor in their decision to foster. The Cabinet Member said that the
age profile of foster carers in Staffordshire is an issue with many older and
experienced carers.
69.
The numbers of children in care have averaged 980 through the year which is
significantly greater than the number used to base the budget on (940) and 100
children were in residential placements at significant cost. 40% of children
coming into care were under five years and would be admitted to foster care
whilst young people would be admitted to in-house temporary assessment
units. Training and support for Social Workers to ensure that they do not react
disproportionately when admitting children and young people into care. We
asked about investment in intensive early intervention and whether it could be
demonstrated that this worked.
70.
The Cabinet Member said that the service had worked hard in recent years to
drive down costs of residential placements. He said that the service was
constantly checking that the bar was set correctly in terms of admitting the right
children to care. He could demonstrate that they had made efficiencies but
accepted that they would need to revitalise their efforts. We agree the value of
early intervention and that it should be applied more widely.
Infrastructure+
71.
In terms of Infrastructure +, the contract has only relatively recently been
signed and at this stage the MTFS Working Group doesn’t have concerns over
the relationship or any future negative impacts upon the MTFS. It is early days
however and the Working Group will work alongside the Prosperous
Staffordshire Select Committee to monitor the financial and service quality
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outcomes from the contract. At this stage it wasn’t clear to us what potential
income stream may be generated from the selling of services beyond the
County Council.
General
72.
We recommend that the MTFS Working Group continue to meet over the
coming months in order to undertake more detailed benchmarking of
comparative costs of other authorities and consideration of feasibility of greater
peer review opportunities. In turn we recommend that Corporate Review
receive more regular reporting of budget information that the summary currently
presented as part of the quarterly outcomes report.
73.
The Cabinet Member for Strategy, Finance and Corporate Issues has assured
us that across the County Council, budgets are well managed. Where there
were clear overspends then these related to areas which were demand led and
for which services couldn’t be refused if eligibility criteria were met.
Transformation, especially around budget pressure areas must be quickened.
Pooling arrangements will be implemented with care and sensitivity and models
of commissioning – vertical and horizontal – will continue to be reshaped to
ensure they are as efficient as possible. The Cabinet Member has told us that
there are efficiencies to be gained through the opportunities and benefits of
synergy.
74.
We want commissioners to proactively work with third parties to drive down
costs and to continue to apply robust performance monitoring and scrutiny. We
feel commissioners should continue to be clearly accountable in terms of
delivering within their plans and this risk has also been raised by external
auditors.
75.
The Working Group recommends that a focus of attention for the working group
in future years should include the expected dividend from the Entrust
partnership.
76.
In terms of the use of reserves, £6.8m had been used in 2014/15 and although
re-payments had been built into the MTFS this remains a concern for us. We
wonder how much potential there is to use unallocated reserves
notwithstanding that savings would need to be made to pay back reserves.
77.
We asked the Deputy Leader for assurance that controls are in place to monitor
budgets thoroughly. The Deputy Leader said that individual Cabinet Members
meet officers on a daily basis. Monthly meetings are an opportunity for Cabinet
colleagues to apply additional challenge and support and where actions are
identified and recorded. We suggest information shared at monthly meetings
should be shared more widely.
78.
The Deputy Leader told us that budget accountability and monitoring is precise
but pressures have resulted in the current financial position. It was important to
see this within the context of these pressures being managed over a 5 year
period rather than purely a focus at one particular point in time. Cabinet has
identified 18 imperative objectives for the County Council of which 5 are
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‘mission critical’ in terms of MTFS. Additional resources have been put into
these mission critical projects and accountable officers are meeting more
regularly to track and monitor.
79.
The Deputy Leader described targets as challenging but achievable through
transformation. We believe remedial action should be developed and held
ready for immediate deployment where needed.
80.
We remain concerned over timescales and processes which if over ambitious
will impact on the ability to deliver the MTFS. The Leader recognises that delay
increases costs and acknowledges that the MTFS has been ambitious in terms
of timescales but believes targets should be ambitious and challenging.
Mission critical projects have a designated project manager, an SLT sponsor,
and Cabinet Member.
81.
While in-year budget monitoring is not a scrutiny function, increasingly the
County Council is not able to deliver within budget and an awareness by
Corporate Review Committee of the mid year position could help address
problems earlier.
Implications
1.
Resources and Value for Money – Consideration of the MTFS, annual budget
and Council Tax, inevitably means that this review focused on the allocation of
the County Council’s resources. Considering the value for money delivered by
services was a central theme of the evidence gathering process. Many of our
conclusions and recommendations are focused on ensuring that the County
Council is achieving value for money.
2.
Equalities and Legal – Determining priorities is central to the MTFS and budget
setting process, and we were conscious in our review that this means some
services are identified as being a lower priority than others. Any decision to
significantly change or reduce a service based on its priority level will need to
be taken into account the impact on various groups (equality impact
assessment). There are no specific legal implications to the report.
3.
Risk - Our conclusions and recommendations draw attention to some of the key
risks to the successful delivery of the MTFS. We considered the relationship
between risk management and financial management and asked questions
about the main financial risks to the authority and how these might be mitigated
during the course of our work.
4.
Climate Change - Taking action to reduce the County Council’s Carbon
Emissions has the potential to have a positive impact on the budget both in
terms of avoiding financial penalties from Central Government and in terms of
reducing energy costs. This is an issue which the Cabinet must continue to
work on.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following officers who supported the Working Group:
Rob Salmon
Rachel Spain
Nick Pountney
Carol Bloxham
Chief Accountant Corporate Finance
Principal Accountant, Corporate Finance
Scrutiny and Support Manager
Scrutiny and Support Officer
The Working Group would like to thank the Cabinet Members and officers who
participated in the budget interviews and responded to our written questions.
County Councillor Philip E Jones
Chairman of the MTFS Working Group
and
Corporate Review Committee
January 2015
Contact Officer/s
Carol Bloxham, Scrutiny and Support Officer
Staffordshire County Council
Telephone: 01785 276155
E-mail: [email protected]
Nick Pountney, Scrutiny and Support Manager
Staffordshire County Council
Telephone: 01785 276153
E-mail: [email protected]
List of Appendices/Background Papers
•
Proposals for the Scrutiny of the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Annual
Budget and Council Tax, Report to Corporate Review Work Programme
Planning 2014/15 - 7 July 2014
•
Medium Term Financial Strategy, Presentation to Corporate Review - 21
October 2013
•
Strategic Plan 2015 -2018 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-2020,
Cabinet - 17 December 2014
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MTFS Working Group
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-20