Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed here

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2023 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.  No declarations were made.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Executive presenting the draft Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium for 2023, setting out the Council’s progress and performance over the past year.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 4’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the overall good progress in delivering on the Council’s Strategic Priorities and Outcomes, as set out in the draft Annual Delivery Report 2023 be noted;

b)    That the Council’s current low comparative funding, good but under pressure performance position, and financial pressures and risks now facing the Authority as set out in the Performance Compendium be noted;

c)    That in light of the pressure on the Council’s financial sustainability arising from continued service demand and cost pressures, the Council continues to press its case for a fairer funding settlement, noting that the delay in implementation has created significant uncertainties as to how the Council can now address the many service challenges and priorities it faces;

d)    That the Chief Executive, following consultation with the Leader, be authorised to make any amendments to the draft Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium prior to its submission for approval to the County Council on 6 December 2023.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

It is best practice in performance management, implicit in the LGA Sector-Led approach to local authority performance and part of the Council’s Internal Governance Framework, to undertake a review of overall progress at the end of the year and to benchmark performance against comparable authorities. It is also good practice to produce an annual performance report and ensure that it is scrutinised, transparent, and made publicly available.

The National Audit Office has issued best practice guidance for annual reports, highlighting that the annual report is a key mechanism for transparent disclosure of an organisation’s in-year performance and governance matters. The report should discuss how the entity has performed in the year, including areas where performance has deteriorated or is below expectations, and the other key risks.

The County Council is poorly funded in comparison with other local authorities and this, until addressed, will continue to affect delivery, performance, risks, and Council Tax levels.

The draft Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium may be modified to reflect comments made by the Cabinet as well as to include any final national comparative data which becomes available prior to its consideration by the County Council.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Public Health regarding the outcome of consultation on the proposed delivery model for homeless support and seeking approval to cease funding a dedicated homeless support service, and instead to provide support via the Council’s existing public health services.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 5’, is filed with these minutes.

The Cabinet noted comments from Mrs A. J. Hack CC on behalf of the Labour Group, a copy of which is filed with these minutes. 

Referring to Mrs Hack’s comments, the Director clarified that the homeless support was a single service, albeit currently with two providers, and explained how the review had encompassed all elements of the service.

Members joined with Mrs L. Richardson CC in expressing support for the new delivery model.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the outcome of the public consultation, including comments of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on the proposed delivery model for homeless support across Leicestershire be noted;

b)    That the recommended model for homeless support detailed in paragraphs 52 to 58 of the report be approved with a view to commencing the new model on 1 April 2024;

c)    That it be noted that the County Council’s funding does not pay for the running of the Falcon Centre (a homeless hostel operated by Falcon Support Services, currently commissioned by the County Council to provide a homeless support service) and that is not the purpose of such funding.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION:

Following a review of need, existing service provision, responsibilities of the County Council, and a review of consultation responses, a revised delivery model is proposed that offers a broader health and wellbeing offer and greater coverage across Leicestershire.

The current contract for the provision of homeless support services ends on 31 March 2024.

The Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023/24-2026/27 includes a requirement for savings via a review of homeless support services.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Public Health presenting the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2023 “Leicestershire’s Health - What the Health and Wellbeing Board’s Dashboard Tells Us”.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 6’, is filed with these minutes.

Members commented on the good performance indicators for the County.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the recommendations contained within the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023 be supported;

b)    That it be noted that the Annual Report will be submitted to the County Council on 6 December 2023.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Director of Public Health’s Annual Report is a statutory independent report on the health of the population of Leicestershire. The recommendations in the Annual Report largely relate to actions for the Public Health Department and work to be carried out with partners, which it is intended to pursue via the Health and Wellbeing Board.

To enable the County Council to consider the Report, which will help inform future commissioning decisions.

The Cabinet considered a joint report of the Director of Adults and Communities and the Director of Public Health regarding the outcome of the consultation on the draft Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Joint Living Well with Dementia Strategy 2024-2028 and seeking approval of the Strategy and the Council’s Delivery Plan.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, is filed with these minutes.

Mrs C. M. Radford CC commended the Strategy which had benefitted from significant input from Healthwatch and service users among others.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the outcome of consultation on the draft Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Joint Living Well with Dementia Strategy 2024-2028, including the comments of the Adults and Communities and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees, be noted;

b)    That the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Joint Living Well with Dementia Strategy 2024-2028 be approved;

c)    That the Leicestershire County Council Delivery Plan be approved.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Strategy seeks to support people with dementia in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland area and has been informed by the experiences of those living with dementia or as a carer, their families and the organisations supporting them.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities regarding proposed changes to be made to the Council’s Charging for Social Care and Support Policy and seeking approval to carry out a consultation exercise on the revised Policy.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 8’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the proposed changes to the Council’s Charging for Social Care and Support Policy be noted;

b)    That the draft Charging for Social Care and Support Policy be approved for consultation;

c)    That a further report be submitted to the Cabinet in February 2024 presenting the outcome of the consultation and seeking approval of the revised Charging for Social Care and Support Policy.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION:

To enable public consultation on the draft revised Charging for Social Care and Support Policy which will inform the decision on the final Policy.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport regarding the outcome of consultation on the updated Leicestershire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LLFRMS) and seeking approval for its adoption and publication. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 9’, is filed with these minutes.

Mr. O. O’Shea CC expressed his appreciation for the work done by the Department’s Flood Risk team to update the Strategy, which would support work with communities and partners to prevent and respond to flooding events.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the findings of the public consultation, including comments of the Highways and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on the draft updated Leicestershire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LLFRMS) be noted;

b)    That the updated LLFRMS and associated documents be approved for adoption and publication;

c)    That the Director of Environment and Transport, following consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member, be authorised to make any further minor amendments to the Strategy in the light of any feedback from the Highways and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet prior to its publication.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The consultation exercise has informed the revised LLFRMS.

The existing LLFRMS was published in 2015 and required a full review. The updated documents address the changes required to align with the current national strategy and associated guidance and incorporate the recommendations of the Flooding Scrutiny Review Panel previously considered by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport regarding work undertaken on the development of a programme of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) and the outcome of the public engagement exercise on the first two LCWIPs in the programme, for the Loughborough area and the South of Leicester area.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 10’, is filed with these minutes.

The Cabinet noted comments from Mr. Max Hunt CC (Loughborough North West division), a copy of which is filed with these minutes. 

Referring to Mr. Hunt’s comments, the Director explained that the Government required local authorities to focus the LCWIPs on areas which would benefit the greatest number of people.  The approach to speed reduction was referenced in both LCWIPs.

Members agreed with Mr. O. O’Shea CC that more government funding was required in order to implement LCWIPs and noted the health benefits of such projects.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the work undertaken on the development of a programme of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) be noted;

b)    That the outcome of the public engagement on the LCWIPs for the Loughborough area and South of Leicester area be noted;

c)    That the draft LCWIPs for the Loughborough area and South of Leicester area, attached to the report as Appendices C and E, be approved;

d)    That the Director of Environment and Transport, following consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member, be authorised to update the two LCWIPs at c) above, including networks, schemes and their prioritisation, as a result of evidence arising from the delivery of the LCWIPs, new housing and employment development growth, and consideration of future Medium Term Financial Strategies.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

To highlight the challenging financial context in which LCWIPs are being developed and, subject to funding, will be delivered in support of the Council’s Cycling and Walking Strategy (CaWS) and the Government Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy vision.

To highlight the Government’s expectation for local authorities to have evidence-based LCWIPs in place, developed in accordance with Government guidance and with local engagement and support, in order to be able to access future Government capital delivery funding.

To enable agreed plans to be in place for the County’s most urban areas to guide future growth and investment in active travel infrastructure from all sources, including the Government, land developers, district councils and neighbouring authorities.

To enable the delivery of evidence based active travel schemes and supporting behavioural change initiatives using a collaborative approach for the benefit of local communities.

There were no items referred from the Overview and Scrutiny bodies.