Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at http://council.webcast.vualto.com/leicestershire-county-council/home?EventId=13905

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 January 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 Chairman reported that as the Government’s response to consultation on the finance settlement had been delayed the Cabinet was still awaiting the necessary information to consider the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the next four years.

RESOLVED:

That following consideration of items 5 to 9 on the agenda the Cabinet meeting be adjourned until 10.30 am on Friday 12^th February.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities seeking approval of the Adult Social Care Strategy 2016-2020 and the associated overarching commissioning intentions and Market Position Statement. A copy of the report, marked ‘5’, is filed with these minutes.

Mr. Dave Houseman MBE, CC welcomed the Strategy which would enable the Council to continue to help those who were in most need of care whilst also promoting the use of alternative wellbeing services where appropriate.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the results of the Adult Social Care Strategy 2016-2020 public consultation be noted;

(b)  That the Adult Social Care Strategy 2016-20 and the associated Adult Social Care Commissioning Intentions and Market Position Statement, as appended to the report, be approved;

(c)  That It be noted that the Director of Adults and Communities will continue to develop a comprehensive workforce strategy for the internal and external social care workforce.

(KEY DECISION)

REASON FOR DECISION:

Approval of the Adult Social Care Strategy 2016-2020 and associated Commissioning Intentions enables the new model for local social care delivery to be implemented over the four-year period. The Strategy has been developed to fulfil statutory duties, meet efficiency targets, and provide a basis for planning, commissioning and delivering Adult Social Care services for the next four years.

The views of customers and stakeholders have informed the new model and determined how it can be best achieved through the commissioning of services.  The consultation indicated high levels of support for the strategy from customers and stakeholders, giving the Council a mandate for its implementation.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Children and Family Services which concerned the proposed closure of Greengates Children’s Home. A copy of the report, marked ‘6’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the responses to the consultation concerning the proposed closure of Greengate Children’s Home, including the comments of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee, be noted;

(b)  That the Director of Children and Family Services be authorised to proceed with the closure of Greengate Children’s Home with effect from 1 April 2016;

(c)   That it be noted that the County Council will seek to increase specialist in-house foster carer provision that will allow young people to remain within Leicestershire and be supported to return to family care or to more independent living.

(KEY DECISION)

REASON FOR DECISION:

Local authorities are required to ensure that there are sufficient placements available to meet the needs of the children and young people that it is looking after.

In December 2013, the County Council agreed a policy entitled ‘Choices for Children and Young People 2013; A Placement and Sufficiency Strategy’ which set out the ambition to ensure that the children who are looked after by the Council are placed with families as opposed to in institutions.  In 2014 the Children’s Care Monitor Report (produced by the Children’s Commissioner for England) indicated that across the board children in residential homes feel significantly less happy and more vulnerable than children in foster homes. Those who did not feel they were living in the right place felt they were not part of a family. 

The County Council currently operates two of its own children’s homes and in order to help implement the ambition to achieve family based care, it was therefore recommended that one, Greengate Children’s Home in Wigston, should close once the existing resident has been supported to move onto his adult placement.

The size and style of the home does not meet the requirements of providing, as far as possible, a replicated domestic dwelling or family based care. The proposed closure is consistent with the County Council’s intention to ensure that more of the children in the care of the County Council are looked after in family settings such as foster care. This approach is better for the child or young person because they will live in a family placement and, is also more cost effective, as it reduces the overheads of running and maintaining a large building.  Greengate Children’s Home is amongst the most expensive of placements currently provided by the Council and its closure could reduce the current overspend by approximately £400,000 per annum.

The Departmental budget for placement commissioning has been under pressure for some years with a forecasted overspend for 2015/16 of £7.9 million, and it is therefore necessary to find ways to contain spending within the budget available.  The demands on the placements commissioning budget are unpredictable and difficult to forecast as they are significantly affected by national issues such as the increased visibility of child sexual exploitation and the additional numbers of asylum seeking children.

Whilst planning to meet the challenges of demands for specialist placements, it is also necessary to consider the broadest range of opportunities for reducing the placement costs for the population of children in the care of the County Council as a whole, whilst continuing to protect the quality of that provision for those who are more vulnerable. This will require a different model of care and will need to be carefully planned and risk assessed as part of the Children and Family Services transformation plans.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport concerning progress made with the replacement of Zouch Bridge over the River Soar and seeking approval for the promotion of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and associated statutory orders. A copy of the report marked ‘7’ is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That a Compulsory Purchase Order to be known as `The Leicestershire County Council (A6006, Zouch Bridge Replacement) Compulsory Purchase Order 2016’ be made under Sections 239, 240, 246, 250 and 260 of the Highways Act 1980 and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 to secure the compulsory acquisition of the land shown coloured pink on the Order Map at Appendix A and the new rights over the land shown coloured blue on the said Order Map;

(b)  That a Side Roads Order to be known as `The Leicestershire County Council (A6006 Zouch Bridge Replacement, Classified Road) (Side Roads) Order 2016’ be made under Sections 14 and 125 of the Highways Act 1980 to stop up lengths of existing highway and deal with the closure and creation of private means of access as shown in the plan at Appendix B;

(c)  That a Bridge Scheme known as `The Leicestershire County Council (Zouch Bridge Replacement) Bridge Scheme 2016’ be made under Section 106(3) of the Highways Act 1980 as shown in the plan set out in Appendix C to provide the statutory authority to construct the replacement Zouch Bridge;

(d)  That it be noted that an agreement under section 8 of the Highways Act 1980 is to be entered into between Leicestershire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to facilitate the making and promotion of the statutory orders;  

(e)  That the County Solicitor be authorised –

(i)              in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources to finalise and make, with if necessary, any minor or technical amendments  the Orders referred to in paragraphs (a) (b) or (c) above and the Statements of Reasons,

(ii)             to seal the Orders and to take all steps he considers appropriate including the publication and service of all statutory notices and presentation of the Council’s case at any Public Inquiry or through written representations, to secure the confirmation of the Orders by the Secretary of State and the vesting of the land in the County Council,

(iii)            in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources to request confirmation of the Orders with modifications if, in the light of new information, it appears expedient for the confirmation of the Orders.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The existing bridge continues to deteriorate and, in the medium term, is likely to require a weight restriction and, ultimately, closure. This could have an impact on the effectiveness of the County Council’s road network, increase journey times/costs and affect the delivery of its strategic transport objectives in this area. The CPO will facilitate delivery of the scheme.

The preferred location for the replacement bridge, slightly to the south of the existing bridge, enables it to be constructed without the need for the substantial traffic diversions.

The Side Roads Order is required to ensure that lengths of highway which are not needed are stopped up and that appropriate provision for creation and stopping up of private means of access are in place.

The Bridge Scheme is required to ensure that there is statutory authority to enable construction of the replacement bridge over navigable waters.

As the new bridge will be located partly on land within the administrative areas of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, it is anticipated that an agreement under section 8 of the Highways Act 1980 will be required between  ...  view the full minutes text for item 391.

The Chairman reminded members that Andrew James, County Solicitor, would be retiring shortly and on behalf of the Cabinet he thanked Andrew for his work with the County Council and wished him a long and happy retirement.

There were no items referred from Overview and Scrutiny.

The Cabinet meeting then adjourned at 14:14pm.

The Cabinet meeting reconvened at 10:30am on Friday 12^th January (apologies were reported on behalf of Mr. B. L. Pain CC) -

Members considered a supplementary report of the Director of Corporate Resources regarding the County Council’s proposed Medium Term Financial Strategy; following public consultation, consideration of the draft by the Overview and Scrutiny bodies, and receipt of the local government finance settlement.  A copy of the report, marked ‘4’ is filed with these minutes.

Members noted comments from the Liberal Democrat Group, a copy of which is filed with these minutes.

Mr. Rhodes said it was the first occasion on which representations made by the Council on the provisional Settlement had resulted in a positive change to the final funding awarded.  Whilst the additional amount was relatively small, it had enabled a number of services to be better supported (detailed in paragraph 71 of the report) and, if the planned savings were achieved, the Council would be able to balance its budget in 2016/17 and 2017/18. Mr. Rhodes hoped that the intended review of the Needs Assessment Formula by the Government might address the £19m shortfall still facing the Council in 2019/20.

Members welcomed the amended proposals and in particular the use of the net additional resources to help maintain the quality and safety of the highways network, assist with provision of transport for children with Special Educational Needs, and support the smoking cessation service and the ‘Tell Us Once’ scheme for registering births and deaths.

That the following be recommended to the County Council:-

(a)      That subject to the items below, approval be given to the MTFS which incorporates the recommended revenue budget for 2016/17 totalling £345.3m as set out in Appendices A, B and D of the report and includes the growth and savings for that year as set out in Appendix C;

(b)      That approval be given to the projected provisional revenue budgets for 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20, set out in Appendix B to the report, including the growth and savings for those years as set out in Appendix C thereto and to the undertaking of such preliminary work, including consultation and equality impact assessments, as may be necessary towards achieving the savings specified for those years including corporate savings under development;

(c)      That approval be given to the early achievement of savings that are included in the MTFS, as may be necessary, along with associated investment costs, subject to the Director of Finance agreeing to funding being available;

(d)      That the level of earmarked funds as set out in Appendix I be noted and the use of earmarked funds be approved;

(e)      That the amounts of the County Council's Council Tax for each band of dwelling and the precept payable by each billing authority for 2016/17 be as set out in Appendix J (including the adult social care precept, 2%);

(f)       That the Chief Executive be authorised to issue the necessary precepts to billing authorities in accordance with the budget requirement above and the tax base notified by the District Councils, and to take any other action which may be necessary to give effect to the precepts;

(g)      That approval be given to the 2016/17 – 2019/20 capital programme as set out in Appendix E;

(h)      That the financial indicators required under the Prudential Code included in Appendix K, Annex 2 be noted and that the following limits be approved: