Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Mrs C Feeney-Johnson, Ms L Hammond and Mrs A Burns.

To report and changes to the membership of the Board

There were no changes in membership.

Members are invited to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for            profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)       Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and

            (b)       Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority. 

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

            (a)       The landlord is the authority; and

            (b)       The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial                                                         interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)       That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the    area of the authority; and

(b)       Either –

(i)      The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one            hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

(ii)     If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A “disclosable pecuniary interest” is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).

There were no disclosures of interest made.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED,       that the press and public be not excluded during consideration of any item on the Agenda.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 17 September 2012 (copy enclosed).

Subject to Mr A Wonnacott being listed as those in attendance, it was,

RESOLVED,       that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 September 2012.

There were no call-in items on this occasion.

For members to be informed of any CCfA received by the County Council and consider whether any further action needs to be taken by the Advisory Board

There no CCfA to bring to the Board’s attention on this occasion.

To consider a report by the Corporate Director – Children’s Services  (copy to follow).

This report provides members with a finance update on the Children’s Services Directorate.

Mr AP Richardson and Mr J Cowell attended the meeting for this item of business.

Members considered a report by the Corporate Director – Resources which outlined the draft proposed savings and pressures for the Children’s Services Directorate identified within the 2013/14–2015/16 draft revenue budget as presented to Cabinet on 6 December 2012.

The briefing supported members in reviewing and scrutinising the proposals as part of the consultation process.

Members were informed that a draft Revenue budget had been presented to Cabinet on 6 December 2012 with an estimated net budget (expenditure less specific grants and fees and charges) for 2013/14 of £385.036m reduced by £21.493m (5.3%) from 2012/13 (£406.529m).  Due to the uncertainties arising from national changes there were still significant risks within the draft revenue budget as presented. 

The draft revenue budget had been developed on the minimum budget planning gap of £18.017m as set out in the Local Government Resource Review – Cumbria Impact report to Council in September 2012.  An additional savings gap of £3.650m was reported in the Draft Revenue Budget Cabinet report as being required to meet the probable planning gap of £21.667m.  The minimum and probable revenue budget planning gap was based on the assumption that Council Tax would be increased by 2%.  The draft budget for 2013/14 was therefore based on this assumption, however, the decision on whether or not to accept the Council Tax Freeze Grant would be taken by Council in February 2013.

The Officer then went on to summarise the proposed savings required.  The overall approach for the 2013/14 budget was one of identifying savings that had the least impact on service delivery areas of the Council.  Last year’s budget process already identified £20m of savings for 2012/13 in addition to the gross savings of £44m in 2011/12.  The 2013/14 budget had been developed on the basis that these savings would be achieved in full and delivery would be monitored closely during 2012/13.  New budget savings proposals for the Directorate were listed in the report.

Members were then informed that the draft capital expenditure in 2013/14was £119.276m (inclusive of £14.531m of new schemes proposed in the report) in an overall programme of £200m over the next 5 years.  In total £5.851m of new capital schemes for Children’s Services Directorate had been included in the five year programme. 

Concerns were raised at the £1m budget reduction for Children Looked After.  The Corporate Director replied that the numbers of CLA were increasing and the forecast overspend was £2m but they were looking at ways to reduce that to £1m.  A member stated that he would rather not see a reduction in the budget at all.  Another was concerned at the ever increasing number of CLA and believed that officers should be looking seriously at reducing the number.   The Corporate Director added that there was more information in her report (Agenda Item No. 8) on how they planned to manage CLA numbers. 

RESOLVED,      that the report be noted.

To consider a report from the Corporate Director – Children’s Services (copy enclosed).

This report provides members with an update on some of the Children’s Services Directorate’s key activities.

The Board considered a report from the Corporate Director – Children’s Services which provided an update on the following issues:-

• Children Looked After (CLA) Strategy, including priority actions to address the budget overspend
• Implementing the Focus Family Initiative
• Early Years Foundation Stage
• Progress on the Ofsted Improvement Plan

CLA Strategy

The Corporate Director advised that the number of CLA with complex and specialist needs had been 28 when the report was written but was now down to 23.  Where it was agreed that an external placement was required, a funding split between the PCT and Council was agreed.  A member had taken part in a task and finish group on adults with complex needs, during which, it emerged there were quite a lot of adults supported out of county and asked if there were any CLA out of county.  Most of the 23 placements were within county boundaries but there would always be many more adults, as CLA were passed onto Adult Services once they reached 19 years old.

Members discussed the breakdown of figures and questioned the increase in the number of CLA over the past twelve months.  The authority was often compared to big rural counties but they were not necessarily their statistical neighbours.  In other authorities effective early intervention had made a difference to the figures.  More effort was being put into supporting those children on the edge of care.  Work on the family group conferencing model was progressing well.  Officers did not want to stop removing children if they were at risk and such decisions were now taken at Senior Manager/Assistant Director level, but ultimately, it was the decision of the Court whether a child was taken into care or not.  The first ever Children’s Services/Family Court Conference would take place on 1 March 2013 would help both sides understand the processes involved in taking children into care and issuing care proceedings. 

Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire had also received an inadequate Ofsted report and their CLA numbers had increased, the impact of which led to more of a risk averse working practice.  The expectation was that by 1 April 2014 the numbers would be equal to statistical neighbours.  Conversely, the authority was at the top of the list (7 out of 8) for the number of children adopted, when compared to their statistical neighbours and were keen to improve further.  A member asked how much it cost the authority for each child looked after.  The charge could be as much as £500k per placement for a child with complex and specialist needs or less for a child/young person who lives with a grandparent on a small maintenance allowance.

Relationships with colleagues in health had improved since the appointment of the new chief executives at Carlisle and Whitehaven hospitals and as a result of the PCT taking over.  The Police had been onboard with their role on the Children’s Trust Board for a while and health were now following suit.  The Chair added that it might be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

To consider a report by the Corporate Director – Children’s Services (copy enclosed).

This report provides members with an update on performance across the Children’s Services Directorate.

The Board considered a report from the Corporate Director – Children’s Services which provided an overview of performance, in relation to the objectives in the Directorate Service Plan, for Quarter Two (2012/13) which covers the time period 1 July to 30 September 2012.  Performance for the quarter had steadily improved and there were now only three areas on the Scorecard that were ‘red’, two of which related to health partners.  The Improvement Board were also looking at how health partners were monitoring CLA as part of the Improvement Plan.  A member asked if there had been any improvement with SEN statements issued within 26 weeks.  The Corporate Director advised that they were working closely with health colleagues to improve timescales.

At the previous meeting, members had asked for a breakdown on the number of complaints received.  Approximately, 20 new complaints per year were logged, the majority were from parents.  The Directorate had received 11 complaints per month which was the most the service had ever received.  However, it was thought that the promotion of the ‘Have Your Say…about Children’s Services’ complaints flyer may have led to the increase.  The flyer was written in plain English and also produced in a credit card size so could easily be carried.  Additional training was being given to staff to help them deal with complaints better in the first place.

RESOLVED,       that the report be noted.

To consider a report from the Assistant Director – Legal and Democratic Services (copy enclosed).

The report informs members of new and updated items of significance to the Board (including relevant aspects of the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions).

The Scrutiny Officer presented the Board Briefing which informed them of new or updated items of significance to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Advisory Board, along with an updated Forward Plan.  The Inspira Task and Finish Group was now complete and one of the recommendations was that a report be produced for each Local Committee on how the contract was running in their area.  There would be no new task and finish group work taken on before the elections.

RESOLVED,       that

(1)   the Forward Plan of Key Decisions be noted;

(2)   the current scrutiny work programme and the progress of task group review be noted.

Date:               Monday 18 March 2012

Time:              10.00 am

Venue:            Committee Room 2, County Offices, Kendal

Date:              Monday 18 March 2013

Time:             10:00 am

Venue:          Committee Room 2, County Offices, Kendal.