Meeting documents

Cabinet
Monday 25th June 2018

Chairman: Councillor R Waltham MBE
Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Scunthorpe
Time: 4 pm
E-Mail Address: richard.mell@northlincs.gov.uk

AGENDA

1. Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Personal or Personal and Prejudicial interests.
2. To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 20 March, 2018.
3. Financial Position 2017/18 and Medium Term Financial Plan update - Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships
4. North Lincolnshire Council Plan 2018/19 - Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships. (to follow)
5. Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge - Report of the Chief Executive
6. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)- Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships.
7. Delayed Transfers of Care - Report of the Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing.
8. Progress report on the Outcomes of the Scrutiny Review of Sexual Health Services - Report of the Director: Public Health
9. Any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent by reason of special circumstances which must be specified.

MINUTES

PRESENT:- Councillor Waltham MBE (chairman) in the Chair.

Councillors Hannigan (vice-chairman), J Davison, Marper, Ogg, Poole, Reed and Rose.

Councillors Armiger, Bainbridge, Briggs, Clark, Collinson, A Davison, Ellerby, L Foster, Godfrey, Gosling, Kataria, Longcake, Mumby-Croft, and Wilson also attended the meeting.

Simon Green, Becky McIntyre, Karen Pavey, Penny Spring, Peter Thorpe, Stuart Minto and Richard Mell attended the meeting.

The meeting was held at the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe.

1306 DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS - The following member declared a personal interests

MemberSubject/Minute
Councillor Waltham MBEMember of Local Government Association People and Place Board

1307 MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 20 March, 2018 having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the chairman.

1308 (1) FINANCIAL POSITION 2017/18 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN UPDATE– The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report providing Cabinet with an overview of the Council's financial performance in 2017/18 and with an update on the medium term financial plan 2018/23, revenue budget 2018/19 and capital programme 2018/22.

The Director in her report explained that the council had set an annual budget for 2017/18 based upon the identified funding available in its medium term financial plan 2017-20. Throughout the year, the council managed its spending within a statutory framework ensuring that it remained within cash limits. The council had set its cash limit for the year at 131m, based on revenue received from Government grants, council tax, business rates and incorporating planned use of revenue reserves and capital receipts flexibility. Appendix 1 summarised the level of planned funding for 2017/18 compared to final funding applied.

The report also stated that financial management was the responsibility of Directors and delegated to relevant budget holders across service areas. Day to day costs of running the council and providing services was classified as revenue spending. In total the council's revenue spend amounted to 129.7m. Appendix 1 also provided a summary of spend by management responsibility.

Investment in long term assets such as roads and buildings was classified as capital spending. In total the council's capital spend amounted to 47.7m. Capital spend was funded from a range of sources, including borrowing, proceeds from sale of assets, external funding and contribution from internal revenue funds. Appendix 1 also included a summary of capital investment activity.

The council had set a clear goal of being a sustainable council and had begun a journey of whole scale change in how it operated as a local authority. To achieve sustainability the council's strategic approach was to be commercial and enabling. This meant maximising growth in local tax base, both for housing and businesses and ensuring that the council operated traded services in a business like way with full cost recovery. The need to enable individuals to have increased resilience, communities to be independent whilst managing need and protecting the most vulnerable would contribute to the overall sustainability of the council.

Resolved - (a) That the overview of the council's financial performance in 2017/18 be noted, and (b) that the update on the medium term financial plan 2018/23, revenue budget 2018/19 and capital programme 2018/22 be noted.

1309 NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL PLAN 2018/19 – The chairman reminded members that this item had been withdrawn.

1310 (2) LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (LGA) CORPORATE PEER CHALLENGE REPORT - The Chief Executive submitted a report presenting the report of the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge following its specific review of the council on 23-26 January 2018. This Peer Challenge was a well-established sector led improvement tool that the LGA offered to all local authorities which was designed to support councils take responsibility for their own improvement. The Peer Challenge considered the following core components and high level questions -

  • Understanding of the local place and priority setting
  • Leadership of Place
  • Financial Planning and Viability
  • Organisational Leadership and Governance
  • Capacity to Deliver
  • The Council's Approach to Safer, Greener and Cleaner

The Chief Executive in her report explained that as part of ongoing organisational learning, inviting the LGA Peer Challenge at this time was to provide external feedback as to whether the recent changes in the Council structure and transformational journey had been productive, whether the direction was clear, that the leadership from the Council was enabling all to be striving towards the same goals, and that outcomes for people in the area were maximised.
During the four days in North Lincolnshire, the team spoke to more than 119 people including a range of council staff, elected members, external partner and stakeholders. The team gathered information and views from more than 45 meetings, visits to key sites in the area and additional research and reading. At the end of the visit, the team provided a presentation of their initial findings to elected members and senior leaders. A full report outlining the findings of the Peer Challenge was attached as an appendix to the report.

The executive summary identified the following key findings –

  • 'North Lincolnshire Council is a well performing organisation with highly visible and engaging leadership at both political and management level.
  • It has a track record of delivering good quality local services.
  • There is a strong shared ambition between Members and senior officers to make North Lincolnshire Best Council, Best Place….
  • The peer team saw evidence of the vision and the transformation programme being translated to the frontline.
  • There are numerous examples of good and innovative practice that is making a real difference to people's lives.
  • The baseline in certain areas is already high with high performing Adult Services and, recently, Ofsted judged Children's Services as outstanding

It was also heartening to see this extension of quality, innovation and change being adopted in the Council's approach to its safer, greener cleaner services too'.

The LGA Corporate Peer Challenge process included a follow up visit. The purpose of the visit was to help the Council assess the impact of the peer challenge and to demonstrate the progress it had made against the areas of improvement and development identified by the peer team. The timing of the visit was determined by the Council and was likely to be within the next two years. It was anticipated that the Council would commission its next full Corporate Peer Challenge before 2023.

Resolved – (a) That the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge report be received and its findings and recommendations made by the LGA Team be noted; (b) that progress against an action plan as referred to in the report, be reported to a future meeting of the Cabinet; (c) that the timing of a follow up visit as outlined in the report be considered within the next two years, and (d) that further to the Financial Position 2017-18 and Medium Term Financial Plan Update reported to this meeting (minute 1308 refers) and theLGA Peer Challenge Report which acknowledges that the council has a strong and stable financial position, the Cabinet agrees that the Council's 38m Highways Improvement Programme 2018-22 be re-profiled to bring forward 3 million from the latter years to advance the programme of works.

1311 (3) GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR) - The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report providing Cabinet with an update on the Council's preparations for implementing the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which came into force on 25 May 2018. GDPR was a legal requirement that strengthened the data rights of individuals across the European Union.

The council had a strong track record of protecting data and its information governance capabilities were regularly assessed and audited, including oversight by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Preparations for the implementation of GDPR commenced in early 2017. A formal project management environment was created, recognising the cross-council implications and associated change management and risk issues. Key areas of development overseen by the project team were set out in the report, together with its future responsibility to ensure that further guidance issued by the ICO was implemented and updated in line with the council's assurance arrangements.

Resolved - That the steps taken by the council to prepare for the General Data Protection Regulations be noted

1312 (4) DELAYED TRANSFER OF CARE - The Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing submitted a report updating members on North Lincolnshire's performance on 'Delayed Transfers of Care' - preventing unnecessary delays in hospital and ensuring people return home as safely and as quickly possible. The report also demonstrated that the council and Health Services were working together to continue to improve services to support people to return home.

The Director in her report explained that the term 'Delayed Transfers of Care' was used to describe a situation where a person was well enough to leave a hospital but for a variety of reasons was still there. The reason for the delay may be the responsibility of social care, health or attributable to a shared health and social care responsibility. Delays could occur when people were being discharged home, to a residential or nursing home, or were awaiting transfer to a community hospital or hospice. It may be a person was waiting to leave hospital but could not leave because the support needed to keep them safe at home was proving difficult to arrange, for example equipment or health care support.

Analysis of data provided by NHS England for North Lincolnshire demonstrated that together social care and health in North Lincolnshire were performing within the top 15% of all areas in England for 'Delayed Transfers of Care'. North Lincolnshire's rates of delays had continued to fall steadily over the last year, and were at their lowest in January 2018, despite additional pressures the winter could have on hospital admissions.

The Director stated that health and care services worked together to ensure everything is in place for a successful and timely discharge, helping coordinate tasks such as arranging for equipment and organising support for any care, therapy or health needs.

Excellent partnership working, strengthened relationships and communication between social care and health providers had been fundamental to making sure services work better together and fewer people were delayed.

Resolved - (a) That the continuing good performance for North Lincolnshire in relation to 'Delayed Transfers of Care' be noted, and (b) that all officers involved be thanked for their continuing good performance and associated duty of care to ensure that people are able to return home from hospital as safely and as quickly and as possible.

1313 (5) PROGRESS REPORT ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE SCRUTINY REVIEW OF SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES - The Director of Public Health submitted a report informing Cabinet of the progress of implementing the recommendations of Health Scrutiny Panel following its review of Sexual Health Services. The review's aims were to ensure that services were sufficiently joined up and that they were responsive and accessible to local people. The panel's 'Sexual Health and Wellbeing' report was published in 2017.

The Health Scrutiny Panel had made six recommendations and the report confirmed that all recommendations had been implemented. An appendix to the report provided detail of the recommendations and action taken.

Resolved - That the progress in implementing the recommendations of the Sexual Health and Wellbeing report of the Health Scrutiny Panel be welcomed and noted.

1314 NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE ARMED FORCES DAY AND ARMED FORCES FLAG RAISING CEREMONY - Stuart Minto, Principal Officer Safer Neighbourhoods reported orally on the success of the above two events held in North Lincolnshire on 18 June and 24 June 2018 respectively. Over 100 guests had attended the Armed Forces Flag Raising Ceremony in Central Park, Scunthorpe when afterwards an official re-signing of the local Armed Forces Covenant was held. Similarly, the Armed Forces Day held at the Brumby Sports Field, Scunthorpe was attended by over 3500 people and feedback indicated it had been a tremendous success, which would be built upon in 2019.

Members who attended the events also commented upon their success.

Resolved - That the oral report and progress be noted and all those who organised and participated in the events be thanked for their hard work.