Meeting documents

Cabinet
Monday 26th November 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 16 October, 2018.

3. Budget Review 2018/19 and Medium Term Financial Plan Update - Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships

4. Grenfell Tower Fire - Update on the Local Response - Report of the Director: Operations.

5. Local Safeguarding Children Board Annual Review Report 2017/18 and New Multi-agency Safeguarding Arrangements- Report of the Director: Children and Community Resilience.

6. Local Safeguarding Adults Board: Annual Report 2017/18 – Report of the Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing.

7. Adult Social Care Annual Report 2017/18 – Report of the Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing.

8. Building on the Success of North Lincolnshire's Imagination Library – Report of the Director: Learning, Skills and Culture.

9. Progress Report on Armed Forces Covenant – Report of the Director: Children and Community Resilience

10. 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, Poole, Reed and Rose.

Councillors Ali, Armiger, Bainbridge, Briggs, Clark, Collinson, A Davison, Ellerby, Evison, T Foster, Godfrey, Grant, Mumby-Croft, O'Sullivan, Rowson, Wells and Wilson also attended the meeting.

Denise Hyde, Simon Green, Mick Gibbs, Becky McIntyre, Helen Manderson, Peter Thorpe, Peter Williams, Will Bell, Wendy Lawtey, Edwina Harrison, Moira Wilson and Richard Mell attended the meeting.

The meeting was held at the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe.

1320 DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS - There were no declarations of interest declared by members at the meeting.

1321 MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 16 October, 2018 having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the chairman.

1322 (9) BUDGET REVIEW 2017/18 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN UPDATE – The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report informing the Cabinet of the current performance in respect of revenue and capital budgets for 2018/19, and sought approval in respect of the latest revised budget for revenue and the capital programme within the parameters set by Council on 1 March 2018. The report also informed Cabinet that cash balances and debt were being managed in line with the Council's approved treasury management strategy, setting out further details of the strategy and approach to the budget planning process for the 2019/23 medium term financial plan.

The Director in her report summarised the above performance and information under the following headings with supporting appendices -

  • 2018/19 Budget Position - Revenue;
  • Reserves;
  • Budget Adjustments;
  • 2018/19 Budget Position - Capital;
  • 2018/19 Budget position - Treasury Update, and
  • 2019/23 Medium Term Financial Planning Process.

Resolved - (a) That the revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2018/19, as set out in appendix 1 to the report, be noted; (b) that the revenue budget adjustments approved under delegated powers and the latest revised budget position for 2018/19 summarised in appendix 2 to the report, be noted; (c) That the latest capital investment programme for 2018/19 summarised in appendix 3 to the report, together with the changes to the approved programme contained in appendix 4, be approved; (d) That the progress against the approved Treasury Management Strategy in appendix 5 to the report, be noted; (e) That the 2019/23 medium term financial planning process as outlined in the report, be noted, and (f) that the Director and her staff, together with all staff working in 'demand services' caring for the most vulnerable people in our communities, be thanked for their continuing hard work.

1323 (10) GRENFELL TOWER FIRE - UPDATE ON THE LOCAL RESPONSE - Pursuant to minutes 1267 and 1292, the Director: Operations submitted a further progress report updating the Cabinet on local action taken following the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017. The report specifically confirmed that Ongo Homes had completed in June 2018 the installation of sprinkler systems in all their tower blocks and updated members on the following joint work carried out -

  • Onsite inspections of all buildings with cladding panels to confirm the findings of an initial desk top review;
  • A review of all Fire Risk Assessments to ensure that one was on place for every council building that was current (taking account of the building's cladding) and there were no unsolved fire safety issues, and
  • A reminder to all council staff, in particular service and building managers, about the importance of good fire safety practice including guidance on how to raise any concerns that might arise had been issued.

In addition the report stated that the final Hackitt review report was published in May 2018. It called for a wholesale culture change in the construction industry and a regulatory system that assigned clear responsibilities and held people to account. In all, the report contained 53 separate recommendations that were concentrated across eight key areas for improvement. These were summarised under the following headings:-

  • A New Regulatory Framework (including the creation of local Joint Competent Authorities (JCA);
  • Clear Responsibilities;
  • Three 'Gateways';
  • More Rigorous Enforcement;
  • Higher Competence Levels;
  • More Effective Product Testing;
  • Better Information, and
  • Better Procurement.

The Director in his report also explained that following the publication of the final Hackitt report, the government had recently announced its intention to ban the use of combustible cladding on new buildings in England above 18m (60 feet) in height. The new ban would be implemented through changes to building regulations. The government was also expected to announce a plan to implement the recommendations set out in the Hackitt report, including details of the new JCA arrangements that would oversee the management of safety risks in high-rise residential buildings across their entire lifecycle prior to Christmas. The Council would examine, embed, adopt and implement all these recommendations going forward, and amend any existing procedures accordingly. The findings of this report were at this time still recommendations and as such, are not yet transposed into regulations.

Resolved (a) That the information set out in the Director's report be noted, and the Cabinet continues to support the positive action taken locally by both the council and Ongo Homes following the Grenfell Tower fire, and (b) that a progress report on the establishment of a Joint Competent Authority locally be submitted to a future meeting.

1324 (11) LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD (LSCB) – ANNUAL REVIEW REPORT 2017-2018 - The Director: Children and Community Resilience submitted a report presenting the LSCB Annual Report for 2017/2018. The report stated that the LSCB had a statutory requirement to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of child safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the local area. The annual report was attached as an appendix to the Director's report.

The statutory guidance set out in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' stated that the annual review report should be a rigorous and transparent assessment of the performance and effectiveness of local safeguarding arrangements. It was a requirement of the annual report that it was submitted to the Chief Executive, the Leader of the Council, the Local Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board. Also, the report should be considered by relevant agencies in relation to planning, commissioning and budget setting.

The Director's report outlined the progress made in respect of the LSCBs statutory functions, included progress against LSCB priority areas, listed headline achievements including an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection of services for children in September 2017, and set out Areas of Focus for 2018/19, which referred to ongoing work to establish Children's Multi-Agency Resilience and Safeguarding (MARS) local arrangements to replace the LSCB, in accordance with requirements of the new statutory guidance 'Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018'.

Edwina Harrison, the Independent Chair of the Board attended the meeting, introduced and summarised the annual report and outlined future safeguarding arrangements through the MARS. She also stated that with the end of the LSCB she would consequently complete her role as chair, and would therefore like to express her thanks to all members and supporting officers over the her years in office.

Members commented on the contents of the report and the annual report and thanked everyone involved for their work.

Resolved (a) That the LSCB Annual Review Report for 2017/2018 be received and considered where relevant in relation to planning, commissioning and budget setting processes; (b) that the new Children's MARS arrangements as outlined in the report be noted, and (c) that Edwina Harrison for her hard work and professional dedication as Chair of the LSCB over the years, and Cabinet hoped that there would be opportunities to work with her again in the future.

1325 (12) LOCAL SAFEGUARDING ADULTS BOARD (LSAB) - ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 – The Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing submitted a report presenting the Local Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2017/2018. The Independent Chair of the Board, Moira Wilson, introduced and summarised the annual report. The annual report was attached as an appendix to the Director's report.

The Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) had a statutory requirement to publish an annual report which offered assurance that local safeguarding arrangements and partners worked together to help and protect adults with care and support needs in its area. It was a requirement of the annual report that it was submitted to the Chief Executive, Leader of the Council, the Local Police and Crime Commissioner, Healthwatch and the Chairman of the Local Health and Wellbeing Board. The guidance supporting the Care Act 2014 stated that the LSAB must publish an annual report detailing what it had done during the year to achieve its main objectives and its strategic plan, as well as detailing the findings of any Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs).

The Director's report outlined the progress made in respect of the LSCBs statutory functions and priorities for 2017/18, including progress against LSCB priority areas and listed headline achievements.

Members commented on the contents of the report and the annual report and thanked everyone involved for their work.

Resolved – (a) That the LSAB Annual Report for 2017/2018 be received and its publication noted; (b) that submission of the annual report for information to the local Police and Crime Commissioner, Health and Wellbeing Board, Healthwatch and Adults Partnership Board be noted, with the expectation that they consider fully the contents of the report and how they can improve their contributions to both safeguarding throughout their own organisations and to the joint work of the Board; (c) that the annual report be published on their websites, and (d) that Moira Wilson and all staff involved be thanked for their ongoing hard work.

1326 (13) ADULT SOCIAL CARE ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 - The Director: Adults Community Wellbeing submitted a report seeking cabinet approval for the publication of the Adult Social Care Annual Report on the council's website.

The report explained that the Council produced an annual report of its Adult Social Care Services informing the public of what the Council had been doing over the year, how well services were meeting outcomes, and any key developments. It also outlined priorities for the forth coming year.

The Director in her report stated that the Council continued to be a high performing authority contributing towards making North Lincolnshire the #Bestplace, and had further developed or enhanced a range of care and support services to meet local needs closer to home. The Key messages from this year's local account were:

  • North Lincolnshire Adult Social Care was in the top 10% of Councils for outcomes performance. the top in the Yorkshire and Humber region, 2nd in the council's comparator group;
  • More people who used the Council's services said that they felt safe and were able to live their lives safely than average across England, regional and comparator groups;
  • More People than average were supported to get back to independence. The approach adopted in the Council's Home First Services ensured that recovery, rehabilitation and reablement happened in a person's own home wherever possible;
  • The Home First Services were 'Highly Commended' by the MJ Achievement Awards for Care and Health Integration;
  • Less people were experiencing delays in hospital, which placed North Lincolnshire within the top 10% of all Councils in England for this indicator.
  • The residents of North Lincolnshire had access to the best care and support in the Yorkshire and Humber region with 86% of care homes and 100% of home care providers being rated 'Good' or 'Outstanding' (as at July 2018).

Resolved That the publication of the Adults Social Care Annual Report 2017/18 on the Council's website be supported.

1327 (14) BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE'S IMMAGNATION LIBRARY - The Director: Learning Skills and Culture submitted a report highlighting the continued success and impact of North Lincolnshire' Imagination Library.

The report explained that North Lincolnshire had celebrated five years of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library book scheme in February 2018. The roll out of the Imagination Library had made a significant impact in raising parent, carer and family awareness of the importance of sharing and reading books with young children. The total number of children registered to date with North Lincolnshire Imagination Library Scheme was 16,109, making a real difference to early literacy. During the period 2016 to present (October 2018), consistently high rates of registration had been maintained with 90% of children currently registered. 3113 of the 8150 children currently registered lived within neighbourhoods identified within 30% lower super output areas. A fifth of parents registering for the Imagination Library requested Children Centre registration, increasing the reach for early help to our potentially more vulnerable children and families.7959 children had now graduated from the scheme, having reached their 5th birthday. Since the scheme was launched in February 2013, an incredible 446,246 books had been gifted to children across North Lincolnshire. 500,000 book were expected to be delivered in April 2019.

The Director in his report set out further statistical information on the success of the Imagination Library and its positive impact on the learning and development of service users. Consequently, the Dolly Parton Trust promoted North Lincolnshire as a model of excellence, describing North Lincolnshire as a 'world leader' with an exciting and innovative programme of work that engaged the whole community, including health, early year's educators, parents and carers.

Resolved That the continuing success and growth of North Lincolnshire's Imagination Library and the difference it has made to young children's early learning outcomes, be noted.

1328 (15) PROGRESS REPORT ON ARMED FORCES COVENENANT - The Director: Children and Community Resilience submitted a report updating Cabinet on the progress of the Armed Forces Community Covenant. The North Lincolnshire Armed Forces Community Covenant was an agreement of a voluntary pledge of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces. Its aim was to (i) strengthen links between the community and local armed forces personnel, their families and service veterans; (ii) to encourage local communities to support the armed forces community in their areas, nurture public understanding and awareness about the issues affecting the armed forces community; (iii) recognise and remember sacrifices made by the armed forces; (iv) promote activities which help integrate the armed forces community into local life, and (v) encourage the armed forces to help and support the wider community through participation in joint projects and other forms of engagement.

The Director in his report explained that North Lincolnshire Council had undertaken a considerable amount of work in 2018 to implement the work of the Covenant and provide support to local organisations and charities who worked with young people, veterans and their families. Examples of the work undertaken were:

  • Covenant re-signing and flag raising;
  • Identified Armed Forces Champion, Lead Officer and Dedicated Covenant Officer;
  • Armed Forces Day/Committee;
  • Regional Conference;
  • Veterans Hub
  • MOD Employers Recognition Scheme - Bronze and Silver Award;
  • Funding for WW1 Commemorations and Remembrance Day, and
  • 'There But Not There' Campaign.

The report also referred to further continuing work in 2019.

Resolved (a) That the progress made in implementing the Armed Forces Community Covenant be noted, and the proposed work for 2019 be supported, and (b) that the profile of Covenant work be raised and promoted at all relevant opportunities.