Agenda and minutes
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Minutes: Apologies were received from Chris Townsend. Nick Harrison acted as his substitute.
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 4 December 2013
To agree the minutes as a true record of the meeting. Minutes: These were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
Notes: · In line with the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, declarations may relate to the interest of the member, or the member’s spouse or civil partner, or a person with whom the member is living as husband or wife, or a person with whom the member is living as if they were civil partners and the member is aware they have the interest. · Members need only disclose interests not currently listed on the Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. · Members must notify the Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting so they may be added to the Register. · Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
To receive any questions or petitions.
Notes: 1. The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (Friday 24 January 2014). 2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (Thursday 23 January 2014). 3. The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received. Minutes: There were no questions or petitions. |
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RESPONSES FROM THE CABINET TO ISSUES REFERRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
The Committee did not refer any items to Cabinet at the last meeting, so there are no responses to report. Minutes: The Committee did not refer any items to the Cabinet at its last meeting, so there were no responses to report. |
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WELFARE REFORM TASK GROUP - INTERIM REPORT
Purpose of the report: Policy Development and Review
This is a report of the interim findings of the Welfare Reform Task Group, which was commissioned by the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee (COSC) to investigate the impacts of welfare reform and key issues for Surrey County Council and its partners. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest: None.
Task Group members in attendance: David Harmer (Chairman) Stephen Cooksey Bob Gardener Fiona White
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Chairman of the Welfare Reform Task Group commented that the process had been instructive, and that both officer and external witnesses had made similar comments. It was outlined that the Task Group had identified a number of areas of concern, as detailed in the interim report.
2. The Committee discussed the Local Assistance Scheme (LAS) and its considerable current under-spend. The chairman of the task group stated there could be an under-spend of £900,000 on the LAS, which would be returned to general balances at the end of the financial year. The Chairman of the Welfare Reform Task Group highlighted the recommendation that this funding be ring-fenced and targeted to develop early-intervention support, particularly in relation to money management. He also noted that central government spending for the scheme would cease from April 2015. A member suggested that the County Council should be advertising the Local Assistance Scheme, in addition to the Districts and Boroughs, in order to increase awareness of this source of help.
3. The Committee commented that the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) had an important role in providing support for those affected by welfare reforms. It was commented that the CAB offered holistic expertise and had already piloted a scheme advising on money management. The Committee noted that the report indicated a 17% rise in welfare related queries in the past year, half of which was due to the administration of LAS.
4. The Committee discussed the role of GetWiS£ in relation to the provision of advice in regard to welfare reform. The Chairman of the Adult Social Care Select Committee highlighted that the Committee would be reviewing the performance data for GetWiS£ at its meeting in May 2014.
5. The Task Group was asked by the Committee to consider how the early help and preventative agenda in Children’s Services was linked to addressing the impacts of welfare reform. The Committee discussed the role of the Family Support Programme in addressing some of the issues related to welfare reform, and it was commented by one Member that they would like to see the eligibility criteria and duration of intervention extended.
Recommendations:
· That any Local Assistance Scheme funding left unallocated at the end of 2013/14 be rolled over into 2014/15 and be ring fenced and continue to be committed to supporting severely affected residents to manage the impact of welfare reform changes: subject to detailed proposals for allocation by the Task Group, a proportion of this funding to be targeted towards early intervention support, particularly aimed at improving money management skills and general financial awareness.
Actions/further information to be provided:
None.
Committee Next Steps:
The Welfare Reform Task Group will provide a final report at the meeting of the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 2 April 2014.
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CORPORATE STRATEGY AND BUDGET REPORT 2014-2019
Purpose of the report: This report presents the revised Corporate Strategy for 2014 to 2019 and the proposed revenue and capital budgets for the Council for the period 2014/2015 to 2018/19. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest: None.
Witnesses: Liz Lawrence, Head of Policy and Performance Kevin Kilburn, Deputy Chief Finance Officer Julie Fisher, Strategic Director for Business Services Denise Le Gal, Cabinet Member for Business Services
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Committee was informed that there had not been significant changes to the Corporate Strategy, as there had been a substantial refresh the previous year to look over the life of the Council. The Committee’s attention was drawn to the proposed priorities for 2014/15. Some had been carried forward from the previous year but there were also new priorities on the Family Support Programme, working with health partners on the Better Care Fund and the Council’s response to flooding.
2. Officers commented that the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2014-19 reflected the fact that there was a greater certainty about levels of local government funding for the next two financial years, after which the comprehensive spending review undertaken by the current central government would have reached its conclusion.
3. The Committee was informed that the announcement regarding the council tax referendum threshold was still pending. The Cabinet Member praised finance officers for the work they had undertaken with the Treasury around this matter. The Committee was informed that officers were exploring the possible options in the event of a funding shortfall, but that no proposals had been brought for the Cabinet’s consideration at the present stage.
4. The Committee recognised the Council's achievements in making savings in recent years to deal with increased demands on services and was pleased to note that £25m of Better Care Funding was being negotiated from 2015/2016. However the Committee was concerned about several uncertainties in the Council’s budgetary planning:
· A significant amount of the available reserves amounting to £26m were being used to balance the 2014/2015 budget, leaving considerably reduced reserves for the following years.
· There was a reduction in the contingency for 2014/2015 from £13m to £5m and then another reduction to a nil contingency in 2015/2016, despite many savings programmes being uncertain. Officers explained that the contingency had not been used in previous years and was now adding to the budget pressure of services. If the contingency continued then further equivalent savings would have to be made
· Whilst noting that the Council will receive £18m of Whole Systems funding in 2014/2015, it was still being negotiated with CCGs on the level from 2015/2016.
5. The Committee held a discussion of recommendation 6 of the Budget Report, which proposed the establishment of a mechanism to track and monitor progress on the development and implementation of plans for achieving efficiencies. The Committee acknowledged that this was an enhancement to reflect the increasingly complex financial environment facing the Council, rather than a response to a failure of existing monitoring mechanisms, and noted that the detailed objectives and procedures were still being determined. The Committee stressed the importance of the role of Select Committees in reviewing and advising on areas of concern at an early stage, ... view the full minutes text for item 7/14 |
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BUDGET MONITORING - Quarter 3 - 2013/14
Purpose of the report: This report presents the revenue and capital budget monitoring up-date for December 2013 with projected year-end outturn.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest: None.
Witnesses: Kevin Kilburn, Deputy Chief Finance Officer Julie Fisher, Strategic Director for Business Services Mel Few, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. A report of the Performance and Finance Sub Group on the Corporate Strategy and Budget Report 2014-19 was tabled at the meeting and is attached to these minutes.
2. The Committee was informed that it was forecast that the Council would make £60.3 million of its planned savings and reductions of £68.3 million. The Committee held a discussion around the Family, Friends & Community Support agenda in Adult Social Care, which was a key area where savings had not been achieved. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care praised the Directorate for achieving a difficult series of savings for 2013/14, and highlighted that the Family, Friends & Community Support agenda was a long-term initiative that required developing and embedding in assessment processes. The Cabinet Member commented that any reduction in non-statutory services would be most likely a short-term saving, as many of these responsibilities would become necessary under the proposed changes brought in by the Care Bill.
3. The Committee queried the amount of the savings for Adult Social Care identified in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) in 2014/15 attributable to Family, Friends & Community Support. The Cabinet Member commented that a £24 million saving for Family, Friends & Community Support had been identified, and that he did not believe that £19 million of these would be achievable within the financial year. The Committee expressed a number of concerns regarding the lack of a contingency in the budget proposal for 2014/15 to address this anticipated shortfall. Officers commented that there were a number of robust measures in place, and highlighted the recommendation contained within the 2014/15 Budget Report to Cabinet that proposed an additional mechanism for the Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer to track progress and implement robust plans throughout the MTFP.
4. The Committee queried whether there had be consideration as to further sharing of senior level responsibilities. Officers commented that the Council would continue to investigate where services could be shared and centralised in order to reduce costs. The Committee held a discussion as to how the Council worked to increase funding or generate income. It was highlighted that current Council policy was to investigate opportunities to make long-term investments and income sources, rather than short-term gains through asset disposal.
Recommendations:
None.
Actions/further information to be provided:
None.
Committee Next Steps:
None.
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REVIEW OF THE INVESTMENT PANEL
Purpose of the report: Scrutiny of Services and Budgets
To report the Audit & Governance Committee findings, following a review of the Investment Panel. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest: None.
Witnesses: Nick Carroll, Finance Manager – Funding & Planning Julie Fisher, Strategic Director for Business Services Kevin Kilburn, Deputy Chief Finance Officer
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Committee was informed that the Investment Panel had been set up with the intention of ensuring that business cases were robustly scrutinised before going to Cabinet for decision. It was highlighted that this practice reflected that of the private sector. It was commented that the report did not make any mention of risk in relation to investments. Officers gave assurance that there was a focus on risk, and that this was included as a component within each business case. It was confirmed that officers were working to capture how the Investment Panel worked in conjunction with IT change projects.
2. The Committee asked whether independent and external oversight had been used by the Investment Panel. It was clarified that external opinion would be sought when the Investment Panel was requested to review a significant project requiring specific expertise, but that it was not done as a matter of routine.
Recommendations:
None.
Actions/further information to be provided:
None.
Committee Next Steps:
None.
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RECOMMENDATION TRACKER AND FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME
The Committee is asked to monitor progress on the implementation of recommendations from previous meetings, and to review its Forward Work Programme. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest: None.
Witnesses: None.
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Committee noted its Forward Work Programme and Recommendations Tracker. The Chairman advised that an item on trading and investment would be brought to the next Committee meeting. There were no further comments.
Recommendations:
None.
Actions/further information to be provided:
None.
Committee Next Steps:
None.
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Committee will be held at 10.30am on 5 March 2014. Minutes: It was noted that the date of the next meeting was 5 March 2014. |