Meeting documents

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Derek Beer, William Trite and David Walsh.

Members are required to comply with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 regarding disclosable pecuniary interests.

·         Check if there is an item of business on this agenda in which the member or other relevant person has a disclosable pecuniary interest.

·         Check that the interest has been notified to the Monitoring Officer (in writing) and entered in the Register (if not this must be done on the form available from the clerk within 28 days).

·         Disclose the interest at the meeting (in accordance with the County Council’s Code of Conduct) and in the absence of a dispensation to speak and/or vote, withdraw from any consideration of the item.

The Register of Interests is available on Dorsetforyou.com and the list of disclosable pecuniary interests is set out on the reverse of the form.

There were no declarations by members of disclosable pecuniary interests under the Code of Conduct.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2017 were confirmed and signed.

To consider a report by the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme.  The report also includes a brief update on progress with current reviews.

The Committee considered a report by the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme which set out outstanding actions from previous meetings and an update on identified reviews.

Dorset Syrian Refugee Programme

Members had been sent an update by email on 11 December 2017.  The Lead Member for the review stated that on the basis of the information provided, and the need to prioritise future reviews, there was no need to progress this review at this time.  This was agreed.

Dorset Education Performance

The review had been delayed because of the Lead Member’s ill health.  It would now go ahead in February 2018.

SEND Budget 

The Cabinet Member for Economy, Education, Learning and Skills explained that at a recent meeting pressure to improve delivery of Education Health Care Plans continued.  The next performance figures  were expected at the end of January 2018.  Good outcomes would be reported later in the school term.

Workforce Capacity

Work was progressing and a report would be considered in March 2018.

Integrated Transport

The review was being progressed.

Mental Health Workshop

The workshop had been held on 13 December 2017 and a full report would be provided for the March 2018 meeting.  A number of issues had arisen on the day including access to services, housing and benefits, commissioning and the need for safe places.

Delayed Transfers of Care

This item had been added to the Committee’s work programme.  Significant pressures were being experienced in local acute and community hospitals.  Up to the beginning of the week the social care department was tracking below target although NHS delays were not performing so well.  Cases of flu were increasing and this was starting to affect the system.  A full report would be provided to the March 2018 meeting.

Race and Hate Crime

The Lead Member referred to current evidence which showed a downward trend and did not think there was any reason for a review to continue.  Should incidents increase then this decision could be reviewed.  The Lead Officer agreed with this view.  Attention was drawn to the number of other agencies monitoring such cases which provided some assurance for the Committee.

In light of this, members agreed that the review should not progress further.

Social inclusion

The findings of this review would be reported to the June 2018 meeting. 

The Lead Officer for the review added that many partner organisations were contributing to the review and that future meetings were being outside of County Hall. 

Homelessness

The Lead Member had not received any information as requested at the last meeting and that a recent email had suggested that responsibility for homelessness lay with district and borough councils.  The Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme apologised for the lack of information and reminded members that they had asked for a better understanding of how the Council worked with district and borough councils, the new Act, and adult and children’s services. She undertook to arrange for the appropriate information to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To receive any questions or statements by members of the public.

Public Speaking

There were no public questions received at the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 21(1).

There were no public statements received at the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 21(2).

To consider a report by the Interim Director for Children’s Services. 

The Committee considered a report by the Interim Director for Children’s Services which summarised the results of the statutory consultation the Council had undertaken for the admission arrangements for 2019-20, the transport policy for 2018-19 and a proposed change to the Published Admission Number for Charmouth Primary School.

The Council consulted annually on admission arrangements for voluntary controlled and community schools before any changes were determined.  Voluntary Aided schools and Academies were their own admission authorities and would go through a similar process.  The Committee then considered the individual elements contained within the report.

Admissions Arrangements

No significant changes were proposed and the Committee agreed to recommend these to the Cabinet for formal agreement.

Home to School Transport Assistance Eligibility Policy

The proposed changes aimed to make entitlement clearer for families to understand.  Members were reminded that a series of incremental rises for Post 16 transport were agreed two years ago.  The increase in a surplus seat price from £640 to £770 from September 2018 had been consulted upon and a likely increase in 2019 in line with the tender index for transport as advised by Dorset Travel was highlighted for consultation in April 2018.  It was noted that families in receipt of working families tax credit or free school meals would be eligible for a 50% discount.  The increases had been reviewed by Dorset Travel for consistency, were competitive with other councils, and were progressing towards cost recovery.  

Whilst members supported the need for policies to be clear and understandable,  views were expressed about the proposed increases.  These included concerns about travel distances for children on Portland, that the lack of assistance meant that more families were choosing to home educate which meant that children were further disadvantaged; a need for a good communications plan to explain the reasoning behind any increases; any increase to take into account the use of taxis or one-off provision; that any increase might result in more parents driving their children to school, thus increasing congestion and impacting on cost recovery; and that a decision should be delayed pending further information being sought, given the concerns expressed.

It was suggested that any increase should not be more than inflation but this was balanced by a view that if this was the case then a similar decision about increases would be needed in subsequent years; and that it would have been helpful if the report had included how figures were calculated by Dorset Transport, how many pupils would be affected and safeguards for those most at risk. 

The Interim Director for Children’s Services referred to the Children’s Services budget and the need to address a £7m funding gap with a significant part being attributed to home to school transport.  If the increases were not agreed, then any shortfall would have a serious impact on the Council’s budget and would have to be found from elsewhere, resulting in equally difficult decisions needing to be made in other areas of spend.

The Cabinet Member for the Natural  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive a presentation on the Budget for Adult and Community Services and Children’s Services from the Interim Director for Children’s Services and the Transformation Programme Lead for the Adult and Community Forward Together Programme.  Members will be able to provide feedback on the proposals for consideration by the Cabinet.

The Committee received a presentation from the Interim Director for Children’s Services on the Children’s Services budget for 2018/19.  He explained that the cost of service delivery for 2018-19 was £66m compared to the available funding of £58m.  He then gave a detailed breakdown of proposed identified savings of £6.3m.  This resulted in a gap of £1.8m but to meet this shortfall staff would have to change their attitudes, be more disciplined and focused on doing the right things at a faster rate than they were used to.

One member referred to a recent meeting he had attended with fostercarers and asked what was being done to address the concerns they had raised and to avoid a mass exodus.  The Interim Director explained that a review of payment rates had been undertaken and these had been brought into line with other authorities. An incentive scheme had also been included so that those achieving qualifications received additional payments as did those fostercarers looking after harder to place children.  There was also a need for better customer care for them, for a change in staff attitudes and understanding, and for existing fostercarers to be retained.

Another member, welcomed the additional funding provided to recruit additional social workers but asked what support was given to family members to take on children.  The Interim Director explained that staff were actively trying to increase the number of family placements as this provided better continuity for the children.

The Committee then received a presentation on the Adult and Community Services budget for 2018-19 from the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme.

Members were reminded that the adult social care budget was the largest within the Council and that the social care precept was ringfenced for spend on adult social care.  There would be an increase in the Improved Better Care Fund (IBCF) but there were strict rules as to how this money could be spent and performance managed.  Members were also reminded that fees and charges were based on the ability to pay so that those who could not afford to pay had their services funded.

Savings of £9.3m were needed during 2018-19 and an explanation of how these would be achieved was given.  Attention was drawn to the increased number of older people living longer in Dorset and the increased complexity of their needs; the increasing amount of safeguarding work which impacted on the number of assessments and reviews undertaken; and the increased need to undertake more deprivation of liberty cases due to people not planning for their future at an early stage and the implications this had for the service.  There was a need for provision of early advice in order to help people make the decisions about their future at an early stage. 

She then explained identified savings which she considered achievable but cautioned that if these savings were not realised, then additional savings would have to be made elsewhere. 

One member drew attention to the older populations reluctance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider a report by the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme.

The Committee considered a report by the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme which set out performance against the 2017-18 Corporate Plan and population indicators for the Healthy and Independent outcomes.  The report also included performance measures which showed the Council’s services’ contribution and impact on outcomes, risk management information relating to outcomes and population indicators, and some value for money information relating to the three service directorates.

Attention was drawn to the suggested areas of focus for the indicators on the inequalities in life expectancy and the rate of hospital admissions related to alcohol related conditions.

Following the last meeting a member had asked for a briefing paper on the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions and a brief explanation of the findings was given.  Increased drinking affected safeguarding for both children and adults, crime levels, work force absenteeism, and had an impact on the Council’s services and outcomes.  Many partner organisations had a role in prevention, treatment and safety and the issue formed part of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan which was scrutinised through Dorset’s Health and Wellbeing Board.  Any improvement in performance would need to be by way of a joined up approach by the organisations involved.  One suggested way of increasing take up was by referral at hospitals or by GPs.  The paper would be sent to members following the meeting.  Other indicators had already been identified by the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and were the subject of current or planned reviews.

Other interrelated or causal factors involved in alcohol misuse were raised which needed to be explored before scarce resources were allocated to any review.  Only 25% of the lower quartile were accessing Livewell Dorset, who provided many interventions and that prevalence of mental health conditions was increasing yet spend was being cut by 50%. 

The Transformation Programme lead for the Adult and Community Forward Together Programme added that many people using alcohol or substances were not looking for medical intervention and this explained the low take up rates. 

Noted

To receive the People and Communities Overview & Scrutiny Work Programme.  So as to stimulate debate, the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme (Lead officer) encourages members of the committee to give some thought as to what they consider the scope of the committee to be and the expectations they have for what might be achievable (how this can be put into practice). These can be then given due consideration at the meeting.

The Committee considered a report by the Transformation Programme Lead for Adult and Community Forward Together Programme which detailed the updated work programme for 2017-18.

Noted

To answer any questions received in writing by the Chief Executive by not later than 10.00am on 5 January 2018.

No questions were asked by members under Standing Order 20(2).