Agenda item

To consider a update report from the Leader of the Council.

Decision

 

(a)       That the continued COVID-19 emergency response in relation to the organisational reset and planned incident recovery be noted;

 

(b)       That a review of the Dorset Council Plan is considered in light of the organisational reset and recovery;

 

(c)        That the report be referred to the next meeting of Resources Scrutiny Committee for consideration.

 

Reason for Recommendation:  To ensure that Cabinet is aware of the impact of COVID-19 on Dorset’s vulnerable communities and responds accordingly. 

In presenting the report relating the Council’s response the Covid-19,  the Chairman suggested that the Resources Scrutiny Committee may wish to post-scrutinise the update following this meeting. He advised members that an amended version of the report had been circulated as there had been a minor typing mistake at 9.27 of the report.

 

The Chairman reported that Dorset had experienced a very low number of cases and fatalities. However as of 4 June 2020 (date report was written) there had sadly been 279 deaths in the area (including care homes). He expressed his sympathy for the families who had lost loved ones.

 

The Chairman invited the Cabinet portfolio holders to address members on work being carried out in their respective areas of responsibility in relation to the Covid-19 response and update on the emerging arrangement for future planning.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care & Health reported that the council had worked closely with Public Health to develop the test and track programme. She also referred to the council’s responsibility, in partnership with Public Health and other local councils,  to develop a Local Outbreak Management Plan. This plan set out what the council would do to identify and control any local outbreak in the council’s areas. The Health and Well-Being Board would be supporting this work to give assurance that local services could manage any future outbreak and provide the best possible protection to local communities.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health also reported on the importance of recovery and the health & care system. The need to look back and learn from how the council responded to the pandemic and in particular to focus on work with care homes across the system and learn valuable lessons. 

 

In respect of local interventions, on 14 May 2020 all local authorities received a request from the Minister of State for Care to provide assurances regarding local interventions to support residential care homes. The Council was ensuring that all care settings were supported through the crisis. She further advised that shielding work continued and outlined the work around the distribution of PPE in the local area.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Education and Early Years reported that schools had remained open throughout the pandemic in cluster formation for the benefit of key workers and vulnerable children.  Lesson plans were delivered to children working from home. Most early years provision had reopened from early June with the Council’s support and provision of advice at appropriate. 

 

The Council was also working with school leaderships to support the provision of school meals and pastoral care. He continued that some secondary school year groups were receiving face-to-face teaching and he  took this opportunity to advise that the Council had continued to focus on safeguarding.

It was also noted, as anticipated, that the number of children in care during the pandemic had increased and this reflected a nationwide pattern.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment highlighted that the above average warmer weather had caused issues with overcrowding on beaches and impacted car parks.  Some people had failed to follow the governments guidelines and this had put pressure on the local authority and other responding services. The Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Skills reported on the business discretionary grants that had been distributed to local small businesses in recent weeks.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Assets set out the current financial situation following the impact of the pandemic. He highlighted that the Council’s budget gap was 60 million pounds with the amount received from central government to date set at 21.1 million.  He confirmed that members continued to lobby strongly to seek more financial support from central government.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Development and Change advised that national guidance was being followed in respect of the recovery plan following a major event such as a pandemic. The recovery process would be led by the Local Resilience Forum and a recovery strategic plan providing a framework for recovery across Dorset had been established.  He further reported on the work of the Recovery and Reset Executive Advisory Panel that was addressing issues around the recovery for the organisation and its employees.

 

In reply to a question regarding the detail and timescales of issuing a section 114 notice, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Assets advised that a detailed response would be circulated to all members following the meeting.

 

In response to a question regarding Pop-up cycle lanes, the Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment advised that he would respond to this question in writing following the meeting.

 

A question was also asked about the provision of a hard copy information sheet in respect of Covid-19 to be circulated to residents in Dorset.  The Leader of the Council confirmed that he would seek further advise from the Communications team and get back to all members with a response.

 

In response to concerns about GDPR, the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care & Health confirmed that it was important that the voluntary sector had all of the data available to them to carry out their service.  She continued that it wasn’t possible to be 100% confident that all those who needed support were being reached, but she was confident that the service had 100% tried and would continue to do so.

 

Decision

 

(a)       That the continued COVID-19 emergency response in relation to the organisational reset and planned incident recovery be noted;

 

(b)       That a review of the Dorset Council Plan is considered in light of the organisational reset and recovery;

 

(c)        That the report be referred to the next meeting of Resources Scrutiny Committee for consideration.

 

Reason for Recommendation:  To ensure that Cabinet is aware of the impact of COVID-19 on Dorset’s vulnerable communities and responds accordingly.