Agenda and minutes

The Leader welcomed Barbara Cooper to her first meeting of Cabinet as the newly appointed Director of Growth, Environment and Transport.

None

To receive any apologies for absence and notifications of substitutions

Apologies were received from David Cockburn, Corporate Director of Strategic and Corporate Services and Andrew Ireland, Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing who was substituted by Anne Tidmarsh, Director of Older People and Physical Disability.

To agree the minutes of the meeting of 15 September 2014 as a correct record.

With one small typing error noted, the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2014 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive a report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform seeking agreement of the Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2015-19

(Item 5 – report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough, and Corporate Director for Education and Young People’s Services, Patrick Leeson)

Cabinet  received  a  report  seeking  agreement  to  the  adoption  of  the  final  draft Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2014-19.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough introduced the item.

He reported that the plan was an important development in the council’s response to significant demographic changes.  39 forms of entry had been added to primary schools in Kent since 2012 and although high levels of accuracy had been achieved in the commissioning plans to date, last year had seen additional pressures above those forecast. As a result of those additional pressures, such as inward migration to the county, localised pressures had emerged.  Seven of the twelve districts currently had surplus capacity below the 5% target.

In addition Mr Gough reminded members that during the period between 2002 and

2012 the birth rate in Kent had risen by 25% only falling for the first time last year; it

was not clear whether the 6.6% fall in births would present a trend but the commissioning plan predicted a 15% increase in primary school places required by

2018-19.

He continued to describe the situation and predictions for Secondary school places. He reported that the 2014-2015 school year was likely to be the lowest point in a trough.  Some acceleration was expected to be seen as early as 2016-17 and was expected to continue to rise sharply after that.  By 2023-24 an increase in required places of more than 20% was expected.

The report also included information regarding the council’s SEND and Early Years

Strategies, in particular the need to establish extra capacity for 2 year olds, and post 16 education.

Mr Gough concluded that significant needs and pressures would continue to need to be addressed and that good work to date would be maintained to achieve that end; including  the  lobbying  of  government  for  further  funding  from  the  £300million currently unallocated from the Basic Need Fund.

Patrick  Leeson,  Corporate  Director  for  Education  and  Young  People’s  Services added to the comments of the Cabinet Member.   He described the challenges presented by both forecasting and meeting the need for places and congratulated those involved in the delivery of the 2014 programme.  He assured members that despite the volatility of the demographics in Kent the document continued to provide good assurance for the plans for the future.  Finally he thanked schools in Kent for the speedy responses and ready acceptance that they had shown to requests to expand, despite the considerable challenges such expansions presented to schools.

The  Leader  agreed  with  the  comments  made  and  reiterated  the  difficulties  that inward migration to the County had caused for planning and delivery of school places in recent years, particularly as many of those families would arrive ‘in year’ and needed places almost immediately.  He also supported the bid to government for additional funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83.

To receive a report of Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform updating members on the implementation of the Review of Pupil Referral Units for pupils with Health Needs and seeking agreement of a new KCC Policy on Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions (including Mental Health Needs).

(Item 6- reportof theCabinet Memberfor Educationand HealthReform, MrRoger Gough, andCorporate Directorfor Education andYoung People’sServices, Patrick Leeson)

Cabinet receiveda reportupdating memberson theimplementation of theReview of PupilReferral Units(PRU’s) for pupilswith HealthNeeds andseeking approvalof a newdraft KCC Policyon SupportingPupils withMedical Conditions(including Mental Health Needs)

The CabinetMember for Educationand HealthReform, MrRoger Gough,introduced the item.  He reportedthat the proposedpolicy wasa continuationof successful changesalready implemented,following areview of PRU’s.  The policyseeking approval focussedparticularly onsupport for pupilswith medicalconditions.  The proposednew structureunder whichservices to thosechildren wouldbe delivered wasset out, indetail, inthe report,but brieflyhe describedit ascomprising one ExecutiveHead Teacherof Health NeedsProvision underwhich threestrands of service would be delivered.These strands were:

·    Medical needs

·     Specialist ‘Tier 4’ Educational Mental Health needs

·    EducationalMental HealthNeeds -delivered from6 resourcebases each providing 120 places.

Patrick  Leeson,  Corporate  Director  for  Education  and  Young  People’s  Services addedto thecomments ofthe CabinetMember.  Hereported that thepolicy for considerationwas theculmination of areview whichhad takenapproximately two years.Phase 1,which hadtaken placein 2012-13,had reviewedprovision for those childrenwith behaviouralneeds andhad beensuccessful inimproving educational outcomesfor the youngpeople referred,and alsoin reducingthe numberof permanent exclusionsfrom 240in theyear beforethe reviewto less than100 inthe last year.  The reportbefore Cabinetfor consideration constitutedphase 2of the reviewand assuch addressedthe provisionfor those childrenwith healthneeds. Provision forpupils withphysical needswould, underthe newstructure, beseparated from provisionfor pupils withmental healthneeds.  Schoolswould meetthe needsof pupils withphysical needs,either atschool orthrough atutor while thePRU’s would specialise in meeting mental health needs.

He recommended the policy tomembers for adoption.

Following aquestion fromthe Leaderabout thepotential requirementfor capital funding torealise the newplans, PatrickLeeson confirmedthat no substantialcapital spends wereexpected.  Therewas howeverpotential forsmall capitalrequirements where schoolsneeded tomake adjustmentsto provideservices for pupilswith physical needs.

To receive a report of the Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement setting out financial monitoring information since the last Quarterly Report was received.

(Item 7- Reportof theDeputy Leader& CabinetMember forFinance and Procurement,Mr John Simmondsand CorporateDirector for Financeand Procurement, Andy Wood)

Cabinet receiveda reportproviding thebudgetmonitoringposition forJuly 2014-15 for bothrevenueand capitalbudgets,includingan updateon keyactivitydata.

The DeputyLeader &Cabinet Memberfor Finance andProcurement introducedthe reportfor Cabinet.  Hereferred tothe concernsexpressed atthe first quarterreport, received atthelastmeetingwhena predictedoverspendof£12million had been reported.  Hewas pleasedto announcethat theoverspend wasnow predictedat a muchlower £4.58millionbefore managementaction andthat following that managementaction itwas expectedthat this wouldfurther reduceto £895k.  At this point in the financial year, those figures were welcomed but the Deputy leader urged cautionand remindedmembers that muchwork wouldbe neededto ensurethat the management action was implemented and had the desired effect.

Revenue

                    i.    Thereport setout intentionsto rephasesome elementsof thebudget, in particularto theKent YouthEmployment Programme,KDAAT andKSAS and these were set out in detail in the recommendations.

                  ii.    Thatin themonth precedingthe reportthere hadbeen a£6.29million reduction in the forecast overspend.

                 iii.    Pressuresof £3.4millionwere reportedfor SocialCare, largelyowing to issuesin    domiciliary    care,    direct    payments    and    supported accommodationand partiallyoffset by underspendson commissioned services, the supporting people programme and drug and alcohol services. Further management action was planned and figures were inclusiveof the drawdownof £4.3million of NHSfunding fromsocial care reserve

                 iv.    SENTransport hadreported  an  overspend  of £2.1million  which  was partially offset by contributionsfrom paymentsfrom otherauthorities, whose lookedafter children wereattending schoolsin Kentand reduced demandfor both hometo schooltransport andthe youngperson’s travel card.

                  v.    Commercial  Services had  reported  a  shortfall  of  £1.3million  in  the expected dividend largelyowing tothe cost ofreorganisation,premises rental and costs associated with closing County Print.

                 vi.    Otherunderspends reported were:

·   GET - just under £3million.  Reasons  included  street  lighting savings and significant savings on new waste contracts

· Public Health - £904,000 owing to staffing vacancies.  These funds if unspent would be transferred to the Public Health Reserve

Capital

                        i.        The   working   budget   was   currently   £382million;   with   a   forecast outturnof £398million:a varianceof £16 millionwhich couldbe largely attributedto a lackof identifiable fundingsources orreductions in external funding.

                       ii.        The  Basic Need  budget  was  reported  as  £9.9million  of  which £3.9millionwas dependenton privateinvestor fundingon whichthe budget was reliant.

The CabinetMember for Economic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

To receive a report of the Cabinet Member for Communities providing a further update of the work that has been undertaken since the flooding at Christmas 2013 / New Year 2014.

(Item8 –Report of theCabinet Memberfor Communities,Mr Mike Hilland CorporateDirector for Growth,Environment and Transport, Barbara Cooper)

Cabinet receiveda reportproviding anupdate onprogress beingmade todeliver the 17  recommendations  in  the  Christmas  /  New  Year  2013-14  Storms&  Floods – Lessons  Learnt  report  thatwas  endorsed  by  Cabinet  on  7th  July  2014.  It  also providedan updateon newdevelopments relatingto the implementationof sustainable drainage.

The CabinetMember for Communities,Mr Mike Hillintroduced thereport.   He remindedmembers ofthe severityof thestorms andflooding whichhad occurred overthe Christmasand NewYear of2013/14 anddescribed thepressure that the conditions had placed on the Council and its partners’ emergency planning and resiliencefunctions.  Hemaintained that hewas proudof theresponse butwas keen to usethe experienceto find areasin whichimprovements couldbe madeand asa result Cabinethad receiveda reportin July2014 recommending17 areasfor action. The reportfor considerationwould providean updatefor memberson progress toward those recommendations endorsed in July.

Paul Crick,Director of Environment,Planning andEnforcement wasin attendanceto speak tothe itemhe remindedmembers that thefirst 12 recommendationsendorsed by Cabinetin Julyhad relatedto KCCand partnerresponses andrecommendations, 13-17 hadrelated to floodrisk managementand flooddefences.

In relation to recommendations 1-12he reportedsome ofthe workthat had beenundertaken, in particular:

                  i.        KCCdirector ledgroup hadbeen establishedto reviewstaff training needs and availability arrangements and 76 training sessions had already beencompleted bystaff.  Tocomplement thetraining activitya reviewof emergency responseroles withinKCC hadbeen undertakento ensure that there were sufficient reservists attimes of emergency.

                 ii.        KentResilience Forumhad establisheda multi-agency,Kent-wide group chairedby theEnvironment Agencyto facilitate improvedcommunication between organisations across the County.

                iii.        The Strategic Recovery Co-ordination Group, of which he was Chair, continued to facilitatethe sharingof best practiceand assuranceof KCC and partnerorganisationplans forwinter readinessand withthe same aims, the annual seminar would be held on 14 November 2014.

                iv.        Areview ofall KCCwinter plansand thoseof partneragencies hadbeen undertaken and revised versions published online.

                 v.        Community engagement activityhad been undertaken tostrengthen resilience within‘at risk’localities and15,000 copiesof the leaflet‘What shouldI doin anemergency?’ hadbeen distributedto appropriate areasof the county.

                vi.        Work  continued with  the  Environment  Agency  to  secure  partnership funding todeliver priority flood protection schemes.

              vii.        Sustainabledrainage powers,to ensurethat newdevelopments absorbed theirown waterusage, hadnot yet beendevolved tolocal governmentand negotiations continuedto guaranteethat, should thatdelegation occur,the cost  of  long  term  maintenance  would  not  be  unrecognised  in  the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.