Agenda and minutes

Before the commencement of business Mr Carter welcomed to the meeting Mr Patrick Leeson, the Council’s newly appointed Corporate Director for Education, Learning and Skills.

Mr Carter informed Cabinet that OfSTED had recently made an unannounced visit as a follow up to its report into Kent’s Children’s Social Services. Mr Carter said that whilst the full report was not yet available the indication received from the OfSTED Inspectors was very positive. 

Resolved that the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2011 be agreed and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

– Report by Mr J Simmonds, Cabinet Member for Finance & Business Support; and Mr A Wood, Acting Corporate Director of Finance & Procurement)

(1)       Mr Simmonds outlined the key elements of this report and highlighted the main pressures. He also reported that the outturn on the Capital Budget had reduced by £15.4m, which was almost entirely due to re-phasing rather than project over/under spends.  Mr Wood said whilst officers were not complacent he was confident the budget would be delivered on course.

(2)       Mr Carter said that significant challenges lay ahead and whilst the changes to the Capital Programme were beyond the Council’s control he emphasised the importance of management actions in the overall delivery of the budget

(3)       Resolved :

(i)         that the initial forecast revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2011-12 be noted together with the changes to the capital programme.

(ii)  agreement be given to £16.060m of re-phasing on the capital programme being moved from 2011-12 capital cash limits to future years; and ,

(iii)  agreement be given  to £0.580m of funding being transferred to Older Persons Strategy – Integrated Specialist Service Centre (DLC).

– Report by Mr G Gibbens, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health; Mr J Simmonds, Cabinet Member for Finance and Business Support; and Mr M Thomas-Sam, Head of Policy and Service Standards) (Christine Grosskopf, Business Strategy Division was present for this item)

(1)       Chris Grosskopf made a presentation which provided a comprehensive overview of the important changes and implications for local authority’s such as Kent County Council which will come about with the passing of the Welfare Reform Bill, which most likely would reach the statute book by April 2013.

(2)       Mr Gibbens said that the Bill was very much about encouraging people back into work. There would be some changes to the way benefits are currently dispersed but overall he felt the introduction of the Universal Credit was a positive step forward in an attempt to simplify the current system and incentivise work. Mr Gibbens also proposed, and it was agreed that the following sentence should be added to the second part of paragraph 10.1 of the Cabinet report – ‘ However the most recent report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies states that although the impact of Universal Credit on its own could serve to reduce absolute and relative poverty, the combined effect of all benefit and tax changes was to increase both measures’

(3)       Members of Cabinet spoke about their concern that this Bill would pass to local authorities new responsibilities for which they would not have the resources to deliver. It was also said that the housing benefit reforms could reduce the foot fall to Gateways and that local authorities would need to work with the Government on how these proposals are to be taken forward and implemented.  In the meantime Cabinet endorsed the proposal to establish a cross party Informal Member Group to explore the implications of the Bill for Kent across all Directorates.

Resolved:

(i) that the planned developments in Welfare Reform and the potential implications of these be noted and endorsement be given to the planned further work on the issues involved.

(ii)  The second part of paragraph 10.1 of the Cabinet report be amended in accordance with the wording put forward by Mr Gibbens and set out in paragraph 67(2) above; and.

(iii) a cross party Informal Member Group be established in order to explore the implications of the Bill for Kent across all Directorates.

– report by Mr M Whiting, Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, The Interim Director of Education, Learning and Skills and Mr K Abbott, Director of School Resources.

(The Chairman declared consideration of this item to be urgent on the grounds the report contained relevant information arising from meetings held very recently with Kent Head Teachers. The report also contained information relevant to the preparation of the Council’s 2012/13 budget and other information related to resource and staffing issues relevant to the restructuring of the Education, Learning and Skills Directorate which was due to commence in November 2011). 

(1)       This report provided Cabinet with an update on the strategy to delegate funding that was currently retained centrally to schools in 2012/13. The report set out some of the rationale for delegation and the outcome of the consultation with schools which took place between 20th June and 31st July 2011and subsequent discussion with the Schools’ Funding Forum.

(2)       Mr Whiting said this report presented a more light touch approach to school funding by allowing individual schools more freedom in the way they utilised their budgets and resources. The proposals where consistent with the Council’s document ‘Bold Steps’ and would allow for more decisions to be made at a local level. In commending the report and its recommendations Mr Whiting said and it was agreed that the word ‘Directorate’ in paragraph 4(1) (a) of the report should be deleted.

(3)       Mrs Whittle spoke about the need to make sure Family liaison Officers received proper training and where able to better support head teachers and senior staff. Mr Carter said he welcomed the report and the fact that schools following recent discussions schools now had a much better understanding of the Council’s thinking on how resources can be better joined up and delivered. 

Resolved that subject to word ‘Directorate’ being deleted from paragraph 4(1)(a) of the report:

(i)  the recommendations detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be agreed which  accept the views arising from the consultation with schools/ the Schools’ Funding Forum except in the cases listed below. The numbering cross refers to Appendices 1 and 2.

•           Lines 5 & 6 -Family Liaison Officers (£2,142 k) – retain

•           Line 7 -Management Information (£222k) – retain

•           Line 8 -Community Youth Tutors (£255k) – retain

•           Line 9 – Skills Force (£100k) - retain

•           Lines 11,21,28 & 34 – Specialist Teaching Services (STS) (£7,710k)   (includes STS £5,691k and Health Needs £2,019k - devolve to specific Special Schools subject to a further report to the Cabinet Member of Education, Learning and Skills within 6 weeks setting out the  detailed proposals for devolution which will include proposals in respect  of monitoring and quality assurance by ELS)

•           Line 15 - Schools Personnel and Recruitment (£564) – retain £100k and delegate £464k.

•           Line 16 – Collective Licences (£955k) – delegate all except SIMS licence which should be retained.

•           Line 17- Admissions Appeals (£350k) – retain

•           Line 18 – Primary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

– Report by Mr B Sweetland, Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste; and Mr M Austerberry, Corporate Director, Enterprise and Environment) (Caroline Arnold, Head of Waste Management was present for this item)

See Record of Decision on page 5.

  – Report by Mr M Whiting, Cabinet Member for Education, Learning & Skills; Mr R Gough, Cabinet Member for Business Strategy, Performance & Health Reform; Mr P Leeson, Corporate Director, Education, Learning & Skills; and Mr D Cockburn, Corporate Director of Business, Strategy & Support) (Rebecca Spore, the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support was present for this item)

See record of Decision on page 7.

 – Report by Mr M Whiting, Cabinet Member for Education, Learning & Skills; Mr R Gough, Cabinet Member for Business Strategy, Performance & Health Reform; Mr P Leeson, Corporate Director,Education, Learning & Skills; and Mr D Cockburn, Corporate Director of Business, Strategy & Support) (Rebecca Spore, the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support was present for this item)

See Record of Decision on page 9.

Resolved that the Minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Services Improvement Panel held on 25 August 2011 be noted

The following are the unrestricted minutes and record of decisions of matters which were declared exempt pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972