Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personal interest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it. If in doubt please contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

13.1     None declared.

Cabinet Members are asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 25 July 2023 (cream paper).

14.1     Resolved – that the minutes of the meeting held on 25 July 2023 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

Report by the Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Support Services.

The Chairman of the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee will be invited to speak for up to three minutes to provide the views of the Committee on the Quarter 1 Performance and Resources Report.

Each of the main Minority Group Leaders will be invited to speak for up to three minutes on the Quarter 1 Performance and Resources Report.

The Cabinet will then discuss the report.

Following consideration of the report the Cabinet agreed the proposed change to the KPI measure for Fire and Rescue Service safe and well visits detailed in paragraph 1.3.

The call-in deadline is 21 September 2023.

15.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Support Services outlining the council’s performance and finance position for the first quarter, (April – June) 2023/24.  The report was introduced by Cllr Jeremy Hunt, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property who explained that, with the use of the contingency budget and additional investment income, a balanced budget was expected at the year end. Current key financial pressures highlighted included continuing demand for adults and children’s social services and the increasing Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit.  Cllr. Hunt explained that the council’s services continued to work to try to minimise the pressures and ensure delivery was sustainable for the future.

15.2     Cllr Pieter Montyn, Chairman of the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee, summarised points raised at the 07 September meeting of the scrutiny Committee including the current net overspend forecast, the challenge posed by the DSG deficit and that, while savings were required in this financial year, those for previous years were also to be delivered and that the Committee would continue to monitor how the savings were to be achieved.

15.3     Cllr Kirsty Lord, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group expressed concern at the projected overspend of the Children and Young People, Learning and Skills portfolio budget and the risk of not reaching the target for delivery of Key Performance Indicator 56, which concerned the percentage of Education, Health and Care plans completed within 20 weeks, and that more information on mitigation was required.  Cllr Lord also highlighted educational attainment in the county stating that, with new data now emerging it was clear that nearly half the children in the county were not reaching the required standards and that more detail on mitigating action was required.

15.4     The following points were made by Cabinet Members in discussion:

·       Cllr Russell, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills reported on performance in the children’s portfolio area, that children’s social care continued to improve and that the recent staff survey had shown that staff morale remained high and increases in workforce recruitment numbers continued.  Cllr Russell highlighted that the Education and Learning Strategy 2022-25 would help to focus work on initiatives, such as support for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities.  Cllr Russell highlighted pressure on costs for external care placements resulting in a forecast overspend of £16.1m and costs for home to school transport forecast to overspend by £4.4m, also that the Dedicated Schools Grant deficit stood at £20.3m at the end of June

·       Cllr Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue noted that the portfolio continued to deliver against the targets set out in the Council Plan. Cllr Crow highlighted Key Performance Indicator (KPI)s, of which over half were on target and ‘green’, also that for KPI 10 concerning Safe and Well visits the service had exceeded its target and it was recommended that the Cabinet agreed that this be extended.  Cllr Crow explained that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

The next meeting of the Cabinet will be held on 17 October 2023.

16.1     The next meeting of Cabinet will be held on 17 October 2023.