Agenda 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.

22.1     No declarations of interest were made.

Cabinet Members are asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2023 (cream paper).

23.1     Resolved – that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2023 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

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

The Cabinet is invited to consider and comment on the Quarter 2 Performance and Resources Report and propose any specific areas for action.

24.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Support Services (copy appended to the signed minutes).

24.2     Cllr Hunt, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property, introduced the report and reported that pressures had increased since quarter 1 with an increased overspend to £17.425m.  Work was being done to lobby the Government for a long-term funding solution for councils’ financial pressures.  The finance team were working with portfolio holders to ensure savings were achieved.  Where savings could not be achieved, mitigations would need to be considered.  The recent Autumn statement had not made any reference to additional funding and so now officers were waiting for the provisional financial statement in December.

24.3     Taryn Eves, Director of Finance and Support Services, reported some amendments to the report.  Table 4’s Projected Outturn Variation by Portfolio showed Highways and Transport as red but, as this was an underspend, it should be green.  Also the bullets at paragraph 47 should align with the figures in table 5’s Savings Summary.

24.4     Taryn Eves reported that interest rates had helped with income but, as rates were expected to drop, the income from long term investments was likely to decrease.  The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit was at £67m, with no solution beyond 2026.

24.5     The following points were made by Scrutiny Committee Chairmen.

a.  Cllr Montyn, Chairman of the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee (PFSC), reported that Value for Money had been considered at PFSC.  Changing inflation forecasts had been requested for the budget report.  The Committee had noted that no Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) cases had been identified, and that checks were continuing.  The Committee had wanted to record that the Council’s staff were recognised as a key force for the Council, and the importance of mental health support and overseas recruitment was noted.

b.  Cllr Wall, Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee (HASC), confirmed that HASC had noted the challenging landscape and recognised future pressures.  The Committee had looked into savings activity and challenged whether all were possible.  The Committee welcomed the speed of the work in completing assessments.

c.  Cllr Oakley, Vice Chairman of the Communities, Highways and Environment Scrutiny Committee (CHESC), confirmed that CHESC had noted the red indicators and the increase in highway repairs and their quality.  Food waste collection plans were noted, and also the increased use of the waste site booking system.

d.  Cllr Baldwin, Vice Chairman of the Children and Young People's Services Scrutiny (CYPSSC), confirmed that CYPSSC had noted the budget pressures and the link with placement and transport costs.  The work to increase key stage two standards had been noted as had the work on pupil attainment.  The committee also welcomed the work to treat care leavers as a protected characteristic.

24.6     The following points were made by Cabinet Members in discussion.

a.  The Leader acknowledged the importance of budget setting to deliver Council Plan priorities and allowing communities to achieve their potential.  Cabinet Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

The Chairman of the West Sussex Youth Cabinet will address the Cabinet to provide an update on its activities and future plans.

The Cabinet is asked to consider and advise on the benefits to the Council and its residents of the work of the Youth Cabinet and where it can offer counsel and support.

25.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the West Sussex Youth Cabinet (copy appended to the signed minutes).

25.2     The Leader welcomed Iffrat Rahman, Chairman of the West Sussex Youth Cabinet, to the meeting and invited Iffrat to introduce the report.

25.3     Iffrat introduced the report and summarised the campaign work of the Youth Cabinet which included racial quality, the environment and mental health and wellbeing.  Collaboration with West Sussex Cabinet was praised and the importance of maintaining this link was expressed.

25.4     The Cabinet thanked the Youth Cabinet’s hard work and also encouraged continued collaboration.  The Cabinet noted that Iffrat’s term as the Chairman was ending and gave particular thanks for her hard work and expressed best wishes towards future candidates.  The GRIT campaign was particularly noted for the confidence and resilience it had offered young people in collaboration with the fire service.

25.5     Resolved that the report be noted.

Report by Director of Adults and Health and Assistant Director Improvement and Assurance.

The Cabinet is asked to note the Self-Assessment for the effectiveness of the delivery of Adult Social Care in West Sussex and request that updates are received on a regular basis.

26.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Adults and Health and Assistant Director Improvement and Assurance (copy appended to the signed minutes).

26.2     Cllr A Jupp introduced the report which outlined the current assessed position of Adults’ Services and their aspiration.  The report would continue to be updated and supported as relevant data became available.  The assessment had been considered by HASC, and Cllr A Jupp resolved to keep Cabinet updated with progress.

26.3     Mr Sinclair, Director of Adults and Health, confirmed that the assessment was ongoing and that quarterly updates were planned with improved evidence.  The next version would include benchmarking information, but national information was not currently available.  Uncertainty remained as to when the inspection would take place, but preparation would continue.

26.4     Cllr Wall confirmed that HASC had welcomed the report and the engagement with County Councillors.  The early start on preparations had been praised, as had the deep dive into the service for the self assessment and the acknowledgement of good and poorer performance.

26.5     The Cabinet welcomed the objective view that had taken place for the self assessment and the recognition of required improvements.

26.6     Resolved that the report be noted.

Report by the Director of Place Services.

The Cabinet is asked to note the improved performance of the Highways service and the preparations for winter service.

27.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Place Services (copy appended to the signed minutes).

27.2     Cllr J Dennis introduced the report and explained how the additional  £4.3m had been allocated following an exceptional winter to address highway repairs and underlying issues.  The impact of Heavy Goods Vehicles and heavy electric vehicles on the road was acknowledged.  The work of jet patching, fix and find gangs and patching works were discussed and how 95% of repairs had been ‘right first time’.  Highways officers and contractors were thanked for their commitment and hard work.

27.3     Cllr Oakley reported that CHESC would be examining the effectiveness of the introduced measures, and that PFSC would monitor value for money.

27.4     The Leader noted the challenges for the highway and the commitments that had been made for improvements.  The Leader stated that the £17m from the Government was not sufficient for maintenance and so additional funding had been added from County Council budgets.  Highways officers and contractors were thanked for their hard work.  Flooding demands were also noted and that the Cabinet were committed to making necessary improvements in response to climate change weather events.

27.5     Resolved that the report be noted.

Cabinet Members are invited to provide any verbal updates on current, significant issues for their respective portfolios which may benefit from discussion.

28.1     The Leader confirmed there were no portfolio updates required.

The next meeting of the Cabinet will be held on 30 January 2024.

29.1     The Cabinet noted that its next scheduled meeting will be held on 30 January 2024.