Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2013

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 15 April 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

The following interest was declared:-

Personal Interest

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration.

The Delivery Plan sets out what Stockport Homes will deliver during the period 2013-2014; how it and the Council will work together and how tenants, the Council and other stakeholders can measure the success of Stockport Homes in achieving its objectives.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(1) Consider the Stockport Homes Delivery Plan 2013-14.

(2) Approve the submission of the Delivery Plan to the Executive.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out what Stockport Homes aimed to deliver during the period 2013-2014; how it and the Council would work together and how tenants, the Council and other stakeholders could measure the success of Stockport Homes in achieving its objectives.

The Deputy Leader of the Council (Corporate, Customer and Community Services) and the Executive Councillor (Communities and Sustainability) attended the meeting to answer Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         A discussion took place around the circumstances in which any rent arrears accrued by a tenant as a result of the changes to housing benefit payments and who were also actively seeking to downsize their property would be written off.

·         It was confirmed that the details of the policy relating to rent arrears resulting from under occupancy and the ability of tenants to downsize was currently under development.

·         It was important that the detail of the policy, when available, was disseminated to tenants.

·         One consequence of the of the changes to housing benefit payments insofar as it related to under occupancy was an increase in demand for smaller accommodation and an increased opportunity for families to secure three bedroom properties.

·         It was noted that one of the more significant problems faced by Stockport Homes in the development of new properties was the availability of land within the borough.

·         The high quality of the energy efficient cladding work undertaken on Lincoln, Mottram and Ratcliffe Towers in the town centre was noted.  A further discussion took place in relation to the benefit to residents, with particular regard to the potential for reductions in energy bills.  In response, it was stated that notwithstanding significant annual increases in the wholesale cost of energy over the past few years, tenants had generally seen only inflation linked rises in their energy bills.

·         It was commented that the Delivery Plan should have referenced the number of people on the housing waiting list, and the number of those in urgent housing need. 

RESOLVED - (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee detailing how the Council and Stockport Homes were working together to tackle the number of people on the housing waiting list.

To consider a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy, Strategy, Partnership and Transformation).

The Council Plan sets the framework of priorities that drive the organisation’s resource allocation. The Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), including the Executive’s Budget Proposals for 2013/15 and the Capital Programme, continues to provide the resources to deliver those services and exploit those opportunities necessary to deliver a Greener, Safer and Stronger, Thriving, and Healthy Stockport. The enclosed extract from the draft plan relates to the Health & Wellbeing Executive Portfolio that falls within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the draft Council Plan.

Officer contact: Holly Rae, 0161 474 3014 or email holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Service Director (Adult Social Care) submitted a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy, Strategy, Partnership and Transformation) setting out the framework of priorities that drove the Council’s resource allocation with particular regard to the Adult Care Services and Communities Portfolios that fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee

The report further detailed how the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), including the Executive’s Budget Proposals for 2013/15 and the Capital Programme, continued to provide the resources to deliver those services and exploit the opportunities necessary to deliver a Greener, Safer and Stronger, Thriving, and Healthy Stockport.

The Deputy Leader of the Council (Corporate, Customer and Community Services) and the Executive Councillor (Adult Care Services) attended the meeting to answer Members’ questions.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Adult Social Care).

The report outlines the background to the return to direct control from ISSK of Home Support Services and detailing those service areas which remained within a scaled down ISSK.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Terry Dafter on 474 1644 or email: terry.dafter@stockport.gov.uk

(NOTE:  The Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included on the agenda, should be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100 B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 to enable the Scrutiny Committee to give prompt consideration to recent changes to the structure of Individual Solutions SK).

A representative of the Service Director (Adult Social Care) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the background to the return to direct control from Individual Solutions SK (ISSK) of Home Support Services and detailing those service areas which remained within a scaled down ISSK.

The report detailed that those service areas which had remained in a scaled down ISSK are Day Services and Community Meals.  Additionally, Passenger Transport (in Solutions SK) was managed alongside the retained services and through the same line management structure; it was also suggested that Passenger Transport is subject to a similar review, options appraisal and business case development as the other services

The Executive Councillor (Adult Care Services) attended the meeting to answer Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was noted that the remaining ‘retained services’ are elements of the business that had a high level of private contracts which could not readily be assumed under the auspices of Council control.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the Community Meals service and potential future developments in the preparation and despatch of these meals and what impact, if any, there may be on staffing resources in this area as a result

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.                                                        

The report sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings of the Committee.

Officer contact: Damian Eaton 474 3207 or email: damian.eaton@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

It was commented that the Scrutiny Committee needed a further opportunity to give consideration to scrutiny review topics for 2013/14.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.