Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2022.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 23 November 2022 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 interest which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources.

Within this report and appendix it provides a further update on the strategic approach in responding to the review of the medium-term financial plan. This follows on from the report presented at the Cabinet meeting on the 28^th September 2022 and scrutiny committees during October. In particular it includes updated proposals within the appendix for scrutiny comment ahead of budget council in February.

The report outlines the budget proposals being considered by the Cabinet to address financial and demand challenges, enable longer term transformation, and ensure the delivery of shared strategic partnership ambitions.

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

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

A representative of the Executive Director for People and Integration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the strategic approach in responding to the review of the medium-term financial plan. This followed on from the report presented at the Cabinet meeting on 28 September 2022 and Scrutiny Committees during October. In particular, it included updated proposals within the appendix for scrutiny comment ahead of the Budget Council Meeting in February.

The report outlined the budget proposals being considered by the Cabinet to address financial and demand challenges, enable longer term transformation, and ensure the delivery of shared strategic partnership ambitions.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was noted that the current forecasting showed an increase in the number of Looked After Children and queried why this was being predicted.

·         In response, it was stated that there was a number of complex reasons why the number of children entering into local authority care had increased, in part relating to pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the impact that it had on families. It was noted that there had been an increase in the complexity of need in children. Whilst there was a range of services to support parents and aimed to prevent children entering care, there was occasions where children required intervention. Although the rate of children entering care had decreased, the number of children leaving care and returning home had not. It was stated that plans to focus on moving children back into family placements where it was appropriate to do so, and less costly placements formed part of the business programme over the next year.

·         Members requested assurances that the council was confident that they were able to provide adequate resources in relation to the provisions for Looked After Children.

·         In response, it was noted that services were confident that resourcing was in place to meet demand and need, demonstrated over the last 12 months through the external inspection process, Ofsted inspections and internal quality assurance processes. Whilst there were challenges in the system, services worked hard to make sure that the challenges did not impact on the quality of the care that children receive.

·         Requested additional information around the introduction of new regulatory requirements for 16/17 year old providers.

·         In response, it was stated that the new regulatory requirements related to a change in legislation which required that 16/17 year old providers were regulated and work was ongoing with the commissioning team and across Greater Manchester to ensure the timeline for those changes were met. It was noted that no children in Stockport were placed in unregulated settings.

·         Concerns were raised in relation to the lack of detail surrounding the early help proposals and the impact of the potential removal of 20 posts.

·         In response, Members were informed around the timeline that the proposals were due to be considered at Cabinet on 23 February 2023 and, if agreed, the service would produce a more detailed business case including a consultation with those affected. Colleagues and services across Stockport Family were aware of the current plans and a future report would be provided to Scrutiny in due course with further details. It was acknowledged that there were challenges around the savings proposals and budgets, however the services were focussed on ensuring that savings were delivered in a way that did not impact on the quality or delivery of services to families. 

·         It was queried whether if an increase in Council Tax was agreed, would this avoid the need to implement the early help proposals.

·         In response, it was stated that the budget proposals were created from the position of a 0% Council Tax increase and in response to the £0.9m saving that was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services.

The report provides an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2023/24.

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

Officer contact: Peter Hughes on 0161 474 3947 or by email: peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2023/24.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         In response to a question regarding the sufficiency of the central reserve amount identified in the report, it was stated this was enough to provide the services that had been funded this year, but was insufficient for the ambition of the council to undertake the range of activities it would hope.

·         Concern was expressed that a number of schools were experiencing extreme budgetary pressures with many unknown factors contributing to a high degree of uncertainty.

·         Schools in Stockport were performing well, notwithstanding that funding allocations for education in Stockport have been significantly less than other local authorities for many years.

·         The quality of schools and their leaders in Stockport was commendable.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services.

The report sets out how we will carry out our responsibility, in line with the commitments made in the One Stockport Borough Plan to ensure there are sufficient places in good and improving local inclusive schools at the heart of the community that children and families want to go to. This means having the right number and type of school places, in the right place, at the right time to meet demand.

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

Officer contact: Christopher Harland on 0161 521 1707 or by email at christopher.harland@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out how the council would carry out its responsibility, in line with the commitments made in the One Stockport Borough Plan to ensure there were sufficient places in good and improving local inclusive schools at the heart of the community that children and families wanted to go to.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

A discussion took place in relation to the loss of school places and ongoing pressures on capacity due to decisions taken by individual schools.  In response, it was stated that the Schools Bill proposed to introduce additional ‘backstop’ powers for local authorities in such cases.  However, at the current time it was important to have good relationships with schools and ensure that long-term investment was being made to deliver additional places in consultation and agreement with academies.

It was noted that some schools were being placed in a difficult position through maintaining excess capacity which opened them up to a degree of turbulence in pupil movement that was difficult to manage.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services.

The report seeks to formalise the plans to create a resource base at Marple Hall School, Priestnall School and Romiley Primary School; to create fit for purpose and specialised areas within these schools that will be capable of meeting more complex need within a mainstream setting. It considers the findings of two rounds of consultation as well as the statutory proposals required by the statutory ‘prescribed alteration‘ process with a view to recommending to Cabinet that they approve recommendations to formalise the creation of these bases.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note and endorse the implementation of statutory proposals and the creation of resource provision at:

·       Marple Hall School:

·       Priestnall School; and

·       Romiley Primary School.

Officer contact: Christopher Harland on 0161 521 1707 or by email at christopher.harland@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) seeking to formalise the plans to create a resource base at Marple Hall School, Priestnall School and Romiley Primary School; to create fit for purpose and specialised areas within these schools that would be capable of meeting more complex need within a mainstream setting.

The report considered the findings of two rounds of consultation as well as the statutory proposals required by the statutory ‘prescribed alteration‘ process with a view to recommending to Cabinet that they approve recommendations to formalise the creation of these bases.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         There was a high degree of confidence that the proposed resource base places would continue to be provided following any conversation to academies.

·         While Stockport had excellent services for integration, the current locations were selected largely around the availability of accommodation.  These proposals would advance that position to provide capacity in locations were places were needed.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Development & Regeneration.

The report provides the latest available local authority level data and information from the Department for Education (DfE) on post-16 transitions to higher education for young people resident in Stockport. Each year group cohort in Stockport will typically have around 2,800 young people in it, who will progress to a variety of post-16 options, including higher education.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the report and to continue to monitor the data and performance on transitions to higher education.

Officer contact: Richard Mortimer on 0161 474 3864 or by email at richard.mortimer@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Education submitted a report of the Director of Development & Regeneration (copies of which had been circulated) providing the latest available local authority level data and information from the Department for Education (DfE) on post-16 transitions to higher education for young people resident in Stockport.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was highlighted that Stockport was 8^th out of 10 Greater Manchester authorities in terms of the percentage of those going onto university level destinations.

·         It would be useful to track student progression throughout their school career to better understand the pathways they followed post-18.  IN response, it was stated that tracking students would be the ‘gold standard’ however there was currently no unique identifier to be able to do that across a student’s educational career.

·         It was queried whether a better metric would be to understand how many of those students that wanted to go into higher education were able to achieve that.

·         It was suggested that additional data be provided that presented this information on a geographical basis across the borough.

·         Stockport had strong KS5 outcomes and a good and increasingly good offer at that level.

·         It was noted that some authorities with traditionally low level of attainment in schools were performing well with post-18 higher education placements and it would be useful to obtain more information on the background to that.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Strategy.

The report builds on the previous report dated 6th September 2022. It provides an update on the Integrated Care System arrangements and the proposal to formally establish and constitute the One Stockport Health and Care Board (Locality Board) as a hybrid committee to undertake delegations of the GM ICB and local partners such as the Council so that it can proceed to take its own decisions rather than such decisions having to continue to be taken via the ICB’s delegated authority which is in place to the Stockport Place Based Lead (Caroline Simpson).

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

Officer contact: Vicki Bates on Tel: 0161 474 3219 or by email on vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Director of Strategy submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the Integrated Care System arrangements and the proposal to formally establish and constitute the One Stockport Health and Care Board (Locality Board) as a hybrid committee to undertake delegations of the GM ICB and local partners such as the Council so that it could proceed to take its own decisions rather than such decisions having to continue to be taken via the ICB’s delegated authority.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Scrutiny Committee has the opportunity to consider the portfolio dashboards for Corporate Performance and Resources and the Citizen Focus & Engagement and Resources, Commissioning & Governance portfolios and raise any issues with regard to performance.

Members can view the portfolio dashboards on the  Portfolio Performance Dashboard website.

The Scrutiny Committee had the opportunity to consider the portfolio dashboards for the Children, Families & Education portfolio and raise any issues with regard to performance.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

Further information was requested in relation to the reduction in the number of childcare places that were being taken up and whether this was significant, and the factors that lay behind it.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance.

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: Charles Yankiah on 0161 474 3206 or email: charles.yankiah@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Assistant Director - Legal & Democratic Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and any relevant Forward Plan items.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.