Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2012.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 3 September 2012 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 this 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 Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

At its meeting on 7 September 2012 the Executive agreed a set of savings proposals for consultation. This was in response to the medium term forecasts and indicative savings requirements contained in the report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services which was presented to the Executive at its meeting on 20 August 2012.

The Executive also agreed that each scrutiny committee should receive a report which includes details of the savings propositions relating to their remit. The chairs of scrutiny committees were consulted on how best to engage members on the Executive’s proposals. In line with their response this report provides scrutiny committee members with an opportunity to review and comment upon both the overall approach being taken by the Executive and the relevant specific savings measures

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment upon both the overall approach being taken by the Executive and the specific savings proposals detailed in the report.

Officer contact: Steve Houston on 474 4000 or email: steve.houston@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council and Executive Portfolio Holder for Policy, Reform & Finance (Councillor Sue Derbyshire) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Executive’s response to the medium term financial forecasts and indicative savings requirements for 2013/14-2016/17.  The report also detailed the Executive’s specific savings proposals for 2013/14 that related to the Scrutiny Committee’s remit.

The Leader of the Council referred to a recent update provided to members of all scrutiny committees summarising changes to the financial assumptions of the Medium Term Financial Plan in light of changes announced to the grant regime which resulted in the Council needing to make additional savings. The Leader of the Council emphasised that there remained a number of assumptions within the Plan that could not yet be finalised.

The Executive Councillors  for Adult Care Services (Councillor Daniel Hawthorne) and Supporting Communities (Councillor Mark Weldon) also attended the meeting and summarised the individual savings proposals in respect of their portfolios as contained in the report.

The following comments were made/ issued raised:-

·         Concern was expressed that the safeguarding of vulnerable service users should remain a priority.

·         The proposed consolidation of the Quality Management function may result in less oversight of care providers and a resultant increase in risk to service users.

·         There was a potential overall cost benefit in the proposals to open up the Council’s procurement initiatives to external providers.

·         The potential for ‘top-up’ fees to be introduced by service providers as a result of the proposed home care price freeze was discussed.

·         Concern was expressed that a home care price freeze would result in job losses in residential homes.

·         The increase in the threshold for charging for Disabled Parking Permits would allow the council to levy a charge of £10 resulting in an income yield of approximately £50,000 per annum.  Members discussed the potential impact that this charge might have on claimants of the Disability Living Allowance.

·         The proposed £1 million savings identified under the heading of ‘Disability Review’ did not specify how these savings would be achieved.

·         The increased use of personalised budgets by service users to increase social interaction was welcomed.

·         The withdrawal of some Educational Psychology provision was commented upon, however in response it was stated that this would have a minimal impact due to an increase in training amongst staff and spot purchasing for high need offenders.

·         There was the potential to realise significant savings through the consolidation of the disparate CCTV provision and monitoring arrangements, although members expressed concern about the potential loss of CCTV provision in certain areas of the borough as a result of these proposals.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the comments of the Scrutiny Committee be referred to the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee and the Executive for consideration in conjunction with the comments made by the other scrutiny committees on those proposals that fell within their remit.

At the last meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 3 September 2012, the Scrutiny Committee requested that an item be placed on the agenda in relation to Independent Solutions SK.

Nic Cox (Managing Director of Solutions SK) and representatives of Unison have been invited to attend the meeting at the request of the Scrutiny Committee to answer councillors’ questions.

The Chair reported that at the last meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 3 September 2012, it had been requested that an item be placed on the agenda for this meeting in relation to Individual Solutions SK (ISSK) to enable members of the Scrutiny Committee to discuss matters relating to the proposed restructuring of the home care service.

Nic Cox (Managing Director of Solutions SK), Terry Dafter (Service Director, Adult Social Care), Mark Rayner (Unison) and Margaret Hindle (Unison) attended the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

The Chair stated that at this point in the proceedings it would also be prudent for the Scrutiny Committee to give consideration to the Executive Savings Proposal that related to £1.2 million of savings in respect of ‘reablement’ insofar as they related to the position at ISSK.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·        A number of agency staff had been brought in who may not necessarily be as qualified as permanent staff members.

·        The communication between ISSK and the Trade Unions had not operated effectively such that no advance notice had been provided in relation to the issuing of HR1 notices placing staff at risk of redundancy.  In response it was stated that ISSK had issued such notices to comply with the law as it related to staff at risk of redundancy.

·        Members of the Scrutiny Committee expressed concern that ISSK had failed to meet a number of Key Performance Indicators and clarification was requested on the progress that had been made towards meeting these.

·        It was stated that there was need to reduce the costs associated with the delivery of the services provided by ISSK.

·        It was acknowledged that the level of sickness absence at ISSK was higher than average and that the unions and management at ISSK needed to work together to find appropriate mechanisms to manage and reduce this.

·        Concern was expressed that the problems within ISSK had not been identified and remedied at an earlier stage.  In reply it was commented that there was no simple readily identifiable solution to what was a complex situation at ISSK and the proposals identified by the Executive aimed to ensure that the company was fit for purpose and able to meet the challenges of the future.

·        Notwithstanding that management had expressed the hope that there would be no compulsory redundancies within ISSK, members of the Scrutiny Committee stated that the issuing of notices to staff that a number of posts were at risk of redundancy would have a destabilising effect on the service.

RESOLVED – (1) That Nic Cox, Terry Dafter, Mark Rayner and Margaret Hindle be thanked for their attendance.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to invite representatives of Individual Solutions SK and Unison to attend a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee following a settlement being reached on the future of the service.

At the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 11 July 2012, the Scrutiny Committee requested that an item be placed on the agenda of the future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in relation to Borough Care to discuss the services they provided including its management practices; the impact of the closures of Belmont Court and Lisburne Court homes and an evaluation of short term residential care.

Kathy Farmer (Chief Executive of Borough Care) and Ian Hardcastle (Chair of the Board of Directors of Borough Care) will attend the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

The Chair reported that at the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 11 July 2012, it had been requested that an item be placed on the agenda for a future meeting in relation to Borough Care to enable members of the Scrutiny Committee to discuss the services provided by Borough Care with a specific focus on its management practices; the impact of the closures of Belmont Court and Lisburne Court homes and an evaluation of its short term residential care.

Kathy Farmer (Chief Executive of Borough Care), Steve Normansell (Vice Chair of the Board of Borough Care) and Terry Dafter (Service Director, Adult Social Care) attended the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·        The impact of the proposed home care price freeze contained within the Executive’s Savings Proposals was discussed.  It was stated that it was increasingly difficult for Borough Care to manage its ageing estate in the current difficult trading climate.

·        The potential for top-up fees to be introduced as a way of mitigating against the freeze in income from the Council was raised, although it was noted that it was not anticipated that Borough Care would introduce top-up fees in the current financial year.

·        There was a need for Borough Care to continue to invest in its properties in order that they continued to meet the needs of service users which had necessitated the replacement of the two facilities at Belmont Court and Lisburne Court.

·        Borough Care was investing heavily in the development of services for dementia patients.

RESOLVED – (1) That Kathy Farmer, Steve Normansell and Terry Dafter be thanked for their attendance.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to invite representatives of Borough Care to attend a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in 12 months’ time to provide an update in relation to the work of Borough Care.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The Plan provides an update on the work of Youth Offending Services as monitored through the Youth Offending Services Partnership Board, which in turn reports to the Safer Stockport Partnership (SSP) and the Children’s Trust Board.

The Youth Offending Services Partnership has managed to maintain and improve performance over the past year: Latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures published recently show that the core work of preventing offending and reducing re-offending has improved:

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Barry O’Hagan on 476 2876 or email: barry.o’hagan@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the work of Youth Offending Services as monitored through the Youth Offending Services Partnership Board, which in turn reported to the Safer Stockport Partnership (SSP) and the Children’s Trust Board.

It was stated that the report had also been submitted to the meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee on 17 October 2012 as the Plan straddled the remit of both scrutiny committees.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the rise in the level of domestic violence perpetrated by young people against family members and partners.  In response it was stated that a large part of this increase was likely the result of a significant underreporting of incidents in previous years.

·         The work of the Youth Offending Services in achieving reductions in the number of young people that entered the criminal justice system was welcomed.

·         It was important that the outcomes of the Youth Justice Plan were monitored, and it was requested that a further report be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee detailing the progress made towards achieving the aims contained within the Plan.

·         It was requested that contact details of key officers responsible for the aims within the Plan be circulated to members of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to submit a further report to the Scrutiny Committee in six months’ time detailing the progress that had been made towards achieving the aims contained within the Youth Justice Plan.

To consider a report of the Head of Community Safety and Neighbourhoods.

Following a request for further information in relation to the funding for and the budget of the Safer Stockport Partnership and the Community Safety Unit, this report details the strands of responsibility for resources allocated to the Safer Stockport Partnership.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Helen Rice on 476 2876 or email: helen.rice@stockport.gov.uk

The Head of Community Safety and Neighbourhoods submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing further information in relation to the funding for and the budget of the Safer Stockport Partnership and the Community Safety Unit following a request from the Scrutiny Committee at its last meeting on 3 September 2012.  The report also detailed the strands of responsibility for resources allocated to the Safer Stockport Partnership.

The Executive Councillor (Supporting Communities) attended the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

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 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.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.