Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2014.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 15 September 2014 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 Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader (Executive Councillor for Corporate, Customer and Community Services)

In September, Scrutiny Committees received a report on the Investing in Stockport business case working papers brought forward at the August Executive. At its meeting on 30 September the Executive brought forward a set of Draft Business Cases for those proposals with implications for the Council’s budget in 2015/16. A number of Draft Business Cases contain only minor changes to those original business case working papers.

The Executive agreed that there should be a further report to all scrutiny committees in the October cycle, sharing the Draft Business Cases, and providing scrutiny committees with an opportunity to provide final comments on those proposals relating to their committee’s remit.  The Draft Business Cases that were made available to the Executive Councillors therefore accompany this report. Confirmation of which proposals fall within the remit of which Committee is provided at Appendix 1.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to provide final comments upon the specific Draft Business Cases in the accompanying papers.

Officer contact: Steve Skelton, 0161 474 3174, steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) containing the Investing in Stockport 2015/16 Proposed Draft Business Cases approved for consultation by the Executive on 30 September 2014 and providing the Scrutiny Committee with an opportunity to make further comment on the proposals.

The Executive Councillors (Adult Care Services) and (Economic Development & Regeneration) and appropriate project leads attended the meeting to present the proposals and to answer councillors’ questions.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the comments of the Scrutiny Committee in respect of the draft business cases as made at the meeting on 15 September 2014 be forwarded to the Executive as the formal response to the consultation of this Scrutiny Committee.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report details proposals to modernise the council’s approach to community meals provision and ancillary catering services. This would involve officers working closely with people (and their families/carers) to make more individually tailored meal arrangements as part of the support planning process using personal budgets as appropriate. The Council would continue to provide assistance to people in arranging meals support but not in future act as a commissioner or provider of the service.

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

Officer contact: Vincent Fraga on 474 4401 or email: vincent.fraga@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing proposals to modernise the Council’s approach to community meals provision and ancillary catering services.

The proposal would involve officers working closely with service users and their families/carers to make more individually tailored meal arrangements as part of the support planning process using personal budgets as appropriate. The Council would continue to provide assistance to people in arranging meals support but not in future act as a commissioner or provider of the service.

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

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was commented that the use of the term ‘modernise’ was being used to describe a reduction in the range of options available to service users.  In response it was stated that since the establishment of the traditional community meals service, a number of alternative providers had emerged that provided a significant level of consumer choice more efficiently than the in-house provider currently could. 

·         It was stated that it was difficult to assess the ongoing financial viability of the current service due to the lack of budgetary information within the report for those years prior to the 2013/14 financial year.

·         The data presented in the table as ‘deficit actual’ for the 2014/15 financial year was an estimate based on the year-to-date deficit.

·         Concern was expressed with regard to the significant differential between the forecast deficit and that being achieved and the basis on which these projections were made was queried.

·         The basis on which consultation would take place with service users was discussed with specific regard to the work that would be done to review the specific needs of each service user to determine the care and support that would be provided in the future.  Further information with regard to the additional pressure this exercise would place on staff within Adult Social Care and the costs associated with this was requested.

·         The impact of a decision to terminate in the in-house provision of the community meals service was discussed with regard to the unintended consequences of any such decision including the added-value provided by the service such as social contact.

·         Independent providers were able to provide a range of additional services on a sliding tariff including gardening, domestic services and dealing with correspondence. 

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the sustainability of the business models of some of the independent providers in a competitive market place.

·         It was commented that there were a number of private customers of the in-house community meals service which demonstrated the quality of the service that was being provided.

·         More consideration needed to be given to how the in-house community meals service could more effectively be marketed to a wider private customer base and how the service could be maintained though additional investment.  In response it was stated that the Council had confirmed to Solutions SK that there was limited capital available for investment in the service and their provisional view was that they could not continue to provide the service without a significant subsidy.

RESOLVED – That the Corporate Director for People be requested to submit a report to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee providing a detailed financial overview of the community meals service over the previous five year period; the potential options available for the retention of the service; and information on those alternative providers currently operating on a commercial basis within the marketplace.

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

The report is the third of three papers presented to the Scrutiny Committee in relation to the options appraisal of the future management of Council owned housing in the Borough.

This report documents the outcomes of the customer consultation and assessment process and makes the recommendation that the Council renews its management agreement.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the report and comment on the customer consultation and opinions; the assessment process and outcomes, and the recommendation that a further management agreement should be offered to Stockport Homes.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 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) detailing the outcomes of a customer consultation and assessment process undertaken in respect of the future management of Council owned housing in the Borough which had been undertaken in connection with the housing options appraisal.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) attended the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Executive be recommended give approval to the award of a further management agreement to Stockport Homes Ltd in respect of the management of Council owned housing in the Borough.

(2) That further to the previous request of the Scrutiny Committee on 15 September 2014, the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services be recommended to submit a report to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in relation to affordable housing with specific reference to the number of homes that had been built and the number that were under development or were proposed.

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

The report outlines the impact of the introduction of housing benefit deductions for tenants deemed to be under-occupying social housing on the reduction in demand for three bedroom flats on the Lancashire Hill Estate.  To increase the potential pool of applicants for these homes who are likely to lead settled tenancies, the proposal is made to introduce a local lettings policy enabling some families to apply who would usually only be eligible for two bedroom properties. 

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

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or e-mail: 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) outlining the impact of the introduction of housing benefit deductions for tenants deemed to be under-occupying social housing.  The report further detailed the reduction in demand for three bedroom flats on the Lancashire Hill Estate and outlined proposals to increase the potential pool of applicants for these homes who were likely to lead settled tenancies by introducing a local lettings policy enabling some families to apply who would usually only be eligible for two bedroom properties.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) attended the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         A discussion took place with regard to the legal basis for the introduction of the policy.

·         It was stated that it needed to be made clear to prospective tenants that the policy was being introduced on a pilot basis.

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.

The Chair reported that, in the light of the substantive nature of the Investing in Stockport Executive Proposals consultation outcomes which would were to be submitted to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee, consideration should be given to the deferral of a number of those items identified within the report for consideration at the next meeting to the meeting on 26 January 2015.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to reschedule those items identified for submission to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee to the 26 January 2015 meeting.