Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 3 August 2016.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 3 August 2016 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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

No declarations of interest were made.

There were no call in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and the Borough Treasurer.

The Medium Term Financial Plan Update provides two reports. The first report proposes a realignment and consolidation of the Council’s reserves and the development of a Reserves Policy which will align the reserves to the Council’s corporate and strategic priorities over the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). The report also outlines the principles of a summer review of the Council’s MTFP considering the current key assumptions underpinning the financial forecasts and whether these are still appropriate. The second report outlines the principles that will frame how the Executive engages with residents and businesses to inform how it proposes to address the severe financial challenges being imposed on Stockport by central Government. 

Both reports were considered by the Executive on 16 August 2016.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to comment on the reports and the proposed Reserves Policy.

Officer Contact: Michael Cullen on Tel: 474 4631 or email: michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive and the Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment the Medium Term Financial Plan update which also detailed a proposal for the development of a Reserves Policy.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The requirement for the Council to accept the Governments offer of a four year settlement through the submission of an efficiency plan by 14 October 2016.

·         The need for the completion of a balanced and sustainable budget for 2017/2018 and a longer term forecast up to 2020/2021.

·         The Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group have entered into a significantly increased pooled budget for 2016/2017 of approximately £200m. The Stockport Together programme had also recently been successful in receiving close to £19m from the Greater Manchester Transformation Fund.

·         Councillors discussed the development of a Reserves Policy which distinguished between unallocated reserves and earmarked reserves and was more transparent. It was hoped that the policy would ensure that the reserves identified are held at a recommended optimum level and replenished when resources became available to do so.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report and presentation provides an update on the implementation of Stockport Family.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Deborah Woodcock on Tel : 474 6789 or email: deborah.woodcock@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Corporate Director for People attended the meeting and made a presentation in respect to the development of Stockport Family outlining the programme objectives and the key activities being undertaken.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The Stockport Family Vision was to provide the highest quality support to Stockport’s most vulnerable children and families.

·         Key objectives included a 20% reduction in spend on looked after children; a reduction in children subject to child protection plans; a sustained reduction in families needing repeat support and a reduction in the need to remove subsequent children from a family where a child has previously been removed.

·         The programme has seen whole system change with integrated social workers with the wider children’s workforce. The creation of four locality integrated teams was underpinned by restorative practice with upto 1,500 multi-agency staff trained.

·         Key priorities for the future included (i) an improvement to transition and to reduce the significant minority of pupils who have difficulty in adjusting to secondary school and (ii) an improvement in attendance and an increased aspiration for key vulnerable and “at risk” cohorts. Councillors were keen to receive updates on this issue at future meetings.

·         The Committee welcomed the creation of “Team around the School” and the development of a Vulnerable Pupils Group which aimed to improve inclusion and reduce exclusion.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report outlines significant changes that have been introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) which will continue to take place in 2016 and beyond in the accountability measures for schools and colleges. The changes affect primary and secondary schools and colleges and include: the assessment and testing systems and procedures; the ways in which the ‘expected standards’ are expressed; and the statutory reporting requirements.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Alan Beswick on Tel: 474 3918 or email: alan.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the changes introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) to the accountability measures for schools and colleges including the assessment and testing systems and procedures and the statutory reporting requirements.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The changes affect primary and secondary schools and colleges and include (i) the assessment and testing systems and proceedures (ii) the ways in which expected standards are expressed and (iii) the statutory reporting requirements.

·         Changes to the accountability measures present challenges in the directness of their meaning for elected members and key stakeholder groups such as the Children’s Trust.

·         There would now be a period of transition whilst the new accountability measures are better understood by all stakeholders and become recognised and accepted as the norm.

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 are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Stephen Fox on Tel: 474 3206 or email: stephen.fox@stockport.gov.uk

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

Councillor Malcolm Allan suggested that given the information circulated in the Members’ Bulletin in respect to Teenage Suicide and The Good Childhood report, the Committee may wish to give consideration as to how to increase involvement by young people in Council decision making.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to submit a report to a future in respect to involving the youth parliament and young people in general in decision making in Stockport