Agenda item

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution).

The Annual Corporate Performance and Resource Report (CPRR) provides an update on progress in delivering the Council’s priority outcomes and budget over the last 12 months, with a particular focus on the fourth quarter (January to March).

Updates are included on delivery of policy priorities and the growth and reform programme. The report also includes outturn budget and performance data where this is available, along with an update on the Corporate Risk Register. It is supported by seven Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports which were considered by the most recent Scrutiny cycle.

The Leader’s Annual Report reflects on achievements, key issues, events and changes since the Final Update Report, and looks ahead to plans and priorities for 2018/19. 

Cabinet is asked to:

·         Review progress against delivering Council priorities and capital schemes alongside budget and performance outturns contained within the report;

·         Note the key policy drivers identified and progress in managing corporate risks set out in section 2;

·         Approve the virements to the Revenue Budget set out in section 3.2.3;

·         Note the cash limit and non-cash limit outturn positions for 2017/18 as set out in section 3.3 and 3.6;

·         Note the position on the 2017/18 budget savings programme set out in section 3.4;

·         Approve the carry forward of the non-cash limit surplus within general fund balances, as set out in 3.6.1;

·         Approve the funding of redundancy costs from non-cash limit unallocated contingency budgets, as set out in 3.6.3;

·         Note the Dedicated Schools Grant and Housing Revenue Account outturn positions as set out in sections 3.7 and 3.8;

·         Approve the appropriations to/from reserves and balances as set out in section 3.9 and note the resulting reserves and balances position;

·         Approve the delegation of changes to the outturn, reserves and/or balances position as a result of the finalising and auditing of the 2017/18 Annual Statement of Accounts is delegated to the Borough Treasurer, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance;

·         Note the outturn position for the 2017/18 Capital Programme as set out in section 4.1;

·         Note the re-phasing of capital schemes during the quarter as set out in 4.1.5;

·         Approve the proposals for resourcing and additional resources required for the Capital Programme as set out in 4.3;

·         Approve the 2017/18 actual prudential indicators as set out in section 4.4; and

·         Identify key areas for further investigation and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any existing or forecast issues or risks.

Officer cotnact: Jonathan Davies / Peter Owston, 0161 218 1025 / 474 3274

jonathan.davies@stockport.gov.uk / peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Cabinet with an Annual Report on the delivery of the Council’s Priority Outcomes and budget during 2017/18, with particular focus on the fourth quarter. The report provided a summary of key activity during the year as well as performance and budget outturns for the full year.

The Leader of the Council highlighted a number of significant issues and key achievements from the previous year, and the continuing financial challenge facing the Council.

The Leader highlighted the following:-

·         planning was underway for the 2019/20 budget setting process, including addressing the anticipated £15m reduction in funding;

·         ongoing challenges relating to the adult social care and children’s services budget pressures;

·         the Cabinet remained committed to seeking to increase income to avoid reducing services wherever possible.

·         the recent launch of the Stockport Local Fund; ongoing development of the Stockport Neighbourhood Care partnership; the successful work of Viaduct Housing; responding to the challenges posed by the Grenfell disaster; continued Council investment in leisure provision; the success of the Work and Skills Commission;

·         strong financial and project management underpinning Council initiatives;

·         there was a net budget surplus of £4m at the end of the year, although cash-limit budgets were showing a deficit. Some of the surplus would be used to offset this deficit but also to support budget reforms;

·         a full review of Council finances would be undertaken over the summer;

·         there had been particular performance challenges relating to increased care home admissions; increased instances of children missing from home; increases in victim based crime. Performance had improved in relation to Delayed Transfers of Care, reflective of strong joint working between partners.

Specifically in relation to children’s services pressures, the Cabinet Member for Children & Families outlined the background factors, including the increase in the number of cases being referred to children’s services and the consequential increase in children in care or being looked after. The cost of these placements was also increasing, due in part to a lack of capacity but also because of the increasingly complex and costly interventions.

In relation to children missing from care, the Cabinet Member confirmed that the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub now had dedicated resource to respond to such reports but that because this service only came on line in the last quarter it was unlikely to have had an impact on performance data.

The Leader of the Council emphasised that the Council was facing pressures not just due to increases in demand but also due to inflationary cost pressures for specialist services. He further referred to the recent report from the Children’s Commissioner that emphasised the disparities in spend on children’s services nationally was weighted heavily toward a small number of intensive interventions for a small number of children  rather than early interventions to a larger group of children with lower level need. It was emphasised that the Stockport Family model sought to ensure a more balanced response to these demands.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Annual Corporate Performance and Resources Report for 2017/18:-

·           the progress against delivering Council priorities and capital schemes alongside budget and performance outturns contained within the report be noted;

·           the key policy drivers identified and progress in managing corporate risks set out in section 2 of the report be noted;

·           the virements to the Revenue Budget set out in section 3.2.3 of the report be approved;

·           the cash limit and non-cash limit outturn positions for 2017/18 as set out in section 3.3 and 3.6 of the report be noted;

·           the position on the 2017/18 budget savings programme set out in section 3.4 of the report be noted;

·           the carry forward of the non-cash limit surplus within general fund balances, as set out in 3.6.1 of the report be approved;

·           the funding of redundancy costs from non-cash limit unallocated contingency budgets, as set out in 3.6.3 of the report be approved;

·           the Dedicated Schools Grant and Housing Revenue Account outturn positions as set out in sections 3.7 and 3.8 of the report be noted;

·           the appropriations to/from reserves and balances as set out in section 3.9 of the report be approved and the resulting reserves and balances position be noted;

·           changes to the outturn, reserves and/or balances position as a result of the finalising and auditing of the 2017/18 Annual Statement of Accounts be delegated to the Borough Treasurer, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance;

·           the outturn position for the 2017/18 Capital Programme as set out in section 4.1 of the report be noted;

·           the re-phasing of capital schemes during the quarter as set out in 4.1.5 be noted;

·           the proposals for resourcing and additional resources required for the Capital Programme as set out in 4.3 of the report be approved; and

·           the 2017/18 actual prudential indicators as set out in section 4.4 of the report be approved.