Full Cabinet 31 January 2017

PRESENT:-   Councillor Hannigan (Vice-Chairman) in the Chair.

Councillors Briggs, Poole, Reed,  Rose and C Sherwood.

Councillors Ali, Allcock, Armiger, Clark, Collinson, A Davison, J Davison, L Foster, T Foster, Glover, Longcake, Marper, Mumby-Croft, O’Sullivan, Perry and Wells also attended the meeting.

Denise Hyde, Peter Williams, Mike Wedgewood, Mick Gibbs, Karen Pavey, Peter Thorpe, Becky McIntyre, Helen Manderson, Will Bell, Debra Winning and Richard Mell also attended the meeting.

The meeting was held at the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe.

1247   DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS – There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

1248   MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of cabinet held on 29 November, 2016, having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the chairman.

1249   (31)    OUTSTANDING ACTION FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS – The Director of Policy and Resources submitted a report which contained a schedule of outstanding issues on which cabinet had requested reports to future meetings.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

1250   (32)   JANUARY BUDGET REVIEW 2016/2017 – The Director of Policy and Resources submitted a report updating cabinet on the council’s current financial position for 2016/2017.  The report provided an opportunity to review how the council’s Revenue Plans and Capital Programme were progressing and also considered opportunities and potential corrective action where necessary.

The net expenditure position against budget was monitored on a regular basis. The report considered the current directorate position and actions that were being taken to resolve problems and identify saving opportunities. Where services required additional support or where additional savings had been identified cabinet could consider the reallocation of resources between directorates, earmarked reserves and the contingency fund.

Details of the council’s overall Revenue 2016/17 position were summarised in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.4 and details of the current position by directorate were set out in paragraphs 3.6 to 3.8. Reference to central budgets was also summarised in paragraph 3.9,and  Public Health and details of the savings monitor in paragraph 3.10 and 3.11 respectively. The report also outlined the likely impact of the Local Government Settlement 2017/18.

In relation to capital schemes these could have a long lead-time and implementation usually took place over more than one financial year requiring the council to approve a four to five year programme.  The report summarised the 2016/20 capital programme reviewing current progress including rephasing of schemes, some reprioritisation and adjustments where the funding position had changed. Details were contained in paragraphs 3.17 to 3.19.

Finally, the report referred to the Treasury Management situation and confirmed that cash balances and debt were being managed in line with the council’s planned treasury strategy.

Attached as appendices to the report were details of the various elements of the current budget with regard to revenue, capital and treasury management.

Resolved – (a) That the revised outturn revenue budget as set out in appendix 1 be approved; (b) that the revised capital programme as detailed in appendices 2 and 4 be approved, and (c) that the latest position on treasury management as detailed in appendix 5 be noted.

1251   (33)    ANNUAL EDUCATION REPORT 2016 – The Assistant Director Education  submitted a report presenting the Annual Education Report 2016, which was attached as an appendix.

The council had a statutory duty to ensure area-wide standards and educational excellence.In line with the council’s role as an enabler and facilitator of sector-led improvement, the council had set the ambition of attaining top-quartile outcomes for children and young people by all measures.  By 2020, North Lincolnshire would be amongst the best local authority areas in England for :

  • attendance and inclusion
  • the quality of provision
  • learning outcomes

The council had prioritised improving education outcomes for all children and young people. Additional investment had been made for improving the quality of the built environment, the quality of provision and the effectiveness of leadership and governance.

The Annual Education Report provided a synopsis of education standards in North Lincolnshire.  The report identified the key areas for action, with the purpose of provoking debate about how to address local education priorities. Headlines for 2016 were highlighted on page 2 of the annual report. This drew attention to significant achievements in improving the quality of outcomes for children and young people, which were also summarised in paragraph 2.6 of Assistant Director’s report.

Resolved – That the publication of the North Lincolnshire Annual Education Report 2016, be approved.

1252   (34)   ‘ENABLING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES’ – THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE’S EARLY HELP OFFER 2015-2016 – The Interim Director Children’s Services submitted a report seeking approval for the publication of the annual review of North Lincolnshire’s Early Help Offer 2015-16 – ‘Enabling Children and Families’. The annual review described the impact that the council’s early help offer has had on children, young people and families during April 2015 to March 2016.

The report explained that the Children Act 2004 required local authorities, working together with partners to make arrangements to improve the wellbeing of all children and include protection from harm and neglect. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 placed an emphasis on the importance of early help, in promoting the welfare of children; together with clear arrangements for collaboration. North Lincolnshire Council provided, commissioned and facilitated a wide range of services that contributed to its Early Help Offer.

The principles, process and commitment to Early Help was agreed by partners as part of the LSCB Early Help Strategy 2015-17. The Early Help Strategy had recently been reviewed and reframed into: ‘The North Lincolnshire’s Helping Children and Families (Threshold Document) 2016-20’. The above document outlined the levels of need a child or family may have, the process for early identification, assessment, support and more targeted or specialist interventions.

The Enabling Children and Families Annual Review drew together in one place the impact and benefits that had been achieved through the Early Help offer to parents, children and young people during 2015-16. The document related to services that were directly provided or were commissioned by North Lincolnshire Council to meet its statutory duties.

Examples of some notable successes were summarised in paragraph 2.4 of the report, and paragraph 2.5 outlined the continuing need for the Early Help Service to evolve to meet the changing demands and expectations of communities across North Lincolnshire in line with the priorities of the Children’s Strategy 2020 and local Children’s Service Plan.

Resolved – That the publication of the annual review of North Lincolnshire’s Early Help Offer 2015-16 – ‘Enabling Children and Families’ be approved.

1253   (35)    HUMBER SOCIAL WORK TEACHING PARTNERSHIP – The Interim Director of Children’s Services submitted a report informing the Cabinet that North Lincolnshire Council as the lead partner had been successful in a bid to develop a new ‘Humber Social Work Teaching Partnership’. The aim of the partnership was to create a new relationship between Local Authorities, Local Universities, Students and others in attracting high calibre students and providing a partnership approach to equip them to undertake children and adult statutory social work. The partnership included North Lincolnshire, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, University of Hull, NAViGO, FOCUS, and the University of Lincoln.

The Interim Director in his report explained that on 11 November 2016 the DfE and the National Children and Adult Chief Social Workers announced that the above bid was successful, awarding a Grant Offer of up to £307,736 for the period to 31 March 2017 and up to £584,384 for the period April 2017 to March 2018. Leading the Humber Social Work Teaching Partnership also demonstrated a continuing commitment on behalf of North Lincolnshire Council to putting the recruitment and training of high quality student social workers, who then go on to work for the council, at the forefront of plans to sustain good and or better social work services.

Key features of the Humber Teaching Partnership, one of only 15 Teaching Partnerships in the United Kingdom, together with a number of benefits and opportunities for the council that clearly supported its strategic aims and ambitions, were highlighted within the report.

Resolved – That Cabinet welcomes the successful bid and supports future work and developments as part of the council’s leadership of the Humber Social Work Teaching Partnership.

1254 (36) WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN – Further to minute 1222, the Director of Places  submitted a report on progress in taking forward actions in support of the White Ribbon Campaign (which aimed to rid society of all forms of violence and abuse against women),  and the council’s application for Town Award status for North Lincolnshire.

The report in an appendix summarised progress on the White Ribbon campaign in North Lincolnshire to date and the timescale for completion of various actions.

The Director also explained that in December 2016 a bid was submitted to the DCLG that incorporated all four Humber local unitary authorities in a collective bid for funds to provide specialist workers to support victims of domestic abuse with complex needs across the four unitary authority areas. North Lincolnshire was the lead authority in the £400,000 application for funding.  The result of this bid was expected in February 2017.

The council had also submitted an Expression of Interest to the Home Office for funding under the Violence Against Women and Girls Transformation Fund.  This Expression of Interest was to highlight the key points of our potential bid and the Home Office may contact the council for further information.  The Expression of Interest period closed on 23 January 2017 and the formal application period opened after this to secure Violence Against Women and Girls Transformation funding for three years.

Debra Winning, Domestic Violence Strategy Manager who attended the meeting, provided a further update for the Cabinet and responded to member’s questions.

Resolved – That the progress achieved to date in taking forward various actions in support of the White Ribbon Campaign as set out in the appendix to the report, be noted.