Cabinet – 28 September 2020
Chairman: Councillor R Waltham MBE
Venue: Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Time: 4:00pm
E-Mail Address: richard.mell@northlincs.gov.uk
AGENDA
1. Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Personal or Personal and Prejudicial interests.
2. To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 27 July 2020.
3. COVID19 Reopen and Recover – Update – Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships.
4. COVID19 – Public Health Update – Report of the Director of Public Health
5. 2020/2021 Q1 Financial Monitoring and Medium Term Financial Plan – Update – Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships.
6. Humber Leadership Board and Local Enterprise Partnership – Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director: Commercial.
7. North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Service – Progress Update – Report of the Director: Children and Community Resilience.
9. Any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent by reason of special circumstances which must be specified.
MINUTES
PRESENT: – Councillor Waltham MBE in the Chair.
Councillors Hannigan (vice-chair), J Davison, Marper, Ogg, Poole, Reed, Rose and C Sherwood.
Councillors Allcock, Bainbridge, Briggs, Clark, L Foster, O’Sullivan, Wells, Wilson and Yeadon also attended the meeting.
Denise Hyde, Mick Gibbs, Becky McIntyre, Helen Manderson, Karen Pavey, Peter Thorpe, Will Bell, Richard Mell and Tanya Davies attended the meeting.
The meeting was a remote/virtual meeting through Microsoft Teams.
1379 DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS – There were no declarations of interest declared.
1380 MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 27 July 2020 having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the chair.
1381 COVID-19 REOPEN AND RECOVER UPDATE – Further to minute 1376, The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report updating Cabinet on the progress of the North Lincolnshire Council Covid-19 Reopen Plan. The Plan set out the short-term milestones for the safe re-opening of public facing facilities and activities and internal office space.
The Director in her report explained that the gradual re-opening had been implemented in the context of the prevention of local outbreaks and the relevant government guidance. Re-opening plans continued to be implemented in parallel to business continuity arrangements and would be adapted and changed accordingly should the council need to react to local or national infection rates. Working to the national guidance and the government’s ‘steps to recovery’, key milestones in the Covid-19 Reopen Plan, which was appended to the report, had been achieved.
The reopening of some public facing facilities and services were being implemented in the context of a renewal plan for hub development, building upon the community enablement that was a key attribute during the crisis response.
Resolved – That the Director’s update against the Covid-19 Reopen Plan be noted and the implementation of the short-term milestones be endorsed.
1382 COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE – The Director of Public Health referred to minute 1365, and submitted a report outlining the latest position relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three months on from the last update to Cabinet it was clear that nationally and locally we were still living with COVID-19 and this was likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Government guidance and additional measures had continued to be published along with the launch of a new ‘Hands-Face-Space’ campaign to prevent the spread the of COVID-19 indoors this winter. On the 17 September the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made a statement to parliament setting out the government’s plans to put the country in the strongest position for this winter. The plans were set in the context of a continuing and concerning rise in cases. Measures being introduced included:
- Strengthening targeted action in local areas where there were concerning rates of infection;
- Further investment in the NHS to support it during the winter months, and
- Extension of the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund to help adult social care providers to reduce the rate of transmission.
The Director in her report provided statistical information on the COVID-19 situation in North Lincolnshire for the current epidemiology position, which indicated that in line with the current national trend, cases where increasing in North Lincolnshire. (Up to date daily statistics were reported to the meeting). Cases were being monitored on a daily basis to screen for epidemiological links which may identify potential clusters or outbreaks locally.
The report also explained that cold weather, seasonal flu and adverse weather disruption were factors that could have a significant impact on the capacity of frontline health and social care services, as they may cause an increase in workforce absence due to sickness or the need to take time off work to care for others. In addition, pressure on acute services, including delayed treatment could have an impact upon the wider health and social care system. Work was currently ongoing to look at possible winter scenarios and to identify appropriate planning arrangements. This included discussions with neighbouring authorities around mutual aid opportunities to ensure the council and its partners responded to any major outbreaks and to work in collaboration to agree measures to protect our residents.
Throughout the pandemic the role of local authorities had continued to evolve. Moving from an initial operating model focused on responding to the crisis and ensuring effective business continuity, into a reopen and recovery phase going forward in the longer-term to a council that was centred on:
- In our community leadership capacity working with partners to transition into the ‘new normal’;
- Preventative activities and management of local outbreaks;
- Working with government and businesses to drive economic recovery and growth, and
- Keeping council services running and adapting to the changing environment where necessary.
Resolved – (a) That the update report be noted; (b) that it be recognised that COVID-19 is likely to remain with us for the foreseeable future and will require the council to continue to adapt in order to manage the impacts associated with COVID-19 at a local level, and (c) that all officers of the council and its partners be thanked for their continuing hard work in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
1383 2020/2021/ QUARTER 1 FINANCIAL MONITORING AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN – UPDATE – The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report, which provided the Cabinet with an update on the Council’s in-year financial position, considered the specific impact that Covid-19 was having on the Council’s financial plans, and set out the Council’s current modelling of medium term financial planning spending power assumptions.
The Director in her report explained that the medium term financial plan represented an amalgamation of financial and non-financial assumptions which form the basis of how much resource the Council expected to have available to invest in its priorities and to ensure it continued to meet local need well. In the previous financial impact update to Cabinet (minute 1375 refers) the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic was set out, including the impact that it was having at that time. Over the past two months, the situation had moved on slightly in that more local approaches were now being adopted, which reduced the need for blanket national measures and has enabled some restrictions to be gradually eased. The Council re-oriented the approach of its staff and services during the initial phase of the pandemic, enabling it to meet the needs of its residents at a challenging time. The Council had been able to shift its focus to recovery and renewal, an update on which was contained in a separate report considered at this meeting (minute 1381 above refers)
She stated that the purpose of this report was to take stock of the in-year financial position, and make an assessment of how much resource the Council could expect to have in future years assuming the current funding regime remained in place over the medium-term financial planning period. A summary explanation with supporting appendices where provided for the following –
- Revenue 2020/2021;
- Capital 2020/21;
- Reserves;
- Budget Adjustments;
- Treasury Management, and
- Medium Term Financial Plan.
Resolved – (a) That the revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2020/2021 as set out at Appendix 1 of the report, and the action being taken to identify and develop solutions to identified risks be noted; (b) that the current modelling of financial planning assumptions as set out in the medium term financial plan update in Appendix 2 of the report be noted; (c) that the revenue budget adjustments approved under delegated powers and the revised budget position for 2020/21, summarised at Appendix 3 of the report be noted; (d) that the revised capital investment programme 2020/23 as set out at Appendix 4 of the report be approved; (e) that the progress against the approved Treasury Management Strategy in Appendix 5 of the report be noted, and (f) that the Director and her finance team be thanked for their continuing hard work.
1384 HUMBER LEADERSHIP BOARD AND LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP – The Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director: Commercial submitted a report informing Cabinet of the outcome of the Government’s ‘strengthened local enterprise partnerships’ review for North Lincolnshire following confirmation received from the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government.
The report explained that with effect from 1 April 2021, the overlapping boundary of the Humber and Greater Lincolnshire LEPs would be removed. A new Humber LEP Boundary would come into effect covering East Riding and Hull. North Lincolnshire would continue to be members of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP which best serves North Lincolnshire’s longer-term economic prosperity and post Covid-19 recovery. Also, the Humber Leadership Board (an established joint committee of the four Humber local authorities) would continue and be enhanced as the vehicle for pan-Humber collaboration.
In the meantime, officers would continue to engage actively in supporting the finalisation of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Industrial Strategy, to ensure that the local economic recovery and longer-term prosperity was reflected in the priorities that emerge.
Resolved – (a) That the Council remaining a full member of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and ceasing to be a member of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership be supported and approved; (b) that he development and completion of a transition agreement giving effect to the removal of the overlapping boundaries, with effect from 31 March 2021 be supported and approved, and (c) that the continuation and further development of the Humber Leaders Board as the governance and collaboration vehicle between the Council and the remaining three unitary authorities in the Humber sub-region be supported and approved.
1385 NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE YOUTH OFFENDING SERVICE – PROGRESS UPDATE – The Director: Children and Community Resilience submitted a report informing Cabinet of the progress of the North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Partnership and the North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Service.
The Director in his report explained that Section 40 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 stated that it was the duty of each local authority, after consultation with the partner agencies, to formulate and implement an annual youth justice plan that must be submitted to the Youth Justice Board. The North Lincolnshire Youth Justice Plan 2019/2021 was a 2-year plan and was approved by the Council Cabinet on 24th September 2019. It would be reviewed formally and updated in 2021. The Plan was overseen by the Youth Offending Management Board. This was an effective partnership board whose membership included senior leaders from across the Council, partners in Health, the Police, Probation, Humberside Fire and Rescue, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Housing Providers and the Youth Justice Board.
The report stated that whilst it was not a requirement of the Youth Justice Board to submit a full Youth Justice Plan in 2020, the North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Management Board had overseen and reviewed the implementation of the existing plan, noted the progress and agreed the ongoing priorities for the board for 2020/2021.
The North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Service had also confirmed and provided assurance to the Youth Justice Board in line with the guidance it provided regarding the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the steps taken to maintain successfully a ‘business as usual’ approach.
The report summarised (i) the continuing good progress made by the North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Service with its partners in reducing the impact of youth crime in North Lincolnshire during 2019/2020, and (ii) how the North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Partnership continued to fulfil its statutory responsibilities and had developed and implemented new and innovative ways of working whilst prioritising both individual case-work and wider services.
Resolved – That the positive progress of the North Lincolnshire Youth Offending Service and partners, as outlined and summarised in the report be noted.