SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (COMMUNITY WELLBEING AND
SAFETY)
MINUTES of a meeting held on 3rd
September 2007.
Present: Councillor Mrs. M.E.J.
Birch (Chairman); Councillor K.R. Stockdale (Vice-Chairman);
Councillors Mrs. S.M. Bagstaff, Ms. R.M. Birch, P. Church, J.
Clifford, N.P. Hodges, H.J.W. James, G.C. Kemp, Mrs. A.J.
Preston,
B.I. Shaw and J.W. Thomas.
Also present: Councillors S.C. Egan,
Mrs. V.M. Hartrey and Mrs. M. Randall.
282 APOLOGIES FOR
ABSENCE-
These were received from Councillors R.J.
Bertin, Ms. L. Burnett,
Mrs. A.J. Moore, Mrs. M. Wilkinson and W.C.
Vaughan.
283 MINUTES -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the
meeting held on 16th July, 2007 be approved as a correct
record.
284 DECLARATIONS OF
INTEREST -
No declarations were received.
285
REVENUE AND CAPITAL MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD
1ST APRIL, 2007 TO 31ST JULY, 2007 (IDSS
& DLPPHS) -
Committee received a report
which outlined the position in respect of revenue and capital
expenditure for the period 1st April, 2007 to
31st July, 2007 regarding those revenue and capital
budgets which formed the Committee’s remit. The projected
outturn for the 2007/08 Revenue budget was shown in comparison with
the annual budget at Appendix 1 to the report. The current
forecast was for a surplus of £215,000 on the Housing Revenue
Account budget and a deficit of £2,539,000 for General Fund
Services. The deficit on General Fund would be eliminated if
Social Services achieved their targeted reduction in
overspending.
As had been reported
previously, the Housing Revenue Account was anticipated to outturn
at £635,000 a surplus of £215,000. The current favourable
variance of £113,000 was largely due to staff vacancies and a lower
number of Right to Buy sales than was anticipated, thereby keeping
rent income at a higher level.
It was anticipated that
Private Sector Housing would outturn on target. The current
favourable variance of £78,000 was mainly due to staff vacancies
although this was currently being addressed.
The figures at Appendix 1 to
the report showed the budget for each division of service and
reflected the allocation of Temporary Uplift of £3,641,000 approved
by Council and the savings of £2,000,000 needed to achieve a
balanced budget. Projecting the outturn figures for 2006/2007
and using information on current commitments, the budget was
projected to outturn with a deficit of £2,539,000. The
schedule of savings reported elsewhere on the agenda of the meeting
identified action to be taken to achieve savings of £2m.
Further actions would be required to achieve a balanced
budget. Monitoring of the budget would be regularly reported
so that the effectiveness of the proposals could be assessed,
reflected in the outturn figures, any problems or cost pressures
identified and further remedial action taken.
The probable outturn for
Children’s Services, which reflected the level of the one off
uplift and efficiencies allocated to the service, was currently
showing a deficit of £379,000 which was unchanged from last month’s
figure.
The Community Care and Health
Service was projected to outturn with a deficit of £2,160,000 at
year end. This reflected the continued pressures on Community
Care Packages and that all the actions included in the Change Plan
had not as yet impacted on the projections. The main areas of
spend that needed to be controlled and monitored in order to bring
expenditure within budget were: Community Care Packages, managing
Delayed Transfers of Care from hospital, the Supported Housing
Contract and staffing budgets. In addition to the projected
figures, there was additional pressure resulting from the increase
in the cost of residential care which could amount to as much as
£2.6m. in a full financial year. Managing the situation would
be extremely difficult. However, every effort would be made
to ensure that the impact was minimised as far as possible for
Social Services clients.
Financial progress on the
Capital Programme as at 31st July, 2007 was also
reported.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T the Revenue and
Capital Monitoring report for the period 1st April,
2007 to 31st July, 2007 be noted.
(2) T H A T
a report be brought before a future meeting of the Committee
updating Members on the cost to the Authority of maintaining the
Penarth Heights buildings.
286 SOCIAL SERVICES
BUDGET 2007/08 - 2009/10 (REF.) -
Cabinet, on 18th July, 2007,
received a report which sought endorsement of proposals to address
the overspend within Social Services as contained within the
report. All aspects of service provision and activity within
the Service had been reviewed, the work undertaken including:
· agreeing that the focus for
the Service for now and the future had to be to promote and
maintain independence for people in the Vale of Glamorgan Council
consulting with staff regarding the current pressure points within
the budget whilst still maintaining service to the most
vulnerable
· liaising with the Vale
Local Health Board regarding the joint issues to be addressed
· anticipating future joint
strategies with key partners.
Cabinet had noted that the
outcome of the above review had informed the budget proposals
detailed in the appendix to the report. Whilst a number of
actions would commence in 2007/08, the financial impact would not
however be achieved until the following years. In accordance
with the medium term financial plan, work had started in
identifying a further £2m. out of savings in 2008/09 and
2009/10. It was also noted that there were a number of budget
pressures on the revenue account which were likely to have an
impact in the current and / or future years, including
· fee levels
for residential care purchased in the independent sector
· pressure
from the Care and Social Services Inspectorate to ensure in-house
provision met the care standards for service provision as a result
of the increased number of older people with dementia who were
being supported
· increasing
numbers of children with severe disabilities who survived into
adulthood and required substantial care and support
· demographic data confirmed that the older
population in the Vale was likely to be above the Welsh
average.
Cabinet had resolved -
(1) That the above proposals be
endorsed and the report referred to the Scrutiny Committees
(Community Wellbeing and Safety) and (Corporate Resources) for
consideration.
(2) That the staff throughout
the Council involved in progressing the above be thanked for their
achievements to date.
Scrutiny Committee (Community
Wellbeing and Safety), having considered the proposals of
Cabinet,
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the resolutions of
Cabinet be noted.
287 DRAFT IMPROVEMENT
PLAN 2007/08 (CX) -
The draft Improvement Plan 2007/08 as appended
to the report contained all available performance information
required by WAG.
Committee noted that WAG guidance now required
the publication of the Plan no later than 31st October,
2007, the change in date having been made to allow actual, audited
data to be included in the Plan, and for consultation to have been
undertaken prior to its publication.
Committee also noted that the performance
information would be used by the Wales Audit Office to assess the
Council’s ability to improve and was therefore of critical
importance for the reputation of the Council.
The draft Improvement Plan had been considered
by this Committee on 16th July, 2007 who had
recommended that it be reconsidered at this meeting.
Following a detailed examination of the information contained in
the Draft Improvement Plan, it was
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T
the Improvement Plan for 2007/08, as currently drafted, be
endorsed.
(2) T H A T
Officers be congratulated for their work in preparing the Draft
Plan.
288 BUS SHELTERS
(DEER) -
Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Wellbeing and
Safety) had, on 27th November, 2006, received a report
relating to the quality and provision of bus shelters.
Committee had recognised that the use of shelters as meeting points
for youths could cause annoyance to neighbours, and Committee had
noted that liaison with the police was regularly carried out.
Committee had requested, inter alia, that
statistics in respect of incidents of vandalism in specific bus
shelters be made to this Committee at a later date.
Committee were advised of incidents of
vandalism as follows:-
|
High St. Cowbridge - Window missing
01/05/07
Pentre Cwrt, Llantwit Major - Window missing
01/05/07
Cowbridge Road, St. Athan - 3 windows missing
01/05/07
Vere St., Barry - Bus stop pole vandalised
02/05/07
Coldbrook Road East, Barry - Roof damage
03/05/07
Redlands Road, Penarth - Window pushed out
04/05/07
Coldbrook Road East, Barry - 2 windows missing
04/05/07
Lavernock Road, Penarth - Seat damage
04/05/07
Leckwith Road, Llandough - Pole damaged
04/05/07
Elfed Avenue, Penarth - Structure damage
09/05/07
Severn Avenue, Barry - 2 windows missing
10/05/07
Coldbrook Road East, Barry - Windows kicked
out 29/01/07
Cowbridge Road, St. Athan - 2 windows missing,
remove 05/01/07
Winston Road, Barry - Timetable missing,
replace 05/01/07
Court Road, Barry - 2 no. roof panels damaged,
replace 04/01/07
Port Road, Wenvoe - One window replaced
05/01/07
Port Road, Wenvoe - Pole pulled off shelter,
replace 07/12/06
The Parade, Barry - Paint over graffiti
03/11/06
Eagleswell Road, Llantwit Major - Slats
missing from seat 31/11/06
|
£400
£400
£1,000
£100
£500
£100
£800
£100
£150
£700
£800
£70
£760
£240
£1,120
£450
£100
£80
£250
|
|
TOTAL
|
£8,120
|
Incidents of graffiti were as follows:
· Within the Penarth area 14
hours spent removing graffiti from bus shelters in Elfed Avenue and
Lavernock Road on multiple occasions at £644.
· Within the Barry area 10
hours spent removing graffiti from bus shelters in Gibbonsdown,
Cadoxton, Trehanne and Barry Island on multiple occasions at
£460.
· Within the Vale area 8
hours spent removing graffiti mainly from bus shelters in Rhoose
and Llantwit Bus Station on multiple occasions at £368.
· The total cost for the
removal of graffiti from bus shelters for the year being
£1,472.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T
the report be noted.
(2) T H A T
the report be referred to the next meeting of the Safer Vale
Strategy Group.
289 MATTER WHICH THE
CHAIRMAN DECIDED WAS URGENT -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T
the following matter, which the Chairman had decided was urgent for
the reason stated, be considered.
290
PERFORMANCE EXPERTS (CX) -
Urgent by reason
of the need to progress this matter expeditiously.
The Committee, as part of a
recent review of scrutiny arrangements, had endorsed the concept of
the development of specialist functions within Scrutiny, to enable
Members to increase their expertise in certain Scrutiny areas.
It was proposed that a
sub-group of the Committee be established (as a pilot exercise with
a view to the concept being extended to the other Scrutiny
Committees) to conduct a detailed examination of the performance
data relating to the Community Wellbeing and Safety function.
Having considered the
proposal, it was
RECOMMENDED - T H A T a
sub-group be established with the remit of conducting detailed
examinations of the performance data relating to the Community
Wellbeing and Safety function, and that the membership of the
sub-group comprise:
Councillor
Mrs. M.E.J. Birch
Councillor
K.R. Stockdale
Councillor
P. Church
Councillor
Mrs. S.M. Bagstaff