SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (LIFELONG LEARNING)

 

MINUTES of a meeting held on 23rd July, 2007.

 

Present: Councillor A.D. Hampton (Chairman); Councillor E. Hacker (Vice-Chairman); Councillors P. Church, Miss. J. Cole, J. Clifford, A.D. Dobbinson, A.M. Ernest, F.T. Johnson, G.C. Kemp, A.G. Powell, Mrs. S.I. Sharpe, B.I. Shaw and E.T. Williams.

 

250     APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE -

 

These were received from Mr. S. James (Co-opted Member) and Mr. T. Cox (Non-voting Observer).

 

 

251     MINUTES -

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the meeting held on 25th June, 2007 be approved as a correct record.

 

 

252     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -

 

The following Councillors declared the nature of their interest, being governors of schools within the Vale of Glamorgan, it being noted that the Standards Committee on 9th September and 21st October, 2004, 13th January, 2005 and 5th February, 2007 had granted them a general dispensation to vote upon any matters to be considered by the Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong Learning) in relation to matters of a general education nature in terms of policy, plans, policy framework and budgets, etc.

 

Councillors A.D. Hampton, E. Hacker, P. Church, J. Clifford, Miss. J. Cole, A.D. Dobbinson, A.M. Ernest, F.T. Johnson, G.C. Kemp, A.G. Powell, B.I. Shaw and E.T. Williams.

 

 

253     DRAFT IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2007/08 (CX) -

 

The Draft Improvement Plan 2007/08 had been circulated under separate cover.  It was noted that WAG guidance now required the publication of the Plan no later than 31st October, 2007;  the change in date (from the end of June to 31st October) had been made to allow actual, audited data to be included in the Plan and for consultation to have been undertaken prior to its publication.  It was further noted that the Plan contained all available performance information required by WAG together with several local indicators which measured corporate priorities.  That 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.  Information to be contained within the completed Plan was still being provided by managers and the document was still in the process of being completed.

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Improvement Plan for 2007/08 as currently drafted be endorsed.

 

Reason for decision

 

To ensure that actions are taken to improve services and to agree the Plan within required timescales.

 

 

254     REVENUE AND CAPITAL MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO 30TH JUNE, 2007 (DLD) -

 

Committee received a report which outlined the position in respect of Revenue and Capital Expenditure for the period 1st April, 2007 to 30th June, 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. 

 

Schools - The delegated budget relating to schools was expected to balance as any under/overspend was carried forward by schools.

 

Education Service - It was currently projected that expenditure would be in line with the budget.  However, it was very early in the financial year, and any budget variations would be reported to future meetings.

 

Grant related expenditure - The following grants had been received from the Welsh Assembly Government:

 

Foundation Phase £99,500 to employ a support teacher and a training and support officer to assist all nursery and primary schools.

School Uniform Grant of £25,724 to assist families on low income with children progressing to secondary education to purchase the necessary uniform.

Additional Basic Skills Agency Grant of £22,680 entitled ‘Read a Million Words’ to encourage school pupils to read.

 

Libraries - This service was projected to outturn on target.

 

Lifelong Learning - The budget was currently anticipated to outturn on target.  However, in order to achieve this, action must urgently be taken to ensure the income generation problems encountered last year were rectified and that the required efficiencies were achieved.

 

Catering - This service was also projected to outturn on target.  However, action needed to be taken to prevent a similar deficit to last year occurring.  The service was currently being reviewed in order to achieve a balanced budget.

 

Appendix 2 to the report detailed financial progress on the Capital Programme as at 30th June, 2007.

 

In a report to Cabinet on 25th April, 2007, it was noted that schemes under the grant-funded Schools Building Improvement Programme included an update to the Colcot Road junction at Ysgol Bro Morgannwg.  The Welsh Assembly Government had since deemed this scheme ineligible as the works were beyond the site of the school grounds.  As such, two smaller schemes had been submitted to WAG in lieu of the Colcot Road scheme.  One was Barry Island Primary School toilet refurbishment at a budget of £65,000 and the other was Colcot School Primary window replacement phase 2 at a budget of £75,000.  Both of these bids had been approved by WAG.

 

Cabinet, on 20th June, 2007, had been updated on the progress of the Council’s Pupil Referral Unit.  That report had requested that Cabinet approve a revenue contribution to capital of £39,000 to fund the building of a classroom extension at the Amelia Trust Farm.

 

A capital grant offer of £115,160 had been made by WAG for the 14-19 Learning Pathways Grant.  The approved schemes were the establishment of a site at Barry College suitable to deliver a Motor Vehicle Engineering course (£64,160), a Media Studies and Performing Arts facility at Ysgol Gyfan Bro Morgannwg (£30,000) and a pilot internet based e-learning portal (£21,000).

 

Members enquired as to progress on the School Investment Strategy and were advised that a report on this matter would be presented in September.

 

The Director of Learning and Development took the opportunity to update Committee on the incidents of flooding at Council schools on 20th July, 2007.

 

The Director advised that it would represent a considerable challenge to repair the schools in time for the start of the September term.

 

Members of the Committee paid tribute to the staff of the affected schools for the way in which they reacted to the flooding.

 

RECOMMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T the position with regard to the Revenue / Capital Monitoring be noted.

 

(2)       T H A T Members are aware of the position with regard to the 2007/08 Revenue and Capital Monitoring relevant to this Scrutiny Committee.

 

 

255     QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE REPORTS (DLD) -

 

Committee received the Quarterly Performance Reports in respect of:

 

Access and Inclusion

School Improvement

Strategy, Planning and Performance

 Lifelong Learning

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T the 1st Quarter Performance Monitoring Reports be noted.

 

 

256     SERVICE PLANS 2006/07: 4TH QUARTER PERFORMANCE INDICATOR MONITORING -

Committee received information in respect of the following service areas:

 

-     Access and Inclusion

-     School Improvement

-     Strategic Planning and Performance

-     Lifelong Learning.

 

Members were advised that the information had already been provided to Members as part of the Service Plan process, with the exception of those Performance Indicators recommended for deletion.

 

With regard to Performance Indicators NS14(a)(i)/EDU6, NS14(a)(ii)/EDU6, NS14(b)(i)/EDU6 and NS14(b)(ii)/EDU6 relating to school improvement, Committee were advised that, as the indicators were based on pupil numbers, the indicators said little of how the Council performed, and Members felt that they should be removed from the Traffic Light system. 

 

It was acknowledged that the Council had to operate within the framework laid down, and officers agreed to consider ways to make the Performance Indicators as clear as possible.

 

Members were also advised that, in view of the low response rates, the Performance Indicators L327(a) and (b) relating to strategic planning and performance were of little significance.

 

Members were also advised that the Performance Indicators in question were of the “local” variety and, as such, could be deleted by the Authority if it so wished. 

 

RECOMMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T the 4th Quarter Performance Indicator monitoring be noted. 

 

(2)       T H A T the proposed deletion of the Performance Indicators indicated in the report be endorsed.

 

(3)       T H A T, in addition to the Performance Indicators referred to at (2) above, Performance Indicators L327(a) and (b), be also deleted.

 

 

257     SHEILA KELLY -

 

The Chairman referred to the fact that this was the last meeting that Sheila Kelly would attend prior to her retirement, and thanked Sheila for her hard work and dedication, a sentiment that was echoed by all other Members present.