To inform the Committee of the work to date on the Rising to the Challenge and Root and Branch Programmes. There will be a report going to cabinet, the purpose of which is set out below:

The purpose of this report is to ensure that Cabinet are aware of the work that has been undertaken within the two programmes of Rising to the Challenge and Root and Branch and how this impacts on the business of the council in delivering services. In particular Cabinet is asked to consider the outputs and recommendations arising from the

·         Closure of the Rising to the Challenge (RTTC) Programme

·         Progress on implementation of the Phase 1 Root and Branch Reviews

·         Findings and proposals from the Phase 2 Root and Branch Reviews

·         Early findings and action from Phase 3 Root and Branch Reviews

·         Proposals arising from the full Root and Branch Programme Review

(REPORT TO FOLLOW)

The Committee were informed of the work to date on the Rising to the Challenge and Root and Branch Review Programmes.

A draft of the report to Cabinet dated 18 April 2013 had been circulated to Members and published on the website prior to the meeting.

The Cabinet Member (Financial Management) highlighted that the savings identified through Root & Branch Review Programme had been a key element in setting the 2013/14 budget and therefore was not open to change.  Further significant savings would have to be identified for future years.  He invited the Committee to consider how it wanted to engage in the development of the future Council through proposals for the Herefordshire 2020 review.  The Council needed to re-engage in a common sense of future purpose.

The Leader of the Council highlighted that the Council still had major issues to address and hoped that all political groups would work together to the benefit of the County.

The Deputy Chief Executive reported that: the Rising to the Challenge Programme had been established for the Council and NHS Herefordshire and that this had produced savings and lessons had been learned from that work; Phase 1 of the Root & Branch Review had been signed off by Cabinet and savings had been identified; Phases 2 and 3 had been accelerated with savings agreed by Council in February 2013 as part of the budget process; the proposal now was  that the Herefordshire 2020 review would include all remaining work from the review programme.  Work was on-going in the high risk area of services to adults and vulnerable people with resources being moved to support delivery in key areas.

During the course of debate the following principal points were noted:

·         The Committee considered that the only flexibility in the budget was in the area of discretionary spend and suggested that if any of the identified savings weren’t delivered the shortfall would need to be made up from the discretionary areas.  Cabinet needed to give careful consideration to how discretionary budgets were used.

·         A member questioned some of the financial figures presented in the report e.g. at pages 17 and 42 of the supplement to the agenda and suggested that a true picture could only be deduced by comparison to figures provided in previous reports. The Committee agreed that given the heightened public focus on budgetary matters reports needed to avoid ambiguity.

·         The Committee noted that the savings identified on page 42 of the report had now been updated.

·         Responding to comments about the need to keep to budget, the Cabinet Member (Financial Management) reported that robust management and monitoring plans were in place to deliver the savings.

·         Responding to questions concerning the ‘integration of the commissioning of all public transport’ (referred to at page 25 of the report) the Cabinet Member (Education & Infrastructure) reported that a meeting with local public transport providers was due to be held the following day to discuss a range of possible budget saving and efficiency measures.  This would particularly focus on the further integration of school/college/public bus services.  He also reported that the Council could act as facilitator to enable a number of parish councils to commission bus services in their parishes.

·         The Rising to the Challenge and Root and Branch programmes had delivered some positive learning about services, customers and managing change, along with significant savings for 2013/14 and beyond and the opportunity to do things differently. The proposals to re-scope and move to Herefordshire 2020, to encompass two key themes of ‘future Council’ and ‘savings’, would give the Council greater clarity about what it is does and how it was going afford it.

·         It was suggested that clear communication was essential to ensure that the Council’s messages and intentions were clearly presented both internally and to the public.  The Chairman commented that a Task & Finish review of Communications was also being considered.

·         A point was made that it was unsustainable to expect continual savings to be made and expect services to improve.

·         The Cabinet Member (Health & Wellbeing) commented that with the changing demographics of the County and demand lead services, the area of People’s Services carried with it big budgetary risks, however, through greater efficiencies for example it also offered opportunities to contribute savings.  Work was already underway to redesign services, however, she warned that some services would be cut or reduced.

·         It was suggested that all Members needed to be fully appraised, and engaged in, shaping the Herefordshire 2020 Review and that an all Member seminar be scheduled as soon as possible.

Resolved That:

1.    The draft report entitled ‘Rising to the Challenge & Root and Branch Programmes’ for presentation to Cabinet on 18 April 2013 be noted and it be recommended that Cabinet consider:

a.    That an all Member seminar be arranged as soon as possible to ensure that all Members are fully engaged in shaping the Herefordshire 2020 Review.

b.    That Council communications be revised and improved across the whole organisation to ensure that information concerning the Root and Branch Review/Herefordshire 2020 Review, both with the public and internally, is clearly understood.

c.    That more detail be included in the report concerning the lessons learned from the Rising to the Challenge Programme;

d.    That Cabinet give very careful consideration to how it sets any discretionary spend given the scale of further savings that the Council needs to make; and

2.    The Committee through its work programme agenda item give further consideration to how it wishes to be more involved in consideration of the Herefordshire 2020 Review and on the scope of a Council wide review of communications.