To review revenue and capital outturn for 2017/18, including the treasury management outturn report, debts written off and invite cabinet members to consider performance for the year.

The cabinet member finance and corporate services introduced the report and highlighted:

·         the report showed the latest position at March 2018.  

·         The majority of projects are being delivered on schedule.   

·         The revenue outturn showed an overspend of £10k.

·         The annual report from the director of public health, together with Understanding Herefordshire were appendices to the report. 

Each directorate was discussed in turn and the following highlighted:

Adults and wellbeing directorate

·         The outturn position was an £80k overspend.    This is in the context of a £55m budget for a demand led service.

·         The focus would be on prevention rather than support.   

·         There had been a month on month increase in the number of hits to the WISH website. 

·         There had been partnership work in connection with the development of a new learning disability strategy.

·         The healthy living training was going well.

·         In the context of savings, there had been an overspend of £80k against a budget of £55m. 

Children’s wellbeing directorate

·         The outturn position was an overspend of £1.994m.

·         The education outcomes were improving

·         The council were one of 14 councils successful in a bid to build a new SEN school.

·         The national target for converting SEN plans to education, health and care plans had been met

·         The number of looked after children (LAC) were increasing and there was an overspend in LAC placements

·         The timeliness of court proceedings was good

·         Children’s social workers caseloads were too high which is why money was being invested in this area

Economy, communities and corporate

·         The outturn position was an underspend of £175k.

·         There had been a 5 fold increase in potholes due to the 3 severe weather events in the last financial year.

·         At the national Connected Britain awards in London, Fastershire was given the Superfast award, recognising the progress made in Herefordshire towards fibre provision which is set to continue. 

·         Herefordshire was performing well in the Leader project.   It was noted that if the funding was not spent then it would need to be returned.  

·         Herefordshire had 2,000 miles of mainly rural network and the majority of people travel by car.    The council had been awarded £5m from the challenge fund to improve the road network and the next phase of work would commence in August.  Over the next 2 years the remainder of the challenge fund would be used on strategic routes. 

·         Fewer people had been killed on the county roads in 2017 than in 2016.

·         The route of Hereford Transport Package would be chosen shortly.

The director of public health presented the annual report and highlighted the following:

·         That focusing on prevention would help to balance the budget and improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Herefordshire.       

·         The development of a healthy weight plan in conjunction with the health and wellbeing board

·         A healthy living network was being developed which would include a range of services and would provide effective ways for people to support healthy outcomes.

·         Following a query, the director of public health confirmed that public health budget was ringfenced but that there may be opportunities to strengthen public health outcomes across directorates. 

·         The group leader for Herefordshire Independents welcomed the performance and budget outturn for adults and wellbeing directorate and the decrease in children subject to a child protection plan.   However the children’s wellbeing directorate financial situation needed more work.   With regard to the economy, communities and corporate directorate, the impact of the severe weather was noted.    The debts write off was welcomed as modest and in line with previous years.    However, there was concern about the debts and the dispose of the small holdings estate. 

·         The group leader for the Herefordshire Green party commented that the underspend in the economy, communities and corporate directorate could potentially be used in connection with the voluntary grant team restructure. 

·         The group leader for the Liberal Democrats commented that the biggest concern was the children’s wellbeing safeguarding division.    There had been a request for thorough scrutiny in this area 10 years ago and then it subsequently was graded as Ofsted inadequate.   There was still a need for a thorough scrutiny of this area. 

·         The group leader for it’s OUR county commented that it was unfortunately that the Understanding Herefordshire and annual director of public health reports were not separate items.    The cabinet member finance and corporate services confirmed that a written response to the points it’s OUR county had raised via email would be sent and that a conversation with the chairperson of general scrutiny committee and the S151 officer  had already taken place with regard to spotlight reviews on a couple of the areas highlighted. 

RESOLVED

That:

(a)  performance and financial outturn, including debt write off for 2017/18 as set out in appendices A, B, D and H are reviewed and the cabinet identifies any additional actions to be considered to achieve improvement;

(b)  the priorities identified in the local account (appendix E),  the annual report of the director for public health (appendix F) and the joint strategic needs assessment (appendix G) and be used to inform decision-making and the development of the medium term financial strategy and 2019/20 budget; and

(c)  the treasury management outturn report at appendix C be recommended to Council for approval.