To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cabinet Members Councillors: JA Hyde and JG Jarvis.

Apologies for absence were also received from Councillors: RI Matthews, Independent Group Leader and SJ Robertson, Chairman, Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on the Agenda.

GUIDANCE ON DECLARING PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AT MEETINGS

The Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct requires Councillors to declare against an Agenda item(s) the nature of an interest and whether the interest is personal or prejudicial.  Councillors have to decide first whether or not they have a personal interest in the matter under discussion.  They will then have to decide whether that personal interest is also prejudicial.

A personal interest is an interest that affects the Councillor more than most other people in the area.  People in the area include those who live, work or have property in the area of the Council.  Councillors will also have a personal interest if their partner, relative or a close friend, or an organisation that they or the member works for, is affected more than other people in the area.  If they do have a personal interest, they must declare it but can stay and take part and vote in the meeting. 

Whether an interest is prejudicial is a matter of judgement for each Councillor.  What Councillors have to do is ask themselves whether a member of the public – if he or she knew all the facts – would think that the Councillor’s interest was so important that their decision would be affected by it.  If a Councillor has a prejudicial interest then they must declare what that interest is and leave the meeting room.

There were no declarations of interest made.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2008.  (To follow).

RESOLVED:   That the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2008 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To note progress made regarding the development of public services in Herefordshire; and to approve the revised Terms of Reference for the Herefordshire Public Services (HPS) Steering Group.

Cabinet considered a report which gave details of progress made regarding the development of public services in Herefordshire; and to approve the revised Terms of Reference for the Herefordshire Public Services Steering Group.

The Chief Executive informed Cabinet that the report gave the progress against the Development Plan together with revised Terms of Reference for the HPS Steering Group.

The Cabinet Member Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources was of the view that the report recorded a really good achievement to date. It quantified what was currently in progress and priority activity over the coming months for inclusion in the next report. The report was also an indication of the involvement and integration of Members, the community and local areas and that this was important and should be recognised. The Chief Executive informed Cabinet that those points would be taken forward. Also that the future needs to talk of benefits that the Trust will give to the Community.

The Chairman for Strategic Monitoring Committee welcomed the progress made against the development plan but emphasised the need for progress to be timed and dated.

RESOLVED:   That

(a)               progress made against the agreed development plan be noted;

(b)               the revised Terms of Reference for the Herefordshire Public Services Steering Group be approved; and

(c)               further progress be reported to Cabinet bi-monthly.

To report the Council’s performance for the first four months of 2008/09 against the Corporate Plan 2008/11 and national performance indicators used externally to measure the Council’s performance, taking account of the separate but complementary financial performance report, the updated Council risk register and progress against the action plans produced following the Crookall review.

The Cabinet considered a report on the Council’s performance for the first four months of 2008-09 against the Corporate Plan 2008-11 and national performance indicators used externally to measure the Council’s performance, taking account of the separate but complementary financial performance report, the updated Council risk register and progress against the action plans produced following the Crookall review. 

The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources expressed thanks to the officers for the improved and new style approach of the report. In some cases, Cabinet Members would need to meet relevant Directors to discuss issues identified in the report.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager stated that the report had been further simplified and improved in response to feedback from Joint Management Team, Cabinet and Strategic Monitoring Committee. In particular, it was now structured to show performance against each of the themes in the new Corporate Plan, with the covering report highlighting performance against the Council’s priorities. In doing so, it took account of the updated risk register, which was appended to the report, and the complementary budget monitoring report, which would be considered in its own right later in the agenda. The report also set out progress against the action plans put in place in the light of the Crookall report. The next report, in November, would give performance up to the end of September.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation questioned whether it was appropriate to mark indicators as red where no activity has been reported. He also drew attention to page 45, where the out-turn figure in respect of the number people slightly injured in road accidents was incorrect the figure having been previously been reported at Environment Scrutiny Committee.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager explained that it was a clearly laid down duty of named postholders to ensure that submitted data were correct and, where there was, for good reason, no performance against target to report, to submit an account of progress with the action being taken that should enable the target to be achieved. Most officers complied fully with these requirements but he would reinforce with officers the crucial importance of data accuracy. Members were assured that information and data are looked at critically when they are submitted so that, if there is an apparent nonsense, this is clarified with the originator. Other Members reinforced the importance of indicators being marked red if officers had failed to submit the required information.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation suggested that, where no data or other information was due to be reported, this should be stated, together with the date when it would be due. The Member also questioned why the Young People’s Participation in Positive Activities Indicator on page 22 of the report, in respect of which the latest out-turn was recorded as ‘No data’, was rated green rather than red.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager informed Members that in that instance, green was correct because the only possible  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

To inform Cabinet of the detailed proposals for the new system of Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) and seek agreement to how Herefordshire’s preparations should be taken forward.

The Cabinet considered a report which detailed proposals for the new system of Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) and sought agreement to how Herefordshire’s preparations should be taken forward.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources emphasised the importance of the CAA inspection as the key external judgement on the Council and its partners in future years. A series of CAA preparation seminars for Members, non-executives and officers of the Council, the PCT and partner organisations had been launched and the objectives of the seminars were set out in the report.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager informed Cabinet that the latest proposed arrangements for CAA had taken account of the views submitted by local authorities and other organisations on the original proposals, to the extent that they now appeared less complex and onerous to operate. Above all, the latest proposals should enable the Council and its partners to concentrate on what really mattered understanding the needs and aspirations of people in the county and responding to them better, with value for money services that would improve people’s life chances and quality of life.

The Labour Group Leader agreed that the Council needs to be proactive and not reactive with a view to making sure we are in a position for the new system of inspection. The Member stressed, in particular, the importance of public understanding and involvement and of the Council communicating to people the value of the independent review of the Council’s performance.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources agreed that there was a need to involve communities and that Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings needed to be addressed as it was felt by Members that they leaned more towards the police and away from the Council.  It was added that it had been sometime since the Member seminar on PACTS had been held, but as yet no changes had been brought about.  It was emphasised that communities must be kept informed and involved.

RESOLVED:   That

(i)                 the development and re-launching of the CAA preparation programme so that all energies are focused on the delivery of  the improvement programmes of the Council with the Primary Care Trust and the wider Herefordshire Partnership, tested against the proposed CAA key questions and lines of enquiry be agreed;

(ii)               this be buttressed by a rolling programme of self-evaluations against the key questions for the area assessment and the key lines of enquiry for the Council’s organisational assessment, updated quarterly, the first cut of which to be produced by November and finalised before the end of December;

(iii)             the Council’s response to the inspectorates’ proposals be developed and submitted within the County Councils’ Network; and

(iv)      the final report on the out-going CAA preparation programme be noted.

To report on the Council’s performance against revenue and capital budgets as at 31 August 2008 and provide an indication of the estimated outturn for the 2008/09 financial year.

The Cabinet considered a report on the Council’s performance against revenue and capital budgets as at 31 August 2008 and provided an indication of the estimated outturn for the 2008/09 financial year. 

The Cabinet Member for Resources informed Cabinet that the basis for the current forecast was sound and reliable. The key message was that the Council’s financial policy that Directors must manage service delivery within or below the approved budget remains in force and that it was expected that the projected expenditure levels would show improvement at the next meeting. Financial pressures were being experienced and as cash resources become tighter the Council needs to focus on making sure the needs of the community were met within the financial constraints.

The Head of Financial Services informed Cabinet that the report covered the first five months of the financial year. With a net projected overspend as detailed in the report, the message must be that position has to improve. The impact of the projected overspend at the year end would reduce the revenue reserves position and this was shown in paragraph 5 of the report. The further allocation of central government funding for the 2007 floods from the Restoration Fund, paragraph 7 of the report refers, would be used to offset budget pressures in the highways service.

The Adult Social Care Directorate projected overspend was based on the assumption that the result of the ongoing review of eligibility criteria for continuing health care, future funding for some clients would come the Primary Care Trust (PCT), paragraph 9 of the report refers.

The Children and Young People’s Directorate was showing a net projected overspend and that the pressure could rise in respect of the estimated external residential places needed throughout the remainder of the financial year.

The Deputy Chief Executive’s Directorate projected overspend was due to the reduction in local land charges income and uncertainty in the costs relating to the Coroner’s Service, paragraph 30 of the report refers. It was pleasing to report that Information Communications Technology was operating to a balanced budget.

The Environment and Culture Directorate was showing a projected overspend after being assisted by funds from the Restoration Fund. The pressures on the budget will be from highway maintenance resulting from winter conditions, the loss of car parking income and a job evaluation issue, paragraph 47 of the report refers.

The Regeneration Directorate was showing a net overspend based on income to date and anticipated income.

The Resources Directorate was on budget although managing some significant pressures as identified in the report

The Vice-Chairman of Strategic Monitoring Committee asked when the PCT would give an answer on the review of cases against the continuing health care criteria. The Chief Executive stated that if people are eligible for continuing health care, the PCT will pay for it.

Responding to a query on Modernisation Plans funds held in Earmarked Reserves, the Chief Executive reminded Members that this fund was a contribution from the PCT which had been matched by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.