Agenda and minutes

The Leader wished Medway residents and people around the world a happy Eid-al-Fitr.

The Leader said that with the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration, he had just written to the Minister for Roads and Local Transport, Guy Opperman, in relation to the issue of potholes. The letter had made clear that the level of Government funding available to Medway Council was not adequate. It was considered that there was a risk of road safety in Medway being compromised should no intervention be made. The letter would be made public. An opportunity to discuss this and the Medway Tunnel with the Minister would be welcome.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Mahil.

The record of the meeting held on 12 March 2024 was agreed by the Cabinet and signed by the Leader as correct. 

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

Background:

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent to enable prompt commencement of disbursement of Household Support Fund grant.

The report set out proposals to amend the use of the Household Support Fund (HSF) for the period 1 April to 30 September 2024 to ensure the grant would be disbursed in full to Medway’s residents.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer had confirmed on 6 March 2024 that the Household Support Fund (HSF) scheme would continue for the first six months of the 2024/25 financial year with the same national allocation as had been announced in respect of every six-month period to date. Guidance had been released on 26 March 2024 with there being an expectation that the fund should be used to support households in crisis, not just those in receipt of benefits.

The Leader said he had been pleased to sign a letter with 160 other local authority Leaders calling for the Household Support Fund to be extended. The extension announced was only for a six month period and consideration would need to be given to the impacts should it not be extended further.

Officers and Council partners, in particular, the Head of Benefits and Financial Welfare, Gemma Gilley, were thanked for their hard work in administration of the Fund to date.

Medway residents were encouraged to search ‘Household Support Fund’ on the Council’s website to find out more about the Fund.

Reasons:

The Household Support Fund (HSF) is fully grant funded by the Department of Work and Pensions to support vulnerable households. The HSF scheme for 2023/24 ends on 31 March 2024 and the decision to agree the proposals in this report means that residents will benefit from consistent support.

Agreeing the delegation requested allows officers and Members to ensure that the support is allocated efficiently and in accordance with government guidance.

Background:

This report provided an overview of treasury management activity for 2023/24 Quarter 3.

The report explained that the CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) Code of Practice for Treasury Management 2021 recommended that Members be updated on treasury management activities at least quarterly. This report, therefore, ensured that the Council was implementing best practice in accordance with the Code.

Overall interest and financing costs were forecast to underspend the budget by £1,295,000 after drawing a contribution of £967,000 from reserves.

The report had previously been considered by the Audit Committee on 27 March 2024, the comments of which were set out in an addendum report within a supplementary agenda.

Reasons:

In accordance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountancy’s (CIPFA) Code of Practice for Treasury Management, there should be a report on treasury every quarter.

Background:

This report requested Cabinet approval of the Shared Prosperity Fund, Multiply and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) programmes for 2024-2025 and set out what had been achieved to date. Year 2 delivery was currently in progress.

The report explained that the Government had announced the launch of the new £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), including Multiply, in mid-April 2022 with an allocation of £1.855million of SPF funding to Medway and an additional £1.448million of Multiply and £400,000 of REPF.

A Year 3 prospectus was currently being developed to build upon the successes of the Year 2 programme. This would be launched at an event in Rochester in May 2024.

Reasons:

Approval of the 2024/25 programmes is in support of Medway’s regeneration priorities and enables Medway to access SPF, Multiply and REPF allocations. Delivery of these programmes will significantly benefit Medway’s residents, communities and businesses.

Background:

This report presented the final version of Medway’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) 2024-2028, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, which had been drafted in line with the requirements of the Health and Social

Care Act 2012.

The JHWS contained a proposed vision and a set of priorities, which had been chosen following the review of feedback from community engagement events, evidence from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and input from health and social care professionals and wider stakeholders including the voluntary sector.

The Strategy had been finalised taking account of the recent outputs and findings within the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy. The four key themes of the Strategy were healthier and longer lives for everyone; reduce poverty and inequality; Safe, connected and sustainable places and; connected communities and cohesive services.

Particular thanks were given to Council officers and Members for their work in developing the Strategy.

The report had previously been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 15 February 2024, the minutes of which were set out in the Cabinet report.

Reasons:

The strategy sets out the health and wellbeing issues for the community based on evidence from the Medway Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, what can be done to address them and what outcomes are intended to be achieved.

Background:

This report provided details of the Director of Public Health’s Annual Public Health Report (APHR) for 2022/23. The report advised that Directors of Public Health had a duty to produce an Annual Public Health Report. The aim of the Annual Public Health Report was to identify issues that currently, or had the potential to, impact on the health or wellbeing of the local authority’s population. Directors of Public Health were tasked with making recommendations to address identified issues.

The 2022/2023 report stated that this edition of the APHR focused on the challenge and benefits that could be gained from investing more effort into community engagement and the development of local networks. It provided examples of successful outcomes in terms of physical and emotional health and wellbeing for local people through this approach.

The APHR had been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 15 February 2024, the minutes of which were set out in the report and was also due to be considered by the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 18 June 2024.

Reasons:

There is a statutory duty for Directors of Public Health to produce an Annual Report and Local Authorities to publish the report.

Background:

This report set out the proposed Licensing Cumulative Impact Assessment 2024 to 2027. Cumulative Impact Assessments were required to be reviewed every three years, with the current Assessment due to expire on 30 April 2024. The Cumulative Assessment formed part of the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy.

The report had previously been considered by the Licensing and Safety Committee on 19 March 2024. Following consideration by the Cabinet, the report was due to be presented to Full Council on 18 April 2024 for Council to agree the new Cumulative Impact Assessment.

Reasons:

The Council is statutorily required to review its Cumulative Impact Assessment every three years.

Background:

This report requested that the Cabinet agree a change in date of the publication of the Medway Test results from 8 October to 16 October 2024.

The report explained that the Cabinet had previously approved the 2025 school admission schemes on 19 December 2023, including the publication date of the Medway Test results.

The Council had since been made aware that the provider would not be able to provide the Medway Test results within the necessary timescale to enable results to be published on 8 October. This was because the changes to the Medway Test papers for September 2024 meant the test provider had an extra paper to mark per candidate. It was therefore requested that the Cabinet agree to the change to the result publication date.

Reasons

1. 

To ensure Medway Council can fulfil its obligations on the published Medway Test results date.

To avoid unexpected and disappointing delays for families.

Background:

This report requested agreement of the Cabinet to commence the procurement of the Assessment Bed Service Contract.

Procurement of the Service would ensure the provision of Outcomes Focused Care and enable the introduction of an alternative service pathway. It would also maximise independence for persons requiring ongoing care and facilitate digital transformation.

Reasons:

The procurement of the Assessment Bed Service will deliver a service that will enable the following:

Outcomes Focused Care – To ensure the care received supports the achievement of individual outcomes to maximise independence, wellbeing and choice.

Introduce an Alternative Pathway – Working alongside existing rehabilitation and reablement services, to maximise options in our local health and social care system.

Maximise Independence – For residents, who, following a stay in the service return to their own home; requiring none, or some ongoing care, or discharged into alternative accommodation in the community e.g. extra care, or residential care.

Digital Innovation/Transformation – To ensure that patients returning home are supported to remain as independent with the use of assistive technology, such Telecare or Lilii Intelligence.

Background:

This report requested agreement of the Cabinet to commence the procurement of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Transport Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) Contract.

A DPS would remove the entry barrier for new suppliers, which had the potential to encourage competition and offer cost savings, as well as address the capacity concerns that had been experienced during the last two years of the previous contract.

Reasons:

A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) will remove the entry barrier for new suppliers, which has the potential to encourage competition and offer cost savings, as well as address the capacity concerns that have been experienced during the last two years of the previous contract.