Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Animashaun, Pearce and Williams.

To approve the record of the meeting held on 1 February 2024.

The record of the meeting held on 1 February 2024 was agreed and signed by the Chairperson as correct.

A Member commented that requests for further information in relation to Solar Farm and the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) had not been received. The Democratic Services Officer undertook to discuss further with officers and provide the information to the Committee when available.

The Chairperson will announce any late items which do not appear on the main agenda but which he has agreed should be considered by reason of special circumstances to be specified in the report.

There were none.

Members are invited to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests in accordance with the Member Code of Conduct. Guidance on this is set out in agenda item 4.

Disclosable pecuniary interests (DPI)

There were none.

Other significant Interests (OSI)

There were none.

Other Interests

There were none.

This annual report provides an account of the role of the Portfolio Holder for Business Management. It details their ambitions for their areas of responsibility, how they have and will undertake political challenge and leadership and what their priorities and ambitions are for the year ahead.

The following issues were discussed:

Recruitment and retention – in response to a request for further information regarding the impact of the recent pay decision on recruitment and retention the Portfolio Holder stated that there had been recent positive recruitment in the legal department, with the numbers of locums falling from 70% of legal services to around half a dozen.

A Member commented that improved recruitment and retention was welcome, and noted the positive work undertaken by the Medpay project. A Member expressed concern that only 5% of temporary staff had so far been converted to permanent staff which included changes to legal services approved by Full Council.

The Chief Organisational Cultural Officer commented that there had been a positive improvement in recruitment and retention for those services in phase one of Medpay and this was part of the strategy to reduce reliance on temporary staff.

A Member expressed surprise that 673 new contracts had been issued, which equated to nearly a third of the total staff workforce. The Portfolio Holder stated that a number of new staff had been taken on then subsequently left the Council which accounted for some of the higher than expected figure, she undertook to provide further detailed information outside of the meeting.

Productivity – A Member asked whether a rise in productivity was expected in conjunction with the pay rise for staff. The Portfolio Holder informed the Committee that the pay rise was linked to the cost-of-living crisis and did not, in her view, represent a huge pay increase. Recruitment and retention was an issue of concern for the Council, and this would be exacerbated without the decision made at Council. In terms of recruiting new staff the Portfolio Holder stated that it would take time for new staff to reach peak productivity.

Performance Data – A Member commented that performance data for Customer Contact, Complaints and Blue Badges was described as good and requested further detail be provided regarding that data. The Portfolio Holder for Business Management undertook to provide that information to the Committee outside of the meeting.

Discretionary Housing Payments – further information was requested in relation to plans for the remaining monies not already allocated in relation to discretionary housing payments, the Portfolio Holder undertook to provide further information outside the meeting.

Household Support Fund – it was commented that the total payments to Medway residents from the Household Support Fund (paragraph 6.1.6 of the report refers) was unclear, the Portfolio Holder acknowledged there was a typo, and she would provide a corrected figure outside of the meeting.

Council Tax – it was noted that 8,000 review letters had been issued following a review of single persons discount resulting in 1,600 discounts being cancelled. A Member queried what progress had been made in relation to the other 6,400 letters sent to residents. The Portfolio Holder replied that she could not provide details at this stage. A Member informed the Committee that this issue had been considered elsewhere and in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 728.

This annual report provides an account of the role of the Leader of the Council. It details their ambitions for their areas of responsibility, how they have and will undertake political challenge and leadership and what their priorities and ambitions are for the year ahead.

Discussion:

The Leader of the Council introduced the report, he commented that he welcomed the opportunity for scrutiny which improved decision making and the role of the Chairperson being undertaken by a Member of the opposition group had been positive in that goal.

The following issues were discussed:

One Medway Plan, Adult Social Care – A Member commented that there was inconsistency in care received by service users and he was concerned how complaints about that care were treated. The Leader of the Council agreed that there were difficulties in the adult care employment market and recruitment remained a challenge in the sector nationally. There had understandably been a focus on children’s services in Medway in recent years, and a parity of focus was required between adult social care and children’s social care going forward. He added the Council benefited from positive relationships with health providers but needed to ensure discharge from services was happening at the right point as an example where outcomes could be improved.

Household Support Fund -  A Member commented that the extension of the Household Support Fund for another six months was welcome. The scheme had been used to provide free school meals for children outside of term time and he asked if the Council would give consideration to extending this offer to children who are home schooled. The Leader of the Council undertook to consider this if the Council had the power to do so, in addition families who were in receipt of benefits could access other support such as Medway Go in school holidays.

Medway Matters – A Member commented that it was welcome that Medway Matters had been retained, and that the number of issues had been reduced to save costs. The Leader stated he felt the changes had worked well and the Medway Matters Live events had been positively received, the administration would consider changes to the What’s On guide in the future, though no decisions had been taken.

A Member commented that as a Councillor he would not require a posted copy of Medway Matters and an early electronic copy would be sufficient. The Leader agreed this would be considered.

Council Questions – A Member commented that the addition of supplementary public questions was a positive move and asked if consideration could be given to extending this to Member questions at Full Council meetings also. The Leader of the Council thanked the Member for his comments and agreed this was something that could be considered, however, Council meetings were already very long and he would not want them to be even longer. The Leader had meetings with group leaders on a monthly basis so there may be other avenues in which those discussions could take place.

One Minute Medway -  The Leader of the Council was asked for his thoughts on One Minute Medway videos, he informed the Committee they had been widely viewed on social media platforms, particularly Facebook. He was pleased that the recently announced 40% discount ticket  ...  view the full minutes text for item 729.

This report presents the proposed new One Medway Council Plan 2024-28 which sets out the vision, ambitions and priorities with the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will be used to track performance against the Council’s key priorities and sub-priorities.

Discussion:

The Chief Executive introduced the report, outlining that the One Medway Council Plan set out the vision and direction of the Council for the next four years and had been subject to significant consultation internally, with partner agencies and the public. The plan also took account of best practice elsewhere.

The One Medway Council Plan sets out the Council’s five priorities: delivering quality social care and community services, benefitting from good education, quality jobs and a growing economy, enjoying clean, green, safe and connected communities, improving health and wellbeing for all and living in good quality and affordable homes.

The Chief Executive added the One Medway Council Plan was underpinned by the Council’s new values and behaviours: Proud to be Medway, caring, respectful, trusted, ambitious for Medway and collaborative.

The following issues were discussed:

Transition – it was queried how the Council intended to transition from the current Council Plan to the new One Medway Council Plan given the challenges in recruitment and funding. The Chief Executive informed the Committee the plan was a new approach and with different ways of working, teams across the Council had been extensively engaged in the development of the plan and it was vital there was a clear sense of direction to allow the transition to take place.

Partner agencies – a Member requested further information on how the Council could engage with external partners such as grammar schools to improve attainment. The Chief Executive agreed that working in partnership was key to achieving the Council’s goals. The Council had recently signed the One Medway Charter with partner agencies and was committed to working closely with partners.

Performance Data - a Member asked if the Council had baseline data available to measure progress in achieving its objectives. The Chief Executive explained the Council was increasingly data driven. Council teams were working on the data and KPIs within the One Medway Council Plan building on previous work within the Council.

Values – a Member requested further information about the plan to embed the Council’s values with staff, the Chief Executive stated the new council values and behaviours were developed in workshops and would be enshrined in staff Performance Development Reviews.

Priorities – a Member commented that they expected more targets to be included in the plan in relation to priority one. The Chief Executive explained there was an ambition to include both universal and statutory services and include reference to inspection reports.  The Chief Executive noted the recent SEND report which showed good progress but acknowledged there was still more to do.

The Deputy Chief Executive and Director of People informed the Committee there would be a detailed service plan with KPIs and in addition a post inspection action plan.

Adult Social Care – A Member asked whether the Council was ready for an adult social care inspection, the Chief Executive informed the Committee that the Council was awaiting the announcement of an assurance review visit by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 730.

This paper seeks approval to take to Cabinet proposed revisions to the Council’s Advertising and Sponsorship policy which take positive steps to support the improvement of the health and wellbeing of Medway residents and our climate agenda.

Discussion:

The Head of Communications and Marketing introduced the report, she informed the Committee that the changes to the policy reflected the Council priorities to improve health and wellbeing for residents and to support the Council’s Climate Change agenda.

The Head of Communications and Marketing explained that health was a key priority for the Council, the amended policy proposed to restrict advertising and sponsorship for products which were high in salt, fat and sugar. This policy had been implemented by Transport for London (TfL) several years ago with no reduction in income, indeed the experience at TFL had seen an increase in revenue.

The Head of Communications and Marketing added that the policy did not prevent the Council working with a business but would require it to swap out unhealthy products in any advertising or sponsorship for healthier options.

The second area was to restrict advertising and sponsorship in relation to high carbon products, again this would not prevent the Council from working with businesses, but the Council would require companies to highlight products that produced a lower carbon footprint, for example, a car company would be asked to advertise an electric vehicle rather than a diesel or petrol car.

The following issues were discussed:

Other local authority practice - in response to a question whether this policy had been pursued by other authorities besides TfL and what was their experience, Head of Health and Wellbeing Services informed the Committee around 10 other authorities had also made this change such as Brighton and Merton.

Low Carbon Emissions – a Member commented that they were concerned the transition to electric vehicles was a long-term process and a decision to restrict advertising and sponsorship for carbon emissions may adversely affect local car sales.

A Member expressed concern that the local bus companies work with the Council where the stock used was highly polluting. The Head of Communications and Marketing stated the emissions levels from bus companies would be a matter for the regeneration department and undertook to raise the issue with officers outside of the meeting.

A Member commented that a restriction on advertising products with high carbon emissions would have no impact in comparison to the emissions levels elsewhere.

High fat, sugar and salt - a Member commented that the proposal was helpful but the Council would need to collaborate with supermarkets to see significant change. Head of Health and Wellbeing Services informed the Committee that Medway had amongst the lowest rate of eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day in the country at below 25%, the aim was to normalise healthy eating options. Although the impact would be small, it would have a ripple effect in the community and the Council priorities and values would be reflected in its policies.

Electronic advertising boarding – further information was requested regarding the Council’s view on the use of electronic advertising boards. The Head of Communications and Marketing informed the Committee that there was a small number of digital advertising boards  ...  view the full minutes text for item 731.

Medway’s Council Plan 2023/24 sets out the Council’s three priorities and the measures used to monitor performance. This report and appendices summarise how we performed in Q3 2023/24 on the delivery of these priorities and the actions we are taking to improve performance.

Discussion:

The Chief Organisational Culture Officer introduced the report, she informed the Committee that there had been no changes to the risk register relevant to the Committee in the quarter.

Decision:

1.     The Committee considered the Q3 2023/24 performance against the measures used to monitor progress against the Council’s priorities (Appendix 1).

2.     The Committee noted the Q3 2023/24 Strategic Risk Summary (Appendix 2).

This report presents the results of the third round of the Council’s capital budget monitoring process for 2023/24.

Discussion:

The Chief Operating Officer introduced the report, he highlighted the underspend in Capital Budget, however that underspend related to projects not within the remit of this Committee.

The following issues were discussed:

Underspend – it was queried whether the Council could spend the £32.5m underspent elsewhere or release it back. The Chief Operating Officer explained the budget represented approved borrowing, but those monies had not been borrowed to date as the Council had decided to pause the scheme the funds had been earmarked for. Although the money had not yet been borrowed, it would at this stage be premature to remove it from the capital programme, so it showed as an underspend.

A Member commented that the Council was at around 80% of its potential borrowing limit. He asked if another opportunity were to be available to the Council would the £32.5m underspend prevent the Council from further borrowing to take advantage of the opportunity. The Chief Operating Officer explained that if there was a further opportunity the Council wished to pursue, any additional spend would also mean the Capital Finance Requirement (CFR) would rise, so the Council was not prevented from pursuing other opportunities should it wish.

In response to a query which programme had been paused, the Chief Operating Officer confirmed it was the Innovation Park Medway programme.

Decision:

The Committee noted the results of the third round of capital budget monitoring for 2023/24.

This report presents the results of the third round of the Council’s revenue budget monitoring process for 2023/24. The Council’s summary position is presented in section 4, with sections 5 and 6 providing the detail for the service areas within the remit of this committee.

Discussion:

The Chief Operating Officer introduced the report, he highlighted the Council financial position was a £11.4 million overspend in round three. The Council had £15.8 million in non-earmarked reserves as a result of the decision to release reserves. He informed the Committee that if the finances remained unchanged, reserves would be £4.4 million at the end of the financial year, which was below the minimum level set by the Chief Operating Officer. The Corporate Management Team continued to work to reduce the projected overspend.

The following issues were discussed:

Reserves – it was commented that the level of reserves was a concern. The Chief Operating Officer agreed, the level of reserves had previously risen from below £5 million to £26 million, however, underfunding, demographic pressures and increased demand on services had reduced reserves in recent years. The Chief Operating Officer added that that it was important for the Council to set itself a target for reserves as part of the medium-term financial plan, however, recent one-year, rather than multi-year settlements from central government made long term planning difficult.

The Chief Operating explained the budget for 2024/25 set at Council in February was robust, however, this was not sustainable in the long term due to borrowing which had been required to fund the budget.

Legal Services budget - concern was expressed at the increased projected overspend in Legal Services, the Chief Operating Officer explained that measures had been taken to increase the size of Legal Services and the service had been included in phase one of the Medpay project. However, it took time for those changes to be reflected within the budget.

Decision:

1.               The Committee noted the results of the third round of revenue budget monitoring for 2023/24.

2.               The Committee noted that Cabinet instructed the Corporate Management Team to implement further urgent actions to bring expenditure back within the budget agreed by Full Council.

3.               The Committee noted that Cabinet recommended that Council declassifies the following amounts currently held in earmarked reserves and transfer them to general reserves;

·     £4.00million held in the South Medway Development Reserve,

·     £1.00million held in the Transformation Reserve, and

·     £727,000 held in the Mosaic Forms Reserve.

This item advises Members of the current work programme and allows the Committee to adjust it in the light of latest priorities, issues and circumstances. It gives Members the opportunity to shape and direct the Committee’s activities over the year.

Discussion:

The Democratic Services Officer introduced the report and highlighted that the local plan would be considered at the next meeting of the Committee.

Decision:

1.     The Committee agreed the provisional work programme at Appendix 1 to the report.

2.     The Committee noted the work programmes of the other Overview and Scrutiny Committees at Appendix 2.