Cabinet Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.  A flowchart providing guidance on interests is attached to assist councillors.

There were no declarations of interest made by councillors in accordance with the code of conduct in relation to items under consideration at this meeting.

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2014.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2014.

To receive questions from the public in accordance with the Constitution.

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Plymouth City Council, Civic Centre, Plymouth, PL1 2AA, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five clear working days before the date of the meeting.

There were no questions submitted from members of the public for this meeting.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of urgent business.

The Corporate Management Team will submit a report outlining the finance monitoring position of the Council as at the end of June 2014 and including the July 2014 spend and profile information. 

Approval would be sought to revenue budget variations and officers were proposing to bring forward further savings from the Council’s transformation programme in the coming weeks, to address the in year estimated revenue overspend of £4.607m as at July 2014.

Cabinet will also be asked to note the revised capital programme for 2013/14 to 2016/17 of £216.398m, an increase of £8.728m, following the inclusion of new schemes, re-profiling and variations approved under delegated authority and the inclusion of future years’ government grants and other identified income streams.   

Approval would also be sought for delegated authority to approve any changes to existing schemes on the same terms as existing delegations for new capital schemes and capital programme transfers (virements). 

The Corporate Management Team submitted a report outlining the finance monitoring position of the Council as at the end of June 2014, including the July 2014 spend and profile information.

The report –

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the proposals and indicated that the forecast overspend was the reason why transformation was essential. He also advised that the budget would continue to be monitored on a monthly basis and that meetings had already been held between himself, Councillor Tuffin, Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) and Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) to ensure that everything possible was being done to ensure that the needs of the adult social care and children’s services were being met but that it was being undertaken in the most efficient way.

Councillor Peter Smith (Deputy Leader) referred to the 17 interim appointments that had been made to cover senior management vacancies, to provide capacity for the transformation programme and for other projects.  He reported that the Council’s ambitious change programme required expertise and extra capacity in addition to the staff needed to run the day to day services and that the majority of staff in transformation were now internal staff.

Councillor Tuffin (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) reported that adult social care was a needs led service and that although the service had made extensive savings in the previous year, officers were reviewing the budget again.

Carole Burgoyne indicated that referrals in adults and children had both increased and that officers were continuing to reduce the costs of packages whilst ensuring a high level of quality of care.

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) referred to the comments made in the press on interim staff by Councillor Bowyer and indicated that Councillor Bowyer had been part of the decision making process in the Appointments Panel.   

David Northey (Head of Corporate Strategy) also attended the meeting for this item.    

Alternative options considered and the reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that -

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the business case for the introduction of category management for fleet services which will better utilise the Council’s fleet services, reduce the number of vehicles and improve the procurement of them to deliver significant financial savings.

The report will also propose investments in fleet systems including control and tracker systems and the development of the fleet management and maintenance teams.

Background papers to this report can be accessed at the Council’s website Council and Democracy/Councillors and Committees/Library/Cabinet background papers or using the following hyperlink –

http://tinyurl.com/q3d6bmh

The outcome of the consideration by members of the Working and Your Plymouth Scrutiny Panels on 28 August 2014 will also be submitted

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the business case, including an options appraisal, for the fleet services project and proposing the introduction of category management which would better utilise the Council’s fleet services, reduce the number of vehicles and improve the procurement of them to deliver significant financial savings.

The report also indicated that the preferred option, option 2, –

Councillor Vincent (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the proposals and referred to the three proposed work streams associated with option 2, as follows –

Simon Dale (Interim Assistant Director for Street Services) and Stuart Cooper (Project Manager) attended the meeting for this item and Simon Dale advised that category management was a new initiative for the Council and referred to the benefits from the four way camera system which had already been installed in refuse collection vehicles. 

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) referred to the draft minute following the joint scrutiny review that had been held by the Working and Your Plymouth Panels on 28 August 2014 which supported the recommendations within the proposed business case in relation to this item.

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed the business case for the introduction of category management for Fleet Services, together with option 2 of the option’s appraisal and the associated three work streams.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the strategic business case for implementing a co-ordinated commercialisation project across the Council.

The report will seek delegated authority for the Strategic Director for Place to approve the Commercial Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance.

Background papers to this report can be accessed at the Council’s website Council and Democracy/Councillors and Committees/Library/Cabinet background papers or using the following hyperlink –

http://tinyurl.com/q3d6bmh

The outcome of the consideration by members of the Working and Your Plymouth Scrutiny Panels on 28 August 2014 will also be submitted. Please see the recommendations attached to item 7 above.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the strategic business case, including an options appraisal, for implementing a co-ordinated commercialisation project across the Council.

The report indicated that a specific breakdown of exactly how and from where the net additional income target would be achieved, would be developed from the detailed work which would follow across a diverse range of activities as part of the project.

Cabinet Members were advised that the proposed project would enable the Council to operate more commercially by - 

The report indicated that the project aimed to increase financial benefit by £3.744m in 2016/17, and £6.666m in total over the three year period with an initial investment of £180k to £200k for additional specialist staff to be funded from the transformation budget, prior to these costs subsequently being funded from the commercialisation income generated.

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the proposals and Simon Dale (Interim Assistant Director for Street Services) attended the meeting for this item.    

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) referred to the draft minute following the joint scrutiny review that had been held by the Working and Your Plymouth Panels on 28 August 2014 which supported the recommendations within the proposed business case subject to Cabinet reconsidering the delegation of decisions to officers and asking Cabinet to consider the commercialisation strategy at Cabinet, in the interests of openness and transparency.     

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed -

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the strategic business case for change within the Street Services department to progress the aim of creating a Brilliant Co-operative Street Service, which included a review of exiting provision, alongside the ongoing management restructure, in preparation for the implementation of alternative methods of service delivery. 

Background papers to this report can be accessed at the Council’s website Council and Democracy/Councillors and Committees/Library/Cabinet background papers or using the following hyperlink –

http://tinyurl.com/q3d6bmh

The outcome of the consideration by members of the Working and Your Plymouth Scrutiny Panels on 28 August 2014 will also be submitted. Please see the recommendations attached to item 7 above. 

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the strategic business case, including an options appraisal, to progress the creation of a Brilliant, Co-operative Street Service Project.

The report indicated that - 

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) referred to the draft minute following the joint scrutiny review that had been held by the Working and Your Plymouth Panels on 28 August 2014 which supported the recommendations within the proposed business case subject to Cabinet reconsidering the delegation of decisions to officers and asking Cabinet to consider any alternative service delivery for street services at Cabinet, in the interests of openness and transparency.     

Councillor Vincent (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the proposals.

Simon Dale (Interim Assistant Director for Street Services) and Stephen Evans (Project Manager) attended the meeting for this item and Simon Dale highlighted the benefits of bringing departments together with more effective working and interaction to achieve service improvements within reducing resources. Services would also be devolved where possible with closer working with the voluntary and community sectors. 

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed -

Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) will submit a report seeking approval of the refreshed Carers’ Strategy 2014 – 18 and the associated Action Plan for 2014 – 15 which had been carried out on behalf of the Carers’ Strategic Partnership Board, through wide ranging consultation with partners, stakeholders, carers’ groups and organisations.

Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) submitted a report seeking approval of the refreshed Carers’ Strategy 2014 – 18 and the associated Action Plan for 2014 – 15 which had been carried out on behalf of the Carers’ Strategic Partnership Board, through wide ranging consultation with partners, stakeholders, carers’ groups and organisations.

Cabinet Members were advised that there were six outcomes from the strategy as follows which would be monitored through the action plan -

Councillor Tuffin (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) introduced the proposals and highlighted the outcomes from the national strategy. He also advised that monitoring of the action plan would be undertaken by the Carers’ Strategic Board, and the Caring Plymouth scrutiny panel in March 2015.  The role and work of the Young Carers’ Service was highlighted which provided support to 113 young carers in the city.  Carole Burgoyne also indicated that the strategy would be implemented with the assistance of health colleagues and General Practitioners.     

David Simpkins (Assistant Director for Co-operative Commissioning and Adult Social Care) and Katy Shorten (Strategic Commissioning Manager) attended the meeting for this item and David Simpkins indicated that the rights and needs of carers would be underpinned in new legislation, under the Care Act where carers would be entitled to an assessment and to receive support services in their own right.

Katy Shorten also thanked all participants in the development of the strategy which had been produced in a co-operative way.

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) whilst acknowledging the statutory responsibilities, reminded Cabinet Members that no additional resources had been allocated by government to support them and thanked officers for their work.   

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed to adopt the Carers Strategy 2014 – 18 and associated Action Plan 2014 – 15.

Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) will submit a report seeking approval of the Joint Clinical Commissioning Group and Plymouth City Council Dementia Strategy 2014 – 15 and the associated Plymouth Action Plan for 2014 – 15, which had been developed in consultation with a wide range of partners and stakeholders as well as people living with dementia and carers.

Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) submitted a report seeking approval of the Joint Clinical Commissioning Group and Plymouth City Council Dementia Strategy 2014 – 15 and the associated Plymouth Action Plan for 2014 – 15, which had been developed in consultation with a wide range of partners and stakeholders as well as people living with dementia and carers.

Cabinet Members were advised that the refreshed strategic document called ‘Living Well With Dementia in Plymouth and Devon: Making Progress’, set out progress across the whole of the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group area, including Plymouth, and included the strategic aims for the next two years as follows, which would be monitored through the action plan -

Councillor Tuffin (Cabinet Member Health and Adult Social Care) introduced the proposals and acknowledged the work done by his predecessor, Councillor McDonald. He advised that the action plan would be monitored by the Caring Plymouth scrutiny panel in March 2015.    

David Simpkins (Assistant Director for Co-operative Commissioning and Adult Social Care) and Katy Shorten (Strategic Commissioning Manager) attended the meeting for this item.    

Katy Shorten thanked all stakeholders for their input into the document and their joint commitment to take it forward.

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) indicated that the number of people with dementia would rise with earlier diagnosis and he acknowledged the role undertaken by Ian Sherriff in promoting Action for Dementia.  On behalf of Cabinet, he thanked Ian Sherriff and the officers for their work.   Councillor Tuffin also paid tribute to the work undertaken by the young people at Stoke Damerel School, in relation to dementia.   

Alternative options considered and the reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed to adopt the Joint Dementia Strategy 2014 – 15 and associated Plymouth Action Plan 2014 – 15.