Agenda and minutes

Key Decisions   Matters defined as 'Key' Decisions and included in the Council’s Forward Work Plan are shown as

An apology for absence was received from the Leader, Councillor Jane Scott, OBE.

Councillor John Thomson, Deputy Leader in the Chair

To confirm and sign the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 7 October, previously circulated.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2014 were presented.

Resolved:

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2014.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

The Deputy Leader made the following announcements:

Order of agenda

In view of the number of people in attendance for item 11 – Delivery of the Campus Programme (minute no. 113 refers), the Deputy Leader announced that he would be bringing the item forward to be taken after the item on specialist dementia hospital care.

2 minute Silence – Armistice Day

The Deputy Leader invited those in attendance to observe the 2 minute silence at 11am.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public. This meeting is open to the public, who may ask a question or make a statement. Questions may also be asked by members of the Council.  Written notice of questions or statements should be given to Yamina Rhouati of Democratic Services by 12.00 noon on Thursday 6 November 2014. Anyone wishing to ask a question or make a statement should contact the officer named above.

The Deputy Leader reminded those present that he would as usual, be happy for them to express their views on any items on the agenda by indicating they wished to speak.

He reported receipt of questions as follows:

In respect of the item on the Delivery of the Campus Programme (minute no. 113 refers) from Councillors Mark Connolly and David Jenkins and members of the public Mr Jonathon Brown (presented by Mr Jim Lynch),

from member of the public Mr Clive Owen in respect of Corsham railway station which was not on the agenda.

A copy of the questions and responses provided by the relevant Cabinet member are attached to the signed copy of the minutes and available online with these minutes.

Report by Maggie Rae, Corporate Director

Councillor Keith Humphries presented a report which updated Cabinet on the Wiltshire vision for specialist dementia hospital care. He explained that the Council had been working hard to raise awareness of dementia. He referred to Cabinet’s previous consideration of the subject in the development of the Dementia Strategy. Work had taken place with town and parish councils to introduce dementia friendly towns and parishes. The Council had also worked to include dementia into the Safe Places initiative.

Although specialist dementia hospital care was commissioned by Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), it was acknowledged that it was only one part of the dementia pathway, as outlined in the Wiltshire Dementia Strategy. The Strategy was jointly owned by Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire CCG as commissioning organisations. Furthermore, it was the role of Wiltshire Council to act as a community leader in consultation processes that affected its local communities and population. For these reasons, Wiltshire Council was acting as a partner with Wiltshire CCG, supporting them through their public consultation, pending approval from Cabinet.

Cabinet was therefore asked for its approval to proceed to formal consultation on the future of specialist dementia hospital care in Wiltshire.

Councillor Humphries invited Dr Celia Grummitt – GP Dementia Lead and Dr Ted Wilson – Community and Long-term Lead from the CCG to address Cabinet on the CCG’s proposals.

They outlined the proposals contained in the Specialist Dementia Hospital Care consultation document, details of which were presented. 

The Dementia Strategy concentrated efforts to provide support for dementia patients and their carers mainly in their own homes. The proposals now before Cabinet were in relation to patients who required more specialist support and admission to a specialist dementia hospital during a severe phase of their illness to ensure they were kept safe and well. The consultation document also sought views on the future permanent location of

specialist dementia hospital care in Wiltshire, with support from the Council.

Three options for the future provision of countywide specialist dementia hospital care in Wiltshire had been developed and included in the consultation document as follows: 

Option 1: Undertake renovation/improvement work to Charter

House, Trowbridge and move all specialist dementia hospital care

from Amblescroft South, Salisbury to Trowbridge;

Option 2: Undertake renovation/improvement work to Avebury ward

at Green Lane Hospital in Devizes and move all specialist dementia

hospital care from Amblescroft South, Salisbury to Devizes or

Option 3: Formalise the existing provision and location of services

at Amblescroft South, at Fountain Way in Salisbury.

Maggie Rae, Corporate Director emphasised that this was about the care pathway and the right outcomes for people with advanced dementia. This was aimed at the smaller group who needed extra specialist care to improve their physical as well as mental health and return them back to their communities. 

Councillor Christine Crisp, chairman of the Health Select Committee confirmed that her Committee would be happy to participate in the consultation process. It was noted that the Committee had provided a valuable contribution to this area of work.

Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112.

  Report by Laurie Bell, Associate Director – Communities and Communications

Public Participation

Questions were received from Councillors Mark Connolly in respect of campus proposals for Tidworth and David Jenkins  in respect of campus proposals for Westbury and member of the public Mr Jonathon Brown (presented by Mr Jim Lynch) in respect of campus proposals for Bradford on Avon.

A copy of the questions and responses provided by Councillor Seed are attached to the signed copy of the minutes and available online with these minutes. Supplementary questions were also raised by Councillor Jenkins and Mr Lynch to which Councillor Seed replied.

   Councillor Jonathan Seed presented a report which updated Cabinet and provided a position statement on the delivery of the Council’s community campus programme. It was noted that the campus programme is one of the first of its kind in the country.

The campus programme is intrinsic to delivering the council’s vision to create stronger and more resilient communities and to provide more accessible services that reflect local needs. The report outlined the progress made in each of the seven approved campuses - Calne, Corsham, Cricklade, Melksham, Pewsey, Salisbury and Tisbury. It also provided cabinet with the current position and an indicative timeline for the completion of these campuses.

Cabinet approval was sought for the provision of a community campus in Malmesbury. Initial plans were likely to include a multi-purpose community space tailored to local needs, a kitchen area, improved office space and hot desk and office facilities, located in Cotswold House. It was anticipated that all the approved campuses would be delivered by the end of 2017.

In other community areas, it was suggested that the delivery of a campus be reviewed and aligned to other key factors including future development, economic development schemes, army basing and community needs and, where appropriate a community hub model could be implemented. It was therefore anticipated that some communities might bring forward smaller scale community hub proposals, approved by their area board, for consideration by cabinet on a case by case basis.

Those present acknowledged that the campus programme was an extremely positive and ambitious one especially when set against the financial challenges faced by this council and the public sector generally. Councillor Jon Hubbard expressed some concern that the campus programme might be slipping from the original programme to provide a campus for every community area. He was also concerned that communities and COBs were working extremely hard on proposals which he feared might not come to fruition.

Councillor Seed emphasised that even in the present economic climate, the campus programme was always projected as a 15 year programme.  The council had already approved more than £74 million out of a £120 million budget estimate for the programme.

It was noted that the current estimated forecasts for the build costs for the seven campuses would be £76.857 million; this included the proposals for Malmesbury presented to this meeting for approval.

It was noted that whilst this funding did not cover the cost for any further campuses at this stage, a community  ...  view the full minutes text for item 113.

  Report by Maggie Rae, Corporate Director.

   Councillor Keith Humphries presented a report which sought to update Cabinet on the outcome of the consultation period and sought agreement of the personalisation policy and two related policies on Charging and Eligibility.

He explained that this was one of a series of reports to come before Cabinet as we implement the provisions of the Care Act. Personalisation meant that every person receiving support, whether through Wiltshire Council or funded by themselves, has choice and control over the shape of that support.

Personal budgets were a central part of the personalisation agenda to give service users choice and control over their care and support. Personal budgets could be defined as an allocation of funding given to users after an assessment which should be sufficient to meet their assessed needs. The Care Act would make personal budgets a mandatory part of all care plans,

meaning they would apply to all council-funded users - including those in

residential care from April 2015. Councillor Humphries explained the process which included an assessment of an individual’s need, agreeing a support plan for them which forms the basis of a personal budget to be used for council commissioned service or managed by the individual themselves.

Details of the feedback from the consultation were included in the report presented. It was noted that from the relatively few responses received, there was strong support with the principles being proposed. Workshops had also been held where further clarity was sought on some areas.  Councillor Humphries responded to points raised by members.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    agree to the personalisation policy setting out how the value of a personal budget will be calculated;

2.    agree to the Charging and Eligibility policies, granting the Cabinet member for Public Health, Protection Services,

Adult Care and Housing permission to update with changes required for the Care Act 2014, due in April 2015 and

3.    agree for the Cabinet member for Public Health, Protection Services, Adult Care and Housing to agree variations required following Care Act implementation, if no major policy or financial implications.

Reason for decision:

The Care Act requires all Councils to offer people a personal budget. The

Council needs a policy to enable personal budgets to be offered when the Care Act come into force in April 2015.  Charging and Eligibility polices need to be updated

Report by Dr Carlton Brand and Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Directors.

Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe presented a report which updated Cabinet on the development and implementation planning of a new integrated Education, Employment & Skills Strategy for Wiltshire which had been developed on a multi-agency, cross-Council and inclusive partnership basis led by the Wiltshire Education, Employment & Skills Board.  It would help drive business development and economic growth and aimed to support development of a skilled and competitive workforce to meet the needs of employers both now and in the future. The range of support being provided through the Strategy was detailed to Cabinet.

The Strategy would also support the development of an inclusive economy enabling the benefits of increasing economic prosperity to be maximised by Wiltshire’s communities and individuals.

She congratulated those involved in producing such an extensive piece of work which built on the progress already made by the Council in this area. The Council was recognised as a leading authority in this area with innovative pilots informing and influencing national and European policies and having attracted significant amounts of external funding.  The Council had received national regional exemplar status for several of its programmes and outstripping national performance. The Council had received an award from Department for Works and Pensions for effective partnership between a local authority and Government department.

The report of the Education 16-19s Task Group was presented which included a number of recommendations for Cabinet’s consideration. Councillor de Rhé-Philipe confirmed that recommendations h, j and k were particularly helpful and would be incorporated into the Strategy.

Councillor Laura Mayes also commended the Strategy, commentating that it demonstrated how well the Council worked across its service areas and with its partners. She welcomed its focus on the employer, education and ensuring young people would have the right skills for the current and future job market.

Councillor Jon Hubbard was very pleased with the report. He also commended the work and professionalism of the team involved, particularly the outstanding contribution made by Haylea Asadi in supporting the work of the Task Group.  He guided members through the work and recommendations of the Task Group. The Task Group considered that transport was a key issue, particularly in rural areas which should be investigated further, perhaps in partnership with employers. The Task Group also considered that more could be done in helping young people in obtaining qualifications needed, not necessarily through the more traditional routes, to secure good employment opportunities.

Councillor de Rhé-Philipe confirmed that the points raised by Councillor Hubbard would be looked into. It was noted that the report was scheduled to be considered by the Children’s Select Committee on 9 December, although Councillor Hubbard suggested it might be more appropriate for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee which had commissioned the work by the Task Group.

Councillors de Rhé-Philipe and Mayes responded to members’ questions.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.         note the progress made towards integration of the Education,

Employment and Skills agenda to date and the strategic direction in place and proposed activity to further this;

2.         consider  ...  view the full minutes text for item 115.

Report by Maggie Rae and Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Directors.

Councillor Keith Humphries introduced a report which briefed members on the development of the Wiltshire Reducing Child Poverty Strategy 2014 – 2020. The strategy provided the strategic direction for Wiltshire Council and partner organisations in reducing the level of children living in poverty in Wiltshire, and mitigating the effects of child poverty across Wiltshire. Cabinet was asked to approve the Strategy and recommend its adoption to Council.

The Strategy would support a number of public health strategic aims. It was noted that public health would be taking on commissioning responsibilities for health visiting services for children aged 0-5 in 2015 and would also be taking the family nurse partnership supporting teenage parents.

Councillor Laura Mayes welcomed the Strategy. She highlighted the plight of those in poverty and the lasting impact it can have on their lives and the lives of their families. She urged members to review the local data which would enable more targeted and locally focussed support.

Maggie Rae, Corporate Director referred to the collaborative and supportive work being undertaken through public health which worked closely with Children’s Services. She also offered to assist members with targeted support for their respective areas.

Councillor Jon Hubbard explained that Children’s Select Committee had looked at how best it could monitor the implementation of this Strategy. He endorsed the aspirations of the Strategy and hoped it could be adopted by the Council at the earliest opportunity to ensure swift implementation. He stressed that the Council should be doing all it could to help and support affected people in our communities. Councillor Mayes agreed with the monitoring of the Strategy to quickly identify what was working and what was not and needed to be changed.

Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director noted that the Select Committee had appropriately made the link with the early intervention strategy. She referred to other strategies and initiatives and the involvement of public health which all made a positive and combined difference.

Councillor Chris Caswill welcomed the report. He very much agreed with the concept of the needs assessment which he considered a very strong evidence based tool. He noted areas where the Strategy needed updating and the need to emphasise particular key areas and made a number of suggestions to further strengthen and refine the Strategy before its submission to Council. Cllr Caswill referred to the work of the Child Poverty Forum in Chippenham which he helped establish and brought together a number of organisations. He welcomed the opportunity to develop locally focussed solutions. In relation to the monitoring of the Strategy, he suggested the drawing up of a more simplified action plan with specific locally based action plans especially for Chippenham.

Maggie Rae responded to the points raised. She considered that the document lent itself to the creation of a local checklist to focus on child poverty to ensure it remained focused which would also enable closer monitoring of its implementation.

Councillor de Rhé-Philipe referred to the economic development measures to provide more good high quality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 116.

Report by Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director.

Councillor Richard Tonge presented a report which provided Cabinet with a quarterly report on the Treasury Management Strategy. This report covered the second quarter of 2014-15, ended 30 September 2014.

The report reviewed management actions in relation to:

a) the Prudential Indicators and Treasury Management Indicators originally   set for the year and the position at the 30 September 2014;

b) other treasury management actions during the period; and

c) the approved Annual Investment Strategy.

There had been no further repayments from the Icelandic banks since those

reported to Cabinet on 21 November 2013. To date the Council had recovered approximately £10.2 million of the original £12 million deposited in 2008.

Resolved:

That Cabinet note the contents of the report in line with the Treasury Management Strategy.

Reason for decision:

To give members of the Cabinet an opportunity to consider the performance of the Council in the period to the end of the quarter against the parameters set out in the approved Treasury Management Strategy for 2014-15.

This report is a requirement of the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy.

Questions and responses