Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

Decision – That the notes of the meetings held on 8 and 15 March 2023 be approved.

Oral report of the Leader of the Council

Decision – That the oral report of the Leader of the Council giving an update on a range of issues including the appointment of Pat Flaherty (currently the Chief Executive at the London Borough of Harrow) as the Council’s new Chief Executive; more than 95% of parents applying for a primary school place for their child received a place at their top choice  and more than 99 per cent were offered one of their top three choices; the announcement that the Council is to benefit from a share of the national fund to help fix potholes, which has been confirmed as c£4.8m; the extension of the contract with the Council’s highways partner, Amey; Earth Day (on 22 April), a global event to raise awareness about the environment; the first anniversary of the Staffordshire Sustainability Board and the Council being named as a finalist in the prestigious MJ Awards for its innovative approach to delivering sustainability; the Council’s support  to more than 260 small businesses in Staffordshire through a ten-month pilot scheme; Staffordshire employers being urged to find out more about how they can broaden their workforce and bring added value to their organisations through a countywide internship programme for young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND); and the opportunities to join with family, friends and neighbours to celebrate Staffordshire Day on 1 May and the Coronation of King Charles III on 6 May; be noted.

Decision – That the minutes of the meeting of the Property Sub-Committee held on 5 April 2023 be received.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills

Decision – That the oral report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills giving an update on “Staffordshire Means Back to Business” activity including the following matters be noted:

·      This month saw an increase of 910 claimants, which is at least partly likely to be due to continued seasonal effects and jobs created over the festive period coming to an end.  The total number of claimants in the county now stands at 15,715 or 3%, one of the lowest rates in the West Midlands and lower than the average for England of 3.8% of the working age population. The youth claimant count in Staffordshire saw an increase of 165 claimants to a total of 2,920 young people. The proportion of young people in Staffordshire aged 18-24 that are claiming work-related Universal Credit has increased this month from 4.4% to 4.7%, although this remains lower than the national rate of 5%.

·      Since 2010, around 42,000 additional new jobs have been created in the county. This has of course been one of the main reasons why we have seen record low levels of unemployment and remained resilient to the recent global economic events. One of our main growth sectors over the last couple of decades has been the logistics industry, with around 11,000 new jobs created in this sector alone and which now accounts for around 29,000 of jobs within the county.

·      The new Pets at Home distribution centre in Stafford will open shortly, creating over 750 new jobs, whilst construction on the West Midlands Interchange site will progress this year and will ultimately create 8,500 new jobs in South Staffordshire.

·      The recent Logistics Roundtable was attended by some of major players in the industry, including the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and was an opportunity for us to discuss how we can work together on some of main opportunities and challenges facing the sector, particularly existing and emerging skills needs and the shift to greater use of technology that will support the creation of more highly skilled, highly paid jobs within the sector.

·      One of our local SMEs, CocoonFMS, based in Lichfield, has recently been successful in securing £129,000 from the first round of the Freight Innovation Fund in partnership with the major logistics employer Simarco.  This will help to create a digital calculator to provide automated management of port costs and shipping expenses, providing more accurate invoice information to users, reducing delays and improving the planning of deliveries.

·      Through our Economic Growth Programme, we also continue to support the development of employment sites across the county. i54 South Staffordshire is one of our flagship employment sites and work to develop two plots in preparation for new occupiers at the site is underway. One of these plots is on the existing site, with the other being on the Western Extension, which will support the creation of a further 1,000 jobs when fully occupied.

·      Excellent progress is also being made at the Chatterley Valley West site in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132.

Cabinet Member for Health and Care

Reasons for the Decision – To consider an update on the Staffordshire Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan for 2022-23 together with a summary of arrangements for development of the BCF Plan for 2023-24.

Decision – (a) That the progress of the Staffordshire Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan for 2022/23 and the associated expenditure be noted.

(b) That the allocation to Staffordshire County Council (SCC) and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) by HM Government of the Adult Social Care (ASC) Discharge Grant to the sum of £6,368,757 in 2022/23, and the subsequent inclusion of this within the BCF Section 75 agreement, be noted.

(c)        That it be noted that the Council have transferred the 2022/23 Disabled Facilities Grant to the District and Borough Councils as required by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities).

(d)       That it be noted that the Health and Well-being Board (HWB) has delegated final approval of the Staffordshire BCF Plan for 2023-24 to the Health and Wellbeing Board Chairs, including the Cabinet Member for Health and Care.

(e) That authority be delegated to the Director of Health and Care to enter into legal agreements for 2023/24 and 2024/25 under Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 in order to implement the respective BCF Plans.

Decision – That the following decisions taken by Cabinet Members under delegated powers be noted:

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 17 May to 20 September 2023, which detailed the following issues, was approved:

The Chairman to move:-

“That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business which involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of Local Government Act 1972 indicated below”.

Part Two

(All reports in this section are exempt)

PART TWO

(Exemption paragraph 3)

Cabinet Member for Commercial Matters

(Exemption paragraph 3)

Reasons for the Decision – To consider extending the existing Staffordshire PSN contract for an interim period and procuring a new contact to commence in July 2025 at the latest.

Decision – That the recommendations contained in the report be agreed.