There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

Decision – That the notes of the meeting held on 13 December 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 recent death of Noreen Oliver who founded the Burton Addiction Centre, known to us all now as the BAC O’Connor Centre; the inspection by Ofsted which showed that while the care of children in our care is “good” we need to do more to raise the bar across the service; the 15 people from Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent who received awards in His Majesty the King’s New Years Honours list; the dedicated, on-going, work of our highways crews who are responsible for maintaining the county’s 6,000km, including the proposals to carry out at least an extra £50 million worth of repairs and essential maintenance over the next three years, on top of any grant given by the government; the County Council receiving a top award for crisis communications for  the roll out of the giant carbon bubble to towns across the county to help visualise how their daily activities can impact carbon emissions; and encouraging people, when they make their New Year’s Resolutions, to think about  giving something back to local communities, perhaps through volunteering or opening up their home to a foster child; be noted. 

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 405 claimants in Staffordshire, at the same time we have seen increases both regionally and nationally. This is reflective of the challenging economic conditions businesses continue to operate in across the country.  The total number of claimants in the county now stands at 15,165 and the claimant rate remains the same this month at 2.8% of the working age population.  It is important to note that the claimant count rate in Staffordshire continues to be one of the lowest in the West Midlands and is far lower than the average for the region of 4.9%, and lower than the average for England of 3.8%. We will continue to support those residents that unfortunately find themselves out of work to access employment through our dedicated Jobs Brokerage service. 

·       The youth claimant count in Staffordshire saw a decrease of 25 claimants this month to a total of 2,860 young people.  The proportion of young people in Staffordshire aged 18-24 that are claiming work-related Universal Credit remains the same at 4.6%.  This is lower than the national rate of 5.1% and far lower than the regional rate of 6.8%.  Whilst this decrease in the youth claimant count is positive our focus continues to be to engage with our younger residents and support them to find employment or continue in education and training. 

·       One of our key economic priorities is supporting residents in being able to take advantage of high-paid job opportunities, and I’m therefore pleased to be able to update Cabinet on the recently released earnings data which gives a good indication as to why, at least partly, disposable income has increased within Staffordshire.  The average weekly earnings of our residents are now the same as the national average, the first-time that this has been case.  Over the last year, the average earnings of our residents have increased by over 12% compared to just 5% across the West Midlands Region and England as whole.  Continuing to support the creation of highly paid, high-skilled jobs across Staffordshire and supporting our residents in gaining higher level skills will of course remain a key focus for us in 2024, ensuring we are doing all we can to put more money into people’s pockets. 

·       Adapting to climate change is evidently already a key consideration for businesses and developers across Staffordshire, with the developer of the first units on the West Midlands Interchange scheme aiming for the highest possible rating for energy performance of the buildings, including through the use of solar panels on the roof, something we have increasingly seen throughout the county in recent years. 

·       Supporting energy efficiency of our businesses is nothing new to us as the Staffordshire Business & Environment Network (sben) has been operating for over 30 years and has provided advice and delivered countless  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the report of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Climate Change Working Group on Carbon Sequestration and Woodland Creation 

Decision – (a) That the report of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Climate Change Working Group on Carbon Sequestration and Woodland Creation be received. 

(b) That an executive response to the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the recommendation(s) of the Carbon Sequestration and Woodland Creation report be provided within two months of receipt of the report 

Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the Natural Environment Strategy which has been developed to set out how the Council will deliver its biodiversity requirements and enhance the natural environment. 

Decision – That the natural environment strategy be approved. 

Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture

Reasons for the Decision – To consider a progress update on the range of support, initiatives and signposting activities which have been undertaken by the County Council to enable our residents to manage cost of living pressures over the last 12 months. 

Decision – (a) That how the County Council has supported Staffordshire residents to manage cost-of-living pressures be noted. 

(b) That the proposed next steps, as set out in paragraph 19 of the report, be agreed. 

(c) That the continued delivery of the County Council’s Strategic Plan through investment in early years provision, education, skills, training and by attracting first class businesses to the county, while supporting existing businesses to thrive and prosper, which will support the long-term prosperity of Staffordshire residents, be noted and supported. 

Leader of the Council

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the arrangements for the provision to supply temporary and interim human resources (agency workers) to the County Council to provide cover for vital frontline services. 

Decision – (a) That the Council continues to operate a neutral vendor model for the provision of temporary and interim human resources.  

(b) That the Council awards and enters into a 3 + 1 year call-off contract from Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) framework agreement 653F_23 – Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR4) with Comensura.  

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the report arising from the Ofsted inspection of the Council’s Children’s Services. 

Decision - That the information contained in the Ofsted report be noted. 

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 21 February to 19 June2024, 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)

“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 the Local Government Act 1972 indicated below”. 

PART TWO 

(Exemption paragraph 3)

Cabinet Member for Education (and SEND)

(Exemption paragraph 3) 

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the commissioning arrangements for the delivery of Residential Overnight Education, funded through the High Needs Block. 

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

(Exemption paragraph 3)

Cabinet Member for Health and Care

(Exemption paragraph 3) 

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the arrangement for the provision of drug and alcohol treatment services from 01 April 2024. 

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

(Exemption paragraph 2)

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

(Exemption paragraph 2) 

Reasons for the Decision – To provide Cabinet with an update in relation to the use of unregulated placements.   

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

(Exemption paragraphs 1 and 2)

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

(Exemption paragraphs 1 and 2)

Reasons for the Decision – To consider an overview of a child’s complex care planning. 

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