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Contact: Mandy Pattinson
Email: mandy.pattinson@staffordshire.gov.uk
Media
Items
No. |
Item |
64. |
Declarations of Interest
Additional documents:
Minutes:
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65. |
Minutes of the meeting held on 11 April 2023 PDF 69 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Resolved:
– That, subject to Cllr
Spencer’s name being added to the list of members in
attendance, the minutes of the meeting held on 11 April 2023 be
confirmed as a correct record and signed by the
Chairman.
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66. |
Corporate Delivery Plan 2023/24 PDF 119 KB
Report of the Leader of the
Council.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Leader of the Council
introduced the Councils Corporate Delivery Plan for 2023/24 which
supported the Strategic Plan for 2022-26. The Delivery Plan set out the key priorities and
deliverables for the Council; included clear measures of success
and would be monitored by the Committee alongside the Integrated
performance report and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).
Individual objectives could be developed through Overview and
Scrutiny (O&S) Committees if requested.
The main points
raised by members were:
- The objectives were supported, and the Key
performance measures, target dates and lead officer information
welcomed.
- Highway improvements were subject to a
transformation plan which included different ways of
working. This would be considered at
Prosperous O&S Committee.
- It was felt that realistic targets needed to be
set, so as not to mislead the public.
- The plan was aspirational and concentrated on
things that were within the power of the
authority.
- The Climate Change Community Fund would still be
available to members during 2023/24.
More information would be sent to the committee.
- Renewables with strategic partners would be
investigated.
- Tenancy farms; Carbon
sequestration; solar
panels and other innovation areas of work would be considered if
appropriate.
- Permits for recycling centres would be looked at
by the Prosperous O&S Committee.
- The use of local contractors, particularly
through the Amey partnership would be investigated and reported
back to members.
- An objective specifically on recruitment and
retention of staff was welcomed. An
example of developing potential staff was provided through a Social
Work undergraduate course which enabled students to study at the
County Council.
- Place marketing and levelling up money should be
co-ordinated with the Districts/and Boroughs and should be
referenced in the delivery plan.
- The numbers of volunteer hours referred under the
‘tackle climate change, enhance our environment and make
Staffordshire more sustainable’ objective, didn’t give
a time period or indicate if this was an increase from the previous
year.
- It was felt that the dates mentioned on the
‘fix more roads and improve transport and digital
connections’ Highways performance objectives and the new ways
of working didn’t seem to match the allocation of funds to
Amey.
Resolved:
a)
That the progress made in developing the draft
Corporate Plan 2023/24 be noted.
b)
That the comments of the Committee as listed above
be considered prior to the Plan being approved by
Cabinet.
c)
That responses to the questions raised by members be
circulate after the meeting.
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67. |
Update on Progress Made Within Children and Families Directorate Following Cabinet Investment PDF 120 KB
Report of the Cabinet Member
for Children and Young People.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Cabinet Member for Children
and Families introduced the report which had been requested by the
Committee when they were considering the Integrated Performance
report. The Cabinet member explained
that an extensive analysis of the workings of the Directorate had
been carried out in an attempt to understand the overspend in the
areas of Children in Care and the challenges within the SEND
service. An extra £5.7m had been
agreed for the directorate with a view to improve staffing and
workloads which would lead to improvements in recruitment and
retention. The agreed increase in
funding had been through the MTFS Plans for 2023/24.
During the Committees questions
and debate, the following points were established:
- Recruitment to posts was underway with many posts having been
filled already.
- Outcomes would be closely monitored and performance against the
increased budget would be monitored through the Committees
quarterly performance reports.
- Another piece of work was underway into the increasing number of
SEND children requiring EHC plans.
- Contact between local councillors and Childrens Centres seemed
to have reduced since Covid. The attendance/invites to Family
Improvement Boards would be checked.
- Face
to face visits was a statutory requirement and was still taking
place. Virtual follow up meetings were
used, if appropriate.
- More
detail of the use of the £5.7m was requested alongside the
improvements made. It was explained
that this would be available in the Quarter 3 performance
report.
Resolved:
That the report and update be noted.
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68. |
Volunteering for Staffordshire County Council PDF 128 KB
Report of the Cabinet Member
for Communities and Culture.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Cabinet member for Children
and Families presented the report in the absence of the Cabinet
member for Communities and Culture.
The report outlined the County
Councils new approach to volunteering and set out the nine new
volunteering principles. The principles
were designed to ensure that all Council volunteers have a positive
and consistent experience.
The report and any feedback
from this Committee would be considered by Cabinet in June
2023.
The Committee expressed the
following views and comments:
- The
principles and guidance for county council staff responsible for
supporting or managing volunteers was welcomed.
- Key
organisations worked with were Support Staffordshire and
Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services
(SCVYS).
- The
need for guidance on the webpage for quick ad hoc groups to address
issues such as one off clean ups, would be useful to support local
initiatives.
- It was
felt that barriers to volunteering were normally: Insurance; Risk
assessments and; DBS checks. Assurance
was given that these would be addressed and clear guidance provided
on line.
- Following a question on whether community groups were audited,
officers agreed to check with Support Staffordshire and respond
directly to members.
- Members asked that the Communications plan include guidance for
communities where English was not their first language.
- Internal communications would be looked at so that all
volunteers were directed to an appropriate group so that no
volunteer was missed.
- The
number of volunteers had dropped post COVID and the Library service
was cited as an example.
- Exit
interview with retiring employees should be encouraged that they
are aware of volunteering opportunities. This could include other public bodies and the
private sector.
Resolved:
a)
That the report be noted.
b)
That the comments and suggestions from the Committee
as listed above be referred to Council for consideration along with
the Volunteering strategy.
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69. |
Work Programme PDF 475 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
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