Agenda item

The Leader of the Council presented a Statement outlining his recent work since the previous meeting of the Council.

 

Staffordshire Means Back to Business

(Paragraph 1 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Philip White referred to the Council’s submission to central government, putting forward the A50-A500 Hydrogen Technologies Corridor in Staffordshire as a potential Investment Zone and the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) project in South Staffordshire; both of which would have an impact on de-carbonising the County.

 

Councillor Flunder indicated his support for the Council’s various initiatives to support the Staffordshire economy.  He also referred to the recent announcement that the Staffordshire Moorlands was to benefit from £3.4m in government funding to support projects to help local businesses and improve infrastructure.

 

Councillor Hussain referred to the reference in the Statement that the youth claimant count in Staffordshire had seen an increase of 80 to a total of 2,635 young people and enquired as to the reasons behind this increase.  In response, Councillor Alan White indicated that young people tended to work in occupations where there were higher levels of “churn” such as hospitality.  He also added that the number of young people who were not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) in the county was very low.

 

Councillor Tagg enquired of the Leader of the Council as to whether he would commit to working closely with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council on the regeneration of the Ryecroft site.

 

Councillor Hudson indicated that he welcomed the Statement and he spoke about the positive impact on his division which would accrue from the proposals for the A50-A500 Hydrogen Technologies Corridor.  He also spoke about the forthcoming proposals for the regeneration of the Maltings in Uttoxeter and hoped that they would be supported by the County Council.

 

Councillor Deaville spoke about small businesses being the lifeblood of the Staffordshire economy along with the large employers such as JCB who had recently opened a new cab manufacturing plant near Uttoxeter.

 

Councillor Smith referred to the need for the District and Borough Councils to commit to working with the County Council to embrace opportunities for development.

 

Councillor Alan White expressed his thanks to Members for their comments and also praised the work of the Council’s Economic Development Team and the partner agencies they worked with.  He confirmed that the Council would continue to work with partners, including the District and Borough Councils, to improve the outlook for town centres across the county.

 

Integrated Performance Report - Quarter 2, 2022/23

(Paragraph 2 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Charlotte Atkins referred to the announcement in the Government’s Autumn Statement in respect of the delay in the bringing forward reforms to Social Care and enquired as to whether this would have an impact on the Council’s recruitment of social care staff.  She also spoke about the financial issues being encountered by some sponsors who were providing accommodation for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and enquired whether the Council had considered the provision of additional financial support to those individuals.  In response, Councillor Wilson indicated that the government funding to the Council was generally directed towards the Ukrainian families themselves rather than to the sponsors.

 

Councillor Pardesi referred to the financial pressures around social care and indicated that increasing Council Tax or using funds from reserves was not a long-term solution to the problems. In response, Councillor Jessel indicated that the Council was working hard to support people to keep healthy and to stay in their own homes for as long as was possible, including through the recently introduced Enhanced Home Care Service.  She also added that, in Staffordshire, there were very few delayed discharges from care.  Councillor Parry added that the Council was not using its reserves to support social care but to address the pressures of inflation.

 

Councillor Alan White indicated that to resolve the issues around the funding for social care would require a national consensus on what needed to be done and how it could be achieved but, unfortunately, there was no such consensus.

 

Nexxus Trading Services Limited – Annual Report 2021/22

(Paragraph 3 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Winnington outlined the history of Nexxus and how it had expanded to address gaps/failings in the social care market and to support the response to the Covid pandemic.  He also paid tribute to the work and enthusiasm of the staff employed by the company.

 

Councillor Charlotte Atkins stated that the focus of reablement activity by Nexxus tended to be in the South and East of the county and she enquired as to whether there were plans to expand these services to include the north of the county.  She also asked as to the measures being taken to recruit and retain staff.  In response, Councillor Jessel indicated that the enhanced home care service services had its focus in the north of the county since it was there where it was most needed.  She added that the service would be rolled out to other areas over time.

 

Councillor Hood and Councillor McMahon paid tribute to the contribution made by Nexxus and Councillor Hood gave an example of how staff went above and beyond what was required of them.  She added that those working in the sector were undervalued and needed to be paid their worth.  In response Councillor Deaville and Councillor Jessel indicated that the Council had increased the rate of pay for home care staff by 12% this year.  Councillor Jessel also indicated that the Council was offering support to care home providers to assist them to modernise including through the better use of IT.

 

Final Recommendations for the Future Commissioning Arrangements for Supported Living Services in Staffordshire

(Paragraph 4 of the Statement)

 

In response to a question from Councillor Pardesi concerning what was meant by the “flexible use of staff within and between schemes”, Councillor Jessel indicated that this was about remodelling the service to allow staff to be utilised in a more flexible and efficient way.

 

High Needs Provision Capital Allocation Funding

(Paragraph 5 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Greatorex indicated that the MTFS Working Group had recently looked at the transportation costs in respect of SEND provision and how these costs could be reduced by increasing access to mainstream placements for children and young people with high needs (who might otherwise require more specialist provision).  Councillor Loughborough-Rudd referred to the shortage of SEND places in his division.

 

In response, Councillor Price indicated that the Council was committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people with SEND. 

 

Family Hubs in Staffordshire

(Paragraph 6 of the Statement)

 

In response to a question from Councillor Afsar, Councillor Sutton spoke about the support available through the Family Hubs but added that there was still more work to do.  He also expressed his thanks to those staff working in the Children and Families Directorate.

 

Early Help Strategy 2022-2027

(Paragraph 7 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Hewitt and Councillor Philip White expressed their support for the Strategy and commended the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People for his work and leadership in this area.

 

Recommissioning Domestic Abuse Services

(Paragraph 8 of the Statement)

 

In response to a question from Councillor Loughborough-Rudd in respect of the funding for the service being on a rotational basis, Councillor Wilson indicated that by pooling the Council’s resources with those of Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office, there was £670,450 per annum to support victims and families and also perpetrators across the whole of Staffordshire.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Hussain in relation to inflationary pressures and their impact on the service, Councillor Alan White indicated that the Council was awaiting its financial settlement from Central Government and once this was received the Council would have a clearer idea on how much was available to spend on domestic abuse services.  He added that the level of spend was not necessarily a measure of success and that there were often innovated ways of running services more effectively and at lower cost.

 

Procurement of a Framework Agreement for the Supply and Installation of Windows and Doors

(Paragraph 9 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Greatorex indicated that he was pleased to see that the Framework Agreement could also be accessed by public sector partners including schools.  In response to a question from and Councillor Pardesi in relation to ensuring the quality of the products being procured, Councillor Deaville confirmed that the framework agreement provided for the procurement of products of good quality at the best value.  He added that, where possible, local manufactures/suppliers were used in order to support the local economy.

 

Climate Change Action Plan and Climate Change Annual Report

(Paragraph 10 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Tagg informed Members that the Council had seen a reduction of some 15% in its carbon emissions from 2019/20 to 2020/21.  He added that that the significant reduction in annual emissions was unlikely to be replicated going forward and future reporting was likely to show slower progress due to the nature of the challenge before the authority. He indicated that future activity included improvements to the Council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres and also a review of home to school transport.

 

He also explained that the Climate Change Action Plan revision 2, November 2022, detailed a list of actions which would assist the Council in reaching its ambition to become net carbon zero by 2050. The plan contained 33 actions across five areas which would be relevant until 2025 although it was proposed to review the Plan annually to ensure that it remained fit for purpose.

 

Councillor Tagg paid tribute to the Climate Change team and also reminded Members that the deadline for the submission of applications for funding under the Council’s Climate Change Action Fund was 31 December.

 

Councillor Charlotte Atkins indicated that, in March 2022, the Staffordshire Sustainability Board committed to developing a base pledge with 10 commitments for action for formal approval and subsequent monitoring during 2022/23.  She enquired as to what was the base pledge; what were the 10 commitments for action; where could Staffordshire residents read about these and the work of the Sustainability Board.  She also enquired as to how much of the 43% reduction in the County’s carbon emissions since 2019 was accounted for by a change in the methodology for waste management and schools moving off the balance sheet into academy status.

 

Councillor Hussain enquired as to how many trees had been planted in each of the eight districts across the County since 2019 and what improvements in air quality had been achieved as a result of this planting.

 

In response, Councillor Alan White indicated that he would ask Councillor Tagg to respond to Councillor Charlotte Atkins and Councillor Hussain in writing following the meeting.

 

Councillor Philips Atkins spoke about carbon generation in the agricultural sector through the use of fertilizers etc and the need to look for new methods of food production which were carbon neutral.  Councillor Flunder outlined the climate change work ongoing in the Staffordshire Moorlands District; and Councillor Winnington spoke about how the Council was leading by example and also its commitment to work with partners in both the public and private sectors.

 

Councillor Jessel referred to the growth in the number of trees planted in the National Forrest over the last 20 years and Councillor Trowbridge invited Councillor Tagg to visit the Norbury Park Estate to see the tree planting taking place there and the Chairman asked if the invitation could also be extended to him.

 

Here to Help

(Paragraph 12 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Edgeller referred to suicide rates in Staffordshire, which were above the national average, and she asked members to reflect on those families who had lost a loved one at this time of year.  She also praised the Council’s work with the Samaritans to reach out to those struggling with mental health issues.  Councillor Edgeller also reminded Members that Wednesday 21 December was the longest night of the year and that several council buildings, including the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford, would be lit up green to remind residents in need that the Samaritans were there for them during their darkest hours, including over Christmas and New Year.  She also asked Members to encourage their respective districts and local residents to participate in this campaign.  Councillor Deaville, Councillor Loughborough-Rudd and Councillor McMahon extended their thanks to Councillor Edgeller for the work she was doing to highlight the importance of tackling mental health issues; and Councillor Loughborough-Rudd also commended the work of voluntary organisations across the County. 

 

In response to a question from Councillor Loughborough-Rudd in respect of why the Household Support fund was targeted towards pensioners, Councillor Sutton indicated that Central Government had set out how the funding should be utilised, with a third being targeted to those of a pensionable age.  He also extended his thanks to those members of staff who had been involved in the distribution of the funding.

 

Councillor Afsar spoke about the lack of food support services across parts of his Division and also the need to assist St Chad’s Community Centre in finding funding for a replacement boiler.  In response, Councillor Peters indicated that funding for the Centre may be available through the Community Regeneration Fund.  Councillor Wilson added that she would welcome the opportunity to have a conversation with Councillor Afsar regarding funding for the Centre.

 

Councillor Hudson and Councillor Peters outlined some of the work being undertaken in East Staffordshire; and Councillor Smith spoke about the consequences of rising energy costs and the need for the Council to provide advice to residents on reducing energy usage.

 

Councillor Wileman commended Councillor Wilson and Councillor Sutton in relation to the distribution of Household Support Fund monies across the County.

 

Warmer Homes

(Paragraph 13 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Northcott and Councillor Huckfield expressed their support for the Warmer Home initiative under which, over the next three years, the Council would receive a further £5.9m to install green home measures in people’s homes, including solar panels, air source heat pumps, underfloor heating, loft insulation and external wall insulation.

 

Councillor Tagg spoke about how Warmer Homes funding had been utilised in the Newcastle-under-Lyme District.

 

All Businesses Great and Small

(Paragraph 14 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Smith referred to the need for the Council’s Business Development Team to “keep it simple” when providing advice to local businesses.

 

Councillor Philip White spoke about the new Shirehall Business Centre and the Council’s other support for businesses which included extensive and easy to access advice.

 

Councillor Winnington also referred to the forthcoming work to rejuvenate the Market Square in Stafford.

 

HAF

(Paragraph 15 of the Statement)

 

Councillor Sutton spoke about the opportunities provide to schoolchildren under the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) which, during the Summer, offered 46,000 places (including 625 for those children with SEND).

 

Councillor Hood and Councillor Hewitt paid tribute to the success of the HAF programme.  Councillor Hood did however express concern that some parents could not access the programme as they failed to meet the eligibility criteria despite being on low incomes and asked whether anything could be done to address this issue, especially as some children whose parents had reserved places did not turn up.  In response, Councillor Alan White explained that he was also concerned about the high level of absenteeism and had asked Councillor Sutton to look into this issue.  He also indicated that the eligibility criteria for places on the programme was set by Central Government but the Council was campaigning for more local discretion.

 

2022

(Paragraph 16 of the Statement)

 

On behalf of the Council, Councillor Alan White extended thanks for their hard work during 2022 to:

 

·       Everybody working in care in Staffordshire, both internally in the council and the thousands working in care homes and providing domiciliary care in people’s homes, helping the county’s residents to enjoy their lives to the full. 

 

·       Those working in children’s services, whether child protection social workers, educational psychologists, foster carers or the many other professionals involved in looking after children and giving them the best possible start in life.

 

·       Everybody working in Staffordshire schools, whether teaching or providing such services as school meals.

 

·       Those involved in repairing and maintaining Staffordshire’s roads. 

 

·       Members and officers who had worked through what had been a difficult year, which came after a number of previous difficult years. 

 

Councillor Jessel asked that her personal thanks be extended to those providing social care.

 

Resolved – That the Statement of the Leader of the Council be received.