Questions to be asked by Members of the County Council of the Leader of the Council, a Cabinet Member, or a Chairman of a non-Scrutiny Committee. The question will be answered by the relevant Member and the Member asking the question may then ask a follow up question which will also be answered
Minutes:
Mr. R. Clarke asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation whose reply is set out below the question:-
Question
Why have Staffordshire County Council wasted millions of pounds on redundancy payouts, and then some of those people being re-employed at a later date?
Reply
The recent article regarding redundancy payouts contains a number of factual inaccuracies. Where people were re-employed it was not on a ‘like for like’ basis, with the majority of people returning on a casual contract (ad-hoc employment for a short period of time).
The cost of redundancy payouts are outweighed by the salaries attributed to the posts made redundant, providing a future saving to the authority. The Council actively seeks redeployment in to suitable alternative employment in all cases of compulsory redundancy (during notice period), and where successful redundancy is not paid, leading to a further reduction in total redundancy costs.
Supplementary Question
Your reply talks about “the majority of people”; may I ask how many people were made redundant, too early, whose jobs then had to be covered at a later date?
Reply
I do not have the precise details to hand and will therefore respond to Mr Clarke in writing after the meeting.
Mr. P.R. Davies asked the following question of the Leader of the County Council whose reply is set out below the question:-
Question
I am sure that Council will join me in congratulating Her Majesty the Queen on celebrating her Diamond Jubilee. Our Council, to mark the Jubilee, will be presenting both a national Union flag and a Staffordshire County flag to all Staffordshire schools.
I would like to ask the Leader of the Council what the cost of this initiative to the Council Tax payers of Staffordshire will be in these austere times, from which budget will it come and will the flags be manufactured in Britain
Reply
The Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June are at the start of what promises to be a momentous summer. We want to make sure that everyone in Staffordshire can join in the festivities as we pay tribute to The Queen’s extraordinary reign before enjoying the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To mark this unique occasion and help our schools with their Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the County Council and Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Mr Ian J Dudson CBE, are providing a Union flag and a Staffordshire County flag to all schools.
The flags have been supplied via a local company, Midland Flags of Stoke-on-Trent, at a total cost of £1,932. The flags themselves are made in Taiwan. We made every effort to source a British manufacturer but the flags would have cost significantly more. However, I am pleased we are sourcing them from a local supplier. They are being paid for out of an existing budget held by the communications and marketing team to support such positive initiatives.
As well as having the flags for their Diamond Jubilee celebrations, schools will be able to use them in future events and activities. We want young people to be proud of their country and proud of Staffordshire too. This summer’s historic events offer a great opportunity to instil that pride and I think its right that we associate our national and county flag with the celebrations.
We are helping all Staffordshire residents celebrate the Diamond Jubilee in their own way, for example by holding street parties, planting trees or running community events. We have cut a lot of red tape and put tips and information on the council website.
People can find out more on our website at www.staffordshire.gov.uk.
Supplementary Question
In the communication that Members received informing them that Staffordshire Schools were each to receive the gift of two flags, they were also told that, to launch the initiative, the Leader of the County Council would be hosting afternoon tea for invited head teachers. Considering that there are over 360 schools in Staffordshire, from a purely logistical point of view I’m intrigued to learn on what basis were the head teachers selected to be invited?
Reply
The 75 head teachers who form the District Schools Forum have been invited to attend the presentation event. All other Staffordshire schools will receive their flags in the normal internal distribution system.
Mr. G. Locke asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Wellbeing whose reply is set out below the question:-
Question
Following the recent Rochdale case, what conclusions, if any, have been drawn about the safeguarding of looked after girls?
Reply
The recent Rochdale case draws attention to the potential vulnerability of young females targeted for sexual grooming. Rochdale will undoubtedly be undertaking a Serious Case Review in which the details and lessons will be explored for them as a Local Authority.
Within Staffordshire a new Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy has been developed by the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board (SSCB) and a new multi-agency protocol and policy is in its final draft and will go to the June Safeguarding Board Executive for approval and sign off.
We are very aware of the linkage between children missing from home/education settings and of those within the care system to be targeted based on our analysis of National Research including that from Bedford University.
Our current strategies and polices have been shaped following the Derby Serious Case Review and the Police’s “OPERATION RETRIEVER” which targeted organised gangs and led to significant prosecution rates.
Our approach is two pronged, firstly to identify and support vulnerable young people particularly certain sections of the community and secondly to improve evidential intelligence to assist Police with prosecution. The strategy and policy once approved, will benefit from a high profile multi- agency launch and new training for staff has been agreed to support this.
Supplementary Question
It was reported in the Rochdale case that one particular girl was repeatedly missing from residential care overnight. In the wake of what was described as the “pin down” inquiry some years ago now, the powers of Residential Care staff to restrain children have been much reduced. This does seem to be an issue and I would be grateful if it could be looked into?
Reply
I agree with you; it is an issue. Social workers and our safety teams work very closely with children in our care to discourage them from being missing from home in those circumstances. You are quite right; they haven’t got the powers to physically stop them. This is something that needs debating in another chamber with a view to giving us more powers to protect children in our care.