Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Nolan.

To receive any announcements from the Leader and members of the Cabinet.

None.

Councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests, other registerable interests, or non-registerable interests (including other pecuniary interests) they may have in the business to be transacted, and officers to declare any interests they may have in any contract to be considered.

None.

To approve, and the Chair to sign as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 6 June 2023.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 6 June 2023 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

To receive questions from members of the public of which notification has been received.

The member of the public was unable to attend the meeting so the Leader of the Council asked Councillor Middleton to provide a written response to their question.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Middleton provide a written response to the public question.

To receive any Councillors’ Items.

None.

Councillors to ask questions of the Leader of the Council or a Cabinet member on issues within their Portfolio (15 minutes).

None.

To receive the Corporate Parenting Annual Report.

Response from Councillor Nolan (Cabinet Member for Children and Families):

The Annual Corporate Parenting Panel report confirms our continued progress in relation to our collective role as Corporate Parents to our Looked After Children in Milton Keynes. This Annual report was presented and approved at our Corporate Parenting Panel in June this year and provides an overview of the work carried out in respect of our Children in Care and those young people with care experience. It contains performance information regarding children entering and leaving care, types of provisions children have lived in and how secure these placements are. It also includes  information pertaining to our children’s health and education.

We are pleased that the number of children in care has remained relatively stable between 355 and 365 over the last 12 months and our focus remains on addressing the sufficiency of suitable accommodation and placements to meet the varying needs of our children. Over the last year we have had a variety of active marketing campaigns to encourage families to come forward and foster for Milton Keynes City Council, as well as looking at procuring and setting up more specialist provisions locally, but this will need to remain a focus for us.

Positively, children continue to leave care through permanence via Special Guardianship Orders, Adoption, or returning to the care of their birth parent.

We continue to be very active in seeking the involvement of our children in care and those with care experience in the co-production of service development. We actively seek the wishes and views of children in care to understand the care provided to them is appropriate. An independent survey was conducted by Bright Spots Coram BAAF which sought the views of our children in care and those with care experience and the findings were generally positive and where we have identified areas of need, we are working to ensure support is available to meet presenting needs.

We are seeing an increase in the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children coming to live in Milton Keynes via National Transfer Scheme as well as spontaneous arrivals. All these children are also accommodated into our care and we do our best to keep these children within Milton Keynes where they can access education and established support groups available to them.

Due the importance of all Members being both aware of, and ensuring their engagement in their corporate parenting role, I therefore propose this report is recommended to full Council for consideration and awareness.

Councillor M Bradburn introduced the referral, noting the good work the authority was doing with regard to the children in its care and reminded all members and officers that they were the corporate parent for these children.

Councillor Marland noted the written response from Councillor Nolan to the referral and thanked all the members of the Corporate Parenting Panel, officers, and foster parents for the work they do looking after and acting as the voice of our looked after children.

RESOLVED:

1.             That the referral and the written response provided be noted.

2.             That the Corporate Parenting Annual Report be referred to Council for noting.

The Committee recommends that Officers include considerations of the effects of vehicle use and speed on the environment and health of the residents of Milton Keynes in the preparation of Local Transport Policy 5.

The Committee also recommends that the Cabinet consider the findings of this Committee in its future deliberations of local transport policy, including in its considerations of Local Transport Policy 5.

Response from Councillor Townsend (Cabinet Member for Public Realm) and Councillor Wilson-Marklew (Cabinet member for Sustainability):

Thank you for the work and findings of the Public Realm & Environment committee in looking at the current and potential future usage and impacts of Grid Roads in Milton Keynes. As the council continues to develop its emerging Local Transport Plan 5 policy documentation over the next 18 months we will continue to take into consideration the environmental impacts and benefits that the various modes of transportation contribute to, and will seek to develop a policy that is both environmentally sustainable, recognises our aims to reduce carbon emissions and supports good public health, whilst still enabling strong support for the continued growth and development of the city and all of its residents and businesses.

The Leader of the Council noted that there was nothing further to add to the referral or its written response.

RESOLVED:

That the referral and the written response provided be noted.

To receive the final report of the Housing Needs Task and Finish Group.

Councillor Darlington noted her thanks to the Task and Finish Group and to the Scrutiny Officer for their work on this difficult topic.  The Group had done a good job in identifying the key pressures of the Milton Keynes housing market.  The Cabinet member advised that she would provide a more detailed response to the Group.

RESOLVED:

That the referral and the response provided be noted and that for completeness the Cabinet member provide a written response.

To consider a report on commissioning two new services to support hospital discharge and system flow.

Councillor Darlington introduced the report, noting that the Council had a good working relationship with the hospital and officers from both organisations had worked together to identify reasons for delayed discharge and to develop these two new pilot programmes.

RESOLVED:

1.             That use of the Council’s existing Dynamic Purchasing System for the procurement of bridging care, and 24-hour live-in services to run for a period of 1 November 2023 until 31 March 2024, be agreed.

2.             That authority be delegated to the Director, Adult Services to award the contracts within the budget outlined in the report.

3.             That approval to extend both services for a period of up to two years, if following evaluation and subject to funding, the pilot has proved to be successful, be granted.

4.             That authority be delegated to the Director Adult Services to award the contract extensions, if applicable and within the budget outlined in this report.

To consider a report on an update on Youth Led Democracy.

Councillor J Carr introduced the item, noting the work of officers to the significant change in which the Youth Council was run.  It was a credit to the Democratic Services team and the young people themselves that the Youth Council was much more reflective of the city as a whole.

The Cabinet heard from two members of the Youth Council on the item.

RESOLVED:

1.             That the progress, work and outcomes set out in the report, be noted.

2.             That Cabinet offer any feedback or recommendations on the next steps set out in the report.

To consider a report on the 2023/24 Quarter 1 forecast outturn.

Councillor Middleton introduced the report noting that the Council had moved from a surplus at the year end to a forecast in year overspend of £4 million.  This was not out of step with the financial situation across local government.  There were sufficient pressures from systemic issues in adult social care, children’s services and the provision of temporary accommodation.  Work was underway to mitigate the projected overspend but much of this would rely on central government who needed to bring forward comprehensive plans and reforms in these areas. To address these financial issues the Council was implementing a more stringent recruitment regime and was reducing areas of discretionary spend in service areas.

Councillor Darlington noted the commitment of the Council to continue to ensure there was essential infrastructure in our new estates particularly the commitment to provide a footpath for access to the Newton Leys estate.

Councillor Marland noted the difficult financial situation and highlighted the importance of delivering the Council Plan and that as an authority the Council was better of than a number of other authorities however the amount of discretionary funding available was becoming significantly limited.

RESOLVED:

1.             That the GFRA forecast outturn of £4.019m against budget be noted, together with the management actions set out in the report.

2.             That GFRA savings of £7.490m savings are forecast to be achieved (95% of budget) be noted, which is set out in the report.

3.             That the forecast outturn for the HRA is an underspend of £1.265m, which has been funded through an increase in the transfer to reserves be noted, together with the management actions set out in the report.

4.             That the DSG forecast surplus carry forward of £6.037m be noted, together with the management actions set out in the report.

5.             That the reserves position as detailed in the report be noted.

6.             That the forecast outturn on the 2022/23 Capital Programme is an underspend of £1.004m after proposed slippage of £21.053m as detailed in the report be noted.

7.             That the forecast outturn position of the 2022/23 tariff programme as detailed in the report be noted.

8.             That the debt position of the Council at the end of quarter 1 as detailed in the report be noted.

9.             That the Write-off of an unrecoverable debts that exceeds £50,000 as detailed in the report be approved.

10.        That the Treasury Management report including prudential indicators, as detailed in the report be noted.

11.        That the virements to the original budget as detailed in the report be approved.

12.        That the current position on the Collection Fund as detailed in the report be noted.

13.        That the procurement waiver decisions as detailed in the report be noted.

14.        That the additions and amendments to resource allocation and spend approval for the 2023/24 capital programme and Tariff Programme as detailed in the report be approved.