SUBMISSION FROM ANGUS COUNCIL

I refer to your letter of 30 March 2010 with regard to the above matter and the related questions in relation to 2010/11 revenue budget and funding of this. I would respond as follows: -

Overall Funding Levels

Angus Council set its 2010/11 Council Tax and related budget on 17th February 2010. The budgeted net expenditure for 2010/11 was supported by a budgeted increase in government grant and Council Tax income from 2009/10 of £3.849 million. The council’s budgeted net expenditure for 2010/11 contains income from fees and charges of £21.181 million. This represents an increase of £0.441 million from 2009/10.

In view of the above, it may be noted that the total General Fund revenue income for the Council is anticipated to increase for 2010/11. However, within this overall increase it should be noted that there is a £0.2 million budgeted reduction in planning fee income.

Efficiency Savings

In setting the 2010/11 General Fund revenue budget Angus Council identified cashable efficiency savings totalling £2.197 million. £0.5 million of these are being provided through specific corporate efficiency saving reviews, with £1.697 million identified through savings exercises undertaken by each department. Further detail in this regard can be provided if necessary.

The council is undertaking a number of further efficiency reviews during 2010/11 with a view to these providing cashable savings to assist in setting the 2011/12 budget. Again, further detail in this regard can be provided if necessary.

Shared Services

I enclose at Appendix 1 a note of the services which are currently provided on a shared basis in Angus along with a note of the services which are under active consideration for sharing services. The Council is also engaged in scoping a number of other services which may feature in future on the shared services agenda.

Staffing

The Council’s budgeted full-time equivalent staffing complement is 4,925.0 in 2010/11 compared with 4,975.7 in 2009/10 a reduction of 50.7 staff.

The Council intend to manage this reduction by non-filling of vacancies. It has no plans at present to introduce a redundancy scheme or to outsource services.

Charging For Services

In setting the 2010/11 revenue budget, Angus Council introduced one new charge which was in respect of the Blue Badge Parking Concession Scheme. With regard to existing charges, it should be noted that the council levies a large number of charges particularly in areas of service such as social work services and leisure and recreational facilities and it is not considered practical to provide all the detail of these, albeit this can be provided if necessary. However, it may be noted that the majority of the council’s charges increased in the range 2.5% - 3.0% for 2010/11. In the limited number of instances where charges have been increased outwith this range this has been the result of a specific policy decision or the practicalities of amending coin operated charges.

I trust the foregoing is of assistance to your committee.

David S Sawers Chief Executive

Appendix 1 ANGUS COUNCIL

Shared Services – Present Provision

• Contracts provides a service to the three constituent councils covering roads maintenance, school cleaning and catering and office cleaning.

• Angus Net – shared network infrastructure for Angus Council and which is also utilised by Angus College, Voluntary Organisations and Peoples Network.

• Child Protection Messaging (CPM) and Single Shared Assessment (SSA) – development of the software for Scottish users was undertaken on a shared service basis.

• Customer First National IT Infrastructure – a single national infrastructure that supports operational functionality such as the National Entitlement Card.

• Geographic Information System – Tayside Assessors to have access to all three Tayside region constituent Council’s Corporate Address Gazetteers which removes the need for separate expensive development work by Tayside Assessors and helps provide consistent core data bases.

• Out of Hours Service for Social Care between Angus, and Councils.

• Substantial shared accommodation between Angus Council and NHS Tayside.

• Angus Council Access Offices utilised by other public sector agencies and voluntary partners, such as Tayside Police in and Letham with potential roll out across Angus.

• Tayside constituent councils and Fife Council shared use of Public Analyst/Scientific Services.

• Tayside constituent councils shared use of weights and measures statutory standards.

• Shared use of weighbridge testing vehicle and motor vehicle testing unit with 12 other Scottish councils.

• Tayside Procurement Consortium developing joint procurement across the three Tayside councils (and Tayside Contracts) aimed at delivering substantial savings through more efficient business processes, including e-procurement and utilising collective buying power to bring economies of scale and lower prices.

• Procurement shared service benefits are further enhanced through the Tayside Procurement Consortium commitment to utilise contract opportunities through membership of the national Scotland Excel procurement forum and application of Procurement Scotland arranged contracts.

• Finance Revenues section issues bills and collects on behalf of Scottish Water and prints Council Tax Bills on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council.

• Finance Division also provide payroll services to Angus College and Internal Audit provision to Tayside Police. Property provide clerk of works and general building services to Angus College.

• Elections Management – election management system maintained by Tayside Valuation Board and accessed by Angus and Perth and Kinross Councils on a shared basis as opposed to each procuring and maintaining own. Also substantial collaboration on election management arrangements and a shared problem solving ethic exists between Tayside constituent authorities (however ultimately each Election Officer retains responsibility for their geographic area).

• Use of common platforms across Scotland and the UK providing user group facilities and shared information to support system development and resolve issues at lower cost than dealing only with supplier companies. Systems include Northgate Council Tax and Benefits System, Resource Link Personnel and Payroll System, IDOX document management system and Excelsis performance management system.

• Mutual Aid arrangements for Civil Contingencies and responses to civil emergencies.

• National Recruitment Portal launched in November 2008 to provide one-stop access to local authority job opportunities and potential improvements in processes and procedures.

• Joint Community Safety Team with Tayside Fire and Rescue and Tayside Police co-located at Forfar.

• Joint developments in sports facilities with Angus College.

• Special Education use of Kingspark School and joint venture with Dundee City Council to build a new Special School

• School/College Links particularly shared Vocational Learning facilities now created in Forfar Academy and Brechin High School in partnership with Angus College

• The creation of the Joint Strategic Support Unit in Angus involving staff from Education, Social Work, Health and Police

• Ongoing discussions with the Scottish Futures Trust.

• Joint training initiatives undertaken with Dundee City Council over the years for teaching staff.

• Employment Disability Unit serving three Tayside local authority areas.

• SEEMIS - Angus Council is one of 25 Scottish Councils in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council which manages and supports the SEEMIS electronic pupil information management system. Angus Council is a member of the Direct Management Group of the SEEMIS partnership.

• Joint training and welfare benefits campaigns delivered by Angus Council and Dundee City Council Welfare Rights Services.

• Joint Equipment Loan service delivered by Angus Council Social Work and NHS Tayside.

• Joint Future Arrangements: integrated services delivered by Angus Council and NHS Tayside eg Learning Disability, Mental Health and Older Peoples’ Services.

• Joint Child Protection Facility involving Tayside Police, NHS Tayside and Angus Council.

• Waste Management – DERL – Partnership with Dundee.

Areas Currently Under Investigation

In conjunction with Tayside Contracts

• Fleet Vehicle Management. • Depot Provision • Vehicle Maintenance

Other

• Housing Development Consortia across Tayside