(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Joint Committee for Achieving For
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Agenda For enquiries on this agenda, please contact: Ann Sweeney 020 8547 4629 [email protected] This agenda is available on: www.kingston.gov.uk Published on 8 September 2015 JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ACHIEVING FOR CHILDREN Date: Wednesday 16 SEPTEMBER 2015 Time: 10:30 am Place: Guildhall, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1EU LB Richmond Lord True Co Chair Councillor Tony Arbour Councillor Paul Hodgins RB Kingston Councillor Kevin Davis Co Chair Councillor Eric Humphrey Councillor Margaret Thompson Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting The meeting will be chaired by Councillor Kevin Davis, the host borough Co Chair This agenda is available to view on: www.kingston.gov.uk You can also access this agenda through the Modern.gov app or by scanning the QR code with your smartphone. EMERGENCY EVACUATION ARRANGEMENTS On hearing the alarm please leave the building by the nearest available fire exit. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND ATTENDANCE OF ALTERNATE MEMBERS DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests and any other non- pecuniary interests (personal interests) relevant to items on this agenda . PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Up to 30 minutes is set aside to hear public representations and /or respond to questions. Notice of questions or representations to be submitted must be received by 12 noon on Tuesday 15 September 2015 – by Ann Sweeney, Democratic Support at Guildhall, Kingston upon Thames or e mail [email protected] or telephone – 0208 547 4629. A written response will be given on any items not reached within the 30 minutes. Agenda 1. MINUTES Appendix A To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 13 April 2015. 2. RESERVED MATTERS PROCESS Appendix B 3. AFC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2014-15 Appendix C 4. BUSINESS PLAN AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Appendix D 5. URGENT ITEMS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIR Please note The meeting will be followed by a workshop for Members which is anticipated to end at 12:30. This workshop is not open to the public. A1 Appendix A JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ACHIEVING FOR CHILDREN 13 APRIL 2015 11:15 am – 12:12 pm Representing Councillor Kevin Davies Co-Chair (in the Chair) Royal Borough of Leader of the Council Kingston upon Thames Councillor Andrea Craig Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Councillor Margaret Thompson Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Lord True Co-Chair London Borough of Leader of the Council Richmond upon Thames Councillor Tony Arbour London Borough of Richmond upon Thames * Councillor Paul Hodgins London Borough of Richmond upon Thames * Absent Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Paul Hodgins. David Groves – Chair of the AfC Board also attended. Officers RBK RuT AfC Bruce McDonald Gillian Norton Nick Whitfield Scott Herbertson Mandy Skinner Paul Bettles Leigh Whitehouse DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST - None 26. Minutes RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 2 May 2015 are confirmed as a correct record. 1 A2 JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ACHIEVING FOR CHILDREN 13 APRIL 2015 27. ANNUAL REFRESH OF COMMISSIONING INTENTIONS Appendix A The approach to this year’s refresh of commissioning intentions for Children’s Services, which fed into the budget-setting process was set out. The findings arising from the refresh discussion on needs analysis and intelligence were attached as Annex I and had been agreed by Children’s Commissioning Board in February 2015. Very few significant changes were identified; one example being the impact of the SEND reforms which will require amendments to performance measures and are forecast to result in increased levels of demand. Changes in relation to the delivery of SEN Transport will also need to be reflected in the service specification. As part of the discussion on current joint working arrangements, the practical implications of the protocols (for Procurement, Communications etc.) which sit as annexes to the specification had been reviewed. In this review the Councils highlighted some aspects where greater and earlier visibility of information and data produced by AfC would be beneficial, together with a few areas where AfC is not yet fully compliant with the existing specification; for example the provision of quality assurance updates. The review also noted areas where changes have been agreed which will require retrospective contract variations; for example, AfC are now providing a breast- feeding support service on Richmond’s behalf. In relation to support services, the SLA for ICT is due to be signed and some property leases are still outstanding; once completed, these will need to be addressed through a contract variation. Performance measures and targets were reviewed in detail to identify areas where changes were needed. The majority of changes to the measures were to clarify minor points or to reflect policy/process changes, e.g. the change from SEN statements to EHC plans. A few targets were amended, in most cases in order to align Richmond and Kingston. Where target levels were being increased or reduced, either by AfC or the Councils a clear justification was required. Resolved that the contract variations and minor changes to the commissioning intentions identified through the annual refresh process and agreed by the Children’s Commissioning Board are noted. 28. AfC Financial Strategy 2014-15 Appendix B The latest information on the expected financial outturn for AfC for the financial year 2014/15, the company’s first year of operation was reported. This includes the treatment of the ‘set up costs’ incurred in bringing the company into being, as well as the trading position for the year. The year end projected outturn is an overspend of £19,000 after the implementation of change controls totalling £1.525m (£0.426m RBK and £1.099m LBR) relating to Safeguarding, Looked After Children and SEN Transport. The arrangements for the sharing and management of financial risk within the contracts between the Councils and with AFC provide for different treatments for different aspects of financial risk. The change control mechanisms provide a means 2 A3 JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ACHIEVING FOR CHILDREN 13 APRIL 2015 of returning financial risk to the host council. Where a risk/reward position is taken on a particular change control area, or on those areas of income and expenditure outside of the change control scope, financial risk is shared between the two councils as owners. The Councils are proposing to transfer set up costs of £1.4m to the company in the year, which will leave a net deficit to be carried forward at year end. This will be offset against future profits. The Councils have also underwritten these set up costs in their own accounts, and AfC is able to ‘bid back’ to the Councils for investment funds equal to the value of any in year trading surplus it makes, either this year or in future years for the reinvestment of these surpluses in children’s services. Further set up costs, likely to exceed £0.5m, are considered necessary in 2015/16 as part of work to create a single IT network and integrated desktop for AfC staff. Both Councils will need to consider the business case for this and, if agreed, how this work should be funded. Resolved that: 1. the projected AfC trading outturn of a small overspend of £19k and the Change Controls agreed by each Council are noted; 2. the approach to the charging of “set up costs” is agreed and the further requirement for IT investment is noted; 3. the arrangements for financial risk sharing are noted. 29. AfC Budget 2015/16 Appendix C A report considered by the AfC’s Board of Directors in January describing the basis upon which the budget for Achieving for Children was set for 2015/16 and outlining a draft medium term financial plan was presented. This report has also been considered by the Operational Children’s Group, the Children’s Commissioning Board and by both Councils as part of their Budget Reports . The budget backdrop is of increased demand for local services and significant budget pressures due to the reductions in central government grant for both Councils. AfC’s budget is made up of core Richmond and Kingston funding, government grants and income generation. The detail of this funding, efficiency savings, the Forward Look and key risks were included in the report. Whilst there are no formal changes to this budget, as indicated in the previous item – Minute 28 - both Councils have agreed increases to AfC’s 2014/15 funding through the Change Control process for social care expenditure and SEN transport. These items will be reviewed in early 2015/16 with a view to introducing necessary Change Controls in Quarter 1 and future budget setting as referred to in the Joint Commissioning Cycle. 3 A4 JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ACHIEVING FOR CHILDREN 13 APRIL 2015 Resolved that the budget as set out in the report is agreed as required by item 9 of Schedule 3 - Reserved Matters of the Inter Authority Agreement (IAA). 30. Financial Plan 2015/16 - Update Appendix D An update to the Financial Plan for AfC for the financial year 2015/16 for approval of the Committee and adoption by the Councils as the Members of AfC was considered. The Plan for 2014/15 was approved by the Joint Committee at its meeting on 5 December and subsequently adopted as a Reserved Matter. The Plan has been reviewed for 2015/16 through discussions between finance staff at both Councils and AfC and the only changes proposed are in relation to the approved banks AfC can invest in and the limits in each. The changes to the approved banks/financial institutions are: a) Both Nat West and Lloyds Banks are removed from the list of banks that AfC can make investments in for the 2015/16 Financial year, and b) Nationwide Building Society is added to the list.