East Midlands Improvement & Transformation Board 25Th
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East Midlands Improvement & Transformation Board 25th November 2014 @ 10.00 am Pera Business Park, Melton Mowbray, LE13 0UL Agenda 1. Apologies 2. Declarations of Interest 3. Minutes of meeting held 10th September 2014 4. Proposed Role and Focus of the Improvement and Transformation Board 5. Regional Health Review 6. Member Development Programme 7. Reflections on Local Government Summit (21st November 2014) 8. Update on Welfare Reform Item 3 East Midlands Improvement and Transformation Board meeting 10th September 2014 Minutes In attendance Councillor Roger Begy, OBE (Chair) Rutland CC Councillor Marion Brighton, OBE North Kesteven DC Councillor Annette Simpson Bassetlaw DC Councillor Tony Howard East Lindsey DC Councillor Alan Chambers Bassetlaw DC Councillor Robin Brown Northamptonshire CC Officers Stuart Young (SY) East Midlands Councils Alison Neal (AN) East Midlands Councils Kirsty Lowe East Midlands Councils Mark Edgell (ME) LGA Lee Harrison Nottinghamshire CC 1. Apologies Councillor Fiona Martin, MBE (Vice Chair) East Lindsey DC Councillor Blake Pain Harborough DC Councillor Alan Rhodes Nottinghamshire CC Councillor Lewis Rose, OBE Derbyshire Dales DC Councillor John Clarke Gedling BC Councillor Anne Western Derbyshire CC Councillor David Sprason Leicestershire CC Councillor Chris Baron Ashfield DC Councillor Begy considered greater support on the part of members is required in order to make the Improvement and Transformation Board viable. This is a member led Board and members need to consider what they would wish to lead on going forward. Health is a key issue at present and members agreed this work should continue with mistakes in the past and lessons need to be learnt. Similar problems are being experienced by many and it is important to consider what changes can be made. It is important that procedures are formulated in the future and overlaps identified. Going forward: . more radical changes need to be made . the role of the IT Board needs to be considered . 2 or 3 areas to be identified for consideration at the November Board meeting. 1 Item 3 . Link to LGA group Action: SY/ME agreed to meet and discuss the role of the IT Board together with functional relationship between the LGA and EMC. Councillor Howard advised the meeting of the collaboration in Hampshire which is taking place. Action: Councillor Howard agreed to look into this collaboration and advise. 2. Declarations of Interest None 3. Minutes of meeting held 5th June 2014 The minutes were approved as an accurate record of the meeting. 4. Legacy Programme (a) Audit Report Alison Neal presented this report to the Board, which represents the final internal audit of the 2012/13 and 2013/14 EM IEP Legacy Programme undertaken by EMC’s previous accountable body, Leicestershire County Council. Cloud Computing project - £29k refund, together with the unspent legacy funding totalling £588,800 has been transferred to EMC. AN confirmed that a risk assessment has been carried out and copies of all letters relating to the transfer across of funds are held at EMC. All projects have been rigorously challenged. A report, with the recommendations of Members of the Improvement and Transformation Board, will be presented t the EMC Management Group. The report was agreed. (b) Lessons Learnt Stuart Young presented this report to the Board. Following formal completion of the EM IEP programme, Members requested that a short document be produced reflecting upon the successes and failures of this programme. The report set out the good news stories with an effective and sustainable programme being identified. £2.46m of grant investment has resulted in total savings to local councils of £18.97m, a return of 1:8. 2 Item 3 Councillor Simpson felt that Members have little knowledge of the work and role of EMC. SY agreed to discuss how EMC can address this issue and consider what can be done to move this forward. Action: SY Councillor Begy/SY agreed to meet in order to discuss areas/locations of the location of future member development events etc in order to target a different Member audience from other regions. Action: Councillor Begy/SY. Mark Edgell noted that the LGA recognised the cross-regional work but there is a need to recognise the traditional regions. Councillor Begy requested that an item from the Improvement and Transformation Board be included on the agenda of the Executive Board. Action: SY. Members noted the report. 5. Health Review Stuart Young presented this paper to the Board, highlighting discussions that are taking place with EMC membership and with MPs through the APPG EM (regional MPs group), for proposed joint work between councils, MPs and partners on health matters. Any proposed work will be led by local councils and complement the work already undertaken by local health scrutiny committees and health and wellbeing boards. Councillor Begy considered inequality of funding to be an important issue. Consideration to be given what can be done about this and is there funding in place to deal with this. SY advised there is a clear difference in the role of health funding in the East Midlands, compared with other areas. It is important that there is a focus at the outset. Issues raised: . Inequalities . Funding The Chair requested focus on these two issues. Action required. Action: SY The Chair requested an initial report be prepared for consideration by December 2014. Action: SY The report was noted. 3 Item 3 6. Sector Led Improvement – Adult Social Care Lee Harrison, Nottinghamshire CC, attended the meeting in order to present this report to the Board. The report sets out the details of the delivery of the SLI programme in 2013/14 together with an outline of continuing work for 2014/15 for Sector Led Improvement – Adult Social Care. In 2012/13 funding of £22k was provided towards setting up this programme. Within the programme there is a very good buy in to the programme. Ten second tier authorities have signed up. Peer Challenge programme is part of this programme. The first year of the programme is now complete. Training is undertaken by the LGA as part of the Peer Challenge programme. 70% of the authorities have taken place. A specialist advisor, Eddie Clarke, has been appointed. Peer Challenge – evaluation of the programme will be undertaken. Good responses have been received from those authorities who have taken part in the review. Positive response has also been received from Members. A formal analysis of the programme and self assessments will be undertaken. ME noted this is intra-regional work but there may be some benefits from having work undertaken from outside the region. Lee advised of the Challenge Summit scheduled to take place on Friday 12th September for Chief Executives/Chief Officers. This will provide an opportunity to discuss outcomes. A summary report identifying successes and problems will be produced and shared with interested parties. Members requested a progress report be provided in six months time identifying the key points. Action: Lee Harrison Members considered the progress and developments. Members endorsed the release of the additional £22k of funding in accordance with the previously endorsed funding agreement. 7. Update on Welfare Reform SY presented this report to the Board. The report provides the Board with an oversight of the current work and focus of the Welfare Reform Steering Group. The Steering Group has continued to gather data on under occupancy, local housing allowance and council tax benefit. Future priorities in respect of data collection include: 4 Item 3 . Social Housing Rent arrears . Homelessness presentations . Empty residential properties . Advice and guidance service requests. Members requested a follow up report providing an update on developments since the publication of the EMC report Welfare Reform in the East Midlands: the Story so Far. An update report will also be presented to the Executive Board in December in advance of an annual review for the full meeting of EMC in February 2015. Members also requested an email be sent to Improvement and Transformation Board members regarding a contact lead member name who would provide an oversight for the completion of the update review. Action: SY Members advised that Money Advisors have been appointed in order to deal with the problems with Universal Credit. Rent Arrears – further work is being carried out. The report was noted. 8. Member Development Programme 2014/15 SY presented this paper to the Board. The report provided an update on the proposed Member Development Programme 2014/15 – a copy of which was attached to the report. Kirsty Lowe identified the activities taking place. Programme now in place and it is important that Members engage in this important programme. Members agreed to support EMC in promoting the EMC Member Development programme of briefing events. Councils need to be encouraged to sign up to the programme. Letter to be sent included copies of slides from previous events, in order to provide councils with in an insight into topics previously presented. Action: SY/EMC Items for inclusion in the future events programme: . Better Care . Transport . Community Safety . Anti Social Behaviour Bill Members requested that consideration be given to future events taking place in the North of the region. Action: EMC Issues/Action – EMC . Promote events 5 Item 3 . How do we encourage more people to attend future events . Induction programme – Support for New Councillors following the May elections. The report was noted. 8. Regional Summit – ‘The Future of Local Government and Public Service Delivery in the Next Parliament’ SY presented this report to the Board. Front Bench representatives required. Chair agreed that Improvement and Transformation Board Members be included on the list of delegates. SY agreed to email those IT Board Members who have not registered attendance. Action: SY The LGA Chair has been invited to present on the ‘100 Days’ campaign.