Agenda, decisions and minutes

To note any apologies for absence.

See above.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 22 December 2021 (minutes attached).

The minutes of the meeting on 22 December 2021 were agreed as a correct record.

To  declare any pecuniary or personal interests relating to specific matters on the agenda.

Please see information note (1) at the end of the agenda

No declarations were made at the meeting.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Written questions

To answer any written questions from a County Councillor, (or any person living or working in the county, or is affected by the work of the County Council), about any matter which relates to any item on the agenda for this meeting.

The closing date for the receipt of written questions is 4.00 pm on Thursday 20 January 2022.

Please submit any questions to stephen.bace@gloucestershire.gov.uk

A written answer will be provided for each written question received (to be presented to the questioner and to Cabinet (in advance of the meeting). The questions and answers will be taken as read and will not be read out at the meeting. At the discretion of the Leader of Council, each questioner ( in attendance at the meeting) will be allowed to ask one supplementary question (in response to the answer given to the original question).

A copy of all written questions and written answers circulated at the meeting will be attached to the signed copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Urgent questions

An urgent written question may be asked by a member of the public about any item on the Cabinet agenda for that meeting which the Chairperson considers could not have been reasonably submitted by the deadline for the receipt of written questions, provided he or she gives notice of the question to the Chief Executive by 12 noon the day before the meeting.

A total of 4 public questions were asked at the meeting.

A total of 17 member questions were asked at the meeting.

The following supplementary questions were asked:

Question 1 – Cllr Ben Evans asked, regarding costs of high end services, did the council think it was a mistake to dismantle the youth service in 2010?

Cllr Stephen Davies replied that this was an important piece of work that was being carried out. The Cabinet Member was on the scrutiny task group and outlined that buildings were not the solution. The whole strategy was designed to change that.

Question 2 – Cllr Ben Evans asked, did the cabinet member have an idea on what needed to be done and what capital spend was required?

Cllr Stephen Davies would get back to the member once the figures were available.

Question 4 – Cllr Ben Evans asked what thought was being given to IT solutions around management of information to ensure coherent reporting of outcomes and outputs of services.

Cllr Stephen Davies agreed the interface was important and he would get back to the member on the details.

Question 5 – Cllr Ben Evans asked how many young people aged 10-19 were in Gloucester?

Cllr Stephen Davies stated that he did not have the number to hand and could provide it, but Cllr Evans answered that he already had the figures.

Question 6 -  Cllr Ben Evans asked, regarding the preventative element in lots 2-4, did the member feel the number of youth workers seemed low? He asked could the Cabinet Member describe how the council understood preventative services and what high end difficulties they would look to prevent.

Cllr Stephen Davies replied with the example of there being young people that were not yet known to the Council requiring help and the work needed to be developed to take this into account. He was aware of the different levels of need across young people in Gloucestershire.

Question 12 – Cllr John Bloxsom asked whether there would be adequate funding for our market towns with regards to Youth Services.

Cllr Stephen Davies would provide the member with the way in which the funding would be disseminated.

Question 13 –Cllr John Bloxsom asked if a faith organisation was successful would they be able to sub contract out the provision of services related to sexual health.

Cllr Stephen Davies confirmed that they could commission out to another provider.

5 Urgent questions were asked prior to the meeting:

Urgent Question 1 - Cllr Paul Hodgkinson asked, did the Leader worry that the Council Strategy consultation simply posed motherhood and apple pie questions, which the majority were inevitably going to agree with?  What learnings had this Cabinet taken from this exercise, other than the ability (legitimate or otherwise) to claim to have majority support for its proposals?

In response Cllr Mark Hawthorne stated that the priorities within the Council Strategy were based on the priorities set out in the manifesto in May, which had received  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To recommend the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), Council Strategy, Revenue and Capital Budget 2022/23 and Precept to Council.

Supporting documents:

Appendix 1 Council Strategy

Appendix 2 Medium Term Financial Strategy

Appendix 3 Budget Consultation Report (TO FOLLOW - There is an interim report on the consultation in Section 2. (Information Gathering) of the EqIA)

Appendix 4 Corporate Overview and Scrutiny minutes (6 January 2022)

Appendix 5 Equality Impact Assessment (see separate pack)

The decision to take into account the outcomes of the recent formal budget consultation and feedback from Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Phil Awford (Chair of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee) to present the Scrutiny Committee’s observations.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne and Cllr Lynden Stowe asked Cabinet to recommend the MTFS, Council Strategy, 2022/23 budget and Precept to Council.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Consider the outcome of the budget consultation as set out in Appendix 3

and the report from the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee (COSC)

in Appendix 4.

2. Approve the Council Strategy 2022-2026 - Building Back Better in Gloucestershire for recommendation to County Council (Appendix 1).

3. Approve changes to the draft budget and to approve the MTFS and final revenue and capital budget for 2022/23 for recommendation to County Council, including all of the proposals set out in the annexes of the detailed MTFS (Appendix 2).

4. Note the schools funding allocations, the provisional local government finance settlement and forecast reserve movements as summarised in this report and set out in the MTFS.

5. Recommend to Council a revenue budget of £520.268 million, a band D council tax of £1,451.36 and consequential precepts on District Councils.

6. Note the Capital Strategy and Treasury Management Strategy & Investment Strategy as set out in Annexes 7 & 10 of the detailed MTFS.

7. Approve the Risk Management Policy Statement & Strategy 2022-25 as set out in Annex 11 of the detailed MTFS for recommendation to County Council.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne and Cllr Lynden Stowe asked Cabinet to recommend the MTFS, Council Strategy, 2022/23 budget and Precept to Council.

Cllr Lynden Stowe outlined that the MTFS document (Appendix 2) covered a four year period but focussed on the financial investment in services needed in 2022/23 to deliver the objectives of the Council Strategy.

The draft budget for 2022/23 outlined how the council proposed to spend £520 million – an increase of over £37 million from the current year. Thanks to a good financial settlement from central government this additional investment could be delivered with only a 1.99% Council Tax increase plus an additional 1% Adult Social Care Precept. This amounted to less than 81p per week for a Band D household. This would ensure that GCC continued to have one of the lowest Council Tax levels when compared to other County Councils.

The draft budget proposed significant investment in key areas;

-       Over £13 million extra investment in Adult Services

-       An additional £14 million for Children Services

-       A £2 million investment in our Fire and Rescue Service

-       An additional £2m permanently allocated to Highways Local projects and Pothole repairs

-       Creation of a £1 million pa Climate Emergency Fund.

-       An additional £8 million invested in Environment and Infrastructure

In addition, the MTFS detailed a further £142 million of new capital investment – which meant that the Council now had a capital programme of £996 million – almost a billion pounds.

It was emphasised that much of the spend was focussed on addressing Climate Change and it was embedded throughout the budget.

Members were alerted to the Equality Impact Assessment which accompanied the report and the budget and strategy consultation report.

Cllr Phil Awford, Chair of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee thanked the Cabinet members for engaging with scrutiny during this process and for attending the meeting on 6 January 2022. He also thanked all scrutiny members for their comments and input to make the meeting a real success.  Scrutiny’s feedback had resulted in the following changes to the strategy:

·         Making clear that the commitment to Highways includes a new policy on road safety

·         Emphasising that the Council’s ambition for investment extends beyond the STEP fusion project to other opportunities including Cyber Central.

·         Clarifying the commitment to growing green jobs and skills

·          Underlining the fact that the strategy will deliver equally for rural and urban areas.

The Leader thanked Scrutiny for their comments and noted that the strategy had been amended to incorporate that. It was noted that the Fire and Rescue Service budget was considered separately by the Fire Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne introduced the Council Strategy that set out the priorities and ambitions for the Council and the County.  It was a key document that would determine where the Council put its resources and focussed its efforts over the next four years.   In particular it set out how the Council would deliver the commitments it had made.

Building Back Better in Gloucestershire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Cllr Lynden Stowe provided an update on the year-end forecast for the 2021/22 County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Note the forecast revenue year end position based on December 2021

(Period 9) forecasts for the 2021/22 financial year is an overspend of

£1.937 million all of which relates to non-Covid-19 expenditure, as we are

forecasting a balanced position in relation to Covid-19 expenditure and

income.

2. Note the forecast capital year end position as at the end of November

2021 of £137.147 million against the current budget of £153.294 million.

3. Approve the £450k increase to the capital programme as outlined in

Section B.

Cllr Lynden Stowe provided an update on the year-end forecast for the 2021/22 County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets

The forecast revenue year end position based on December 2021 (Period 9) forecasts for the 2021/22 financial year was an overspend of £1.937 million all of which is non Covid-19 related. A balanced position was forecast in relation to Covid-19 expenditure and income.

The largest non-Covid-19 budget variance was the £8.608 million forecast overspend in Children and Families – this overspend was partially offset by the £6.533 million underspend in Technical & Countywide.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Note the forecast revenue year end position based on December 2021

(Period 9) forecasts for the 2021/22 financial year is an overspend of

£1.937 million all of which relates to non-Covid-19 expenditure, as we are

forecasting a balanced position in relation to Covid-19 expenditure and

income.

2. Note the forecast capital year end position as at the end of November

2021 of £137.147 million against the current budget of £153.294 million.

3. Approve the £450k increase to the capital programme as outlined in

Section B.

Cllr Lynden Stowe sought Cabinet approval to award a contract in relation to the supply of Enterprise Support Services.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Approve, without further competition, the award of a call-off contract for the supply of Enterprise Support Services under Crown Commercial Services Framework RM6100 – Technology Services 3, to the preferred tenderer, namely, Cantium Business Solution Limited in accordance with the direct award criteria thereunder. The proposed call-off contract shall make provision for the supply of Enterprise Support Services to both the council and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service to the extent that the Fire Service’s requirements have been agreed in advance with the council. Such call-off contract shall continue for an initial period of two years and include options to extend its term for a further period of one year on each of its second, third and fourth anniversaries.

2. Delegate authority to the Director of People and Digital Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Change to determine whether to exercise each of the options to extend the term of such call-off contract on its second, third and fourth anniversaries.

Cllr Lynden Stowe sought Cabinet approval to award a contract in relation to the supply of Enterprise Support Services.

A new Digital and ICT service was launched in April 2021. The new service model included a mixed framework of internally provisioned services and external outsourcing to third parties. The current outsourced Enterprise Support Service (ESS) contract was provided by Cantium Business Solutions Ltd.

The County Council’s current Enterprise Support Services (ESS) contract would come to an end in March 2022. It was critical to commence the new contract at the time of expiry.

Direct award was appropriate in this instance as there was a clear understanding of the services GCC required from the ESS contract provider. The Council had been pleased with the work carried out by Cantium.

This would provide an opportunity to consider the emerging service requirements and value for money in delivering the County’s digital aspirations. It would consider new practices and the maturing service following the launch of the new Digital and ICT service in April 2021.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Approve, without further competition, the award of a call-off contract for the supply of Enterprise Support Services under Crown Commercial Services Framework RM6100 – Technology Services 3, to the preferred tenderer, namely, Cantium Business Solution Limited in accordance with the direct award criteria thereunder. The proposed call-off contract shall make provision for the supply of Enterprise Support Services to both the council and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service to the extent that the Fire Service’s requirements have been agreed in advance with the council. Such call-off contract shall continue for an initial period of two years and include options to extend its term for a further period of one year on each of its second, third and fourth anniversaries.

2. Delegate authority to the Director of People and Digital Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Change to determine whether to exercise each of the options to extend the term of such call-off contract on its second, third and fourth anniversaries.

Cllr Stephen Davies sought Cabinet permission to procure a new contract or contracts for integrated Youth Support Services, in order to discharge the Council’s statutory and partnership responsibilities towards young people aged 10 to 24 years, following the end of the current Youth Support contract on the 30^th of September 2022.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, to:

1. Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of the following four lots for the provision of Youth Support Services across Gloucestershire County Council, in order to discharge the Council’s statutory and partnership responsibilities towards young people aged 10-24 years, following the end of the current Youth Support contract on the 30th of September 2022:

a) Lot 1: Provision of Universal Services, delivering statutory core Youth Support Services from a centralised location including Youth Justice Service / Health and Mental Wellbeing / IAG/YouthHomelessness / NEET / Missing, alongside targeted countywide outreach, youth training and support.

b) Lot 2: Provision of Youth Support Services in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean;

c) Lot 3: Provision of Youth Support Services in Stroud and the Cotswolds;

d) Lot 4: Provision of Youth Support Services in Cheltenham; and Tewkesbury;

Such lots may be awarded to the same tenderer under a single contract or awarded to a number of separate tenderers under not more than four separate contracts, whose term(s) shall continue for an initial period of five years and include options to extend their terms for a further period of two additional years.

2. Award such contract or (as appropriate) contracts to the preferred tenderer(s); and

3. Determine whether to exercise the option to extend such contract(s) for a further period of two years on the fifth anniversary.

Cllr Stephen Davies sought Cabinet permission to procure a new contract or contracts for integrated Youth Support Services, in order to discharge the Council’s statutory and partnership responsibilities towards young people aged 10 to 24 years, following the end of the current Youth Support contract on 30^t September 2022.

The Council’s Youth Support contract with Prospects Services was due for review and retender in 2021. However due to the pandemic, Members agreed to extend the contract until September 2022.

The report now presented to Members detailed the proposals for a full reconfiguration and retender of the Youth Support Service, enabling the Council to discharge its statutory and partnership duties towards Gloucestershire young people aged 10-24 years.

The value of the contract was £4.716M per annum, scheduled to reoccur for an initial term of 5 years, with the potential to extend the contract for 2 additional years, totalling £33.012M over 7 years.

The Council commissioned extensive research into the evolving needs of Gloucestershire young people, including supporting The Scrutiny Task Group on Youth Engagement with its research brief and commissioning a range of independent reports and modelling of best practice, all of which had assisted to inform the key proposals set out in the Cabinet paper. 

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, to:

1. Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of the following four lots for the provision of Youth Support Services across Gloucestershire County Council, in order to discharge the Council’s statutory and partnership responsibilities towards young people aged 10-24 years, following the end of the current Youth Support contract on the 30th of September 2022:

a) Lot 1: Provision of Universal Services, delivering statutory core Youth Support Services from a centralised location including Youth Justice Service / Health and Mental Wellbeing / IAG/YouthHomelessness / NEET / Missing, alongside targeted countywide outreach, youth training and support.

b) Lot 2: Provision of Youth Support Services in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean;

c) Lot 3: Provision of Youth Support Services in Stroud and the Cotswolds;

d) Lot 4: Provision of Youth Support Services in Cheltenham; and Tewkesbury;

Such lots may be awarded to the same tenderer under a single contract or awarded to a number of separate tenderers under not more than four separate contracts, whose term(s) shall continue for an initial period of five years and include options to extend their terms for a further period of two additional years.

2. Award such contract or (as appropriate) contracts to the preferred tenderer(s); and

3. Determine whether to exercise the option to extend such contract(s) for a further period of two years on the fifth anniversary.

Cllr Philip Robinson sought Cabinet approval in order to determine the following school admission arrangements for 2023/24 academic year:

·         The Co-ordinated Admissions Schemes for all schools and academies

·         The Admission Arrangements for Community & Voluntary Controlled Schools

·         The Protocol for pupil admittance over Published Admission Number for

·         Community & Voluntary Controlled Schools and Service Personnel.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Approve the School Co-ordination and Admission Arrangements as set out in the documents referred to below:

Appendix 1 The Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2023 for all Primary/Infant/Junior/Secondary Schools and Academies

Appendix 2 The Admissions Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary/Infant/Junior Schools and Secondary School for 2023 (Including Published Admission Numbers)

Appendix 3 Protocol for pupil admittance over published admission number for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for 2023

Appendix 4 School Admissions guidance for children of UK service personnel and crown servants for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

Cllr Philip Robinson sought Cabinet approval in order to determine the following school admission arrangements for 2023/24 academic year:

·         The Co-ordinated Admissions Schemes for all schools and academies

·         The Admission Arrangements for Community & Voluntary Controlled Schools

·         The Protocol for pupil admittance over Published Admission Number for

·         Community & Voluntary Controlled Schools and Service Personnel.

School admissions were an important part of the council’s work; there needed to be a transparent, consistent system that parents and carers can have confidence in. The Government regulates admissions through its statutory School Admissions Code 2021.

The council must determine the admission arrangements for entry to community and voluntary controlled schools in the following academic year, every year. The 2023 admission arrangements were almost unchanged from previous years. As there were no significant changes to the proposed admission arrangements for 2023/2024 and therefore full public consultation was not required by law. It was recommended that Cabinet approve the proposed admission arrangements which have previously been subject to consultation.

The council also had to prepare a co-ordinated admissions scheme for all maintained schools and academies so that parents only need to apply once – this included applications for infant/ primary schools for the reception year, transfer from infant to junior school and secondary schools at year 7. 

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Approve the School Co-ordination and Admission Arrangements as set out in the documents referred to below:

Appendix 1 The Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2023 for all Primary/Infant/Junior/Secondary Schools and Academies

Appendix 2 The Admissions Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary/Infant/Junior Schools and Secondary School for 2023 (Including Published Admission Numbers)

Appendix 3 Protocol for pupil admittance over published admission number for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for 2023

Appendix 4 School Admissions guidance for children of UK service personnel and crown servants for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools