Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Sandwell Council House, Oldbury. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services 

Items
No. Item

15/21

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence.

 

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Moore. 

 

16/21

Declarations of Interest

Members to declare any interests in matters to be discussed at the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declartions of interest made.

 

 

17/21

Minutes pdf icon PDF 52 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2021 as a correct record.

 

Minutes:

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2021 are approved as a correct record.

18/21

Additional Items of Business

To determine whether there are any additional items of business to be considered as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no additional items of business to consider.

 

 

19/21

Corporate Plan 2020-2025 - Refresh 2021 pdf icon PDF 381 KB

To consider progress and the steps taken to co-produce the refresh of the Corporate Plan 2020-2025.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the refreshed Corporate Plan, which set out the strategic priorities for the council and details future service provision to achieve them.

 

The Corporate Plan would inform how each directorate would spend the target budget available to them.

 

Following approval of the Corporate Plan by Council on 10 March 2020, it was proposed to work with staff, members, partners and the community to develop delivery plans detailing the action needed to achieve the strategic priorities.  However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Council’s and partner focus had been diverted to the initial response and establishing longer term support mechanisms. 

 

A series of engagement events with members, staff and partners had subsequently been undertaken to understand the impact of the pandemic on our communities and to develop actions to address key issues affecting residents. 

 

A refresh of the detailed actions that underpin the delivery of the strategic objectives was required at this time to ensure that the Corporate Plan took into account the impact of the pandemic on Sandwell as a whole and on the organisation.

 

In developing the revised actions that underpin the strategic outcomes, all Directors had been provided with individual comments received during the engagements sessions in order that these were considered to help shape each outcome. 

 

In addition, conversations had led to changes from the original iteration of the Corporate Plan and had now strengthened:-

 

        our commitment to improving standards of cleanliness across the borough;

        our drive to ensure that everyone feels safe in the communities they live in;

        our commitment to whole life care and choice.


 

 

It was proposed to go back to stakeholders, including each school that had been visited, in the autumn to tell them how their feedback had helped to shape our plan, and get their help to develop a young person’s version of the Corporate Plan.

 

Having considered the refreshed plan, members of the Board commented that:-

 

·               work was now needed to develop business plans with key milestones and timelines identified so as to measure progress against tangible outcomes.  It was noted that this was the next phase of the plan Directorate business plans would be realigned to the financial plan and would be would be considered in February 2022;

·               more engagement was needed with members on the Corporate Plan and knowledge of what was happening in each ward. It was felt that more Member Briefings should be carried out to keep members informed;

·               periodic reporting on the Corporate Plan to be provided to the Scrutiny Board for consideration;

·               that the Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board be invited to further engagement sessions with young people at schools;

·               that further work be done with residents to ensure that as many residents as possible are responding an that responses are representative of the communities in Sandwell.

 

Resolved:-

 

(1)          that the progress and the steps taken to co-produce the refresh of the Corporate Plan 2020-2025 be noted;

 

(2)          that the comments of Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19/21

20/21

Quarter 1 Budget Monitoring 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 71 KB

To consider financial monitoring for individual directorates as at 30 June 2021 (Quarter 1 2021/22).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

At its meeting on 1 September 2021, the Cabinet referred the financial monitoring for individual directorates as at 30 June 2021 (Quarter 1 2021/22) report to the Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board for consideration and comment.

 

The Board noted that services were projecting an over spend of £4.621m against allocated budgets, however, after adjusting for reserves, corporate resources, RCCO and the application of centrally held Covid-19 grant funding, the adjusted projected outturn was an under spend of £6.185m.

 

Services were continuing to experience the financial impact of Covid, most significantly a loss of income due to suspended or significantly reduced services. Pressures of £7.610m were expected to be managed through the centrally held Covid funding which was from the unused balance of grants received in 2020/21 and additional grants received or anticipated for part of 2021/22.

 

In addition to the Covid related issues, services were reporting a number of significant ongoing operational pressures which would need to be incorporated into the next refresh of the corporate medium term financial strategy.

 

In relation to questions raised by the Board, the Director – Finance clarified that:-

 

·               There had been an underspend in Adult Social Care due to:

 

-       the receipt of NHS funding to support hospital discharges in the sum of £900,000, however, after quarter 2, this funding would not be available;

-       at the height of Covid-19, Sandwell had seen significant deaths in nursing homes and therefore the number of people in care had decreased by 15%.  Numbers were now increasing and was expected to go back to pre-Covid levels;

-       during the pandemic, residents were reluctant to come to the Council to receive care and with many family members staying at home, they were looking after vulnerable residents;

 

·               a further report would be submitted to Cabinet to quantify the underspend in Adult Social Care and recommend how it should be used.

 

In response to concerns raised regarding seeing a roadmap on budget spend, it was reported that this report being considered outlined the Council’s current financial monitoring position.  In relation to the budget 2022-23, this work was in progress.  A report would be considered by Council in December to ensure that the budget was sustainable and would be submitted to Cabinet and to the Scrutiny Board for consideration as part of the budget setting process.

 

 

21/21

Cabinet Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 186 KB

To consider the Cabinet Forward Plan.

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Management Board noted the Cabinet Forward Plan as at the time of the meeting.

 

22/21

Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board Work Programme 2021-22 pdf icon PDF 65 KB

To consider and approve items for inclusion in the Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board Work Programme 2021-22.

 

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Management Board noted its work programme for the remainder of the 2021-22 municipal year.

 

The Chair requested that further updates on the Sandwell Leisure Trust be provided to the Board to monitor progress made following consideration of matters by the Board in the 2020/21 municipal year.