To consider the appended draft refresh to the Shropshire Council Business Plan and Financial Strategy 2014-2017. 

The Committee considered the draft refresh of the Council’s Business Plan and the Financial Strategy 2015/16 to 2016/17 that included updates in expenditure.

Members were mindful that the Council’s draft settlement had been received and this would be included in the updated Financial Strategy that would be reported to Council in February 2015 together with the update of the Capital programme that would be included in the Business Plan.

In response to a Member’s request, the Head of Finance, Governance and Assurance confirmed that the consultation responses received by the Council could be made available to Members and confirmed that they would be circulated prior to the Council meeting on 26 February 2015.

Council Tax Support Grant

A minority of Members vehemently objected to the recommended removal of the allocation of Council Tax Support Grant to Town and Parish Councils for 2015/16 and future year’s Council Tax reduction scheme.  It was recognised the funding was not ring fenced for this purpose but that Council would be the final arbiter. 

Comments were made on the short notice given to Parish and Town Councils on the recommended removal of this funding and its subsequent retention by the Council. And the damage that could result in the relationship between the Council and the Shropshire Parish and Town Councils. 

Other issues raised during the debate on this issue included:

·         Work with Parish and Town Clerks was ongoing and was providing an opportunity to work together to provide better accountability for very local services

·         It was recognised that some Parish/Town Councils were better placed than others; it was understood that some may have to raise their precept

·         It was understood that the recommendation to Cabinet had been made because of the huge pressure on the Adult Social Care budget but some Members were concerned that it amounted only to ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’

·         The feedback from a forthcoming ALC conference would be considered as part of the budget consultation

It was recognised that consultation on this issue was ongoing but some Members considered that a strong comment should be made by the Committee. 

A proposal to recommend to Cabinet the retention of the allocation of Council Tax Support Grant to Town and Parish Councils for 2015/16 was defeated.

Adult Social Care [ASC]

The Committee noted that service redesign was ongoing and a projected £10M saving was anticipated in the current year; despite the Council’s low care cost per head there was a very high level of satisfaction at 96%.  

It was acknowledged that problems had arisen beyond the Council’s control largely because people already within the ASC system were living longer and those who were self-funding had run out of funds.  Of those coming into the care system less than 50% were coming into residential care as better alternatives were being found.

The Committee acknowledged the ongoing process of redesign in ASC that had continuing benefits that would roll forward.  Figures presented to the Committee represented the ongoing position but it was accepted that this was continually evolving as service redesign was implemented. 

Children and Young People’s Services

The Committee noted that transport costs were being reviewed across the whole Council and, as Children’s Services had the largest transport budget, it was likely that this service area could probably make the biggest saving.

It was noted that savings were planned as a result of:

·         The renegotiation of contracts

·         Early prevention work to prevent children coming into care in the first place [if safe to do so]

Members noted the aim to ensure that children were properly looked after and safe whilst ensuring money was not wasted.   The Committee was pleased to learn that many schools were renewing their contracts with the Council’s education services that continued to offer a quality service to meet the current needs of schools.

Impact of ip&e

In answer to a Member’s query whether profit from ip&e could be ploughed back into services in order to reduce the planned budget cuts, the Leader advised that profitability was slowly improving.

General remarks re future scrutiny of the budget

In bringing the debate to a close the Chairman queried whether scrutiny consideration of the budget would be better undertaken during the summer months in order to allow the scrutiny process to be more informed and have the opportunity to input into the process at an earlier stage.  Members supported revised timetabling for scrutiny consideration of the budget and it was noted that this could be developed as part of the redesign of the scrutiny process.

RESOLVED:

i)             That responses received by the Council to its budget consultation process be made available to all Members in the Members’ Services office and emailed to members of the Performance Management Scrutiny Committee before the Council meeting on 26 February 2015; and

ii)            That consideration be given to Scrutiny Committee meetings being timetabled in future to allow consideration of the budget throughout the year with a review of all information available to take place during the summer months.