Local democracy

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - City Hall, Bradford

Contact: Jill Bell / Yusuf Patel 

Items
No. Item

31.

DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST

(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

 

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

 

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

 

Notes:

 

(1)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

 

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

 

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

 

Minutes:

In the interests of transparency Councillor Ferriby disclosed an interest in the item relating to short Breaks Provision in Bradford as a member of Nell Bank Outdoor Education Centre.

32.

MINUTES

Recommended –

 

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2021 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

 

(Jill Bell - 01274 434580)

 

Minutes:

Resolved –

 

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2021 be signed as a correct record.

 

ACTION: City Solicitor

33.

INSPECTION OF REPORTS AND BACKGROUND PAPERS

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

 

(Jill Bell / Yusuf Patel - 01274 434580 434579)

Minutes:

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict
documents.

34.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE

To note any recommendations to the Executive that may be the subject of report to a future meeting.  (Schedule to be tabled at the meeting). 

 

 (Jill Bell - 01274 434580)

 

Minutes:

Resolution from Council 13 July 2021

 

 

PETITIONS

 

Former Keighley College land keep as green space     Keighley Central

 

Resolved -

 

That the petition be referred to the Executive.

 

NOTE: In noting the receipt of the resolution from Council the Leader noted that the petition would be the subject of a report to the meeting of the Executive on 2 November 2021.

LEADER OF COUNCIL & CORPORATE

(Councillor Hinchcliffe)

35.

MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY UPDATE, 2022/23 TO 2024/25 pdf icon PDF 167 KB

The Director of Finance will present a report (Document “R”)on the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) that sets out the financial envelope for the Council to deliver its key priorities as set out in the revised Corporate Plan.

 

Prior to Covid, the outlook for Council Finances looked significantly healthier than at any point since 2010. The impact of Covid-19 on Council services through additional expenditure and reducing income, coupled with the impact on the wider economy have now altered that outlook for the worse and have added a great deal of additional uncertainty. Additional pressures on Children’s Social Care, the impact of Brexit, and delays to Government reforms of Local Government finance also add further pressures and uncertainties.

 

The revised forecast identifies for planning purposes a financial gap of £13.4m in 2022-23, increasing to £18.4m in 2023/24 and £18.8m in 2024/25.

 

Recommended -

 

That having considered the Medium Term Financial Strategy as an assessment of the Council’s financial outlook to 2024/25 , and a framework for it to remain financially viable and deliver sustainable public services, in line with its priorities, that Executive approves the updated and revised Medium Term Financial Strategy at Appendix 1 to Document “R”.

 

(Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee)

(Andrew Cross  07870 386523)

Minutes:

The Director of Finance presented a report (Document “R”)on the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) that set out the financial envelope for the Council to deliver its key priorities as set out in the revised Corporate Plan.

 

Prior to Covid, the outlook for Council Finances looked significantly healthier than at any point since 2010. The impact of Covid-19 on Council services through additional expenditure and reducing income, coupled with the impact on the wider economy had now altered that outlook for the worse and had added a great deal of additional uncertainty. Additional pressures on Children’s Social Care, the impact of Brexit, and delays to Government reforms of Local Government finance also added further pressures and uncertainties.

 

The revised forecast identified for planning purposes a financial gap of £13.4m in 2022-23, increasing to £18.4m in 2023/24 and £18.8m in 2024/25. It was noted that a number of mitigations had been put in place and that if they as a worst case, if they did not bring the budget back on track wold result in a financial gap rising from £13.4m to £42m.  It was reported that through prudent financial management in the last two years  there had been no cuts or redundancies.

 

 

The Leader noted the number of financial pressures building on this and other Councils.  She added that the Local Government Association had identified that services were being reduced by £1.4b in adult social care, that in 2016-17 nationally there were 500 child protection processes started every day compared to 200 a decade before.

 

The Healthy People and Places Portfolio Holder referred to the significant length of time that Local Authorities had been urging Government to address the issue of funding adult social care to protect vulnerable adults and noted that the burden should not fall on Local Authorities.  She commended the Bradford Enablement Support Team (BEST) that provided personal care and support to people at home when they were discharged from hospital and had been judged as outstanding and in the top quartile for keeping people in their own home as long as possible.

 

The Leader emphasised that just over 60% of the Council’s budget was spent on children’s and adult social care, protecting the most vulnerable and that there was a pressing need for it to be properly funded.  She stressed the need for surety of funding post Covid.  She added that as furlough ended this month it would have an impact on businesses and on Council revenue.

 

The Healthy People and Places Portfolio Holder noted the increased pressure on waste services brought about by people working from home which had increased the tonnage of kerbside collections she noted that there was a £1m budgetary pressure.

 

The Leader referred to the ongoing Covid pressures on finance.  Investment in prevention and early help was keeping people at home as long as possible.  She noted that more finance was being requested for education, skills and green jobs.  She added that a Government announcement was expected in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS PORTFOLIO & DEPUTY LEADER

(Councillor I Khan)

36.

SHORT BREAKS PROVISIONS IN BRADFORD pdf icon PDF 478 KB

The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services (Document “T”)that provides the Executive with a recommendation for the future provision for Short Breaks for children with disabilities in Bradford.

 

The report outlines the results of the benchmarking of peer authorities across England, to inform the basis of developing appropriate service provisions for short breaks for children with disabilities in Bradford.  

 

The report provides an overview for a proposed structure for a new Short Breaks Assessment Team, to help ensure that the Local Area has the correct resources to support the provision of Short Breaks in Bradford as part of the SEND Transformation Programme.

 

 

Recommended -

 

(1) That the Executive approve the use of departmental reserves in 21/22 to cover the partial year cost for both the Short Breaks Assessment Team and service commissions where they are commissioned in the 21/22 financial year.

 

(2)     That the Executive note that from 22/23, a formal request of £0.387m is requested to fund the Short Breaks Assessment Team as part of the Directorates budget setting process, which will be incorporated into the MTFS and 2022/23 budget considerations in the build up to budget approval at Full Council in February 2022.

 

(3)     That the Executive note that from 22/23, a formal request overall of £0.552m is requested which includes the short breaks assessment team, to fund additional services to provide short breaks for children and families in Bradford to a total value of £2.742m. This will be incorporated into MTFS and the 2022/23 budget considerations in the build up to budget approval at Full Council in February 2022.

 

(4)     That the Executive approve the development of a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment to understand the needs of children to inform commissioning intentions, to provide services for children with disabilities across the District.

 

(Children’s Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee)

 

(Stu Barratt - 01274 432111)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services (Document “T”) provided the Executive with a recommendation for the future provision for Short Breaks for children with disabilities in Bradford.

 

The report outlined the results of the benchmarking of peer authorities across England, to inform the basis of developing appropriate service provisions for short breaks for children with disabilities in Bradford.  

 

The report provided an overview for a proposed structure for a new Short Breaks Assessment Team, to help ensure that the Local Area has the correct resources to support the provision of Short Breaks in Bradford as part of the SEND Transformation Programme.

 

The Education, Employment and Skills Portfolio Holder noted that the district had a high proportion of children with special needs and disabilities; that the need to provide short breaks for parents, carers and children had been recognised and that further investment would be allocated for that provision.

 

A member of the opposition group asked to what extent the proposals reduced the Council’s vulnerability to legal challenge if it did not comply with the statutory duties relating to short breaks.  In response it was noted that there would be a SEND inspection and Ofsted would also look at the provision.  It was stressed that if a child with SEND needed the service then it would be appropriate to provide it.

 

The Leader referred to the diversity of the population of the District and asked for an assurance that all families would have equal access to provision.  In response it was noted that the authority was working with a wide range of stakeholders using the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) to ensure that there will be a breadth of service to meet their needs and improve outcomes as part of their Education health and Care Plan (EHCP).  Families would be targeted through the Parent Carers Association.

 

The Education, Employment and Skills Portfolio Holder noted that there was a lot of flexibility of provision and that it was important to ensure that the provision was tailored to meet different needs.

 

Resolved -

 

(1)     That the use of departmental reserves in 21/22 to cover the partial year cost for both the Short Breaks Assessment Team and service commissions where they are commissioned in the 21/22 financial year be approved.

 

(2)     That it be noted that from 22/23, a formal request of £0.387m is requested to fund the Short Breaks Assessment Team as part of the Directorates budget setting process, which will be incorporated into the Medium Term financial Strategy (MTFS) and 2022/23 budget considerations in the build up to budget approval at Full Council in February 2022.

 

(3)     That it be noted that from 22/23, a formal request overall of £0.552m is requested which includes the short breaks assessment team, to fund additional services to provide short breaks for children and families in Bradford to a total value of £2.742m. This will be incorporated into MTFS and the 2022/23 budget considerations in the build up to budget approval  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

37.

CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION THEMATIC REVIEW 2021 pdf icon PDF 107 KB

The Chief Executive will submit a report (Document “S”)on the CSE Thematic Review which was commissioned in 2019 by the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, subsequently replaced by the Bradford Partnership – Working Together to Safeguard Children. The three statutory partners of the Partnership are the Council, Police and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and also a number of key agencies, designated as “relevant agencies” are also members. It has an independent chair and scrutineer- Jane Booth.

 

The review was commissioned in accordance with governmental guidance in force at the time and focuses on the response of the agencies in Bradford to Child Sexual Exploitation. Five specific cases formed the basis of the review, two non-recent cases of CSE which have already been in the public domain and the media and three more recent cases.  The review also includes a review of three more recent cases.  It was led by an independent author Clare Hyde MBE.  The review looks in detail at the experiences of five children.  It spans a 20-year period from 2001 through a range of political administrations and officers.  No individuals are named- the report focuses on children and learning.

 

The review was published on the 27th of July 2021

 

Recommended -

 

(1)       The Executive is invited to note the report

 

(2)       That Executive receive a full report in November on current work in relation to   exploitation of both children and adults and that this includes details of work in relation to the CSE actions in the Thematic review.

 

(3)       The Council commit to working closely with partners to deliver on      the actions within the developmental action plan and progressing     the extensive wider work presently on going in Bradford

 

 

(Children’s Services Overview &Scrutiny Committee)

 

(Darren Minton – 01274 434361)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive submitted a report (Document “S”)on the CSE Thematic Review which was commissioned in 2019 by the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, subsequently replaced by the Bradford Partnership – Working Together to Safeguard Children. The three statutory partners of the Partnership were the Council, Police and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and also a number of key agencies, designated as “relevant agencies” were also members. It had an independent chair and scrutineer- Jane Booth.

 

The review was commissioned in accordance with governmental guidance in force at the time and focused on the response of the agencies in Bradford to Child Sexual Exploitation. Five specific cases formed the basis of the review, two non-recent cases of CSE which had already been in the public domain and the media and three more recent cases.  The review also included a review of three more recent cases.  It was led by an independent author Clare Hyde MBE.  The review looked in detail at the experiences of five children.  It spanned a 20-year period from 2001 through a range of political administrations and officers.  No individuals were named- the report focused on children and learning.

 

The review was published on the 27th of July 2021.  The Chair of the Bradford Partnership noted that the report had been relatively well received.  She added that the report reflected back over years of practice and that despite many positives identified such as Bradford establishing a multi-agency hub early and partnership working, the whole country was on a learning curve regarding CSE.  The report highlighted the damage done to individuals.  The report was framed according to  national guidelines with the purpose of identifying if there were still things to learn.

 

The Strategic Director Bradford District and Craven Clinical commissioning Group noted that the Health Service had a crucial role in safeguarding individuals from CSE, providing training so that staff could recognise the signs of CSE.  He stressed the importance of all agencies working together in strong partnerships to address issues regarding CSE.

 

The Strategic Director of Children’s Services noted the distressing nature of the report.  He emphasised that the multi-agency response to CSE would identify and keep children safe and that perpetrators would be brought to justice.  He stressed the strength in partnership working.

 

The Leader referred to the shocking crimes perpetrated against young people and how their lives had been damaged.  She noted that victims were both male and female and across ethnicities.  She stressed the need to ensure that vulnerable children were protected.

 

The Children and Families Portfolio Holder referred to the horrendous nature of the crimes that preyed on young people and demonstrated the worst aspects of human behaviour.  She noted that perpetrators came from all classes and cultures and that focusing on one area left another avenue open to abusers.  She asked the partnership whether everything was being focussed on and identifying potential avenues for abuse to take place.

 

The Chair of the Bradford Partnership responded that the vast majority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

38.

MINUTES OF THE WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY pdf icon PDF 55 KB

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority held on 22 April and 24 June 2021 (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority held on 22 April and 24 June 2021 were received.