Agenda and minutes

Venue: Town Hall, Moorgate Street, Rotherham.

Contact: James McLaughlin, Head of Democratic Services  The webcast can be viewed at http://www.rotherham.public-i.tv

Items
No. Item

139.

Minutes of the previous meetings held on 28 and 29 January 2020 pdf icon PDF 130 KB

To consider the minutes of the previous meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 28 and 29 January and approve them as true and correct records of the proceedings.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:-

 

That the minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 28 and 29 January 2020 be approved as true and correct records of the proceedings.

140.

Declarations of Interest

 

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

141.

Questions from Members of the Public and the Press

 

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no questions from members of the public or press.

142.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

Minutes:

The Chair advised that there were no items of business on the agenda that would require the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

143.

Gender Pay Gap Reporting 2019 pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Cabinet Portfolio: Corporate Services and Finance

Strategic Directorate: Assistant Chief Executive

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which detailed Gender Pay Gap information that the Council is statutorily obliged to publish. The gender pay gap shows the difference in the average pay between all men and women in a workforce. The smaller the value of the gap, the more equal the pay gap is between genders. If a workforce has a particularly high gender pay gap, this can indicate there may a number of issues to deal with, and the individual calculations may help to identify what those issues are.

 

It was reported that the median gender pay gap for the Council at the end of March 2019 was almost the same as the previous year, increasing from 13.3% to 13.4%.  The mean pay gap also increased from 9.9% to 10.6% after falling from 11.5% the previous year. Officers reported that analysis of the underlying data did not identify any specific cause that could explain the changes.

 

Whilst there was no legislative requirement to publish information on other protected characteristics, analysis for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) employees showed the Council had a negative 8.2% median pay gap and negative 4.3% mean pay gap. For disabled employees there was a negative 6.6% median and a negative 2.6% mean.  The negative pay gap indicated that both BME and disabled employees were paid more than non-BME/disabled employees.

 

As a large employer, the proportions of male and female employees in the different quartiles in terms of salary did fluctuate over the year.  Since 2013  significant reductions had occurred in both the median and the mean gender pay gap from around 20% down to current figures of around 10%.  Numbers of female staff in the top five percent of earners had increased to 65% over this period and half the strategic leadership team were female, which was positive in terms of representation in senior posts.  Initiatives were in place to bring the gender pay gap down, including regularly reviewing HR policies, particularly where they linked to recruitment, to ensure no unconscious or conscious barriers to recruiting females existed.  Attention was drawn to staff development work, the new apprenticeships and Rotherham leader programme.

 

Members asked about data tracking the career progression of part-time employees.  Officers confirmed that as part of the wider workforce data reported on data was available on the number of promotions and from tracking the outcomes of  internal and external recruitment adverts.  This data all fed into the reviews of HR policies and processes,  together with feedback from colleagues.  The employee opinion survey outcomes had recently discussed by Scrutiny and the survey was another means of getting feedback, in addition to focus groups on specific issues. Further data would be provided by officers.

 

There was a view that further progress would depend on breaking down gender stereotypes around job roles and on addressing the impact of career breaks for caring responsibilities that still impacted more on female staff members. As per the legislation, anything around carers responsibilities was open to females and males,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 143.

144.

Adult Care Budget Forecast and Savings Update pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Cabinet Portfolio: Adult Social Care and Health

Strategic Directorate: Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which provided an update of the forecast budget position for Adult Care, Housing General Fund and Public Health. The savings plan was an integral part of the financial position and further information was provided to explain the impact in 2019/20 and how this relates to the Council’s Budget report.

 

It was reported that the Adult Care Housing and Public Health Directorate had forecast an overspend of £1.4m, largely as a result of an increase in demand for Adult Social Care.  This was based on full delivery of savings identified by implementing the new target operating model and part year savings from the reassessment programme and review of Learning Disability services. It was noted that, whilst the overall number of people in receipt of care was stable, people were presenting with increasingly complex needs and the average cost was increasing.  There were timing issues associated with the delivery of some savings and also some budget pressures which had been addressed in the Council’s Budget report (minute 313 refers).  The principle remained that the Adult Care savings would be delivered in full by 2021/22, either in the way originally proposed or by approved variations where required.

 

Members noted that the new Targeted Operating Model (TOM) was implemented on 21 October 2019 and all of the key milestones had been met. The planned savings of £1.6m in 2019/20 and £3.1m in 2020/21 were forecast to be fully delivered. It was noted that this was a significant change programme for the directorate, where halfway through the financial year the whole service moved to a new staffing structure; including new pathways and new ways of working. The change was supported by a workforce development programme and had been also supported by external partners. This was a people centred programme designed to empower and engage staff from front line through to senior leaders, which had been implemented and utilised across the Health and Care system. It was a 12-15-week programme, where the purpose for Rotherham would be to build capability and confidence in the workforce to be able to deliver the future model. This had now been completed with further training planned throughout next financial year to support the ongoing professional development of staff.

 

It was reported that the Reassessment Programme aimed to ensure that care packages were proportionate across Older People, Physical Disability and Mental Health client groups by undertaking care package reviews of existing eligible customers. It was noted that the difficulty in recruiting staff had impacted the ability of the reassessment teams to deliver the required level of activity. In April 2019 the rolling Adult Social Care Social Worker recruitment campaign had commenced, to address the vacancy pressures as well as applying more rigorous selection processes to raise the standards of candidates and quality of workforce. The reassessment team was now at full capacity, but initial delays had meant the saving would not be fully delivered in 2019/20.

 

Furthermore, it was reported that the My Front Door  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144.

145.

Adult Care, Housing & Public Health Market Position Statement 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 373 KB

Cabinet Portfolios: Adult Social Care and Health

                             Housing

Strategic Directorate: Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A short presentation introduced the Adult Care, Housing & Public Health Market Position Statement 2020/21, setting the context and outlining duties under the Care Act 2014.  The Rotherham Market Position Statement (MPS) would cover all aspects of commissioning requirements for Adult Care, Public Health and Housing from 2020/21 onwards, setting out the Council’s intentions and expectations.  Increasingly the role of housing was viewed as fundamental to delivering desired outcomes, not just in terms of permanent accommodation but also buildings to support general needs, hence inclusion of elements of housing in the MPS. 

 

Provider feedback had informed the development of the MPS, with commissioning intentions and timeframes named as the most important thing from a business perspective - what was wanted and when, how much money was available and how to bid in.  A move away from traditional provider/commissioner relationships towards one of greater partnership and co-design/co-production, with a strong values base, was envisaged.  Regular communication, engagement and relationship building with providers would be essential,  and less segregation of providers, especially where cross-cutting issues emerged.

 

Although a non-digital document would be published in April 2020, Members were informed that it would primarily be an on-line MPS to allow for regular editing and refreshes to keep the content current and relevant. The core content to populate it initially would be drawn from the paper included in the agenda pack.  Information would be set out under key themes in five broad areas to facilitate people being able to go straight to pertinent issues without having to go through a lengthy paper document:-

 

1 Understanding Demand – Introduction, Demographic Change and Service Take-up

2 Understanding the Market - Market Overview, Self-funders, Quality, Workforce, Sustainability and Resources

3 The Vision - Models of Housing, Care and Support and Commissioning Intentions

4 Commissioners Approach to the Market - Managing the relationship, Future Support and Key Dates and Timelines

5 Useful Links and Key Contacts

 

More detail was provided for each of the three specific commissioning intentions, as set out below.

 

“Act to help yourself”

        Further test digital solutions e.g. Alexa technology

        Support community capacity building and neighbourhood working

        Implement “Active Solutions” Pre front door with Age UK – voluntary and community sector (VCS) mobile information and advice hubs

        Support and jointly develop town centre unpaid Carers Hub with Crossroads

        Continue to promote “5 Ways to Wellbeing” – using key tools to keep people safe

 

“Act when you need it”

        Mobilisation of new model for Home Care April 2020 - 1300 people in customer base  and a successful tender process with social value aspects that resulted from that tender with the providers all agreeing to pay their staff the real living wage

        Explore Dynamic Purchasing System for a range of Learning Disability and Autism services including accommodation/support - mechanism to bring in new providers or to develop more coherent pricing, learning from the use of the dynamic purchasing system for home care

        Increase the number of flexible Core & Cluster Supported  ...  view the full minutes text for item 145.

146.

Update on Adult Social Care Restructure and Pathway pdf icon PDF 109 KB

Cabinet Portfolio: Adult Social Care and Health

Strategic Directorate: Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to an update in respect of the Adult Social Care restructure and pathway, which was implemented on 21 October 2019. The main aims of the new structure and pathways were to ensure a more customer focussed and responsive offer to the residents of Rotherham resulting in less waiting times at point of contact; a stronger reablement offer enabling more people to regain independence; increase the continuity of council staff involved; a simpler structure for residents and partners to understand and to raise practice standards and overall performance.

 

Members noted the following developments:

 

·       Adult Social Care had been successfully completed with a very small number of compulsory redundancies.

·       The Reablement service had been able to increase the number of people who it supported at any one time, which had resulted in more people having access to vital reablement, regaining independence and confidence for the future.

·       More people could contact the council and inquire about adult social care services without waiting.

·       Extensive workforce development programme was in place, increasing competence and improving practice in line with the objectives of the new Pathway.

·       The Coaching programme had been successful in building leadership skills and had resulted in a new ‘Operating Rhythm’ for teams that included daily ‘huddles’, assisted by technology that enabled key information and actions to be shared and freed up time in the day to respond to people’s needs and enquiries.

·       Overall performance had improved since implementation.

 

It was reported that a Sector Led Improvement Regional Peer Challenge had taken place in early February and had identified the following strengths:

 

·       Leadership was strong throughout the directorate

·       very clear evidence around partnership working (internally and externally)

·       strong investment in workforce

·       culture had changed in a positive way

·       coherent performance management framework

 

The challenge had also identified the following areas for further consideration:

 

·       Pathway clarity

·       Sufficient capacity

·       Sustainability

·       Celebrating successes

·       Improving the Carers offer

 

Attention was drawn to the fact that this restructure and development of the TOM had been a major piece of work that affected nearly 400 staff over a period of months.  The overall planning and engagement with staff about what the vision needed to be formed a key element of this before the formal restructuring process and the new pathway came into being in October.  Specialist teams had been replaced with more generic teams which meant the breadth of knowledge and competence required by staff now was much broader but this was felt to be appropriate for social workers.

 

A formal six month review of the restructure was approaching to look at its impact, the benefits and any areas that still needed to be worked on and improved.  Whilst it was a very positive message the service was in the middle of a change programme, with the restructuring and the new pathways just one part of that.   Embedding the new practices and new ways of working would take some time to actually deliver. A change programme had been needed to organise and improve services but as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 146.

147.

Outcomes of Workshop on Sickness Absence pdf icon PDF 136 KB

To consider a briefing outlining the outcomes from a recent workshop with Scrutiny Members in respect of managing sickness absence.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a briefing paper which detailed the outcomes of the third in a series of workshops in relation to specific underperforming measures in the Council Plan identified as a concern by Members. The session had followed a similar format to previous ones with an initial briefing and detailed presentation setting out corporate and directorate level performance on the measure and actions to address the underpinning issues. Directorates provided more detail of actions they were taking and highlighted any service-specific matters. The session focused on:-

 

·       Measure 5D2 - Sickness Absence is managed and staff wellbeing supported

·       Definition: Number of days lost per full-time equivalent (FTE) – target 10.3 days

·       Long term sickness absence - 20 or more days as this accounts for 70% days lost

 

It was reported that Members had felt positive about the improvements made recently regarding this measure. The importance of training and guidance was highlighted, as it was good to have greater consistency in the application of policies across all job roles and services. Members recognised the use of measures to keep people in work with the right support and acknowledged how redeployment and phased returns could facilitate this process. It was noted that wider policies to support disabled employees and people with caring responsibilities would continue to be important.

 

The following recommendations from the workshop were endorsed by the Board:-

 

·       That consideration be given to developing guidance for managers around enhanced emotional support for employees during a restructure, given the links to absence through stress and anxiety.

·       That data be disaggregated regarding absence through anxiety, stress and depression, as these should be recorded as discrete issues and to have a better understanding of sickness absence.

·       That follow up work be undertaken to ensure managers proactively support staff and manage workloads across teams to prevent any potential knock on effect in terms of sickness absence as a result of staff assuming additional work to cover for an initial long-term sickness absentee.

 

Resolved:-

 

1)    That the recommendations from the workshop be supported.

 

2)    That the recommendations be forwarded to Cabinet for a response.

148.

Youth Cabinet/Young People's Issues

 

To receive an update on the activities of the Youth Cabinet and other Young People’s Issues.

Minutes:

It was confirmed that arrangements for the Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Challenge with Rotherham Youth Cabinet were going to plan with a number of officers and partners lined up to answer the young people’s questions regarding hate crime.

149.

Work in Progress - Select Commissions

 

To receive updates from the Chairs of the Select Commission on work undertaken and planned for the future.

 

Minutes:

The Chairs of the Select Commissions provided an update on their recent work:-

 

Health Select Commission

 

Councillor Keenan, Chair of the Health Select Commission, provided an update on the activities of the Health Select Commission:-

 

Two good opportunities had been taken to inform the final drafts of important plans.  The first was a dedicated session on the refresh of the Rotherham Integrated Health and Social Care Place Plan.  Health Select emphasised the importance of autism in its own right rather than being seen as part of learning disability and mental health and that would be recognised in the plan.  Secondly, on the loneliness plan, key feedback from HSC was around linking the plan to the Carers Strategy and that work with schools was needed on loneliness.

 

Vice Chair Cllr R Elliott chaired a workshop session with Rotherham Hospital to look at progress on their quality priorities for this year and actions in response to the Care Quality Commission re-inspection.

 

Progress on the Autism Strategy and Implementation Plan had also been reported back, together with the outcomes of consultation on respiratory services and next steps for implementing the new model.

 

In March the Select Commission would be looking at the Local Authority declaration on healthy weight; work with Care Homes including the Quality Strategy, and progress on Learning Disability transformation.

 

Improving Places Select Commission

 

Councillor Mallinder, Chair of Improving Places Select Commission, provided an update on the activities of that committee:-

 

In February the Select Commission issued recommendations on

·       a review of the Major Incident Plan

·       the Council’s response to the November 2019 floods

·       and the Council’s plans for future flood defences.

Plans for Member visits to Herringthorpe Cemetery to look at the land for additional burial plots and to Gulliver’s were also in place.

 

On the agenda for the next meeting would be monitoring updates and discussion on the following:-

·       Vehicle immobilization for persistent evaders

·       Enforcement collaboration with Doncaster Council

·       CCTV installations in Wards

·       Public Space Protection Orders in the Town Centre and Fitzwilliam Road areas

·       Progress of the Town Centre and Forge Island developments

Improving Lives Select Commission

 

An update on the activities of the Improving Lives Select Commission would be circulated following the meeting.

 

Resolved:- That the updates be noted.

 

150.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions - February to April 2020 pdf icon PDF 307 KB

To review and identify items for pre-decision scrutiny from the Forward Plan of Key Decisions covering the period from February – April 2020.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period from February to April 2020 detailing the decisions to be taken by the Cabinet over that three-month period.

 

Members identified the following reports for pre-decision scrutiny at the meeting on 18 March 2020:-

 

·       Climate Change Action Plan

·       Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing Policy

·       Gambling Act 2005 – Statement of Licensing Policy

·       Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy

·       Clean Air Zone Final Business Case

 

Resolved:-

 

1.     That the Forward Plan of Key Decisions from February to April 2020 be noted.

 

2.     That the following reports be presented for pre-decision scrutiny on 18 March 2020:-

 

·       Climate Change Action Plan

·       Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing Policy

·       Gambling Act 2005 – Statement of Licensing Policy

·       Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy

·       Clean Air Zone Final Business Case

151.

Call-in Issues

 

To consider any issues referred for call-in from recent Cabinet meetings.

Minutes:

The Chair reported that no decisions from the recent Cabinet meeting held on 17 February 2020 had been called in for scrutiny.

152.

Urgent Business

 

To determine any item which the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

The Chair advised that there were no items of business requiring urgent consideration by the Board.

153.

Date and time of next meeting

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held on Thursday 12 March 2020 at 5p.m. at Rotherham Town Hall.

Minutes:

Resolved:-

 

That the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be held on Thursday 12 March 2020, commencing at 5.00 p.m. in Rotherham Town Hall.