Agenda and minutes

To consider the minutes of the previous meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 2 and 16 December 2020 and to approve them as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

Resolved: - That the Minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, held on 2 and 16 December 2020, be approved as a correct record of proceedings.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

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

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

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

There were no items requiring the exclusion of the public or press. 

Cabinet Portfolio: - Leader

Strategic Directorate: - Assistant Chief Executive

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 25 January 2021 that provided an update on how the Council was currently responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and that also outlined proposals to introduce a local self-isolation support payment scheme. The Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive, the Assistant Chief Executive, the Strategic Director – Adult Care, Housing and Public Health and the Director of Public Health attended the meeting to present the report.

The Leader noted that in addition to the national scheme of payments designed to support individuals who were required to self-isolate as a result of a positive diagnosis or from having been in close contact with an individual that had tested positive, the Council had been administering a scheme of discretionary payments for individuals who would as a result of self-isolating experience financial hardship but who were not in receipt of a qualifying benefit. 

The Leader advised that for the discretionary payments scheme the Government would not be providing any additional funding once the funding that had already been allocated had been used. As such each local authority would be required to manage their allocation of funding by either making smaller payments, stopping payments once the fund had been exhausted or looking to fund discretionary payments through another route. It was noted that discretionary payments fund at Rotherham was expected to have been fully utilised during January 2021. The Leader advised that in order to address the likely shortfall on the discretionary payments scheme that it was being proposed that an additional discretionary payments fund be established that was funded with a sum of up to £100,000 to come from the Council’s allocation of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF), £2.123m. 

In addition to the additional funding being used to enable discretionary payments to continue to be made the Leader advised that the it was proposed that a local self-isolation payments scheme be established to further support the Contain Strategy by further supporting and encouraging self-isolation where required. The Leader advised that the proposed local scheme would broadly follow the same principles of the Government’s self-isolation support payment scheme, but that entitlement would not be based on financial hardship, The Leader advised that the only requirement to be able access the scheme would be for individuals to be able to provide evidence of loss of income due to having had to self-isolate.  The Leader stated that the aim of the scheme would be to encourage and incentivise individuals to self-isolate if they were required to do so. It was noted that the payments of £250 and would be funded from the COMF, with a maximum funding allocation of £100,000.

The report provided an update that was summarised by the Chief Executive and the Assistant Chief Executive on key activities surrounding the pandemic including support for businesses, community testing, enforcement activity, the Community Hub and support for vulnerable residents and the roll out of the vaccination  ...  view the full minutes text for item 288.

Cabinet Portfolio: - Corporate Services and Finance

Strategic Directorate: - Finance and Customer Services

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 25 January 2021 that set out the financial position of the Council as at the end of November 2020. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Finance, the Strategic Director - Finance and Customer Services and the Head of Corporate Finance attended the meeting to present the report.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services advised that the report was the latest in a series of financial monitoring reports and noted that the current report detailed the Council’s the financial position as at the end of November 2020. The Cabinet Member stated that as at November 2020, the Council had a forecast year-end overspend of £23.6m on the General Fund, this  however was mitigated in part by the Governments provision of COVID-19 emergency support grant and a Sales, Fees and Charges Income Compensation scheme that meant that the net forecast budget outturn was showing a £0.9m overspend was being forecast.

The report provided a full and detailed analysis on the current budget position (as at November 2020) for each of the Council’s directorates as well as current information regarding the Council’s Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme.

The Strategic Director – Finance and Customer Services assured members that despite the current projected overspend of £0.9m, that there was high confidence that there would be a balanced budget position by the end of the financial year.

The Chair noted the delayed implementation of the savings that had been detailed in the budget and asked what activity was taking place with directorates to ensure that the required savings that had been deferred until next year would be delivered. The Strategic Director advised that work was ongoing with directorates to ensure that the required savings were delivered and assured members that directorates understood clearly that it was essential that the savings that had been deferred to next year were delivered.

Members noted how well, in comparison to many other local authorities that the Council was managing the financial challenges created by the pandemic.

Members asked whether the recent bad winter weather, that had included several weeks of sub-zero night-time temperatures, snow and heavy rain would create any difficulties for the budget with regards to winter maintenance. The Strategic Director advised that the work had been carried out over recent years to realign budgets and to ensure that directorate budgets were realistic would ensure that the winter maintenance budget would be able to cover the demands of the recent bad weather. The Strategic Director - Regeneration and Environment who was in attendance at the meeting advised that while extra winter maintenance activity was budgeted for it would possibly have an impact on the delivery of other services due to staff being redeployed to work on winter maintenance activities and away from other activities. The Strategic Director also assured the Chair that staffing costs were as expected and that there were no concerns related to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 289.

Cabinet Portfolio: - Jobs and the Local Economy

Strategic Directorate: - Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 25 January 2021 regarding proposals for the delivery of a Community Energy Switching Scheme. The Strategic Director – Regeneration Environment, the Assistant Director - Planning, Regeneration and Transport and the Environment, Energy and Data Manager attended the meeting to present the report.

The report stated that a community energy switching scheme would be open to all Rotherham residents and the aim of the scheme would be to reduce the number of households paying high tariffs for gas and electricity and consequently reduce fuel poverty. It was noted that though the scheme would be open to all residents, it would be of particular benefit for harder to reach and vulnerable residents, who may not be able to access energy switching services independently.

The development of a community energy switching scheme had first been approved by Cabinet on 17 December 2018, with Robin Hood Energy subsequently being awarded the contract, however due to various problems with the contract and Robin Hood Energy ceasing to trade a new approach had been needed to be developed. The Strategic Director – Regeneration and Environment noted that on 20 July 2020 that Cabinet had approved a procurement process in order to identify a potential partner to develop a Community Energy Switching scheme. However, as only one bid had been received from a company that could not provide the level of service that was required, as well as not having all the required licences, the bid had been deemed to be a non-compliant bid.

The Strategic Director advised that due to the difficulties experienced with finding a suitable delivery partner the option that had also been approved by Cabinet on 20 July 2020 for the development of an internally delivered scheme as an alternative approach had been pursued.

The report stated that an internally managed scheme would be delivered by a Community Energy Officer that in 2020/21 would be funded from a combination of National Energy Action grant of £14,091 and directorate approved revenue budget. It was noted that further external funding, when available, would be used to extend or grow the scheme.

Members noted the length of time that the development of an energy switching scheme had been in development and agreed that the proposed option would enable activity to take place that would support residents who may not have the skills or internet access in order to switch energy providers.

The Chair asked how residents who needed support to switch providers, and who did not have access to the internet would be reached and engaged with. The Environment, Energy and Data Manager advised that online engagement activity would be supplemented by work with community groups and voluntary organisations in community settings that would ensure that those residents who did not have access to the internet could be engaged with and supported.

Members noted that the name of the scheme did not clearly describe its proposed purpose  ...  view the full minutes text for item 290.

Cabinet Portfolio: - Waste, Roads and Community Safety

Strategic Directorate: - Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 25 January 2021 that detailed proposals for the recommissioning of Domestic Abuse Support Services. The Cabinet Member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety, the Assistant Director - Community Safety and Street Scene and the Head of Community Safety and Regulatory Services attended the meeting to present the report.

Councillors Clark and Simpson, as members of the Improving Lives Select Commission joined the meeting at this point. The Chair had invited members of the Improving Lives Select Commission to attend the meeting for this item as Domestic Abuse Support Services had been an area of focus for the Commission.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety advised that Domestic Abuse remained a key priority for the Council and its partners through the Safer Rotherham Partnership (SRP). The report stated that current commissioned Domestic Abuse Support Service contracts were scheduled to come to an end on 30 September 2021. It was noted that a range of consultation, engagement and review activity had already taken place in respect of domestic abuse services and that this information would be used to identify the key issues that needed to be addressed as part of the recommissioning process and  the establishment of a new system of support for victims of domestic abuse. The Cabinet Member advised the recommissioning process would be managed alongside the work surrounding the development of the Council’s refreshed Domestic Abuse Strategy and that the new services would be supported by an increase in funding of £150,000 per year, with the total annual budget being £660,000.

The report provided details on a proposed engagement process that would be followed by a competitive procurement process with providers for the support services that would establish a new delivery model for victims of Domestic Abuse. The Cabinet Member advised that the new service provision would then offer a seamless service for victims, with an increased focus on prevention and early intervention alongside improved access to information and support. The Cabinet Member advised that the new services would have the flexibility in order to meet the needs of all communities, including victims of domestic abuse who were from minority ethnic groups or who were refugees and those in same sex relationships or who were transgender.

The report stated that it was proposed that the Council’s refuge provision should be recommissioned immediately in order to maintain current provision so as to ensure that the needs of victims and survivors of Domestic Abuse continued to be met and to  ensure the seamless continuation of a female-only refuge space.

Members noted the impact of the pandemic on both incidents of domestic abuse and also on how services to support victims of domestic abuse were able to be delivered.

Members asked for further information on how Rotherham compared to other areas regarding numbers of domestic abuse incidents. The Cabinet Member advised that compared to the national average, incidents in Rotherham  ...  view the full minutes text for item 291.

To consider the Board’s Work Programme.

The Board considered its Work Programme.

Resolved: - 

That the Work Programme be approved. 

To review and identify items for pre-decision scrutiny from the Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

The Board considered the Forward Plan of Key Decisions 1 January  – 31 March 2021.  

Resolved: -   That the Forward Plan be noted.

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

There were no call in issues.

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

There were no items of urgent business.

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held on Wednesday 10 February at 11am as a Microsoft Teams Meeting.  

Resolved: - That the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held at 11am on Wednesday 10 February 2021 as Microsoft Teams meeting.