Cabinet
MINUTES of a meeting of the Cabinet held at Council Chamber, County Hall, Lewes on 12 December 2023.
PRESENT Councillors Keith Glazier (Chair), Nick Bennett (Vice Chair), Bob Bowdler, Claire Dowling and Carl Maynard and Councillor Bob Standley via MS Teams.
Members spoke on the items indicated
Councillor Bennett - Item 5 (minute 30)
Councillor Bowdler - Item 7 (minute 32)
Councillor Collier - Item 5 (minute 30)
Councillor Denis - Item 5 (minute 30)
Councillor Field - Items 5, 6 and 7 (minute 30,31 and 32)
Councillor Galley - Item 5 (minute 30)
Councillor Howell - Item 6 (minute 31)
Councillor Maples - Items 5 and 6 (minute 30 and 31)
Councillor Redstone - Item 6 (minute 31)
Councillor Shuttleworth - Item 6 (minute 31)
Councillor Standley - Item 6 (minute 31)
Councillor Swansborough - Item 5 (minute 30)
Councillor Taylor - Item 5 (minute 30)
Councillor Tutt - Item 5 (minute 30)
28. Minutes of the meeting held on 7 November 2023
28.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 7 November 2023 were agreed as a correct record.
29. reports
29.1 Copies of the reports referred to below are included in the minute book.
30. Council Monitoring: Quarter 2 2023/2024
30.1 The Cabinet
considered a report by the Chief Executive.
30.2 It was RESOLVED
to:
1) Note the latest monitoring position for the Council;
2) Approve a further and final annual extension of the Additional Measures Scheme for specialist money advice services through 2024/25, funded from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) with a total value of £363,000, as set out in Appendix 9 of the report; and
3) Approve the use of the unused carried forward
Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) underspend in 2023/24 to
fund any residual pressures in Children’s Services arising
from the COVID-19 pandemic, as set out in the Funding of
Children’s Services Pressures table at 3.1 of the
report.
Reason
30.3 The report sets out the Council’s position and year-end projections for the Council Plan targets, Revenue Budget, Capital Programme, and Savings Plan, together with Risks at the end of September 2023.
31. Scrutiny Review of School Exclusions - Report of the People Scrutiny Committee
31.1 The Cabinet
considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive and a report
by the Director of Children’s Services with observations on
the Scrutiny Committee’s report.
31.2 It was RESOLVED
to:
1) Note and welcome
the report of the Scrutiny Committee;
2) Recommend the
County Council to welcome the report of the scrutiny committee and
to agree the response of the Director of Children’s Services
to the recommendations and their implementation as set out in the
action plan attached as Appendix 1 to the Director’s
report.
Reason
31.3 The Scrutiny review has been welcomed as it provided an opportunity to review School Exclusions and the Council’s role in developing understanding amongst schools of appropriate responses to children at risk of permanent exclusion, including vulnerable pupils, as well as whole school approaches and targeted preventative measures.
32. The Looked After Children Annual Report 2022 - 2023
32.1 The Cabinet
considered a report by the Director of Children’s
Services.
32.2 It was RESOLVED
to note the annual progress report of Looked After Children’s
Services in 2022/23.
Reason
32.3 The report summarises the performance of Looked After Children’s Services in 2022/23.
33. Treasury Management Annual Report & Mid-Year Report
33.1 The Cabinet
considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer.
33.2 The Cabinet
RESOLVED to note the Treasury Management performance in 2022/23,
incorporating the Mid-Year Review for the first half of
2023/24.
Reason
33.3 The report fulfils the requirement to submit an annual/half yearly report in the form prescribed in the Treasury Management Code of Practice. The key principles of security, liquidity and yield are still relevant. Officers are currently investigating further opportunities within the strategy to increase investment income whilst minimising costs and maintaining security.
34. To agree which items are to be reported to the County Council
34.1 It was agreed that items 5, 6 and 7 should be reported to the County Council.
[Note: The items being reported to the County Council refer to minute number 30, 31 and 32.]