Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Tracey Anderson
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: 1.1 Apologies for lateness from Cllr Bunt.
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Urgent Items / Order of Business Minutes: 2.1 None.
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: 3.1 None.
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting Additional documents:
Minutes: 4.1 Minutes from the meeting on 29th October 2015 were approved.
4.2 Minutes from the meeting on 11th November 2015 were approved subject to the following amendments.
4.2.1 Members commented the minutes did not reflect their views. Members highlighted they were concerned and wished to continue monitoring the service area quality checks produced. In addition they also wanted to review performance information for service areas across the Council.
4.2.2 Members agreed to review how to monitor the service area quality checks and performance information at their next steering group meeting.
4.2.3 The Assistant Director ICT advised the spelling of IDCs was incorrect it should be spelt IDOX. All Reference to IDOCs should read IDOX.
4.3 Matters arising 4.3.1 The Commission requested for the Head of HR and OD to report back with the breakdown of the reasons for the 700 staff leaving the organisation.
This information was provided by the Corporate Director Finance and Resources at the meeting.
4.3.2 The Head of HR and OD to check and confirm if they could provide a more detailed breakdown of the ethnicity profile from the list provided in the report.
This information was provided on pages 31-32 of the agenda.
4.3.3 The Hackney Management Team to provide an update on the impact of efficiencies to date on the whole organisation and the Council’s ability to achieve its aims and outcomes.
This information was presented under item 6 on the agenda.
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ICT Review Recommendations Update and ICT Strategy Additional documents:
Minutes: 5.1 The Chair welcomed Christine Peacock, Assistant Direct ICT from London Borough of Hackney (LBH) to the meeting. Also in attendance was Ian Williams, Corporate Director Finance and Resources from London Borough of Hackney.
5.2 The Commission commenced a review of ICT in 2013/14. The Executive response was received and noted by the Commission in January 2015. The Commission requested for a further update to monitor the progress of the recommendations. An update on the progress of the recommendation was provided on pages 35 -46 of the agenda.
5.3 The ICT review highlighted that the ICT Strategy came to an end in 2011 and was not replaced. The presentation on pages 47-70 provides information about the Council’s ICT Strategy.
5.4 The main points highlighted in relation to the recommendation update were:
5.4.1 Rec 1 - as a result of the ICT review discussions the organisation agreed it needed to produce a new ICT strategy. The key issue ICT found when developing the strategy was governance.
5.4.2 The project governance model used for user engagement and communication for the My office roll out was replicated for the system change in Adult Social Care and the One Account portal scheduled to be rolled out.
5.4.3 Rec 2 – improvement groups looking at technology and systems were set up by the Chief Executive and they have now completed. It was highlighted, setting up full time teams to work solely on ICT in the current climate would be challenging.
5.4.4 The digital advisory board has not progressed further from the initial update in November 2014. ICT have focused on internal governance, but did receive some external challenge from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
5.4.5 Rec 3 – the project did not receive funding for phase 2. ICT are currently in the process of procuring a corporate business intelligence tool.
5.4.6 Rec 4 – ICT are still awaiting publication of guidance from the Government (for the last 2 years) in relation to information sharing across organisations. In the interim ICT are working with Health Services to develop an integration platform for sharing data. This project is in the very early stages.
5.4.7 Rec 5 – this recommendation has been completed with the launch of the new staff intranet. The staff training material made available is in line with the HR Strategy - individual ownership of self-development and independent learning.
5.4.8 Rec 6 – The Council hosted the Hackday and this event was partially successful. ICT hoped the event would provide sustainable IT solutions but the event did not. ICT are working with the Regeneration Team on projects like the Fashion Hub for system enhancement.
5.5 ICT Strategy update. The main points from the presentation and objectives were outlined.
5.5.1 ICT’s main objectives were to develop an IT Digital Strategy for 2015-2020 through a focused engagement programme with the business.
5.5.2 Develop a set of 16 technology solution principles in line with the Council’s strategy & vision.
5.5.3 Develop and understanding of high priority business needs across the council through ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Quarterly Finance Update Additional documents:
Minutes: 6.1 The Chair welcomed Ian Williams, Corporate Director Finance and Resources and Sonia Khan, Head of Policy from London Borough of Hackney to the meeting.
6.2 The Commission has been receiving regular updates on the Council’s financial position and key pressure areas on the budget. This update follows the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement by the Government.
6.2.1 The Corporate Director Finance and Resources recapped on the financial year (2015/16) and the biggest cost pressures facing the Council.
6.2.2 There has been a 30% reduction in the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) - the Council’s largest general grant.
6.2.3 The biggest challenges to the Council’s budget are Homelessness, Welfare Reform, No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), Pay Award, London Living Wage, Care Costs, Bedroom tax and Right to Buy.
6.2.4 The Council’s budget is £130 million less since 2010. In year monitoring is very important to ensure the organisation stays on track with budget savings.
6.2.5 Adult Social Care overspend is being managed down.
6.2.6 The Council’s capital investment programme is on track and strategic acquisitions are adding value.
6.2.7 The key challenges for the housing revenue account is the Benefit Cap and the introduction of Universal Credit.
6.2.8 There were announcements about changes to public spending since the Governments budget in July. Public finances are forecast to be £27 billion higher. This is due to better tax receipts and lower expenditure. Providing a net improvement of £8 billon in the public finances over the next 5 years.
6.2.9 Member were shown a list of all the government departments and the spending cuts to their budget. Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) - local government - has suffered the highest proportion of spending cuts.
6.2.10 The largest reductions to be applied to the DCLG grant (to local government) will be in 2017/18 (24%) and 201819 (19%) in real terms.
6.2.11 The impact of the 18% cut to Local Government Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (LG RDEL) in 2016-17 (core funding to LAs) will not be known until the Local Government Financial settlement in a couple of weeks.
6.2.12 London Council’s modelling estimates that the overall 56% real terms cut to LG RDEL will lead to a cut of 70% in RSG. The local share of business rates is assumed will increase by 2% per annum in real terms over the period. Therefore the reduction in overall core funding (SFA) is estimated to be 31% for the period, this would be 60% over the decade 2010 to 2020.
6.2.13 Two key policy announcements impacting local government core funding are: · the introduction of new funding for the Better Care Fund (BCF) (London Councils; understands this will amount to £1.5 billion in 2019-20, but as yet unspecified funding will also be awarded in 2017-18 and 2018-19) to be funded from the local government RDEL · proposals to reform the New Homes Bonus, saving £800 million (to contribute to the new BCF funding), sharpening the incentive and moving from 6 to 4 years retention of funding. DCLG ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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Governance and Resources Scrutiny Commission - 2014/15 Work Programme Additional documents: Minutes: 7.1 The work programme for the Governance and Resources Scrutiny Commission was noted for information and outlined on pages 109 – 114 of the agenda.
7.2 The steering group meeting on 16th December 2015 was cancelled and the steering group meetings will reconvene in January 2016.
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Any Other Business Minutes: 8.1 None.
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