Agenda and minutes

1.1  Apologies for absence from CYPS Commission Councillors Councillor Emma Plouviez, Cllr Sophie Conway.

1.2  CYPS Co-optees apologies: Jo Macleod - Hackney Schools Governors’ Association representative Kairi Weekes- Sanderson HYP; Ernell Watson, Free Churches Group of Churches Together in England.

2.1  There was no urgent items and the order of business was as per the agenda.

3.1  None.

4.1  The Chair of Governance and Resources Scrutiny Commission (G&R) welcomed colleagues from the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission (CYP) to this joint session discussing temporary accommodation.

4.2  The Chair of G&R chaired the presentation of information session.  The Chair of CYP chaired the Q&A session.

4.3  The Chair of G&R welcomed a local resident to the meeting, in attendance to share information about her lived experience in temporary accommodation in London Borough of Hackney.

4.4  The Chair of G&R welcomed from London Borough of Hackney: Ian Williams, Group Director Finance and Corporate Resources; Kay Brown, Director Customer Services; Cllr Geoff Taylor, Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Services; Cllr Rebecca Rennison, Mayoral Adviser for Advice Services and Homelessness Prevention; Jennifer Wynter, Head of Benefits and Housing Needs and Steve Liddicott, Interim Head of Service – Access and Assessment.  Also in attendance was the Interim Group Director Children, Adults and Community Health.

4.5  The Chair of G&R explained the purpose of the session and advised it would include hearing information from officers, and from local residents who would be sharing their personal experiences from living in temporary accommodation.  Two resident were invited to the meeting to share their experience.  One resident was in attendance and one resident sent in a written statement to inform the discussion.  In addition anonymised casework was shared among commission members of the two scrutiny commissions to give them an idea of the experiences reported to councillors. 

4.6  The Chair made the following statement to all meeting attendees:

Overview and Scrutiny Commissions do not deal with individual cases.  The Commission will be taking the context of the experiences from residents to raise questions about the service provision and the policies related to the service area.  This discussion will not be focusing on individual cases or responding to comments related to individual cases in a meeting held in public.

4.7  The session provided the commission members with a better understanding about the Council’s role, work and enabled them to hear from residents about the impact on children and families. 

4.8  The session also provided information about the cost of the service and the implications of this on the Council’s budget (including the provision of discretionary housing payments).

4.9  The Local resident outlined her experience and the impact on her family.  A single parent of a child born 16 weeks premature which resulted in medical needs.  Resident moved into newly built hostel accommodation and does not have to share facilities.  As a new mother at the time of entering the accommodation she needed support but was unable to have support due to the no visitor’s policy at the accommodation.  The closest family member lives 30 minutes away.  The resident explained she felt isolated and highlighted a number of other people at the accommodation were experiencing the same feeling.  In her view these were vulnerable people.  The resident explained she wanted to return to education but was unable to pursue this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1  The minutes of the previous meeting held on 14^th November 2016 were agreed.

6.1  The Chair welcomed to the meeting Ian Williams, Group Director Finance and Corporate Resources and Cllr Geoff Taylor, Cabinet Member Finance and Customer Services from London Borough of Hackney, to give an update on the Council’s budget and the wider financial implications following the Government’s Budget and Autumn Statement made early December 2016.

6.2  The presentation covered the following areas:

·  Autumn Statement

·  Economic Update

·  Business Rate Update

·  Schools Funding

·  Council Budget Update

·  Pension Fund.

6.3  Local Government Settlement was expected to be Thursday 15 December 2016.

6.4  The main points from the presentation were:

6.4.1  Office of Budget Responsibility analysis of the Autumn Statement has outlined:

·  A reset of the Government’s tax expenditure after a review of the previous Chancellors targets.

·  Weaker outlook for the economy – Brexit uncertainty and lower pound, less investment means slower productivity growth and possibly lower net inward migration.

·  Weaker outlook for public finance – the borrowing was already outstripping income before referendum, weaker growth will hit receipts, especially income tax and there have been some autumn statement fiscal giveaways.

6.4.2  The Government targets have change again – all existing targets were breached and replaced, new fiscal mandate made with room to spare and balancing budget next parliament is not anticipated to be easy.

6.4.3  An example of the impact on business investment for the council was highlighted to be the purchase of IT equipment from overseas.  This has soared in the last 2 weeks.  This transaction was being accelerated due to rapidly increasing costs.

6.4.4  A comparison table displayed showed the forecast in March 2016 and then again November 2016.  This indicated the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is now expected to drop in 2017/18.

6.4.5  The national debt will continue to grow.  This will be a burden for future generations particularly if interest rates start to rise as they are forecast to.

6.4.6  Starting to see increases in the Consumer Price Index.

6.4.7  In real terms: earning, benefits and state pensions show that people are worse off now than they were 10 years ago and graduates are worse off now than their parents were at this stage.

6.4.8  The local Government settlement for 2016/17 to 2019/20 includes:

·  Reductions to local government grant of £6.1 billion by 2019/20.  Although forecasts increase other sources of local government income, overall local government spending will be higher in cash terms by 2019/20 than in 2015/16.

·  £3.5 billion of support for adults social care by 2019/20 through a new social care ‘precept’ and an expanded Better Care Fund to support health and social care integration.

·  Plans to consult on changes to the local government finance system including rebalancing support to local authorities with social care responsibility.

·  Support to help local government become more efficient through new flexibilities, enabling local authorities to spend receipts from assets sales on reform projects.

6.4.9  The Borough’s rateable value is increasing but the council will not get to keep all the increase.

6.4.10  Local governments expenditure is still broadly planned to follow the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1  Members discussed the information required for the commercialisation discussion item at the next meeting.

7.2  Members wanted a report that provided information about all departments in relation to the following:

·  Commercial services provided

·  Commercial service that could be provided.

7.3  Members requested for information about Finance and Corporate Resources role and the Council’s plans in relation to all services within the Council; to understand the Council’s approach to the following:

·  The Council’s role as a partner in developing the borough.  Taking on risk in regards to its asset base

·  Commercial activities that could be provided using the Council’s assets more widely.  The additional services that could be provided using the Council’s current facilities

·  The Council’s ability to take on a wider set of activity not just in the area of property acquisition

·  Outsourcing

·  Raising fees for services

·  The different culture the organisation will need to adopt.  The skill sets needed by staff and how staff will be supported to manage these risks

·  Use of CPO powers.

8.1  None.