Agenda item

Report of the Leader of the Council detailing the Council’s Executive Business since the last Council meeting, attached. 

The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted setting out the details of the business undertaken by the Executive.

 

The Leader and the Cabinet made statements and responded to questions.

 

The following questions were submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1. 

 

1.  Household Waste Recycling Centre

 

Question from Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Rayment

 

In light of Hampshire County Council's recent announcement of its position on the HWRC opening times will she be reversing her proposals to reduce our opening hours?

 

Answer

 

  In the light of Hampshire County Council's (HCC’s) recent   announcement of its position on opening times for its Household Waste   and Recycling Centres (HWRC’s), I will be recommending to Cabinet   on 20th December 2016 that we also delay reducing opening hours at   the City Depot HWRC. Changes agreed to come in from 1 January   2017 (subject to Cabinet approval) will therefore be delayed until 1st   October 2017 when the situation will be reviewed.

 

2.  Multi Storey Car Parks

 

Question from Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Rayment

 

Can the Cabinet Member advise what is being done to improve the state of our multi storey car parks?

 

Answer

 

 

I am aware of the problems associated with rough sleepers gaining access to our car parks and we are working hard to tackle this.

 

The car parks are patrolled daily by Civil Enforcement Officers with the first inspections starting at 7am. Rough sleepers are moved on if possible. If they refuse to leave then a notice is served giving them the necessary 48 hours to leave after which their belongings are removed with Police assistance. Any associated cleaning and/or removal of needles is reported to the cleaning team. Communal areas of each of the multi-story car parks are washed down regularly.

 

More regular security patrols and cleaning of communal areas are being put in place.  Investment in our car parks to repaint and link signage to the “Legible City” branding is being considered to promote them as the gateway to the city.

 

3.  Dropped Kerb Installation

 

Question from Councillor Houghton to Councillor Rayment

 

The cost of dropped kerb installation in Hampshire (HCC) is cheaper than in Southampton under Balfour Beatty. As such would you be prepared to enter into discussions with Balfour Beatty to look at their pricing to ensure it is closer to the costs of our near neighbours and provides the best value for money for the people of Southampton?

 

Answer

 

It is generally accepted that dropped crossings are cheaper in Hampshire for reasons outlined below.  Despite this, it can be confirmed that SCC officers will renew their audit of BBLP’s pricing structure to ensure best value is maintained.  It is also emphasised that Southampton residents are entitled to appoint their own accredited contractor to carry out such works.

 

Hampshire’s website gives dropped crossing prices that ‘do not include any of the works for moving street furniture, utility apparatus or any other costs’.  There are also known to be 'supplementary licence fees' being payable for a Temporary Road Opening Licence - this is similar to the process that Southampton have adopted with Balfour Beatty's – Hampshire confirmed this to amount to £173. Hampshire also advertise a design and supervision fee of £175 and a non-refundable application fee of £75 (which is not, together with site visits, charged at all in Southampton).

 

A typical dropped crossing in Hampshire is shown to cost approx. £1,203.  Balfour Beatty additionally factor-in an average number of utility apparatus moves (as part of Southampton’s published average figure of £1,600 Inc. VAT), reflecting the more costly / congested city sites, as opposed to the many out-of-town locations in Hampshire.

 

4.  Personal Budgets

 

Question from Councillor White to Councillor Payne

 

Can the Cabinet Member indicate how likely the acceptance of Personal Budgets will increase as the cost of care to the individual in the majority of cases is higher than that calculated by SCC.

 

Answer

 

The Council is committed to increasing the proportion of people who receive their personal budget as a direct payment. Current performance is 17.3% and there are targets to increase this to 22.6% by April 2017 and to 39% by March 2020.

 

Direct payments enable people to have flexibility and freedom of choice, ensuring the care that they receive is person-centred.

 

When home care is needed, the average rate that the Council pays to commission this from one of its framework care providers is used to calculate the personal budget. If a direct payment is used to buy this care privately, then this is sometimes, but not always, more expensive.

 

If the Council is able to increase the volume of adult social care service users with direct payments, economies of scale mean that providers should be able to reduce the cost of home care services purchased via direct payments accordingly. The Council will proactively negotiate with key providers on behalf of service users to assure this.

 

The main reason for taking a personal budget as a direct payment is to enable individuals to employ their own personal assistant, which brings much greater control and flexibility than using a care provider, and is cheaper. Work is underway to increase the pool of personal assistants in Southampton.

 

Direct payments can also be used to buy other services that help people to lead a full life in a way that more precisely meets their needs. The Council is piloting the use of an online service that will make this easier and has established a taskforce to work with partners to make sure the right advice, support and systems are in place.

 

5.  Data Standards

 

Councillor White to Councillor Payne

 

Can the Cabinet Member give details a how the data used by Social Care particularly Safeguarding will be improved to such a standard that will enable the Safeguarding Board to produce a report based on fact rather than best estimations.

 

Answer

 

Significant improvements have been delivered in terms of social care reporting during 2016. In January 2016, the Children’s and Adults data teams were moved into the central Strategy Unit and restructured. Since that time, work has been undertaken with operational services and partners to define reporting requirements, agree common data definitions and produce a standardised set of reports for Boards and managers.

 

This has included a review of the arrangements for accurately recording and tracking adults’ safeguarding alerts and statutory enquires and other data that are monitored by the Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB).

 

In April 2016, the recording system PARIS delivered new changes to bring the system in line with the Care Act 2014.  This followed extensive development over the previous six months.  The PARIS team worked closely with the service to ensure the system was compliant.  New user guidance was prepared by the service and this was rolled out in parallel with the system changes and training.

 

This work has been overseen by the Monitoring and Evaluation Group of the LSAB, which collates data from a number of agencies involved with safeguarding adults, including the Council, police and the NHS. An Improvement Plan was agreed by the LSAB, which is on track to be completed by December 2016. This has included an analyst working alongside a Safeguarding Coordinator.

 

The Data Team and Monitoring and Evaluation Group will continue to quality assure the safeguarding data provided by the Council and other agencies and these will drilled down to identify the data that are most needed to ensure the LASB’s focus is in the right place.

 

6.  Pedestrianisation of Guildhall Square

 

Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Letts

 

When will the Pedestrianisation of Guildhall Square be complete?

 

Answer

 

We are keen to provide an improved environment for Guildhall Square, one of the City’s premier public realm spaces. Improvements will be delivered in a phased approach, but will include:

 

·  Providing adequate protection for street furniture

·  Limiting vehicle access from West Marlands Road

·  Manging vehicle over run onto granite surfaces in Above Bar Street in the short term

·  Working with partners to restrict vehicle movements on Above Bar Street in the longer term

 

7.  Alternative Weekly Collection

 

Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Rayment

 

When will AWC be introduced in 2017?

 

 

 

 

Answer

 

Subject to consultation and approval as part of the budget setting process it is hoped that Alternate Weekly Collections (AWC) could be introduced during quarter two of 2017. It is proposed that implementation will be phased from that date, starting with houses in the first place and followed by flats on a gradual basis.