Agenda item

This report sets out how the Council will respond to the feedback it has received from the LGA Peer Review, Big York Survey and its Staff Survey. The report proposes specific actions the Council is going to take to enable the council, residents and communities to work together as equal partners to meet their future needs and priorities.

Resolved:  i)        That  Cabinet agree to:

·          Establish a new Transformation Programme to prioritise and deliver the Council’s objectives.

·        Confirm their support for the filling of the post of Director of Education, Children’s and Skills on a permanent basis in advance of a wider change process.

·          Establish a repayable budget of £500,000, financed from the Delivery and Innovation Fund (£250,000) and the Venture Fund (£250,000), to finance the Transformation Programme on an Return on Investment of at least £3m pa. Further, to agree to delegate responsibility to the Chief Executive and Director of CBSS to use that budget on transformation resourcing/activity as appropriate.  

·          The first three projects to form the Transformation Programme will be Health & Adult Social Care, Hazel Court Depot Services and Business Efficiency (to include Parking and the projects within the existing Business Support Review – Policy & Performance, Procurement & Commissioning, Facilities Management, Administration & Customer Services)

·          The council working with residents on a new engagement approach to deliver the principles in para 61 of the report.

·          The proposals to undertake a ‘big clean’ of the city in Autumn 2013 and Spring 2014 whilst seeking improvements in day to day service delivery.

·          The Deputy Chief Executive liaising with Health Services in the city to address resident concerns about the availability of health services in York.

ii)            That Cabinet also agree to note:

·     The LGA Peer Review letter at Annex 1 of the report.

·     The principle to co-design and co-deliver the new programme with residents

·          The intention to bring an assessment of the future budget challenges to November Cabinet.

·          The intention to create a new consultation approach (in partnership with residents) and to bring proposals to a future Cabinet meeting.

·          The plans for the Leader to meet residents in every ward in the city.

·          The intention to broaden the budget consultation in 2013

·          The intention to seek support across Group Leaders to revitalise Scrutiny and overview to bring challenge and support to the Council’s work.

Reason: In order to respond to the feedback the Council has received from the LGA Peer Review, Big York Survey and its Staff Survey.

Consideration was given to a report which set out details of the Council’s response to feedback received from the LGA Peer Review, the Big York Survey and its Staff Survey. The specific actions the Council proposed to take to enable the Council, residents and communities to work together to meet their future needs and priorities were set out in further detail in the report.

The Council’s responses in relation to the medium term financial strategy and a new transformation programme which would ensure that council budgets were balanced and targeted to priority areas of service were also reported at paragraphs 38 to 57.

Although much had already been put in place to improve engagement with residents and community groups the Peer Review and Surveys had shown that further work was required to gain customer and community participation.

The Leader acknowledged the reports highlighted a number of areas where improvements were required however the majority were on track. He confirmed that account would be taken of the earlier speaker’s comments and that note would be taken of residents priorities and new ways of engaging with residents would be examined. Reference was also made to receipt of additional comments regarding staff engagement from Unison.

Arising out of the report, as a response to the Peer Review feedback and prior to the restructure of the Council’s Management Team, the Chief Executive requested Cabinets agreement to the appointment of a Director of Education, Children’s and Skills, a statutory function, to enable the post to be filled at the earliest possible date.

All Cabinet Members went on to express their support to work together to make any changes necessary to address the issues raised in the report.

Resolved:  i)        That  Cabinet agree to:

·          Establish a new Transformation Programme to prioritise and deliver the Council’s objectives.  ^1.

·        Confirm their support for the filling of the post of Director of Education, Children’s and Skills on a permanent basis in advance of a wider change process.

·          Establish a repayable budget of £500,000, financed from the Delivery and Innovation Fund (£250,000) and the Venture Fund (£250,000), to finance the Transformation Programme on an Return on Investment of at least £3m pa. Further, to agree to delegate responsibility to the Chief Executive and Director of CBSS to use that budget on transformation resourcing/activity as appropriate. ^2.  

·          The first three projects to form the Transformation Programme will be Health & Adult Social Care, Hazel Court Depot Services and Business Efficiency (to include Parking and the projects within the existing Business Support Review – Policy & Performance, Procurement & Commissioning, Facilities Management, Administration & Customer Services)

·          The council working with residents on a new engagement approach to deliver the principles in para 61 of the report. ^3.

·          The proposals to undertake a ‘big clean’ of the city in Autumn 2013 and Spring 2014 whilst seeking improvements in day to day service delivery. ^4.

·          The Deputy Chief Executive liaising with Health Services in the city to address resident concerns about the availability of health services in York. ^5.

ii)            That Cabinet also agree to note:

·          The LGA Peer Review letter at Annex 1 of the report.

·          The principle to co-design and co-deliver the new programme with residents

·          The intention to bring an assessment of the future budget challenges to November Cabinet.

·          The intention to create a new consultation approach (in partnership with residents) and to bring proposals to a future Cabinet meeting.

·          The plans for the Leader to meet residents in every ward in the city.

·          The intention to broaden the budget consultation in 2013

·          The intention to seek support across Group Leaders to revitalise Scrutiny and overview to bring challenge and support to the Council’s work.

Reason: In order to respond to the feedback the Council has received from the LGA Peer Review, Big York Survey and its Staff Survey.