Agenda and minutes

To authorise the signing of the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 21st November 2018 and 20^th February 2019, attached.

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meetings held on 21^st November 2018 and 20th February 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Matters especially brought forward by the Mayor and the Leader.

(i)  The Mayor paid tribute to the tragic terrorist shootings at two Mosques in New Zealand on 15^th March 2019 which had left 50 people dead and dozens wounded.  As a mark of respect Council stood for a minute’s silence.

(ii)  The Mayor announced Francis Benali’s forthcoming charity fundraising challenge which would see him hoping to complete seven Ironman-distance triathlons in seven days across the UK and reach his target of raising £1 million for Cancer Research UK. On behalf of the City the Mayor wished him well.

(iii)  The Mayor welcomed Cllr Renyard, new Member for Coxford following the Bi-election.  The Mayor along with other Members of Council paid tribute to those Members who were not standing for re-election, particularly Cllrs Parnell, Claisse, Wilkinson, Jordan and Don Thomas. 

To receive any requests for Deputations, Presentation of Petitions or Public Questions.

The Council received and noted a deputation from Ms Vivienne Windle concerning Crime in the City’s Parks.

Report of the Leader, Clean Growth and Development, 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.  Service Users, Carers and Financial Assessments

Does the Cabinet Member have confidence in the procedures for carrying out service user, carers and financial assessments? 

Answer

In order to provide assurance on the procedures in place for carrying out assessments for people receiving social care and their carers, the council commissioned an independent desk top audit of 80 case files from the last three years. The council has recently received the report following this audit, which identified areas where practice needed to be improved.

I have had regular briefings from officers on these matters and have confidence in the actions the council is taking to address the issues identified. This includes the implementation of a new client case management system, which will improve record keeping, and providing additional training and supervision for social care practitioners.

Full ownership of the process for carrying out financial assessments returns to the council in July 2019, when the current outsourcing arrangement ends. The council will at this point be able to make improvements to address the issues that people have experienced.

2.  Budget for Respite Services

Can the Cabinet Member outline the proposals for the use of £600K figure in the budget for respite services?

Answer

The £600K figure in the 2019/20 budget is earmarked for the provision of respite services at Kentish Road.

The nature of the services will depend on the outcome of the work that is currently underway with carers, people who are living with a learning disability, care providers and disability organisations to agree the vision for the future use of the site at Kentish Road.

The group has met six times since September 2018 and is keen to explore ways of complementing the current respite service with other services for people with learning disabilities, including housing (both supported living and training flats) and life skills services, to promote independence. The group is supportive of these options and an architect, commissioned by the council to provide sketches that illustrate different ways of configuring these services on the site, presented these to the group on 5 March 2019.

The council is committed to continue to provide overnight respite care at Kentish Road in the future and the budget will enable this.

3.  Overspend at Care Homes

Can the Cabinet Member advise what measures have been made to reduce over spends at both our care homes and commit that these overspends will not continue into the next financial year?

Answer

Action has been taken to address overspends in both homes and to ensure that this will not continue into the next financial year.  There is recognition that the budget set for managing the care homes did not fully account for the full staffing costs and this has  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

(a)  Councillor Furnell to move:

This Council notes with alarm the continuing increase in the rate of recorded crime across the country with a rise last year of 12.8%. 

This Council is concerned that this disturbing pattern is mirrored in Southampton with the number of crimes recorded in the city last year totalling 31,859 - a 2.3% increase on the figure for 2016/17 (which represented a 9% increase on 2015/16) and representing 20% of all recorded crime across the Hampshire & Isle of Wight police force area. 

Of particular concern are the sharp increases in the following categories:

·  Serious Knife Crime (up by 28.9% on the previous year)

·  Hate Crime (up by 24.7% on the previous year)

·  Robbery (up by 23.9% on the previous year)

·  Rape (up by 23.8% on the previous year)

This Council notes that between January 2010 and March 2018 the number of neighbourhood police serving the City declined by a third from 87 to 60 and presently the number stands at 47.

This Council, therefore, welcomes the commitment given by the Police & Crime Commissioner to increase the number of frontline police officers by 210 – as justification for an increase in the police precept element of the Council Tax – and fully expects Southampton to receive its fair share of this additional resource.

This Council calls upon the Police & Crime Commissioner to ensure deployment of a further 25 additional neighbourhood police officers over the coming year to boost the number in each of the City’s eight neighbourhood teams and to create sufficient capacity to respond in a timely manner to local incidents without depleting existing local services.

(a)  Councillor Furnell moved and Councillor Shields seconded.

This Council notes with alarm the continuing increase in the rate of recorded crime across the country with a rise last year of 12.8%. 

This Council is concerned that this disturbing pattern is mirrored in Southampton with the number of crimes recorded in the city last year totalling 31,859 - a 2.3% increase on the figure for 2016/17 (which represented a 9% increase on 2015/16) and representing 20% of all recorded crime across the Hampshire & Isle of Wight police force area. 

Of particular concern are the sharp increases in the following categories:

·  Serious Knife Crime (up by 28.9% on the previous year)

·  Hate Crime (up by 24.7% on the previous year)

·  Robbery (up by 23.9% on the previous year)

·  Rape (up by 23.8% on the previous year)

This Council notes that between January 2010 and March 2018 the number of neighbourhood police serving the City declined by a third from 87 to 60 and presently the number stands at 47.

This Council, therefore, welcomes the commitment given by the Police & Crime Commissioner to increase the number of frontline police officers by 210 – as justification for an increase in the police precept element of the Council Tax – and fully expects Southampton to receive its fair share of this additional resource.

This Council calls upon the Police & Crime Commissioner to ensure deployment of a further 25 additional neighbourhood police officers over the coming year to boost the number in each of the City’s eight neighbourhood teams and to create sufficient capacity to respond in a timely manner to local incidents without depleting existing local services.

UPON BEING PUT TO THE VOTE THE MOTION WAS DECLARED CARRIED.

RESOLVED: that the motion be approved.

To consider any question of which notice has been given under Council Procedure Rule 11.2.

It was noted that no requests for Questions from Members to the Chairs of Committees or the Mayor had been received.

To deal with any appointments to Committees, Sub-Committees or other bodies as required.

It was noted that there were no appointments to Committees, Sub Committees or Other Bodies.

Report of the Chief Executive detailing the Pay Policy 2019/2020 attached.

The report of the Chief Executive was submitted seeking approval of the Pay Policy 2019/20.

RESOLVED:

(i)  That the Pay Policy 2019/20 be approved;

(ii)  That the continued implementation of the Living Wage Foundation increase as the minimum hourly rate for NJC evaluated posts from 1^st April 2019 be noted; and

(iii)  That the cost of living award was agreed for 2019 as part of the two year pay agreement for NJC evaluated roles and Chief Officer and Chief Executive pay be noted and that implementation of this be delegated to the Service Director HR and OD to be applied for 2019/20.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Transport and Public Realm seeking approval of the Connected Southampton Transport Strategy 2040, attached.

The report of the Cabinet Member for Transport and Public Realm was submitted seeking approval of the Connected Southampton Transport Strategy 2040.

RESOLVED:

(i)  That the public consultation feedback had been taken into account by Cabinet and had informed the final Connected Southampton Transport Strategy 2040 be noted;

(ii)  That the Connected Southampton Transport Strategy 2040 as the new Local Transport Plan for Southampton be approved; and

(iii)  That authority be delegated to the Service Director for Growth following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and Realm to implement any variations.

The Report of the Cabinet Member for Green City was submitted seeking approval of the delivery of the Local Plan to achieve EU Nitrogen Dioxide Compliance.

RESOLVED:

(i)  That subject to confirmation of an acceptable funding bid, to accept and authorise the spend of external funding anticipated to not exceed £6,423,625 awarded by the Joint Air Quality Unit for the implementation of the Local Plan to achieve EU Nitrogen Dioxide Compliance; and

(ii)  That authority be delegated to the Service Director for Transactions and Universal Services to accept and spend funding awarded to support the Local Plan to achieve EU Nitrogen Dioxide Compliance should this vary from the amounts requested from Government.