Agenda and minutes

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 25* of the Access to Information Procedure Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded).

(* In accordance with Procedure Rule 25, notice of an appeal must be received in writing by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting).

There were no appeals.

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:

  No exempt items have been identified.

There was no exempt information considered by the Board.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

There were no late items.

To disclose or draw attention to any interests in accordance with Leeds City Council’s ‘Councillor Code of Conduct’.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

The Board received the following apologies:

Cllr Matthew Robinson

Cllr Gohar Almass

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2023

Under minute 33 – Matters Arising of the meeting held on 18 September, the Scrutiny Advisor agreed to follow up on the July meeting of the Board and the provision of information to Rothwell Ward members related to Leeds 2023.

RESOLVED:

The minutes of the meeting held on 18th September 2023 were agreed as an accurate record.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser highlighted the following areas as matters arising from the 18 September meeting of the Board:

Min 34 – On the staff survey item the Board were informed that more detailed analysis of EDI survey results linked to protected characteristics is to be shared with the member champions as requested. In addition, more information linked to member questions on digital improvements being planned to support staff in their roles has been requested and will be circulated to the Board once available.

Min 35 – The Electoral Commission report summarising issues arising from the 2023 Local Elections has been circulated to members as requested, and it has been noted that a further elections item could come forward later in the municipal year to set out plans for the Election in 2024 following questions from the Board.

Min 36 – The OFLOG training request has been passed on to colleagues and plans to develop that will be pulled together. In addition, queries have been raised with colleagues in Adult Social Care linked to some queries from the Board on the metrics that covered those services, responses are awaited and will be provided to the Board when available.

In addition, the Board also highlighted a useful follow up meeting in relation to Minute 35, the Elections Update. This was focussed on ensuring that support is available for trans people to be able to vote without triggering gender dysphoria. It was further noted that additional information will be available through a forthcoming communications plan to support this approach.

To consider a report from the Director of Strategy and Resources setting out the Council’s approach to staff mental health and well-being support.

The Board considered a report from the Director of Strategy and Resources setting out the Council’s approach to staff mental health and well-being support.

The report highlighted a number of targeted interventions being undertaken by the Council, as follows:

·  Setting a clear policy, framework, and management system.

·  Continue talking, learning, and leading

·  Corporate Support

·  Data Capture and Reporting

·  Building Manager Capability

·  Managing absence and performance

To accompany this item a presentation was delivered covering the key points in the council’s approach to mental health and well-being support. In attendance for this item were:

·  Mariana Pexton, Director of Strategy and Resources

·  Andy Dodman, Chief Officer HR

·  Lisa Colver, Head of Health, Safety and Well-Being

By way of introduction the importance of health and well-being was highlighted, and it was noted that it is a key element of the Council’s People Strategy and work to support staff working for Leeds City Council.

The Board heard that the approach to mental health and well-being is continuously developing and that the role of managers in ensuring the success of the approach will be vital within the context of the Be Your Best management programme.

In response to comments and questions from the Board, discussion included the following:

·  Members were interested to know more about management approaches such as responses to feedback where colleagues say “I am fine”, whether trauma informed management techniques are used and encouraging the disclosure of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to inform how managers respond to staff in a more nuanced manner. The Board were informed of plans to expand the Be Your Best management programme which has to date focussed on EDI (for the mandatory element of the programme). This will move to focus on other areas of management such as performance management (as discussed with the board previously) and mental health, safety and well-being.

·  Members asked about correspondence to staff who are suffering from sickness absence and potentially adapting it to be more individually focussed. The Board were informed that work is ongoing with the Business Support Centre on developing the correspondence used in these cases to ensure it is better tailored and appropriately compassionate.

·  Responding to a query about how mental health first aiders are supported the board were informed that more work is required in this area. There is provision of counselling for the first aiders, but more could be done and this will commence through an upcoming conference for mental health first aiders to enhance support. Members expressed an interest in attending the Mental Health First Aiders Conference and this was welcomed.

·  Discussion moved on to pre-crisis techniques and what the Council is doing to support staff and deliver interventions. The Board heard that initial steps have been taken and more is planned through the Mental Health First Aiders Conference that is due to take place in November where this will be one of the areas of discussion.

·  The Board asked about any consideration that the authority had given to use of a four-day week to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

To consider the report from the Head of Democratic Services that sets out the Council’s projected financial position at month 4 of the 2023/24 financial year.

The board agreed to consider Item 8 and Item 9 as one item given the clear links between the two and that the financial issues faced in 2023/24 will have an impact on the medium-term strategy and projections.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Victoria Bradshaw, Chief Finance Officer

·  Mariana Pexton, Director of Strategy and Resources (left to attend another meeting for part of this item).

The Board received a presentation on the following issues:

·  The latest position on the financial challenge in 2023/24 and work underway to balance the budget.

·  Detail on the budget gaps faced over the course of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2023/24-2028/29 (MTFS), the key risks and assumptions, work underway to address the budget position and next steps.

·  Details on other key areas of the MTFS such as the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and the Capital Programme.

·  In respect of Children Looked After (CLA) budgets the board were informed of the ongoing challenges faced by the authority in terms of increased demand and higher costs of placements in recent years, this is reflected nationally and is not a position unique to Leeds. The budget pressure in 2023/24 for CLA external placements is £15.49m.

·  To manage in year spending in 2023/24 only essential spend is permitted. This has been combined with other measures such as a recruitment freeze, maximising income, focussing support on services with the highest areas of spend, an asset review and bringing forward future years savings proposals to deliver benefits in year.

·  Key messages being communicated internally to manage budgets are: stay within budget, absorb in year pressures, highlight budgetary issues early and continue with robust monitoring.

·  The projected budget gaps for the next three years were presented as: 2024/25 - £59.2m; 2025/26 - £56.6m, 2026/27 - £47m. In terms of key risks these were identified as: impacts of global events on the UK economy, the overall funding envelope available for Local Government from the Government, fuel and energy inflation, increased interest rates, pay awards, demand and demography, possible changes to the political landscape and capital assumptions.

In response to comments and questions from the Board, discussion included the following:

·  Members were interested to know more about plans for CLA budgets in future years given that costs for external placements have recently doubled. In response the Board were informed that the increased costs in this area have been built into the MTFS which is reflected in the budget gaps that formed part of the presentation. The overall approach to CLA placements has been to develop a mixed economy and to look to deliver more in-house placements through smaller living accommodation in Leeds. These plans are well underway along with detailed work to see if any external placements can be brought back into Leeds where it is suitable, and any move would not be disruptive for the children and young people concerned.

·  It was noted that there needs to be a balanced approach to delivery of new in-house placements to not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

To consider the report of the Director of Strategy and Resources setting out the scope of the Best City Ambition update which precedes more detailed work on the initial update proposals, following consideration of a similar report by Executive Board on 20 September 2023.

The Board considered the report of the Director of Strategy and Resources setting out the scope of the Best City Ambition update which precedes more detailed work on the initial update proposals and offers an opportunity to the Board to provide feedback on this ongoing work stream.

As part of ongoing consultation with the Strategy and Resources Board this item will return for further consideration in the Board’s January cycle.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Mariana Pexton, Director of Strategy and Resources

·  Mike Eakins, Head of Policy

Given the previous items on the financial challenge the Best City Ambition emphasises the need to maximise available financial resources to have the biggest impact against the key priority of tackling poverty and inequality and the work on net zero, health and well-being and inclusive growth.

Through the Team Leeds approach the Council aims to deliver the Best City Ambition setting out the way the city wants to work and how the ambition will be delivered. Team Leeds has six key strands:

·  Building mutual respect and understanding through co-production and co-design

·  Shifting power to citizens through vibrant and sustainable community social infrastructure, and tackling systemic inequalities

·  Being evidence-led, ambitious and optimistic for the future of Leeds –fostering innovation, creativity and a learning culture in a digital world

·  Investing in prevention and using asset-based approaches to build community capacity, focusing on what people can do not what they cannot

·  Recognising the impact of society and the economy on the health of people in Leeds at different stages of their lives

·  Everyone playing their part – businesses and public institutions recognising their responsibilities and investing in social entrepreneurship.

In response to comments and questions from the Board, discussion included the following:

·  On KPIs members were keen to understand how the Council is delivering on the ground, and whether feedback on KPIs would feature at the report brought to full Council annually. The Board were informed that the KPIs are part of a separate reporting process through the annual performance report that is considered by Executive Board, reporting the same KPIs through the BCA route runs the risk of duplicating.

·  Members also wanted to know more about implementation of the priorities particularly in relation to giving more power to communities and listening and responding to resident concerns and feedback. The council buildings in Rothwell were suggested as a case study that might inform how the Council responds to communities. In response the Board were informed that the BCA is an over-arching strategy setting out and guiding how the Council and its partners wants to achieve their ambitions and does not answer all aspects of the work done by the Council in granular detail. It was also noted that the BCA plays an important role in galvanising partners in the city and guiding how the city works.

Resolved:

The Board:

a)  Noted the scope of the update of the Best City Ambition set out in the presented report.

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for the 2023/24 municipal year.

The Board considered the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the 2023/24 municipal year.

In attendance for this item was:

·  Rob Clayton, Principal Scrutiny Adviser

The Board were informed of some changes to the work programme that have taken place since the publication of the papers for this meeting. The staff networks item scheduled for December has now been moved to the February meeting.

In addition, the Chair updated board members on the cross-scrutiny Community Committee Review Working Group. Follow further discussion the nominees from this Board will now also include Cllr Chapman.

The next public meeting of the Board will take place on 11 December 2023 at 10.00am. There will be a pre-meeting for all board members at 9.30am.

The next public meeting of the Board will take place on 11 December 2023 at 10.00am. There will be a pre-meeting for all board members at 9.30am.