Agenda and minutes

Co-opted Member present – Dr J Beal

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 were no exempt items.

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 formal late items.

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

No declarations of interests were made at the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors W Kidger and C Hart-Brooke.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd November 2022.

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2022 be approved as an accurate record.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services which presents a briefing paper by the Leeds Health and Care Academy on the challenges relating to the health and care workforce and the strategic approach being taken to address these.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report which presented a briefing paper by the Leeds Health and Care Academy on the challenges related to the health and care workforce and the strategic approach being taken to address these.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Cllr Salma Arif, Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles

·  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health

·  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health

·  Kate O’Connell, Director of Leeds Health and Care Academy and Leeds Strategic Workforce

·  Laura Smith, Director of Workforce, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

·  Shona McFarlane, Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Service

·  John Crowther, Chief Officer Resources and Strategy, Adults & Health

·  Phil Evans, Chief Officer, Operations and Active Leeds

The Director of Leeds Health and Care Academy and Leeds Strategic Workforce was invited by the Chair to lead on introducing the briefing paper that had been provided by the Leeds Health and Care Academy.  In doing so, Members were advised of the benefits of having an integrated workforce that focuses on person-centred care rather than being constrained by individual organisational boundaries.  It was highlighted that Leeds is taking a proactive approach in this regard through the leadership of the Leeds One Workforce Strategic Board and the establishment of the Leeds Health and Care Academy, which is regarded as the vehicle to enable collaboration to happen in practice and connect relevant partners together, including those within the independent, education and voluntary sectors.

Reference was also made to the key challenges facing the workforce, as set out within the briefing paper.  While acknowledging that such challenges are not unique to Leeds, Members were advised that Leeds does also provide specialist clinical services for a much wider geographical footprint and subsequently is balancing additional, competing demands.

Management of risk and creating solutions to workforce issues will be done through a prioritisation approach, creating sequences in anticipation of future needs and work pressures too.  Key elements of this will involve improving communication between services aimed at reducing competition and demand for the same staff; improving staff access to health and wellbeing services; narrowing inequality and enabling better employment opportunities within less affluent communities.  It was highlighted that Leeds is also strongly connected regionally with the West Yorkshire Integrated Care System and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, as well working with the Department for Health and Social Care.

The Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships and the Director of Workforce, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust were also given the opportunity to address the Board and in doing so had particularly reiterated the importance of maintaining and building upon the existing collaborative approach given the very challenging landscape across the health and care sector nationally.

The following points were also raised during the Board’s consideration of the report:

·  There was an acknowledgement that NHS workers tend to earn more on average than those working in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

To receive a report from the Chief Officer Strategy and Improvement which presents an update on work to implement the Best City Ambition since its adoption by the Council in February 2022.

The Chief Officer for Strategy and Improvement submitted a report which provided an update on work to implement the Best City Ambition since its adoption by the Council in February 2022.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Cllr Salma Arif, Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles

·  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health

·  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health

·  Shona McFarlane, Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Service

·  John Crowther, Chief Officer Resources and Strategy, Adults & Health

·  Phil Evans, Chief Officer, Operations and Active Leeds

·  Mike Eakins, Intelligence and Policy Manager

The Intelligence and Policy Manager provided an overview on current work transitioning to the Best City Ambition model, focusing on improving outcomes across the 3 Pillars (Health and Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth, Zero Carbon), with the ownership of the ambition in response to the recent Local Government Association Peer Review. With the Council having many adopted strategies, the Board was updated on the progress of identifying the key strategies and implementing them into a broader framework at a time when they are due for renewal.  The Best City Ambition will incorporate a Team Leeds ethos and reflect the breakthrough priorities and community level local area plans. The development of a programme of work will be over the next year with ongoing performance monitoring.

The following points were also raised during the Board’s consideration of the report:

·  Reference was made to the breakthrough project around promoting mental health in the community as Members queried whether General Practitioners had been consulted on this project too. Members were informed that as this is a first pilot project, the consultation had primarily involved third sector partners and Public Health.  However, there would likely be broader consultation with a range of other key partners as part of any longer-term development work.

·  Members recognised the valuable role that General Practitioners can play particularly around social prescribing and it was suggested that the Board could explore the issue of social prescribing in greater detail as part of its future work programme.

·  Members were advised that the work being undertaken through the breakthrough projects is designed to be complementary and offer enhanced support to what is already being undertaken through existing policies and initiatives.

·  Members were assured that the Best City Ambition aims to capture the spirit of the council’s mission to tackle poverty and inequality by taking a Team Leeds approach linked to the three pillars of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth and zero carbon.  Linked to this, it was also noted that the Best City Ambition will also become more closely aligned with the work being undertaken to become a Marmot City.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report, along with members comments, be noted.

To receive a joint report from the Directors of Adults and Health, Public Health and City Development which provides an overview of outcomes and service performance related to the council and city priorities within the Scrutiny Board’s remit.

The joint report from the Directors of Adults and Health, Public Health and City Development provided an overview of outcomes and service performance related to the council and city priorities within the Scrutiny Board’s remit.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Cllr Salma Arif, Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles

·  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health

·  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health

·  Shona McFarlane, Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Service

·  Tim Fielding, Deputy Director of Public Health 

·  Phil Evans, Chief Officer, Operations and Active Leeds

·  Steve Baker, Head of Active Leeds

·  Mike Eakins, Acting Head of Intelligence and Policy

·  Rob Wood, Intelligence & Policy Manager, Adults and Health

The Chair explained that there are three distinct sections within the report which include Public Health; Adult Social Care; and Active Lifestyles.  It was therefore proposed that the Board considers these in turn to help structure the discussion.

The Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles was then invited to provide any introductory comments linked to those service areas that relate to Active Lifestyles.  In doing so it was highlighted that activity levels are starting to recover following large drops caused by the pandemic and Leeds now has the lowest inactivity rate within the Yorkshire & Humber region (it was noted that the wording within the agenda report had incorrectly referenced North Yorkshire).  It was also highlighted that Leeds is second compared to all Core Cities, only behind Bristol which records an inactivity rating of 20.7% and is substantially lower than the National (27.2%), regional (28.4%) and core cities (26.6%).  It was noted that the Physical Activity Ambition aims to reduce barriers to activity particularly in less affluent communities.

The Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles then provided the Board with an overview of performance relating to Public Health. Particular attention was drawn to the emerging evidence on the effects of the pandemic which has led to a small decrease in life expectancy across all groups in the city which does reflect trends nationally over the same period and so this will be monitored closely.  A number of key positive areas were also highlighted, including a sustained high performance of NHS health checks; the completion of drug and alcohol treatment; an increase in breastfeeding rates at 6-8 weeks; and improved physical activity rates as noted as part of Active Lifestyles remit too.  With regard to addressing health inequalities, it was noted that public health measures would also be closely linked to the Marmot City work.

The Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships provided the Board with an overview of performance for Adult Social Care.  It was highlighted that Adult Social Care continues to experience increased demand across all elements of the service which alongside capacity pressures, including staffing challenges, is impacting on measures relating to service delivery and timeliness.  In recognition of the significant challenges  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services that introduces information regarding the projected 2022/23 financial health position at Month 7 (October 2022) in the context of the Scrutiny Board’s wider discussions about the initial budget proposals.

The Head of Democratic Service submitted a report that introduced information regarding the projected 2022/23 financial health position at Month 7 (October 2022) in the context of the Scrutiny Board’s wider discussions about the initial budget proposals.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Cllr Salma Arif, Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles

·  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health

·  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health

·  Shona McFarlane, Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Service

·  John Crowther, Chief Officer Resources and Strategy, Adults & Health

·  Phil Evans, Chief Officer, Operations and Active Leeds

·  Steve Baker, Head of Active Leeds

The Chief Officer Resources and Strategy, Adults & Health provided the Board with an overview of the financial position for Adults Social Care and Public Health.  Members were reminded that Adult Social Care had in-year savings plans totalling £7 million and whilst the directorate is still anticipating delivering a balanced budget, there are some challenges on delivering elements of the savings plan on time.  Such challenges relate to staff recruitment issues, buildings work issues linked to the refurbishment of care homes; and a decision taken by the directorate to phase some of its income recovery measures.  Adult Social Care has a demand budget approaching £250 million with pressures of around £5.4 million primarily across residential care.  It was also noted that some of these pressures are caused by funded in-year uplifts to fees which resulted in around £2.4 million that was not reflected in the initial budget as well as the impact of the agreed pay award.  In helping to achieve a balanced position, Members were advised that the Council had secured additional grant from the government’s Better Care Fund as well as seeing more positive results stemming from previous income plans.  It was noted that Public Health are operating with a £47 million ringfenced grant this year and are expected to maintain their expenditure within those levels, although it was noted that Public Health services are experiencing the impacts of the pandemic too

The Chief Officer, Operations and Active Leeds outlined the financial pressures for Active Lifestyles, which included the pay award and also increased energy costs. It was highlighted that the leisure portfolio is the third most extensive user of energy across the council’s estate. Overall, it was highlighted that the City Development directorate is forecasting a balanced position at the year end.  At month 7, the Active Leeds element of the budget is forecast to have a £200,000 overspend, however, the service is working hard to improve that position in order to still achieve a balanced budget.

On behalf of the Board, the Chair welcomed the update on the financial position.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services that introduces the Executive Board’s initial budget proposals for 2023/24 for consideration, review and comment on matters and proposals that fall within the Scrutiny Board’s remit.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report that introduced the Executive Board’s initial budget proposals for 2023/24 for consideration, review and comment on matters and proposals that fall within the Scrutiny Board’s remit.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Cllr Salma Arif, Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles

·  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health

·  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health

·  Shona McFarlane, Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Service

·  John Crowther, Chief Officer Resources and Strategy, Adults & Health

·  Phil Evans, Chief Officer, Operations and Active Leeds

·  Steve Baker, Head of Active Leeds.

The Chair had highlighted that while the Board has already been initially consulted on the relevant budget proposals as part of a working group meeting held during December 2022, Members were given a further opportunity as part of this meeting to raise any further questions or make any further comments on the proposals.

No further questions or comments were made by Board Members and therefore the Chair concluded by explaining that the Board’s earlier deliberations on the relevant budget saving proposals during the working group meeting last month will now inform a composite report from Scrutiny that will be submitted to the Executive Board for consideration during its meeting on 8th February 2023.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted and that the Board’s deliberations on the relevant budget savings proposals inform a composite report from Scrutiny that will be submitted to the Executive Board for consideration during its meeting on 8th February 2023.

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for the 2022/23 municipal year.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report that presented the work schedule for the remainder of the municipal year.

RESOLVED –That the contents of the work schedule for 2022/2023 be noted.

Tuesday, 21^st February 2023 at 1.30 pm (premeeting for all Board Members at 1.00 pm)

RESOLVED – To note the next meeting of the Board asTuesday, 21st February 2023 at 1.30 pm (premeeting for all Board Members at 1.00 pm)

(The meeting concluded at 3:12pm)