Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 October 2023 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To answer any verbal questions and supplementary questions from a county councillor, about any matter which relates to any item under Part I on the agenda for this meeting under Standing Order C35(7).

To submit a question to Cabinet, click here.

There will be a maximum of 30 minutes for the questions to be asked and answered.

There were no questions received.

Cabinet considered a report that provided a forecast of the financial position for the county council for the next 3 years and contained an updated position compared to that presented to Cabinet and Full Council in February 2023.

The forecast contained detailed assumptions that had been discussed in depth with services and research undertaken nationally to benchmark the reasonableness of the council's assumptions in comparison to other local authorities.

It was noted that the previous medium term financial strategy forecasted a budget surplus of £12.077m in 2024/25 with it becoming a deficit position of £19.103m by 2026/27. The updated position forecasted a gap of £14.505m in 2024/25, with it increasing to £18.294m in 2026/27.

Resolved: That

i.  The revised funding gap of £18.294m covering the period 2024/25 to 2026/27, as set out in the revised financial outlook forecast for the council, be noted;

ii.  The budget adjustments for 2024/25, and following years' changes, included in the revised medium term financial strategy, be approved; and

iii.  The contents of the county council's reserves position be noted.

Cabinet considered a report that set out the outcome of the Political Governance Working Group's review of outside bodies, following the Working Group's meetings on 17 May and 21 September 2023.

In presenting the report, it was proposed to appoint Andy Walker, Head of Business Growth, to the Liverpool John Lennon Airport Consultative Committee.

Resolved: That

i.  The following be approved:

a.  The proposed Protocol on County Council Appointments to Outside Bodies as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report;

b.  The revised list of outside bodies and appointments as set out at Appendix 'B' of the report, including the addition of the Pennine Community Safety Partnership and the Pilkington Charitable Trust, and those to be joint working arrangements instead;

c.  The appointment of County Councillor Ash Sutcliffe to the Pennine Community Safety Partnership and the Pilkington Charitable Trust; and

d.  The appointment of Andy Walker, Head of Business Growth, to the Liverpool John Lennon Airport Consultative Committee.

ii.  The Director of Law and Governance be authorised to finalise arrangements for the administration of the Emily Rainford Trust, the Marsden Heights Educational Foundation, and the Bostock Scholarship Fund.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to commence the following procurement exercises in accordance with the county council's procurement rules:

i.  Framework Agreement for the supply, installation, maintenance and repair of bus shelters;

ii.  Provision of Traffic Management Services;

iii.  Provision of a Dynamic Purchasing System - Cleaning and Facilities Services;

iv.  Fleet Vehicle Replacement Programme 2023/2024; and

v.  Improvements for Accrington Railway Station Access.

Resolved: That the commencement of procurement exercises for the following be approved:

i.  Framework Agreement for the supply, installation, maintenance and repair of bus shelters;

ii.  Provision of Traffic Management Services;

iii.  Provision of a Dynamic Purchasing System - Cleaning and Facilities Services;

iv.  Fleet Vehicle Replacement Programme 2023/2024; and

v.  Improvements for Accrington Railway Station Access.

Cabinet considered a report on the Adult Services Non-Residential Care Charging Policy. The Non-Residential Care Charging Policy set out how Lancashire County Council charged for non-residential adult social care services and formed part of the suite of Care Act policies currently under review in readiness for Care Quality Commission inspection.

Resolved: That the Non-Residential Care Charging Policy as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

Cabinet considered a report on the Adult Services Residential Care Charging Policy. The Residential Care Charging Policy set out how Lancashire County Council charged for residential and nursing adult social care services and formed part of the suite of Care Act policies currently under review in readiness for Care Quality Commission inspection.

Resolved: That the Residential Care Charging Policy as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

Cabinet considered a report on the Adult Social Care Winter Plan for 2023/24. The Lancashire County Council Adult Social Care Winter Plan had been updated for 2023/24, to reflect the services in place and the social care planning and response to winter pressures.

It was noted that the upcoming winter was anticipated to be challenging, and the plan included information about various actions being taken across the winter period, and the proposed social care capacity enhancements to provide resilience and system support.

Resolved: That the Lancashire County Council Adult Social Care Winter Plan for 2023/24, as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

Cabinet considered a report on the statutory and non-statutory complaints and customer feedback for 2022-2023. It was noted that Lancashire County Council had a legal obligation to publish a complaints and customer feedback report on statutory social care complaints on an annual basis. There were two statutory procedures, both different: one for children and young people's social care complaints and one for adult social care complaints.

In addition to the statutory requirements, a non-statutory report on complaints and customer feedback made through the Corporate Complaints Procedure (for complaints and feedback about all other services), was set out at Appendix 'C' of the report. 

Resolved: That the annual reports on Complaints and Customer Feedback for 2022/23, be noted.

Cabinet considered a report on the revised Terms of Reference of the Corporate Parenting Board.

The Corporate Parenting Board was a working group of the Cabinet and following the Cabinet meeting held on 6 July 2023, it was agreed that the county council sign up to the Care Leaver Covenant's 'whole Council approach' and adopt the five-part strategy. Responsibility for overseeing the council's adoption and implementation belonged to the Corporate Parenting Board and therefore the Terms of Reference had been amended to reflect this.

In presenting the report, the Cabinet thanked the Chair of the Corporate Parenting Board, County Councillor Stephen Clarke, and all the members across the county council for the work they had done, as well as all the external partners who contributed to the work of the board, and the young people who attended to share their experiences.

Resolved: That the Corporate Parenting Board's revised Terms of Reference, as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to consult on the inclusion of the Armed Forces Children & the Children of School Staff in the Admission Arrangements for Lancashire Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools from 2025 to 2026. The county council, as admission authority, determined the admission criteria that were used to prioritise pupils for places at community primary and secondary schools.

It was noted that the Department for Education's School Admissions Code 2021 contained provisions allowing admission authorities to give priority within their admission arrangements to children based on eligibility for one or more of the pupil, early years or service premiums, as well as allowing admission authorities to give priority in their admission criteria to the children of school staff.

Additionally, in November 2022, the Ministry of Defence issued Statutory Guidance on the Armed Forces Covenant Duty, with an expectation that county council's take all possible steps to support Armed Forces families in the delivery of their services.

It was therefore proposed to change Lancashire County Council's admission criteria, applied when considering applications for community and voluntary controlled schools, to include children eligible for Services Premium, in order to provide support to Armed Forces families and children of staff, to assist community and voluntary controlled schools with their recruitment.

Resolved: That the proposal to undertake a formal consultation process to change Lancashire County Council's admission criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools be approved to include:

  i.  Children of Staff; and

  ii.  Children eligible for Services Premium.

Please note that Appendix 'A' to this report is in Part II and appears as Item No. 21 on the Agenda.

Cabinet considered a report that provided an update on the School Place Planning Delivery Programme 2023-25.

The report proposed to progress projects which would provide additional places at Broughton in Amounderness Church of England Primary School, Preston; Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, Pendle; and Longridge High School, Ribble Valley.

It was noted that Appendix 'A' to the report was in Part II and was set out at Item 21 on the agenda.

Resolved: That, the following be approved:

1. The temporary expansion of Broughton in Amounderness Church of England Primary School, Preston, by 1 form of entry, by increasing the admission number from 35 to 60 with effect from 2024/25;
2. The commencement of a public consultation on the proposal to permanently expand Broughton in Amounderness Church of England Primary school, Preston, by 1 form of entry, by increasing the published admission number from 35 to 60 with effect from 2025/26;
3. The temporary expansion of Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, Pendle, by 0.5 form of entry, by increasing the published admission number from 15 to 30 for 2024/25;
4. The capital allocation for the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, Pendle, project set out at Appendix 'A' of the report; and
5. The additional capital allocation for the Longridge High School project set out at Appendix 'A' of the report.

Cabinet considered a report on the Lancashire Warm Spaces Grant Scheme. It was noted that the report described the proposal for the provision of warm spaces in Lancashire Libraries and the implementation of a grant scheme to support access to warm spaces in the community, together with an online directory and supporting resources.

Resolved: That, the following be approved:

i.  The implementation of a warm spaces grant scheme for local organisations, to a total value of £72,000; with a maximum allocation of £500 per application; and

ii.  The utilisation of Lancashire Libraries as warm spaces, with a budget allocation of £25,000.

There have been no urgent decisions taken since the last meeting of Cabinet.

There had been no urgent decisions taken since the last meeting of Cabinet.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There were no items of Urgent Business.

The next meeting of Cabinet will be held on Thursday 7 December 2023 at 2.00pm at County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that the next meeting of Cabinet would be held at 2pm on Thursday, 7 December 2023 at County Hall, Preston.

No representations have been received.

Click here to see the published Notice of Intention to Conduct Business in Private.

Cabinet noted the Notice of Intention to Conduct Business in Private and that no representations had been received.

The Cabinet is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, it considers that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as indicated against the heading to the item.

Resolved: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. Appendix 'A' contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). It is considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The appendix contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). It was considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Resolved: That Appendix 'A' of Item 14 - Update on the School Place Planning Delivery Programme 2023-25, be noted.