This meeting sees the Cabinet consider a wide range of subjects, including a motion submitted by a councillor in a previous full council meeting about the closure of a care home in Henley; updates on the performance of the council and its capital programme; and scrutiny committee feedback on its Community Asset Transfer Policy and its Commercial Strategy. In addition to these, the Cabinet is also asked to agree a response to a government consultation about enabling remote attendance and proxy voting at council meetings, and receive a report on the market for carbon dioxide removal. It is important to remember that these documents show what is scheduled to be discussed, but we do not know whether the Cabinet actually discussed, or made decisions on, any of these topics.

Henley Short Stay Hub Beds

The Cabinet will consider a report on the provision of short stay hub beds in Oxfordshire, in particular responding to a motion passed in a previous meeting of the Full Council which called for the reinstatement of the seven short stay hub beds that were removed from Chiltern Court Care Home in Henley.

The motion argued that these were NHS beds , and because of this they should not have been closed without a full public consultation. In response, the report pack explains that while the funding for these beds came from a pooled budget that included NHS money, they were contracted by Oxfordshire County Council, not the NHS, and as such there was no statutory requirement for the council to consult on their removal. This view was supported in a letter from Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State for Health, which was included in the report pack. It explained that, as local joint commissioners, the NHS BOB[^2] ICB and OCC are best placed to determine the needs of their local population , and that the Secretary of State has decided that this does not meet the threshold for intervention .

The report pack went on to describe how the council and the NHS have been working in partnership to support more people to be discharged home directly, rather than to a care home. It described how a “Home First Discharge to Assess” model was piloted in July to December 2023 and then implemented across the county in January 2024. The council and the NHS believe that this approach, which sees people discharged home and assessed there, has resulted in a number of benefits. They argue that the approach

Enabled people who might previously [have] waited for reablement to go home, find their feet and return to independence with a brief intervention

and that it

Avoided people being stuck in hospital awaiting a long-term home care package

The report goes on to argue that the Home First model has been better for the council financially because

The costs of taking someone home for reablement is £1174 per episode; if on assessment at home they do not need reablement the cost is £250… By contrast the average cost of a Short Stay Hub bed is (2024/25 rates) is £1500 a week, plus the cost of the Hub team and medical cover.

The report pack acknowledges that the council and the ICB could have done more to engage with residents of Henley before the beds at Chiltern Court Care Home were closed. It also recognises that while the new approach has led to improvements, there is more work to be done. In particular, it highlights that “the system needs to stop people coming into hospital in the first place” and sets out that a range of initiatives funded by the Better Care Fund are currently under review by the Urgent and Emergency Care Board.

The report pack concludes by proposing that the Cabinet notes the history of step-down bed provision in Oxfordshire and endorses the implementation of the Home First Discharge to Assess Model; notes its impact for users, the performance of the health system and its efficiency; and agrees that the Chiltern Court beds should not be reinstated.

Response to Government Consultation on Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting at Council Meetings

The Cabinet will be asked to consider a response to a government consultation on whether to enable councils to hold meetings remotely, and whether to introduce proxy voting at council meetings.

The report pack describes how the government is seeking views on whether to change the law to allow councillors to attend meetings without being physically present, and on whether to introduce a system that allows a councillor to give another councillor permission to vote on their behalf if they cannot attend a meeting. The report pack recognises that the government believes that allowing councillors to attend remotely could make it easier for people from different backgrounds to stand for election, and could make it easier for councils to continue operating during emergencies. It goes on to explain that the government believes that introducing proxy voting could “provide additional flexibility to those who really need it on a time-limited basis”.

The report pack goes on to describe how the government has asked councils whether they support the changes, and what limitations they think should be applied. The report recommends that the Cabinet supports the introduction of remote attendance but cautions against proxy voting. The report pack argues that proxy voting is unnecessary, saying that

The use of proxy voting in this way would remove a vital and visible symbol of each elected Member exercising their vote based on the consideration of issues at a particular meeting. If a Member cannot be present to ensure that a substitute can attend, substitutes can be sent in which to consider issues and vote on the matter.

It goes on to say that proxy voting would lead to an unnecessary level of administration, and that it would create confusion about how decisions were made.

Community Asset Transfer Policy and Leases to the Voluntary & Community Sector

The Cabinet will consider a report from the Performance and Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee which contains its feedback on a report on the council’s Community Asset Transfer¹ policy.

Community Asset Transfer is the process by which a local authority can transfer ownership or management of a building or piece of land to a community organisation.

The scrutiny committee makes three recommendations to the Cabinet, and makes one observation about the benefits that residents derive from Community Asset Transfers. The report pack explains that the scrutiny committee was concerned that while the council's Community Asset Transfer Policy sought to balance its commercial interests with the social value provided by community organisations, there was a danger that as the council becomes more commercial these benefits might be overlooked. The report states that the Scrutiny Committee

wishes to place on record its wish that this does not happen.

The scrutiny committee goes on to recommend that the council ensures local councillors are involved with discussions with community groups, and that the social value generated by those groups is properly considered. The report pack explains that this recommendation was made because the Scrutiny Committee believes that councillors should be kept up to date so that they can provide appropriate support to local groups, and that this involvement would ensure social value is fully considered.

The scrutiny committee’s second recommendation focuses on communication around empty properties, asking the council to make improvements in three areas. Firstly, it recommends that the council shares with councillors a clear statement that sets out when and how it hopes to dispose of properties it no longer needs. Secondly, the committee asks that the council provides councillors with regular updates that summarise recent activity relating to the council’s property portfolio. Finally, it recommends that residents who live near empty properties are kept up to date on plans for those properties. The report pack explains that these recommendations were made because empty properties are highly visible, and that because the work being done is not communicated residents and councillors get frustrated and blame the council.

The final recommendation made by the Scrutiny Committee was that the council develops a way to share information with other organisations who might be approached by community groups looking for accommodation. The report pack explains how the Scrutiny Committee heard that groups are likely to approach multiple organisations, such as the district councils, the NHS or the Oxford Colleges. It argues that a lack of coordination means that effort is wasted and that opportunities to make better plans with those organisations are missed. For example, it explains how the council was unable to offer a site to Oxfordshire’s Hindu community, but that Oxford City Council was able to offer them a former sports pavilion. The report pack does not mention whether the two councils worked together to identify this solution, but it does highlight that Oxfordshire County Council’s interest in a project rarely ends at the point where it cannot provide accommodation.

The scrutiny committee also suggests that councillors should be kept informed of lease requests, land availability and planned leases, arguing that local knowledge would help to ensure better outcomes. The report pack explains how the council has been asked to respond to these recommendations by 15 October 2024.

Commercial Strategy Update

The Cabinet will also consider a report from the Performance and Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee about progress on the implementation of the council’s Commercial Strategy.

The Scrutiny Committee makes five recommendations, and makes one observation about the pace of progress on the strategy.

The Scrutiny Committee was frustrated by the lack of detail in the report it received, highlighting that it had been eight months since the Cabinet agreed the strategy and that in that time the only concrete output was a maturity assessment. The report pack acknowledges that councillors share officers’ frustrations, explaining that the slow progress was because the council is currently being restructured and it did not make sense to proceed at pace in these circumstances. Despite this, it recognises that the slow progress

should act as something of a reality check as to how far the Council needs to travel and the amount of work which needs to be devoted to it in order to make it work.

The Scrutiny Committee’s first recommendation was that the council develops a more detailed project plan for the Commercial Strategy that outlines all of the activities that are required, their timescales, and details about what is expected to be achieved. It also recommends that this plan be shared with the committee on a regular basis.

The scrutiny committee went on to recommend that future iterations of the strategy set out clearly what it wants to achieve and how it intends to do it. The report pack describes how the Scrutiny Committee felt that the current strategy conflates three distinct types of activity, arguing that while the current version focuses mostly on saving money by being better at procurement, it should also explain what it wants to do to make money and to use the money it already has better.

The report pack explains that the scrutiny committee was concerned that while training was helpful, the council’s low level of commercial maturity meant that it should find more effective ways to build capacity. The committee recommended that the council gives serious consideration to seconding staff to private sector organisations so that they can gain a better understanding of commercial practices. The report pack explains that the committee believed that

The integration of the Local Enterprise Partnership into the Council provides a great opportunity to identify opportunities with high-performing organisations with high standards of practice within whose culture staff members can become immersed in a way they cannot whilst working within the Council.

The scrutiny committee went on to recommend that the council invests in building greater capacity to undertake strategic procurement and mid-contract management of contracts, arguing that focusing on these areas will enable the council to identify efficiencies and economies of scale.

The final recommendation from the scrutiny committee was that the council adds representatives from adult social care and children’s social care to its Commercial Strategy Board. It argues that these two areas account for two thirds of the council’s spending and that failing to include them is a missed opportunity. The report pack explains that the committee was also concerned that this lack of involvement meant that these areas were not being given sufficient exposure to commercial thinking.

Workforce Report and Staffing Data - Quarter 2 - July to September 2024

The Cabinet will receive a report that provides an update on the council’s workforce for quarter two of the 2024/25 financial year, and on its progress implementing its Our People and Culture Strategy.

The report pack describes how the council’s workforce has changed in this period, and includes some insights from exit interviews conducted with colleagues who have left the council. In addition, it describes how the council has performed against the targets it set for itself, and the progress that has been made on some of the actions that underpin its strategy.

The report pack describes how the council has established a new in-house Talent Acquisition and Resourcing team and implemented a new Applicant Tracking System that is intended to reduce the need for interim or agency staff. It also describes how work has begun on developing an Employer Value Proposition and employer brand that will help to attract new talent.

In addition, the report pack explains that the council has reviewed its policy framework, including updating its policies on agile working, domestic abuse and sickness. It describes how it is currently redesigning its capability, disciplinary and grievance policies. It also explains that the council has shared the results of the 2024 employee engagement survey, and that it has started to plan the 2025 survey.

The report pack goes on to explain how the council has run a reciprocal mentoring scheme that focused on equality, diversity and inclusion; refreshed its ‘managing for performance’ tool; and made significant progress on enhancing its offer for people early in their careers. It describes how the council has recruited four management trainees, held its first work experience week, and is currently developing an internship programme.

Finally, the report pack explains that the council has introduced a number of people management controls that focus on its use of agency staff, honorariums, overtime and the purchasing of additional leave. It describes how it is supporting leaders to lead transformational change, and how the key priority of the Our People and Culture Strategy is its Organisation Redesign Programme, which aims to change the structure of the council to ensure it stays within its budget.

Capital Programme and Monitoring Report - October 2024

The Cabinet will be asked to note the council’s capital programme monitoring position for 2024/25, and to approve an update to the capital programme.

The report pack explains how the capital programme sets out how the council will invest in building, maintaining and improving its assets, such as roads, schools and its property portfolio. It explains that the capital programme is updated quarterly, and that this report also asks the Cabinet to approve the inclusion of three new schemes into the programme.

The report pack explains that the latest forecast for capital expenditure in 2024/25 is £276.5m, and explains the reasons why the forecast has changed since the previous report. It goes on to explain how that expenditure is broken down across a range of strategic areas: the Pupil Place Plan; major infrastructure; highways and structural maintenance; the property strategy; IT, digital and innovation; passported funds; and vehicles and equipment.

The report pack goes on to describe how each of these areas are performing, and provides detail on some of the key projects that are included in the capital programme.

In addition to describing the performance of the existing programme, the report pack asks for approval to add three new schemes into the capital programme: William Fletcher CE Primary School (Expansion); breathing apparatus and decontamination areas at Fire Stations; and East Oxford Mini Holland. The report explains that the expansion of William Fletcher CE Primary School is required to meet the growing demand for school places, and that the work at fire stations is required so that they comply with new guidance.

The Mini Holland scheme is intended to make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle in the East Oxford area, and is likely to include a range of improvements such as segregated cycle lanes and traffic calming.

Beyond Net Zero - Growing the Market for Carbon Dioxide Removals

The Cabinet will receive a report on how to grow the market for carbon dioxide removals in Oxfordshire.

The report pack explains how Oxfordshire County Council is committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and sets out how a number of technological solutions exist which can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These technologies are known as greenhouse gas removal or “negative emissions technologies”. The report pack explains that the council could support their development by: procuring carbon dioxide removals directly; investing in greenhouse gas removal technologies; and working with landowners, farmers, and other organisations to encourage private investment in carbon dioxide removal in Oxfordshire.

The report pack explains how the council will be approaching this, arguing that

It is important to recognise that GGR technologies are at different stages of maturity

and concluding that

This suggests that the initial focus for Oxfordshire County Council should be on supporting the development of technologies that are at a late stage of maturity.

The report pack includes a summary of the different technologies available and the organisations that are developing them. For example, it describes how biochar is a charcoal-like material made from waste biomass, explaining that

Biochar can be used as a soil amendment, which can improve soil health and fertility.

It also describes how BECCS² works, explaining that

The CO2 that is captured during the BECCS process can then be stored underground or used to produce other products.

The report does not make any recommendations to the Cabinet.

Infrastructure Funding Statement

The Cabinet will receive the Infrastructure Funding Statement for 2023/24.

The report pack explains that the Infrastructure Funding Statement³ sets out how the council has used developer contributions, known as Section 106 contributions, to fund infrastructure. It explains how the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 require the council to produce an Infrastructure Funding Statement every year, and that the statement must include details of all of the contributions received, and how they have been spent.

The report does not make any recommendations to the Cabinet.