Agenda and minutes

Members of the Executive and Corporate Management Team introduced themselves, followed by other Councillors present at the meeting.

Resolved –

That the public Minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2021, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and confirmed by the Chairman as a correct record.

County Councillor Michael Harrison declared a disclosable interest in Agenda item 6, due to having close family members employed at the County Council.  He confirmed he had a dispensation from the Standards Committee enabling him to remain in the meeting and vote on Agenda item 6.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Melanie Carr of Democratic and Scrutiny Services and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on Thursday 19 August 2021, three working days before the day of the meeting.  Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:-

·            at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·            when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chairman who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

There were no public questions or statements.

Purpose: To revise appointments to the Executive and update Executive Member portfolios, and make an appointment to the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Integrated Care System Partnership Board.

Considered –

The Leader considered a report seeking to revise appointments to the Executive, and update Executive Member portfolios.  The Leader also considered a proposal to update the Constitution to reflect that all Executive Members in carrying out their duties as a portfolio holder were responsible for equality, diversity and inclusion.

Finally, Members of the Executive considered a proposal to make an appointment to the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Integrated Care System Partnership Board.

Resolved – That:

i.     That County Councillor Caroline Dickinson be removed from the Executive from 24 August 2021.

ii.     That County Councillor Andrew Lee be appointed as the Executive Member for Public Health, Prevention and Supported Housing

iii.     That County Councillor Derek Bastiman be appointed as the Executive Member for Open to Business, including growth, economic development, planning, waste management, trading standards unit and business relations;

iv.   That Climate Change be included in the Executive Member for Customer Engagement portfolio, as follows:

‘Executive Member for Climate Change and Customer Engagement including contact centre, website, libraries, digital, performance management (complaints and compliments)’

v.    That ‘including sustainability and transformation plans (issues relating to Friarage and Darlington Hospitals)’ be removed from the title of the portfolio of the Executive Member for Public Health, Prevention and Supported Housing, including sustainability and transformation plans (issues relating to Friarage and Darlington Hospitals)

vi.   That Members of the Executive recommended to the Chief Executive that under his emergency delegated powers, he appoint County Councillor Andrew Lee to the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Integrated Care System Partnership Board.

vii.   That the Constitution (and Council website) be updated by the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) under his delegated powers in Article 15.02(c)(iii) to update the Constitution, to reflect the changes set out in resolution (i) to (vi) above, and to reflect that all Executive Members in carrying out their duties as a portfolio holder are responsible for equality, diversity and inclusion (as detailed in paragraph 2.2 of the report).

Recommendation: That the Executive note and consider any matters arising from the Quarterly Performance Report

Considered –

A joint report of the Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Strategic Resources, bringing together key aspects of the County Council’s performance for Quarter 1 of 2021/22.

County Councillor Carl Les introduced the Quarter 1 performance report and thanked officers for the Executive summary which highlighted the in-depth focus on ‘North Yorkshire is a place with a strong economy and a commitment to sustainable growth’.

County Councillor David Chance provided an overview of the report, which highlighted a number of key performance events for Quarter 1, as listed in paragraph 2.3 of the report, including:

·          The work of the Community Support Organisations, which continued to help over 3,500 people a month across North Yorkshire;

·          Improving levels of prevention activity in support of healthy and independent living

·          The findings from a Children’s social care Ofsted inspection, which showed continued improvement on the previous ‘outstanding’ rating;

·          The 2020/21 staff survey results, with consistent improvement across all key indicators;

County Councillor David Chance confirmed the report provided strong evidence of progress in delivering all four of the County Council’s ambitions, but highlighted the following challenges:

·          Supporting strong economic recovery post pandemic

·          Demand led pressures in referrals to Children’s social care, with the highest level of quarterly referrals in the last 10 years;

·          The doubling of the average number of hospital discharges to adult social care, since the start of the pandemic;

County Councillor Caroline Dickinson recorded her grateful thanks to all the staff in Public Health for their help and support during her time as Executive Member, and for the excellent work they continued to deliver, and in turn, other Executive Members recorded their thanks to her for her support and guidance.

North Yorkshire is a place with a Strong Economy and a commitment to Sustainable Growth

County Councillor Don Mackenzie provided an overview of the strengths and challenges associated with County Council’s growth strategy aimed at improving the economy of North Yorkshire.  He drew members’ attention to:

·          The launch of NY Highways on 1^st June 2021 and the work they had already successfully achieved;

·          The improving condition of North Yorkshire’s principal highways, with only 3% requiring repairs;

·          The early re-opening of the A19 at Chapel Haddlesley;

·          The launch of Yorbus – a new demand responsive app-based bus service pilot;

County Councillor Don Mackenzie also paid tribute to the team at NYNet who had done so much to improve the digital infrastructure across the County, which had been of invaluable service to residents and businesses throughout the pandemic.

In regard to the Council’s other ambitions, individual Executive Members highlighted the following:

Healthy & Independent Living – The significant pressures in the system through a loss of workforce, with actions underway to limit the impact;

Best Start in Life – An increased number of referrals to children in need and Child Protection Plans.  Also, the Fostering Service currently operating at near full capacity and the ongoing joint working with other Authorities to promote fostering;

Innovative & Forward Thinking – The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 628.

Recommendation: That the Executive recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that using his emergency delegated powers he approve the revised Elective Home Education policy and procedures, replacing those previously approved in 2016, in order to reflect the new pathway and statutory requirements.

Considered –

A report of the Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service, proposing the replacement of the existing EHE Policy & procedures agreed in 2016.

County Councillor Patrick Mulligan introduced the report, confirming there had been a significant percentage increase in the number of children being home educated, as detailed in paragraph 2.3 of the report, but that number only equated to 1% of the total number of children in school. Attention was drawn to the recently completed internal review and its associated outcomes, as listed in paragraph 3.2 of the report. 

To reassure members, County Councillor Patrick Mulligan also drew attention to Appendix D of the revised policy which summarised the main features of the legal options open to the local authority if it was satisfied that a child was not receiving a suitable education at home.

Members considered the revised policy and procedures presented as part of the report.  They also noted the DfE advice note issued to local authorities in November 2020, the outcomes of the internal review and the appointment of four EHE advisors. 

Stuart Carlton, Corporate Director – Children & Young People’s Service confirmed the revised policy would provide a strengthened pathway to ensure a decision to home educate was been taken for the right reasons.  He confirmed his view that a national review of the guidance was required to enable Authorities to have a higher threshold on what suitable home education was.

County Councillor Janet Jefferson welcomed the revised policy and agreed a national review was required to address the loopholes in the government guidance.

Finally it was confirmed that the four newly appointed Home Education Advisors would start to look at the suitability of the home education being provided by 850 families across North Yorkshire currently, prioritising those that were open to children and social care or those that had a EHCP in place.

Resolved: 

Executive Members agreed to recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that using his emergency delegated powers he approve the revised Elective Home Education policy and procedures, replacing those previously approved in 2016, in order to reflect the new pathway and statutory requirements.

Recommendation:  That the Executive notes the report and considers any matters arising from the work of the Scarborough & Whitby Area Constituency Committee, that merits further scrutiny, review or investigation at a county-level.

Considered –  A report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal & Democratic Services) providing an overview of the key issues considered at a recent meeting of the Thirsk & Malton Area Constituency Committee. 

Resolved - That the report be noted.

Considered –

The Forward Plan for the period 16 August 2021 to 31 August 2022 was presented.

Resolved -   That the Forward Plan be noted.