Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interests.

The minutes of the Cabinet Member (Strategic Finance and Resources) meeting held on 30^th June 2014 were signed as a true record.

The exercise of delegated authority in the write-off of debt owing to Coventry City Council in 2013/14

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, Resources relating to the exercise of delegated authority in the write-off of debt owing to Coventry City Council in 2013/14.

The Revenues and Benefits service was responsible for the collection of Corporate Income (including council tax and business rates) and Corporate Debt. A range of measures were employed to ensure the maximisation and collection of all income and debt owed to the Council. In certain circumstances it was appropriate and necessary to write off debts owing to the Council. Robust processes were in place within the Revenues and Benefits service to ensure that debt was written off and authorised in accordance with the Council's rules of delegated authority.

RESOLVED, that after due consideration of the report and the matters raised at the meeting, the Cabinet Member

1.  Reviews the level of write-offs authorised under delegated authority.

2.  Agrees to receive a further report at the first meeting of the new municipal year 2015/16 to provide an update for the period April 2014 to March 2015.

To provide the Cabinet Member with performance information on the use of agency workers for the Q1 period 1 April to 30 June 2014

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, Resources, which provided performance information on the use of agency workers procured through the Master Vendor contract for the Quarter 1 period (1 April – 30 June 2014).

The Cabinet Member compared expenditure from Quarter 4 in 2013/13 and Quarter 1 in 2014/15 and considered Interim Manager spends for the same periods which were now procured through National Framework Agreement RM692.

RESOLVED, that after due consideration of the report and the matters raised at the meeting, the Cabinet Member:

1.  Approves monitoring processes to continue for both Agency workers and Interim Managers

2.  Endorses compliance with the corporate policy on the recruitment of Temporary Agency Workers through the Master Vendor, Pertemps for the Q1 period and Interim managers.

3.  Reviews the Q1 spends for 2014/15 with the previous Q4 spends for 2013/14.

4.  Instructs officers to continue to work towards reducing expenditure on the use of agency workers.

5.  Approves that future orders are not accepted if no reason is given for the need for the agency worker.

6.  Request officers that in future reports concerning agency workers monitoring, additional information be provided, on all agency worker contracts used outside of the Master Vendor contract.

Report of the Executive Director, Resources on:

  i.  Levels of sickness absence for the 12 month period of 2013/14. 

  ii.  The actions being taken to manage absence and promote health at work across the City Council.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, Resources concerning the 12 month cumulative sickness absence for 2013/14.

The report contained the levels of sickness for the 12 month period and the actions being taken to manage absence and promote health at work across the City Council.

RESOLVED, that after due consideration of the report and the matters raised at the meeting, the Cabinet Member received the report providing sickness absence data for the 12 month period of 2013/14 and endorses the actions taken to monitor and manage sickness.

Report of the Executive Director, resources on:

• Levels of sickness absence for the 3 month period of April - June 2014.

• The actions being taken to manage absence and promote health at work across the City Council.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, Resources concerning a 3 month (April-June 2014) cumulative sickness absence for 2013/14.

The report contained the levels of sickness for the 3 month period and the actions being taken to manage absence and promote health at work across the City Council.

RESOLVED, that after due consideration of the report and the matters raised at the meeting, the Cabinet Member received the report providing sickness absence data for the 3 month period of April – June 2014 and endorses the actions taken to monitor and manage sickness.

Report of the Executive Director, Resources, on the budget spent during the third and final quarter of the Mayoral Year.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, Resources concerning the final hospitality statement and charity appeal for the mayoralty of Councillor Gary Crookes for 2013/14.

The report updated the Cabinet Member on how the budget was spent during the third and final quarter of the Mayoral Year.  The amount of £46,659.03 was spent at the end of Quarter 3 and £68,236.82 at year end.  This left a variance remaining of £2,359.18 from the annual overall budget.

RESOLVED, that after due considered of the report and the matters raised at the meeting, the Cabinet Member noted:

1.  The outturn of £68,236.82 for the Mayoral year and approves the contents of the report which describes how the hospitality budget was spent on an event-by-event basis; and

2.  The final sum raised for the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal.

There were no more items of public business.