Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources meeting held on 13 July, 2015 were signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources considered a report of the Director of Public Health which indicated that New Central Credit Union signed a Grant Aid Agreement with the City Council in June 2014 to support and enhance the provision of credit union services in Coventry. The report outlined progress during the first year of the Agreement.

Credit unions provide a sustainable and effective alternative to the high interest borrowing typical of pay day loan companies. One of the key elements in promoting memberships of credit unions in the city is to ensure exposure for the credit unions and ensure they have suitable commercial premises from which to operate. The grant helps to sustain New Central Credit Union in what was an empty Council owned commercial property in Smithford Way.

The Credit Union currently has over 2,800 members with 1,963 adults and over 900 juniors. Of the total membership 60% are Tier 3, members with incomes below £15000, 30% are Tier 2 members with incomes between £15,000 and £30,000 and 10% are Tier 1 members with incomes over £30,000.

The report provided details of products and services for the financial excluded and vulnerable households and indicated that the expansion project to which the credit union has signed up to will also deliver products and services which will address the Welform Reform changes.

Details of membership, savings and loans were detailed in the report, together with Phase 1 and 2 of the Credit Union Expansion project, which New Central Credit Union have signed with DWP and which offer a broad range of financial products and services, including fully automated banking platform, together with a national marketing campaign. The report also outlined marketing campaigns and activities, other achievements, including the introduction of an apprentice programme, and proposals for 2015/16.

Three representatives from New Central Credit Union attended the meeting and the Cabinet Member questioned them on aspects of the report.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources:-

(1)  Notes the progress made by the New Central Credit Union

during the first year of the Grant Aid Agreement

  (2)  Notes the proposals set out by New Central Credit Union for   2015-2016

(3)  Requests that the issues raised at the meeting regarding additional business rates costs be referred to the Head of Financial Management for consideration/comment in relation to the proposed reductions to grant aid.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources which provided performance information on the use of agency workers procured through the Master Vendor Contract for the Quarter 1 period 1 April to 30 June 2015 and compared Quarter 4 2014/15 with Quarter 1 2015/16 expenditure. The report also provided information in relation to Interim Manager spends for the same periods, which are now procured through a National Framework Agreement, along with any additional off contract spends across the authority.

The report provided Directorate commentary on agency worker spend for Quarter 1 and indicated that there has not been an increase in spend by any Directorate. In particular, the report provided information on work which is continuing regionally between 14 local authorities in the West Midlands to cap the agency worker hourly rates for Children’s Social Workers.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources:-

  (1)  Approves that monitoring processes 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

  (3)  Instructs officers to continue to work towards reducing

  expenditure on the use of Agency workers

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources which provided information that would enable him to monitor levels of sickness absence for the 3 month period of April – June 2014/2015 and the actions being taken to manage absence and promote health at work across the City Council.

The information was based on full time equivalent (FTE) average days lost per person against the FTE average days per person available for work. This was the method that was previously required by the Audit Commission for annual Best Value Performance Indicator reporting. The City Council continues to use this method to ensure consistency with previously published data.

The report provided the cumulative sickness absence figures for the Council and individual Directorates, together with activities and initiatives undertaken during the quarter by the Health and Wellbeing Team. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources:-

  (1)  Receives and notes the report providing sickness absence

  data for the 3 month period of April to June 2015 and

endorses the actions taken to monitor and manage

sickness

  (2)  Requests that a further report be submitted at the next

Cabinet Member meeting providing details of action taken

in relation to sickness absence attributed to Stress,

Depression and Anxiety

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member noted a report of the Executive Director of Resources that identified those issues on which further reports had been requested and were outstanding, so that progress could be monitored.

The Cabinet Member requested that officers be requested to provide a date for the report back on Customer Journey Programme and Customer Services Performance.

There were no other items of public business.