Agenda item

To consider two referrals, the first from the Executive Committee on 1st February and the second from the Council meeting on 7th February which relate to financial decisions relevant to tonight’s business.

• Independent Remuneration Panel for Worcestershire District Councils – Annual Report and Recommendations for 2011/12 (Agreed to defer to this meeting at the meeting of the Executive Committee on 1st February to allow adequate time for consultation between Group Leaders); and
• Introduction of a Private Sector Home Support Service (Deferred at the meeting of the Council on 7th February to allow Officers the opportunity to provide definitive guidance on the funding of private sector users of the service and any potential impact on the Housing Revenue Account).

(Decisions and reports attached)

Independent Remuneration Panel for Worcestershire District Councils – Annual Report and Recommendations for 2011/12

The Council considered the recommendations of the Executive Committee arising from the first report of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) for the Worcestershire Districts.

The IRP had recommended that the allowances available to members of the authority in 2011/12 should remain unchanged from the current levels of allowances. In a departure from the previous two years, it was proposed, in an amendment to the Executive Committee recommendations, that the budget for the allowances also be left unchanged.

Members debated the merits of continually holding down the levels of allowances and the balance that needed to be struck between financial prudence in times of austerity and the attraction and recruitment of new Councillors in the longer term.

RESOLVED that

1)      the Basic Allowance budget figures for 2011/2012 remain unchanged from those recommended for 2010/11 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

2)      the Special Responsibility Allowance budget figures for 2011/2012 remain unchanged from those recommended for 2010/11;

however, all allowances continue to be paid to Members at the current 2010/11 payment levels, without increase;  except that allowances be no longer paid to Vice-Chairs of Committees, other than, as detailed in the report, to cover any significant periods of absence of the Chair (any dispute around this to be determined by Group Leaders);

3)      travel and subsistence allowances for 2011/12 continue to be paid in accordance with the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs Office) mileage allowance; and

4)      the Dependent Carer’s Allowance remain unchanged.

Introduction of a Private Sector Home Support Service

The Council received an update on the proposed introduction of a Private Sector Home Support Service following the deferral of this matter at the previous meeting of the Council.

Officers outlined the means by which the private sector element of the Home Support Service would be funded and the extent of the funding available. It was noted that an additional sum would be made available from Supporting People funding to be held within the General Fund for accounting purposes. There was no means, at this stage, of obtaining an accurate estimate of the level of need for this service within the private sector, although the principle of supporting people in their own homes was accepted as being beneficial.

RESOLVED that

1)      the Home Support Service be introduced to the Private Sector; and

2)      an emergency Home Support call out service be introduced to private sector customers.