Category Archives: DCC

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24 Feb 2017

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Accountability, DCC, Stuart Hughes, Transport (local), Voting

Is there a DCC election coming up? You bet!

How does Owl know? DCC Highways councillor Stuart Hughes takes a sudden interest in the A3052! Which apparently leads to Sidmouth and on to Seaton … funny, Owl thought it led direct to Lyme Regis … with Sidmouth and Seaton offshoots … B3176 leads to Sidmouth, B3052 to Seaton… or at least they did until today …

Expect more and more of this sort of stuff between now and purdah …

which must start on 27 March 2017:

http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/6869714/L15-91+Unpacking+Purdah_04.pdf/c80978b9-dc0b-4eee-9f81-49bd47afeb2d

which states:

“Publicity [during purdah] is defined as “any communication, in whatever form, addressed to the public at large or to a section of the public.”

The first question to ask is ‘could a reasonable person conclude that you were spending public money to influence the outcome of the election?’ In other words it must pass the ‘is it reasonable’ test. When making your decision, you should consider the following:

You should not:

• produce publicity on matters which are politically controversial
• make references to individual politicians or groups in press releases
• arrange proactive media or events involving candidates
• issue photographs which include candidates
• supply council photographs or other materials to councillors or political group staff unless you have verified that they will not be used for campaigning purposes
• continue hosting third-party blogs or e-communications
• help with national political visits (as this would involve using public money to support a particular candidate or party). These should be organised by political parties with no cost or resource implications for the council.

You should also think carefully before you:

• Continue to run campaign material to support your own local campaigns. If the campaign is already running and is non-controversial (for example, on issues like recycling or foster care) and would be a waste of public money to cancel or postpone them, then continue. However, you should always think carefully if a campaign could be deemed likely to influence the outcome of the election and you should not use councillors in press releases and events in pre-election periods. In such cases you should stop or defer them. An example might be a campaign on an issue which has been subject of local political debate and/or disagreement.

• Launch any new consultations. Unless it is a statutory duty, don’t start any new consultations or publish report findings from consultation exercises, which could be politically sensitive.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/fears_over_speeding_on_sidmouth_s_main_access_route_prompt_calls_for_action_1_4903876

Just so everyone is clear!

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22 Feb 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Claire Wright, Council tax, DCC, Democracy, Hugo Swire

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“All bar one Devon Conservative MPs vote in favour of massive cuts to councils AGAIN”

From the blog of Claire Wright – the MP we needed and should have had.

“Wednesday, 22 February 2017

Every Devon Conservative MP voted in favour of massive cuts to councils this afternoon, except Anne Marie Morris who abstained.

This includes Hugo Swire, who today rather ironically tweeted an article starting with the sentence: “I’m not very rebellious by nature and I don’t think I have ever defied the party whip…”

Devon County Council had written to Devon MPs last month, urging them to vote against the crippling cuts for the third year running and I had written to Hugo Swire also for the third year running, with exactly the same request.

Last night, Devon County Council leader, Cllr John Hart told the BBC he thought the government handling of the local government finance arrangements was a “shambles” because the council was legally forced to set its budget before even receiving the details of the latest round of funding from government.

Then the funding news was received at 11pm on Monday night just 36 hours before MPs would be examining the information for debate and vote in parliament.

John Hart although a conservative council leader, has the guts to stand up to his party seniors at Westminster and openly criticise them. Something he does often and he should be given credit for this.

What a shame our MPs aren’t made of similar stern stuff.

On a more serious note, and this is serious, I was pretty shocked at the paltry numbers of MPs who were present for the debate this afternoon. I think I counted about 30, for what should have been an absolutely key parliamentary sitting as its impact on constituents, especially vulnerable people, is likely to be significant.

Local government secretary of state, Sajid Javid uttered a few warm but empty words about what a fine job councils do, before explaining that they will get no government funding whatsoever after 2019. They will be expected to survive on business rates and council tax income only after this.

This is the seventh year of austerity and Devon County Council has now lost over half of its budget to government cuts. It has coped as best it can but studying the risk assessments in the budget scrutiny papers last month made for sobering reading.

Read here for more detail: http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/fewer_devon_people_to_receive_social_care_as_23m_is_slashed_from_budgets

Returning to the subject of the sadly expected but weak-willed vote by East Devon’s MP, Hugo Swire, how can he justify on the one hand complaining about underfunding for social care – the responsibility of Devon County Council and underfunding of our schools – also under Devon County Council – and then be absent during the parliamentary funding cuts debate, sneaking to the lobby only afterwards to vote in favour of the cuts?

The answer is he can’t. He has simply proved once again that he puts his party before his constituents.

Every time.”

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19 Feb 2017

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Accountability, DCC, Democracy

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“Tory Councillor ferried in from France to vote for cuts”

“Despite living in France, Eve Barisic, Conservative Devon County Councillor for Newton Abbot North, managed to make it to County Hall… to help scrap school crossing patrols – including one in her own division.

It’s not that often that Eve does make it over The Channel, and in fact she missed the meeting about changes to Devon’s children’s centres – including one in her own division.

Of course, living in a different country (let alone county) to her constituency and not turning up to meetings hasn’t stopped her picking up the £10,000 that goes with the role.

But staying in her county councillor position also means that she can be rolled out to vote for cuts. Not least because the rest of her Tory chums have kept quiet about how poor her behaviour in the role has been.

You’d think that the MP would have said something, but Newton Abbot’s Anne Marie Morris is not about to throw stones about being an effective politician, now is she?

So the lollipop people are scrapped, Devon faces cuts to services and an increase in Council Tax and Eve trundles back to France.

(There was a rumour that Eve would be standing for election again in May – we tweeted her the question in December 2015, but still haven’t heard back. We’ll let you know what we find out.)”

http://www.theprsd.co.uk/2016/02/20/tory-councillor-ferried-in-from-france-to-vote-for-cuts/

ALTERNATIVE CANDIDATES FOR HER AREA URGENTLY NEEDED!

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17 Feb 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Claire Wright, Council tax, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Claire Wright (DCC Independent) on budget cuts and council tax rise

“More services and backroom functions are being cut, including road maintenance, community composting payments, as well as funding for vulnerable children and adults services – see here for more:

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/fewer_devon_people_to_receive_social_care_as_23m_is_slashed_from_budgets

Government ministers, who have forced councils, and as a consequence, citizens (mainly vulnerable ones and those on low incomes) across the country into austerity have this year allowed councils to increase tax to higher levels, to offset in a very small way the massive cuts they have made to council budgets.

This year the government has slashed £23m from Devon County Council’s budgets – a 15 per cent cut in the seventh year of austerity.

According to the scrutiny budget papers of 30 January, fewer people will be eligible for social care, due to budgetary pressures. Page 88 states: “This (budget) requires an overall reduction in the number of clients to achieve budget levels.”

It goes on to state on page 89: “The scale of change is likely to severely test the capacity of managers at different levels, especially where pressures of essential work cannot be reprioritised without risk to those who receive services.”

Over half of Devon County Council’s budget has now been cut since 2010. More than £267 million over the last seven years.

The council tax rise will cost the average Band D council taxpayer £1.16 a week extra. Devon County Council leader, John Hart said in a press release: “I believe we are justified in asking for that to help protect and support some of the most vulnerable people in society.”

Of course, he really has no choice with the crisis in social care in Devon. This year’s social care budget was around £5m overspent due to increasing costs of care and massive government budget cuts.

While £1.16 a week extra might be shrugged off by people who are comfortably off. Others on a tight budget, those who are struggling to pay debts and bills, will regard it as yet another burden..

Yesterday both the Libdems and the Labour groups amended the budget with their own versions. The conservative majority voted through their budget, with the Labour, Libdems and Independents voting against.

The government claims it can’t afford to look after its sick, its vulnerable and its elderly, so it encourages councils to increase council tax instead so pushing a double burden onto residents.

Charging the taxpayer ever increasing sums of money for poorer and fewer services. Not only do residents have to pay more but they have to undertake more care themselves.

And of course, this isn’t the only council tax rise that people will have to swallow. The likelihood is that district councils will hike their tax, Devon and Cornwall Police has already announced it is increasing its council tax and the fire authority will also surely, like they did last year.

That’s a massive year on year increase in council tax, for fewer and poorer services. Each year as the cost to taxpayers rise, the services get sparser and poorer.

According to a report out this week almost a third of the population of Britain is living on an ‘inadequate’ income. More people than ever are using foodbanks and homelessness has rocketed since the beginning of austerity.

How do ministers sleep at night knowing that it is their policies, their ideology, their own selfish version of how they believe a society should operate, that are causing this awful hardship? And we are the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world.

Hugo Swire MP has expressed concern about social care funding and the closure of hospital beds last autumn.

But if Hugo Swire was REALLY concerned and REALLY serious about these issues, he would vote AGAINST the council budget cuts in the House of Commons next Wednesday afternoon (23 February).

I wrote to him earlier this month – see

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_swire_urged_to_speak_and_vote_against_local_government_settlement

But so far, each year he, along with his conservative colleagues have quietly voted in favour, hoping no one will notice.

Once again this year, I will notice. And I will sure everyone notices – how he and his colleagues vote.

Because this vote surely goes to the heart of whether Mr Swire really cares about his constituents or is little more than a party yes man.”

We will see.

Here’s the webcast of yesterday’s budget meeting – https://devoncc.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/244712

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/devon_countys_council_tax_to_rise_by_almost_five_per_cent_as_services_slash

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17 Feb 2017

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DCC, Education (local)

Devon teenagers least likely to go to university

Owl says: And with the new cuts to school funding in a county that is already under-resourced they may soon become the least able to go to university too.

“Around 25 per cent of young people in Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth Moor View will apply to go to university, way below the average of 55 per cent. – and the top ranking of 70.3 per cent.” …

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/devon-young-people-among-least-likely-in-the-country-to-go-to-university/story-30143282-detail/story.html

Still, pretty sure our LEP is on the case. What? It’s concentrating on jobs in the nuclear industry up in Somerset?

Oh well, never mind kids, plenty of jobs waiting table for minimum wage – at least in summer.

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16 Feb 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, DCC

“Devon County Council leaders calls for urgent Government review of council funding”

BUT THESE PEOPLE CAMPAIGNED ON A TICKET OF SUPPORTING THIS GOVERNMENT WITH CONTINUING AUSTERITY CUTS! SO WHY ARE THEY (A) SURPRISED AND (B) COMPLAINING?

“THE LEADER of Devon County Council is calling for an urgent national review of local government funding.

Council leader John Hart said the county’s budget had been cut by more than £267 million over the last seven years to meet Government austerity targets.

“This reduction has a very serious effect on the ability of this council to offer services to the people of Devon,” he said.

The future funding of services was uncertain because the Government was further reducing its grants and switching financial support to business rates but there was no clarity or certainty about how much that would generate. … “

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/devon-county-council-leaders-calls-for-urgent-government-review-of-council-funding/story-30142087-detail/story.html

AND they expect us to vote for them AGAIN in May!

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14 Feb 2017

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DCC, Democracy, Dorset, EDDC

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Dorset to have two unitary councils if government agrees

Owl says: how long can Devon resist the change to one (or two) unitary councils in a county, entirely cutting out the district tier? Economies of scale now seem to require mergers or abolition of districts.

Will we be part of “Greater Exeter” or “Devon Unitary” by the next election – or both!

And where will headquarters be? Honiton isn’t exactly the centre of the Greater Exeter or Devon unitary universes!

“Based on the weight of public opinion, financial data and evidence of the likely benefits of change to the county as a whole, councillors have agreed that the two new unitary councils should comprise of the following existing local authority areas:

• Unitary A: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

• Unitary B: East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland – including the services currently provided by Dorset County Council in this area.

If approved, the new council would ‘go live’ in April 2019.

Leader of Dorset County Council Robert Gould said: “This is absolutely the right decision for Dorset County Council to have made. The final decision lies with the Secretary of State, but Dorset county councillors have made an historic decision which will help protect the frontline services and is in the best interests of all our residents.”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/dorset_councils_vote_for_change_1_4888091

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12 Feb 2017

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Andrew Moulding, Bovis, DCC, Democracy, EDDC, Paul Diviani

Diviani steps down from DCC “to concentrate on being Leader of EDDC”

Honiton and Tiverton Conservative constituency has announced its candidates for DCC elections:

“We have now completed the selection of our candidates to stand for the Conservative Party at the Devon County Council elections in May 2017. Paul Diviani has withdrawn his candidacy to concentrate solely on Leading East Devon District Council.

Therefore the candidates are as follows:-

Axminster, Ian Hall
Seaton and Colyton, Helen Parr
Feniton and Honiton, Phil Twiss
Whimple and Blackdown, Iain Chubb
Tiverton East, Colin Slade
Tiverton West, Polly Colthorpe
Willand and Uffculme, Ray Radford,
Cullompton and Bradnich, John Berry”

https://www.tivertonhonitonconservatives.co.uk

Oh poor, unlucky DCC to be missing out on all his experience …

And Councillor Moulding presumably needs to keep his eye on those Bovis builders in Axminster, some of whose purchasers are none too happy with the quality of their homes.

Still, with his work on increasing housing numbers for the Local Enterprise Partnership AND all the developments going on all over East Devon, those developers will be needing a firm hand … AND there is “Greater Exeter” to be sorted too …

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10 Feb 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, DCC, EDDC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Banana councils, the NHS and social care

“If Surrey’s ‘secret deal’ is to be a harbinger of a new health and care service then the whole murky world of local government funding needs rethinking.

The algebra is simple. The NHS is having another terrible winter. It does not collapse, but “spills demand” on to the next line of defence, local government welfare. But while the NHS gets more money annually from the Treasury, local government gets less, some 30% less since 2011. It cannot cope with the new pressure.

The equation resolves itself into rationing, by quantity and quality: fewer care places, fewer home visits and fewer district nurses leads to more bed-blocking, fewer operations, longer trolley waits.

Tory Surrey is a responsible supplier of post-hospital care. Like all councils, it is allowed by the Treasury to increase its council tax by 5%, specifically to boost its care budget and thus ease pressure on the NHS – which the Treasury is responsible for funding. Surrey county council regarded this as nothing like enough. It therefore activated its statutory right to hold a referendum on a 15% increase.

Far from showing delight at a wealthy council accepting this burden, the Tory government was appalled. Tories do not increase taxes. The chancellor (and Surrey MP) Philip Hammond duly did what Jeremy Corbyn called a secret deal. If Surrey abandoned its referendum and the 15% hike, it could retain revenue from a different tax – the local business rate, which normally went to the Treasury. That is, the Treasury would in effect spend more on health and care in Surrey, but secretly and, so far, just for Surrey.

This is the stuff of a banana republic. If Britain wants to spend more on health and elderly care, it should raise it and spend it honestly. Instead, the Treasury is running around its fiscal A&E department, staunching the flow of political blood by slamming on plasters wherever a patient screams or twists an arm.

Leaked Surrey council tax texts allow Corbyn to ambush May at PMQs
Some might argue that an NHS free at the point of delivery has had its day. New disciplines and incentives, through fees or insurance or more prevention, must constrain marginal demand. But for the time being, it makes no sense to squeeze the NHS at the top – where politicians are exposed – and dump its problems on to local government and different funding streams at the bottom. It wastes money and distorts priorities. It is illiterate public finance.

If Surrey is harbinger of a new health and care service, and business taxes are to relieve an ever-burgeoning NHS, so be it. But few places are as rich as Surrey. Revenue will have to be redistributed from rich to poor areas. In other words, it is not just the NHS that needs rethinking, but the whole murky world of local government finance.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/10/surrey-local-council-funding-health-care-nhs

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3 Feb 2017

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DCC, Education (local)

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Academy schools cherry- picking pupils leaving state-funded schools to deal with the rest

“Councils are bidding for powers to require academies to admit challenging and difficult children, who might have been excluded from other schools.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide all children in their area with a school place, yet currently only have powers to direct maintained schools to take so-called ‘hard to place’ children.

If a council deems an academy as the best setting for a particular child, they have to apply to the Education Funding Agency, which makes the final decision. However, according to government statistics cited by the Local Government Association, only 15 out of 121 students put forward to the EFA for an academy placement have been accepted.

“By ignoring local council advice the EFA is allowing academies to effectively choose the children they want to admit,” said Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board.

“There are far stronger safeguards in place to ensure maintained schools do not cherry pick their pupils and the same measures should be in place for all academies.”

Decisions about where individual children are educated should be made in the best interests of the child, not to protect favoured schools, he added.

“It is now vital that councils are urgently given the powers to take these decisions locally, based on their local knowledge of the children, families and schools involved,” Watts said.”

http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2017/02/councils-call-extra-powers-over-academy-admissions

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2 Feb 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, DCC, Dorset, EDDC, Golden Triangle LEP, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Local Enterprise Partnership, PegasusLife, Scrutiny, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, Somerset, Transparency

Relocation and local government reorganisation – a chance to save money!

What is currently more important in local government? Saving money, saving money by merger or being profligate? These seem to be the stark choices facing our district, with its reliance on the Local Enterprise Partnership for strategy, direction and funding.

Closer examination of the agenda for the next Cabinet meeting reveals that there are two references to local government reorganisation: at the bottom of page 111 and on page 115:

“Identify opportunities for rationalising/improving existing public sector governance arrangements and make recommendations to the constituent authorities/partners”

This appears to be a clear reference, as it not only refers to reform, but also says that the recommendations will go to ‘constituent authorities’. In other words we are not talking just about the LEP. The new Joint Committee clearly has mergers in mind. Add “Greater Exeter” into the mix and we come out with even more likelihood of massive changes. THEN add a mooted “Golden Triangle LEP” and we have a truly chaotic situation.

Owl wonders if these are circumstances in which to pursue a new HQ for EDDC at Honiton. Any proposal involving EDDC and avoiding building at Honiton can immediately claim to have made a minimum saving of £10 million plus interest payments, plus many associated costs – savings now being the mantra nowadays.

The relocation from Knowle could, in the above circumstances prove to be most expensive suicide note in the history of our district. And those EDDC members who waved through the move to Honiton, without the slightest idea of the cost, could in these circumstances be likened to turkeys voting for Christmas.

We have seen with the reorganisation in Dorset, that the reform and merger of local government authorities is very much in the air, and Dorset has been suggesting that the creation of two unitaries will lead to annual savings of many millions of pounds.

So it’s not surprising that things have gone very quiet with EDDC relocation. Firstly, there is local government reorganisation all around us and within our nearby city and the county. Secondly, the Pegasus deal for Knowle has seemingly gone very much on the back burner.

We have recently seen the formal separation – ‘decoupling’ – of the Exmouth Town Hall work from the Honiton proposal which seems to have had more to do with mothballing Honiton than it had to do with allowing Exmouth to proceed more quickly.

Work to refurbish Knowle is almost certainly millions of pounds cheaper than relocating. Plus, a new building in Honiton would immediately depreciate enormously on day one of occupation – 50% plus has been suggested.

Of course, PegasusLife could always put in a planning application for the Honiton site!

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1 Feb 2017

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Accountability, Consultation, DCC, Devolution, EDDC, Local Enterprise Partnership, Scrutiny, Somerset, Transparency

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EDDC Cabinet to discuss devolution and LEP on 8 February … councils only “influence” LEP

From Cabinet agenda – Owl summary: it has taken 5+ years for the participating councils to realise that the business people on the LEP are running rings round them and still the only thing councils can do is “influence” those same business people:

“Risk implications will continue to be addressed at all stages of these proposals.

The Secretary of State is yet to formally clarify his position on the HotSW devolution proposal although the overall policy direction seems to be becoming clearer.

In the circumstances the Leader feel that the partnership needs to move forward with the priority development of the HotSW Productivity Plan and that this can best be achieved through the establishment of a formal Joint Committee in place of the current informal governance arrangements. This will put a formal governance structure around the Productivity Plan preparation, approval and delivery so minimising risk to the County Council and the other partner authorities. It will give partners the ability to negotiate with Government at pace, particularly on the emerging Industrial Strategy but without the statutory commitment required to establish a Combined Authority.

Without a Productivity Plan and Joint Committee in place the Council and its partners will be at a disadvantage in negotiating and lobbying Government on a range or policy initiatives including the growth agenda and are likely to miss out on potential funding streams.

…..

“The HotSW Joint Committee will provide a formal strategic partnership to complement and maximise the ability of local sub- regional arrangements to deliver their aspirations. It will allow the partners to collaborate to agree and deliver the Productivity Plan as well as engage effectively with the Government, other deal areas and other LEPs on a range of policy agendas. It will allow the partnership to test and improve its ability to work together as a potential precursor to the establishment of a Combined Authority at some point in the future. It will also provide a mechanism to work alongside and influence the LEP on strategic investment decisions affecting the HotSW area and to secure improvements to LEP governance and accountability.”

Click to access combinedcabagenda080217final.pdf

(topic begins on page 107)

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31 Jan 2017

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Accountability, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

Adult and Social Care Crisis

“Older and vulnerable people could stop receiving vital help to get out of bed, washed and dressed, because the underfunding of social care has become so severe, councils have warned.

Leaders of 370 local authorities in England and Wales fear that some councils are finding it so hard to provide the right level of support they could face a high court legal challenge for breaking the law.

The Local Government Association said care visits could become shorter, carers could face greater strain and more people could be trapped in hospitals, making NHS services even busier as a result. The LGA estimates that there will be a £2.6bn gap by 2020 between the amount of money social care services need and their budgets.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, the chair of the LGA community wellbeing board, said: “The intentions and the spirit of the [2014] Care Act that aims to help people to live well and independently are in grave danger of falling apart and failing, unless new finding is announced by government for adult social care.”

The act, which came into effect in 2015, was intended to ensure that councils provided help with basic everyday tasks to anyone who was struggling to undertake at least one of them on their own, because of a physical or mental impairment. But the purpose of the legislation is at risk because councils cannot afford to meet demand, the LGA told the Treasury in its submission ahead of the budget in March.

Only 8% of council directors of adult social care said they were confident that they could fulfil their full duties under the act in 2017-18.

Barbara Keeley, the shadow social care minister, said: “It is deeply worrying that councils are now having to spell out the risks that this lack of funding is causing. We should not tolerate the fact that growing levels of basic needs are going unmet, care visits are shorter and there is increased strain on unpaid family carers.”

A government spokesman said: “Local authorities have a duty to implement new rights introduced in the [2014] Care Act and while many are already providing high-quality social care services, we will continue to challenge and support those not currently doing so.

“We have provided councils up to £7.6bn of dedicated funding for social care over the course of this parliament, significant investment to ensure that vulnerable people get affordable and dignified care as our population ages.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/30/councils-social-care-provision-cut-warning-local-government-association

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30 Jan 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

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“Councils staring into the abyss”

“… A spokesman said Devon County Council’s budget, which will be debated next month, calls for an extra £18.8million for adult health and social care – almost 10% up – to cope with the increasing demand and recognise that Devon has significantly more over- 65s and over-85s who need care and support.

The increase would take the total social care and health budget to £216.5 million.

In all, the target revenue budget for 2017/18 would be £459.5 million.

‘We must step up to the plate’

Council leader John Hart said: “Health and social care is under immense pressure both in Devon and nationally.

“We must step up to the plate. Devon has one of the highest proportions of people over 65 and people over 85 and they need and deserve our help and support.

“So despite the continuing austerity agenda from the Government, we have found extra money for these vital services.

“We have always said our priority is to protect the most vulnerable in our society and I believe this target budget will help to do that.

“That’s why we are also increasing the budget for children’s services again following on from big increases there previously.”

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/councils-stare-into-a-budget-abyss-how-will-your-services-suffer/story-30092127-detail/story.html#u2tKeieLqt5tsT6O.99

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25 Jan 2017

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Accountability, Claire Wright, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local), Paul Diviani

“Devon County conservatives [including Paul Diviani] vote down chance of deferring hospital bed closures”

“Six conservative councillors voted down my proposal to defer a rushed decision to close the remaining half of community hospital beds in Eastern Devon.

The proposal was made at last Thursday’s (19 January) Devon County Council health and wellbeing scrutiny committee following a presentation from four members of NEW Devon clinical commissioning group (CCG), which revealed that many more than 3,000 responses were received to their consultation to close 72 beds.

The six conservatives include Cllr Paul Diviani, who is the councillor for Honiton, where the hospital beds are set to be lost as part of the decision.

Yet most of those same councillors voted IN FAVOUR of a motion calling for a pause to the controversial beds cuts and service centralisation document, the sustainability and transformation plan (STP) at the full council meeting in December.

And half of the scrutiny councillors also voted in favour of a raft of actions against the STP in the morning scrutiny session!

NEW Devon CCG is set to make its decision on closing 72 beds in Eastern Devon, on 2 March at its governing body meeting, yet it has received what is says are well over 3,000 technical and heartfelt responses.

Managers are ploughing their way through them, yet this many detailed responses will require a significant amount of work to read, digest and potentially respond to the issues and questions set out in them.

I said that there may need to be further discussions with communities about the issues raised. And according to a consultation response by Hospiscare that I have seen, there is a massive problem with regular breakdowns in social care packages for people who want to die at home.

Last year alone, Hospiscare reported 58 incidents to the CCG where the breakdown of social care packages for people at end of life had caused distress. This is completely appalling, and surely must be the tip of the iceberg.

Hospiscare specifically ask the CCG in their response for an assurance that in-patient care will still be available for dying patients who cannot be managed at home because of complexity or carer breakdown or because they choose not to die at home.

Will they get that assurance? I doubt it.

I also raised the issue of six incorrect postcodes that were published initially with the consultation. This meant that some hospitals were judged as being not as far away from other hospitals than they actually were. The postcodes issue was later rectified but that did not alter the fact that the bed closure recommendations had been based on the incorrect information.

I asked about a detailed impact analysis of the bed closures at Ottery, Axminster and Crediton Hospitals and the reply was that although one hadn’t been undertaken, there is a running analysis in terms of an in-house reporting system. I asked for a copy of this….

I made a proposal to defer the decision to shut the beds in Eastern Devon until the summer (after the elections as decisions cannot be made during purdah). The result was four votes to six against.

I am not quite sure why the six conservatives voted against my inoffensive proposal but given the seriousness of the plans and widespread and significant level of concern in communities… and the councillors’ voting record … I am really angry that they seem to be playing games with such a serious issue.

Councillors are elected to support local communities and act on issues of concern. If we aren’t doing that, what are we there for?”

Here’s the webcast. It is item 7 – Your Future Care:
https://devoncc.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/261371

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/devon_county_conservatives_vote_down_deferral_of_rushed_hospital_bed_closur

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24 Jan 2017

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Accountability, DCC, Democracy, EDDC, Scrutiny, Transparency

“MPs launch inquiry into overview and scrutiny in local government”

“The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee has launched a “long-overdue” inquiry into overview and scrutiny in local government.

The committee said it would “consider whether overview and scrutiny arrangements in England are working effectively and whether local communities are able to contribute to and monitor the work of their councils”.

Written evidence is invited on:

Whether scrutiny committees in local authorities in England are effective in holding decision-makers to account
The extent to which scrutiny committees operate with political impartiality and independence from executives
Whether scrutiny officers are independent of and separate from those being scrutinised
How chairs and members are selected
Whether powers to summon witnesses are adequate
The potential for local authority scrutiny to act as a voice for local service users
How topics for scrutiny are selected
The support given to the scrutiny function by political leaders and senior officers, including the resources allocated (for example whether there is a designated officer team)
What use is made of specialist external advisers
The effectiveness and importance of local authority scrutiny of external organisations
The role of scrutiny in devolution deals and the scrutiny models used in combined authorities
Examples where scrutiny has worked well and not so well

The deadline for written submissions is Friday 10 March 2017.

Clive Betts MP, chair of the committee, said: “This inquiry is long overdue. Local authority executives have more powers than ever before but there has not been any review about how effectively the current overview and scrutiny arrangements are working since they were introduced in 2000.

“Local authorities have a considerable degree of discretion when it comes to overview and scrutiny. We will examine these arrangements and consider what changes may be needed to ensure decision-makers in councils and local services are better held to account.”

Overview and scrutiny arrangements were introduced by the Local Government Act in 2000 as a counterweight to increasing decision-making powers of Leaders and Cabinets or directly elected mayors.

The committee said that shortcomings had been exposed, however, following a number of high profile cases, including child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, poor care and high mortality rates at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and governance failings in Tower Hamlets.

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29763%3Amps-launch-inquiry-into-overview-and-scrutiny-in-local-government&catid=59&Itemid=27

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22 Jan 2017

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Accountability, DCC, Devolution, Local Enterprise Partnership

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LEP: in 2014 Devon County Council appears to admit it had no idea how much the LEP spent

Devon County Council Freedom of Information response in 2014:
Requested: 4 September 2014
Date of Disclosure: 2 October 2014

“Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is an organisation that Devon County Council works with, along with other Local Authorities. Devon County Council is not aware of what monies have been spent by the LEP. As Somerset County Council is the accountable body for the Local Enterprise Partnership, I suggest that you contact Somerset directly for this information.”

Click to access Information%20Request%20IR1750064.pdf

It then gives a link:
http://www.somerset.gov.uk/information-and-statistics/freedom-of- information/freedom-of-information-requests/

which is no longer live and ends:

“If you wish to speak with someone regarding the above request, please contact the Information Governance Team on 01392 383445 or email accesstoinformation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk”

Source: Alan White, South Devon Watch Facebook page

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20 Jan 2017

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Accountability, DCC, Economy, EDDC, Local Enterprise Partnership, Somerset County Council

“East Devon sees biggest job claimants rise in county”

“The county-wide figure increased by 58, compared with the previous month, taking the total claimant count to 2,918.

The increase included an additional 24 claimants in East Devon.”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/east_devon_sees_biggest_job_claimants_rise_in_county_1_4856861

Our Local Enterprise Partnership is charged with improving our economy … you know, the one that’s just given its Chief Executive a 26% payrise … the one who supervises 4 full-time staff and a small number of part-time staff. The one that Devon County Council and Somerset County Council opposed but went ahead anyway as it is the businessmen that control it as a majority.

What is the point of Somerset County Council being the LEP’s audit authority if it can’t prevent this sort of thing?

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19 Jan 2017

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Claire Wright, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

BBC Spotlight: Independent councillor Claire Wright on NHS crisis

“The debate was aired on the programme here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b088jwhr/spotlight-evening-news-19012017

from 12.25 and then after the programme it was streamed live to Facebook. Over 300 comments were received from people watching and the debate was shared over 50 times.”

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/taking_part_in_a_bbc_spotlight_live_studio_debate_about_the_nhs

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19 Jan 2017

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Consultation, DCC, Health and Social Care (local), Inequality, NHS (local), Scrutiny

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NHS: Claire Wright in live debate on BBC Spotlight tonight 6.30 pm

Claire Wright, DCC Independent Councillor who has fought the local health service cuts for many years, will be taking part in a live debate on BBC Spotlight this evening between 6.30 and 7pm, following the meeting today at DCC which discussed the CCG’s plans to make massive cuts to services all over the county.