Decisions

The placement strategy sets out how Cardiff will meet the assessed needs of children looked after to enable them achieve the best possible outcomes by providing them with high quality, cost effective placements, when it is necessary for children to be looked after by Cardiff Council.

RESOLVED: that

1.            the Right Home Right Support Accommodation and Support Commissioning Strategy for Children Looked After (“the Commissioning Strategy”) be approved, and the Market Position Statement be noted and;

2.            authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, the s151 Officer and the Director of Governance and Legal services to progress all Business Cases and undertake all required steps in order to implement the Commissioning Strategy. 

RESOLVED: that the response to Improving Cardiff’s Air Quality ‘report published bythe Environmental Scrutiny Committee be approved

To consider the rights of way improvement plan

RESOLVED: that the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 2020-30 be approved for publication and as the service delivery template to manage and improve Cardiff’s Public Right of Way network over the next 10 years.

Adult social care services have been carrying out an exercise to understand the usual cost of care of the Older People's residential and nursing care services operating in Cardiff. The purpose of this exercise is to inform a 3 year fee setting strategy for Older Person's Care Home provision.

This report to Cabinet provide the detailed rational on the methodology used to carry out the work and how current operators were engaged in the process to establish the true cost of care

The Cabinet will use this information to set a fee strategy for Care homes.

Appendix C (Legal advice) is exempt from publication pursuant to Paragraph 12.1 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972

Prior to taking the decision below, Cabinet took account of the following factors:

·         the available resources that the council has

·         demand and priorities for care home services

·         providers legitimate and future costs

·         more cost effective operating models expected and commissioned services

·         The investment needed here  for providers to meet requirements of both commissioners and regulators (Care Inspectorate Wales)

·         the acknowledgement that services must operate safely and effectively to promote the welfare of individuals in their care

RESOLVED: that

1)            the judgement on the standard cost of care homes for older people as set out in this report be agreed and that all new care home services for older people will be commissioned at a standard published fee from 1^st January 2020 at the rate set out below:

                        Category                                            Costs per week

·         Older People Residential                    £708.60

·         Dementia Residential              £761.19

·         Older People Nursing             £702.04

·         Dementia Nursing                               £755.79

2)         the fee uplifts for 2019-20 backdated to 8^th April 2019, as set out below:

·                £40 per week increase for all care home placements below the standard cost of care set out in Recommendation One and

·                £10 per week increase to all care home placements within £100 of the standard cost

·                No uplift for those care home packages that are in excess of £100 above the standard cost.

3)            Subject to available resources, a phased approach to uplifting care packages that fall below the standard price set out in Recommendation One over the next 3 years (April 2020 until March 2023) be agreed. The incremental rise will need to appropriately take into account standard costs impact from increases in the National Living Wage that will exceed CPI rates, as well as the resources available to the Council.

4)           authority be delegated for the decision-making for fee uplifts from 2020 onwards to the Director of Social Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care, Health and Well-being, the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Director of Legal and Governance, using the approach set out in Recommendations Two and Threeand subject to the availability of the required resources.

5)            authority be delegated for all decision making, related to the new approach to securing care home placements for older people, including the methodology for determining quality, to be implemented from 1 April 2020, to the Director of Social Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care, Health and Well-being, the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Director of Legal and Governance.

6)            it be noted that Cabinet will be asked to consider a new Social Services Charging Policy that will be presented in January 2020.

To inform members of the Council’s Treasury Management activities since 1st April 2019 and the position as at 30th September 2019.

Annexes B & C to Appendix 1 to this report are not for publication as they contain exempt information of the description in Paragraphs 14 and 21 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED: that Council be recommended tol note the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report 2019-20 (Appendix 1)

Cardiff Council has committed to develop a Food Strategy for the Council.  This builds upon citywide work undertaken around the food agenda and Cardiff’s current status as a Bronze Sustainable Food City.  Cardiff is currently working on becoming a Silver status city and has a goal of seeking to be a Gold awarded city in the medium term.  The Council’s strategy will consider access to good food for all, food as a driver for prosperity, optimising local growing and smart food systems. 

RESOLVED: that the Council’s strategy and proposed actions for sustainable food in the city be approved.

Disposal of land at the Cardiff Marine Village, Penarth Road, Cardiff to the Marine & Property Group Limited

Appendixes 2 & 3 of the report are not for publication as they contain exempt information of the description in paragraph 14 of Part 4 and paragraph 21 of part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Agreed: that

1.    part of the property site be declared surplus to Council requirements; &

2.    the land be disposed of to The Marine & Property Group Limited.

To delegate authority to the Shared Regulatory Service (SRS) and Rent Smart Wales in respect of new legislation, namely Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019.

RESOLVED: that

1.            the Head of the Shared Regulatory Service be given delegated authority for enforcing the provisions of the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 and that the Council’s constitution and the Joint Working Agreement be updated accordingly.

2.            the Corporate Director Resources be given delegated authority for enforcing the provisions of the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 on behalf of Cardiff Council and that the Council’s constitution be updated accordingly.

3.            Cardiff Council, as the Single Licensing Authority for Wales for the purposes of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 accepts authorisation to exercise any function of the other 21 local authorities for the purposes of the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, including (but without limitation) taking enforcement activity and bringing criminal proceedings pursuant to section 19 of that Act.

This report presents a summary of the Council’s performance for Quarter 2 of the 2019-20 financial year, providing Cabinet with an opportunity to review performance, consider any emerging issues, and direct any remedial actions considered necessary

RESOLVED: that the current position regarding performance, the delivery of key commitments and priorities as at Quarter 1, and the action being taken to ensure the effective delivery of Capital Ambition be noted.

Following a successful pilot, it is proposed to introduce Risk Based Verification for all claims.  Risk Based Verification changes the way that housing benefit claims are verified, reducing the amount of evidence required for low risk cases while ensuring more activity is directed to checking high risk claims.

Appendices A-C of the report are not for publication as they contain exempt information of the description in paragraphs 14, 18 and 21 of Schedule 12 A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED: that

1.            the policy for Risk Based Verification as attached at Appendix A to the report be approved.

2.            the policy take effect from 1^st January 2020.

3.            Authority be delegated to the Assistant Director of Housing and Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities to review the policy annually and to make changes as necessary.

The current Local Development Plan (LDP) was adopted on 28^th January, 2016 and the purpose of this report is to respond to legislation which requires Local Authorities to undertake a full review of their Local Development Plan (LDP) within 4 years of adoption. Specifically, approval is sought to:

·         Undertake consultation on the draft Cardiff LDP Review Report which proposes that a full revision of the LDP is undertaken through the preparation of a Replacement LDP for the period 2020-2035;

·         Undertake consultation on the Cardiff Replacement LDP draft Delivery Agreement; and

·         Report back to Council the findings of the consultation processes and the final Review Report in spring 2020.

RESOLVED: that Council be recommended to approve the draft Review Report and draft Delivery Agreement for the purposes of consultation and agreed that a further report is taken to Council in Spring 2020 with the findings of the consultation processes and recommendation(s) on the proposed way forward.

Under Section 82 of the Environment Act 1995 every local authority has an obligation to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas, and to determine whether or not air quality objectives are likely to be achieved.  This report satisfied the above criteria examining results of air quality monitoring undertaken across Cardiff during 2018.

RESOLVED: that

1.            the monitored results gathered in 2018 be noted and accepted

2.            the 2019 Annual Progress Report (as attached as Appendix 1) be approved for submission to Welsh Government for approval.

The report will outline the overall financial monitoring position of the Council in respect of both revenue and capital accounts.  This will include an analysis of key variances based on the first six months of the financial year.

Appendix 4 to this report is not for publication as it contains exempt information of the description in Paragraphs 14 and 21 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED: that

1.            the potential financial outturn based on the projected position at Month 6 of the financial year be noted

2.            the requirement for all directorates currently reporting overspends as identified in this report to put in place action plans to reduce their projected overspends be reinforced

3.            the Council’s costs of completing the procurement of a preferred developer/operator consortium as well as preparing a full business case for the Indoor Arena to be presented to Cabinet for approval in March 2020 be met as set out in confidential Appendix 4

Approved

Cardiff Heliport: New long lease to Welsh Air Ambulance.

Appendices 3 and 4 of the report is not for publication as it contains exempt information of the description in paragraph 14 of part 4 and paragraph 21 of Part 5 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Agreed: that the surrender of the existing Heliport lease be approved and a new long lease be granted to Welsh Air Ambulance.

Purchase of land of circa 0.13 acre, site formerly known as The Citadel, Splott Road, Cardiff, CF24 1HD

Appendices 2 and 3 of this report is not for publication as it contains exempt information of the description in paragraph 14 of Part 4 and paragraph 21 of part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Agreed: that the Council purchase land of circa 0.13 acre, being the cleared site of the building formerly known as The Citadel, Splott Road, Cardiff, at a price defined by the independent valuation as outlined in the report (Appendix 2 confidential not for publication).

Appendix 1 is exempt from publication pursuant to Paragraph 12.1 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Agreed: that

o   All existing individual domiciliary care contracts in place under the Accredited Provider List (APL) system and spot arrangements for individuals in place up to 1^st April 2019 be uplifted by the published CPI rate for April 2019, which was 2.1%.  This will cover the financial year for 2019/20. 

oAll existing packages placed before the 1^st April 2019 to be paid the uplift amount and to be backdated to the 1^st April 2019. Packages placed after 1^st April 2019 will not get an uplift as those packages will have taken into account the known financial pressures for that financial year.  

oPackages placed before the 1^st April 2020 to get an uplift based on the CPI rate for January 2020, to cover the period April 2020 to 3^rd November 2020. Packages placed after 1^st April 2020 will not be paid an uplift as those packages will take into account the known financial pressures for that financial year.

oThe domiciliary care services contract will end as of 3^rd November 2020, and new recommissioning of the service will be in place by 4th November 2020.  Arrangements for future annual uplifts from November 2020 and beyond will be included in the terms and conditions of the new contract that will be put in place from 4^th November 2020.

oCare packages commissioned by Health, where the percentage uplift is within the Council proposal (CPI or below) will be automatically uplifted but any uplift in excess of this will need to be the subject of separate discussion between Council officers and Health.

The report is based on planned hours of care and the actual hours delivered usually being below these figures.  It is noted that there is an annual budget set for 2019/20 of £22.9 million for domiciliary care for all client groups. This does not include day care, direct payments, extra care, supported living or the internal Community Resource Team (CRT). It is anticipated that the CPI increase to be circa £500,000 for each year.