Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Corporate Resources Committee will take place REMOTELY on Wednesday, 25 August 2021 at 10.30 am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser
Head of Corporate Governance

BUSINESS    
        
1. Apologies for Absence    
Leisgeulan
        
2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.  Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest.  Advice may be sought from officers prior to the meeting taking place.    
        
3. Corporate Revenue Monitoring Report to 30 June 2021
Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Teachd-a-steach Corporra

There is circulated Report No RES/21/21 dated 11 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to:- 

i.    consider the financial position of the General Fund and HRA revenue budgets as at 30 June 2021 and note the estimated year end forecast; and
ii.    note the status of budgeted savings in the year.
        
4. Corporate Capital Monitoring Report to 30 June 2021 
Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Teachd-a-steach Corporra 

There is circulated Report No RES/22/21 dated 11 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to consider the financial position of the General Fund and HRA capital programme as at 30 June 2021 and note the estimated year end forecast.
        
5. Resources and Finance – Revenue and Performance Monitoring to 30 June 2021
Sgrùdadh Teachd-a-steach agus Coileanadh Seirbheis nan Goireasan agus an Ionmhais 

There is circulated Report No RES/23/21 dated 6 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to:- 

i.    consider the Revenue near final monitoring position for 2020/21 and the Quarter 1 period to 30 June 2021;
ii.    scrutinise the statutory performance indicators, local key performance measures and where available, comparisons to Scottish averages; 
iii.    review the effectiveness of the standard and level of services provided by the Resources and Finance Directorate and alignment with the Council's commitment to Best Value and continuous improvement;
iv.    examine the actions for the Directorate on the Recovery Action Plan, note the slippage and consider the remarks provided; and 
v.    note the update on the Procurement & Contract Management Transformation Project.
        
6. Performance and Governance – Revenue and Performance Monitoring Q1 – 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021 and Near Final Revenue Out-turn for 2020-2021
Seirbheis a’ Choileanaidh agus an Riaghlachais – Sgrùdadh Teachd-a-steach

There is circulated Report No RES/24/21 dated 8 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Performance and Governance.

The Committee is invited to:- 

i.    consider the financial out-turn position of the Performance and Governance revenue budget for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021; 
ii.    consider the revenue monitoring position for the period 31 March 2021 to 30 June 2021;
iii.    note that the Directorate is on track to deliver all approved savings by the end of the financial year;
iv.    scrutinise the Directorate’s performance information; and
v.    examine and comment on the actions for the Directorate on the Recovery Action Plan.
        
7. Transformation Service – Revenue and Performance Monitoring to 30 June 2021
Seirbheis Cruth-atharrachaidh – Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Teachd-a-steach is Coileanaidh 

There is circulated Report No RES/25/21 dated 10 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Transformation.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.    note the revenue outturn position for the 20/21 financial year;
ii.    consider the 21/22 revenue monitoring position for the period to 30 June 2021;
iii.    consider the progress update provided in relation to budget savings delivery; and 
iv.    consider the performance information.
        
8. Corporate Resources Capital Monitoring – Out-turn for 2020/21 and Quarter 1 2021/22 
Seirbheis Ghoireasan is Ionmhais, Seirbheis Coileanaidh is Riaghlachais agus Seirbheis Cruth-atharrachaidh – Sgrùdadh Calpa 

There is circulated Report No RES/26/21 dated 12 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to:-.

i.    note the capital outturn position for the 2020/21 financial year; and
ii.    consider the financial position as at 30 June 2021 and note the estimated year end forecast.

9. Treasury Management
Rianachd Ionmhais 

a. Summary of Transactions Quarter ended 30 June 2021
Geàrr-chunntas Ghnothaichean

There is circulated Report No RES/27/21 dated 11 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to consider the Treasury Management Summary of Transactions report for the period from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021. 

b. Annual Treasury Management Report 2020/21 
Aithisg Stiùiridh Bhliadhnail an Ionmhais 2020/21

There is circulated Report No RES/28/21 dated 10 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to consider the Annual Treasury Management report for 2020/21.
        
10. Transformation Programme: Digital Transformation Project
Prògram Cruth-atharrachaidh: Pròiseact Cruth-atharrachadh Didseatach

There is circulated Report No RES/29/21 dated 10 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Transformation.

The Committee is invited to note:- 

i.     the overall progress to date including that the project status is being delivered on-time and within budget;
ii.    note the 3 key projects and 7 key products as detailed in section 5 of the report; and 
iii.   the activity planned for the next reporting period.

11. Project Dòchas Progress Report    
Pròiseact Dòchais – Aithisg Ùrachaidh

There is circulated Report No. RES/30/21 dated 9 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Transformation.

The Committee is invited to note:- 

i.    the report; and
ii.    the Project status and that reports will continue to be provided to this Committee to deliver governance. 

12. Welfare Support
Taic Sochaire

There is circulated Report No RES/31/21 dated 4 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to appraise the undernoted performance:- 

i.     in excess of 20,600 residents were supported by the Council’s Welfare Support Team and Citizens Advice during 2020/21 with welfare, debt and housing advice services, resulting in excess of 61,600 contacts (on average, 3 contacts per client). Measuring the number of contacts provides workload and throughput data and provides important context when reflecting upon the overall effectiveness and quality of welfare services being provided;
ii.    financial gains for clients exceeded £21.6 million. This represents a £13.83 return for every £1 allocated to these welfare services;
iii.   a total of £7.4 million of debt (including £1.5m relating to mortgage/other secured loans) was presented by households seeking support to prioritise their bills, reduce and manage their debts, and wherever possible to lower the interest charges they were due to pay;
iv.    support was provided for 3,106 clients (including social rented, private rented and homeowners) seeking housing-related advice, thus highlighting the demand for consistent accessible support on these issues; and
v.     FareShare provided in excess of 570 tonnes of quality food to the Highlands, which is estimated to be equivalent to over 1.36m meals with an estimated value of around £765,000.

MINUTES OF MEETINGS
GEÀRR-CHUNNTAS CHOINNEAMHAN    
        
13. Minutes of Meetings
Geàrr-chunntasan Choinneamhan

The following Minutes of Meetings are circulated for confirmation:-

i.    Central Safety Committee held on 3 June 2021; 
ii.    Staff Partnership Forum held on 3 June 2021 and 12 August 2021 (to follow). 

14. Exclusion of the Public    
Às-dùnadh a’ Phobaill

The Committee is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public should be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 6 & 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

15. Debts Recommended to be Written Off 
Fiachan a Thathar a’ Moladh airson an Dubhadh Às

There is circulated to Members only Report No RES/32/21 dated 27 July 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance.

The Committee is invited to agree the recommendations as set out the in the report.

16. Staff Pay Negotiations
Duais Pàighidh Riaghaltais Ionadail

There is circulated to Members only Report No RES/33/21 dated 13 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Resources and Finance. 

The Committee is invited to agree the recommendations as set out in the report.