Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Veidman.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Maher welcomed the two newly appointed Members of the Cabinet, Councillor Doyle, Cabinet Member of Children’s Social Care and Councillor Roscoe, Cabinet Member of Education. 

Minutes of the meeting held on 1 April 2021.

Decision Made:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 1 April 2021 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer.

Report to Follow.

Decision Made:

That the report in relation to the Appointments to Outside Bodies 2021/22 be deferred to the next Meeting of the Cabinet scheduled to take place on Thursday 24 June 2021.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer in relation to the proposal to bestow the Freedom of the Borough to Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Maher paid tribute to Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust who have served Sefton Council and its residents tirelessly throughout the pandemic with hard work and dedication putting themselves at risk in ensuring the safety of others.  He also stated that the selflessness and dedication shown by all who work for those trusts could not be underestimated which was why the Cabinet was recommending to the Council that the Honorary Freedom of the Borough be conferred on Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.

Decision Made:      That the Cabinet approved and commended the following recommendations to the Council for approval:

(1)   In accordance with Section 249 (5) of the Local Government Act 1972, this Council wishes to place on record its high appreciation of, and the debt of gratitude of the Borough to the Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust and in the light of their hard work and dedication during the devastation of the Covid 19 Pandemic, the Council resolves that the Honorary Freedom of the Borough be conferred on Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust and that it be granted the right, privilege, honour and distinction of attendance at all ceremonial occasions and be invited to attend at an Extra-ordinary Council meeting to be held on a date to be determined at Bootle Town Hall; and

(2)      the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services be authorised to take all of the necessary actions associated with (1) above and arrange a civic reception for the Officers and Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust and invited quests to take place at the rising of the Extra-ordinary Council meeting in Bootle Town Hall.

Reasons for the Decisions:

Aintree and Liverpool University NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust have served Sefton Council and its residents tirelessly throughout the pandemic with hard work and dedication putting themselves at risk in ensuring the safety of others. 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

No alternative options have been considered.

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director for Corporate Resources and Customer Services detailing the background for the support and maintenance contracts for the existing Case Management Systems used to support Social Care and Early Intervention Services within Adult and Children’s Social Care.  The report details the associated procurement route available to the authority to renew this support and maintenance as the contract novated from Arvarto has now expired.

Decision Made:       That the:

Reasons for the Decisions:

To ensure that this critical system is still supported and maintained by the software supplier and that Sefton continue to receive statutory changes and upgrades.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

To explore the market for a new Social Care solution, rejected.

Report of the Executive Director (Place).

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director (Place) in relation to the current position of the Levelling Up funding opportunity available to the Council and the proposal to submit up to two bids on or before the submission date of 18^th June 2021, and potentially submitting a total of up to three bids to the fund.

Decision Made:       That:

(1)           the submission of up to two Levelling Up funding bids to Government on or before 18^th June 2021, in accordance with the given bid process, and up to three bids in total from Sefton (given the likely announcement of future bidding rounds), be agreed;

(2)           it be noted that any funded projects may require Cabinet and Council approval if successful, and would be presented for review and approval if successful and at the appropriate time, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules;

(3)           the Executive Director (Place), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills be granted delegated authority to finalise the bid submissions;

(4)           it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but had not been included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.  Consequently, the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) had been consulted under Rule 27 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because approval needs to be sought prior to the first bid submission date of 18 June 2021; and

(5)           it be noted that the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) had given consent under Rule 46 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules for this decision to be treated as urgent and not subject to "call in" on the basis that it cannot be reasonably deferred because approval needs to be sought prior to the first submission date of 18 June 2021.

Reasons for the Decisions

The Levelling Up bid opportunity may offer a route to funding for capital projects, which the recommendations propose to pursue given the importance of such projects to economic recovery in the borough. The submission of up to two bids on 18^th June 2021, and of up to three bids in total, reflects the ongoing work on the opportunities referenced herein, and on other potential projects, to finalise project details and bid documentation. The recommendations in respect of timescales are due to the given deadline for bid submission, and the importance of pace of development and delivery to economic recovery and the impacts and benefits of such projects.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The option of submitting bids at a later date may remain, but there is a risk of uncertainty on future rounds, criteria and timescales which prompts the recommended submission on 18  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.