Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Councillor Cummins declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Minute No. 124 and left the room during the considerationn of the item.

Minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2014

Decision Made:

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 27 February 2014 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment on the proposed procurement process for the delivery of the Term Maintenance Contract HM7 for unmetered electricity supply connections, for a period of three years with the option to extend for up to a further two years.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to the invitation of Tenders for the Contract on the basis of an 80% Cost / 20 % Quality ratio; and

(2)       the Director of Built Environmement  be authorised to award the Contract for a period of three years (with the option to extend for up to a further two years) to the highest scoring Tenderer subject to the appropriate Cost and Quality evaluations being completed on tender return.

Reasons for Decision:

The existing Term Maintenance Contract HM7 was due to expire on the 31October 2014. The works delivered through this Contract form part of essential services the Council need to continue to deliver to ensure that electrical connections and disconnections for highway street furniture can be undertaken.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None. The services required cannot be delivered by the Councils in house street lighting team as they do not carry the required training and accreditation to undertake such works.

Report of the Director of Built Environment

Further to Minute No. 81 of the meeting held on 5 December 2013, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which sought approval to the adoption of a formal Property Asset Disposal Policy.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to the adoption of the draft Property Asset Disposal Policy as set out in Appendix A of the report; and.

(2)       it be noted that a further report would be presented to a future Cabinet meeting in relation to a formal Community Asset Transfer Policy.

Reasons for Decision:

To enable a Property Asset Disposal Policy to be implemented following the adoption of a new Strategic Asset Management Plan.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Council could continue to operate using established custom and practice without a formal property asset disposal policy in place.

Report of the Director of Built Environment

Further to Minute No. 94 (11) of the meeting held on 31 January 2013, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details of the strategic review of parking services across the Borough which had been undertaken to consider all aspects of the service including the charging policy, in order to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the service.

Cabinet Members referred to the high level of consultation undertaken during the period of the review and to the decision agreed by the Council on 6 March 2014 to reduce the level of savings required for the strategic parking review for 2014/15 from £300k to £100k. 

Decision Made:

That:

(1)        approval be given to the tariff increases as detailed in appendices 1 and 2 and summarised in paragraph 10.5 of the report;

(2)        Officers proceed with the introduction of pay by phone technology and submit a further report on the proposals to the Cabinet Member – Transportation for approval:

(3)        the intention to progress with the replacement of the outdated pay and display machine stock, as included in the capital programme be noted; and

(4).       the intention to progress, through the normal channels, a Traffic Regulation order to introduce a 4 hour maximum stay on the Tulketh Street car parks be noted.

Reasons for Decision:

To set the tariffs for parking charges for 2014/15. The Council has the power to vary parking charges by notice under Sections 35C and 46A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1984 and the authorisation to set the charges falls under the remit of the Cabinet.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health which sought approval to a twelve month contract extension of the existing contract with Merseycare for the delivery of the residential clinical detox and rehabilitation substance misuse service. This would be an extension from the 1April 2014 until 31 March 2015 to the current contract with the same terms and conditions.

Decision Made:

That the Contracts Procedure Rules be waived and a twelve month contract extension be authorised for the existing Merseycare Substance Misuse contract for the delivery of residential detox and rehabilitation.

Reasons for Decision:

This service is required to provide tier 4 residential clinical detox and rehabilitation services. At this time it would be unlikely that this specialist service could be ceased and unavailable to Sefton residents during the review and re commissioning.

It is hoped that following the review and another 12 months of performance monitoring we would be in a position to understand the full cost and outputs for the service and commission them for a reasonable length contract.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

There are no alternative local providers for clinical detoxification; and the nearest in Manchester is even more expensive.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive

Further to Minute No. 103 of the meeting held on 27 February 2014, the Cabinet considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive which provided an update on progress made in developing the next iteration of the BCF Plan following the receipt of supplementary guidance; an update on the assurance process; and sought delegated powers to continue to develop this work over coming months.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the approach recommended by the Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting held on 19March 2014 as set out in the report be endorsed;

(2)       the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Cabinet Member for Older People and Health, be given delegated authority to agree and submit further iterations of the Better Care Plan (BCF) for Sefton, as outlined in the report and it be noted that this would need to be in consultation with the Chief Officer for the Southport and Formby; and South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups and their respective Governing Body Chairs, in order to comply with the guidance on the BCF;

(3)       approval be given to the BCF submission to be made on 4 April 2014 being a short paper responding, where possible, to the several sets of guidance, and the assurance feedback, once received;

(4)       the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board relating to encouraging integration, and the intention to progress further work on integration beyond that expressed in the BCF Plan through the Board, under the guidance of the Chair of the Board and Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, Families and Leisure and the Cabinet Member for Older People and Health be noted;

(5)       it be noted that the Cabinet Member for Older People and Health would be responsible for overseeing the development of and then approval of a Section 75 agreement for the pooled fund; and

(6)       the final approval of the BCF Budget, and the risk assessment be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.

Reasons for Decision:

Better Care Fund Guidance seeks a second submission on local Better Care Fund Plan by 4April 2014.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment and Head of Corporate Finance and ICTwhich provided details of revisions to the Litherland Moss Primary School refurbishment scheme and the Gypsy and Traveller Site scheme at Red Rose Park and sought approval for their increased scope, changes in cost and method of funding.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to an increase in the scope of the Litherland Moss Primary School refurbishment scheme, within the Capital Investment Plan to include the relocation of the Children’s Centre, with the increase of £100,000 being funded from unallocated 2 Year Old Offer Capital Grant;

(2)       approval be given to an increase in the programme budget of the Red Rose Traveller and Gypsy Site scheme, within the Capital Investment Plan, to £431,182 with the increase of £108,162 being funded from an increased Homes and Communities Agency grant of £57,000 and £51,162 funded from the 2013/14 forecast underspend on the revenue budget; and

(3)       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 (Children’s Services) had been consulted under Rule 27 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the 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 of, in the case of Litherland Moss, the requirement to provide urgent alternative accommodation due to the Council’s current landlord serving notice to quit upon the Council. In the case of Red Rose Traveller site, the matter is an urgent health and safety issue and delay until publication of the next forward plan is not practicable.

Reasons for Decision:

To advise Members of the increased scope and project costs of these 2 previously approved capital schemes and the proposed method of funding the shortfall.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Director of Public Health

Further to Minute No. 60 of the Council meeting held on 21 November 2013, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health seeking the appointment of a Mental Health Champion, in accordance with the Local Authorities Mental Health Challenge.

Decision Made:

That the Cabinet Member – Older People and Health (Councillor Cummins) be appointed as the Council’s Mental Health Champion in accordance with the Local Authorities Mental Health Challenge.

Reasons for Decision:

The Local Authorities Mental Health Challenge is an objective of the national mental health strategy ‘No Health Without Mental Health’ and is being adopted by local authorities across Cheshire and Merseyside. The roles and activities are detailed in section 1.5 of the report.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Director of Corporate Services

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Corporate Services which sought the nomination of the Mayor and Deputy Chair for the Municipal Year 2014/15.

The report indicated that any nominations agreed by the Cabinet would be submitted to the Annual Council meeting to be held on 29 May 2014 for consideration.

Decision Made:       That

(1)       the Council be recommended to elect Councillor K. Cluskey as the Mayor for 2014/15 at the Annual Council Meeting on 29 May 2014; and.

(2)       the Leaders of the Liberal Democrat Group and Conservative Group be invited to submit a nomination for the position of Deputy Chair for the Municipal Year 2014/15, prior to the Annual Council Meeting on 29 May 2014.

Reason for the Decision:

It is a statutory requirement for the Council to appoint a Mayor and Deputy Chair under Sections 3(1) and 5(1) of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Director of Corporate Services

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Corporate Services on a request from the Chief Executive of the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Foundation for a Member of the Council to be appointed on to the Council of Governors for the Foundation Trust. The report provided details of the role description and the eligibility criteria for the appointment of a Governor to the Foundation Trust.

Decision Made:

That the Leader of the Council be granted delegated powers to appoint the Council’s representative on the Council of Governors for the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Foundation.

Reasons for Decision:

The appointment of a Council representative on to the Council of Governors will ensure that the interests of residents of Sefton are taken into account by the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health seeking aproval to a twelve month contract extension of the existing Carers Centre contract from the 1April 2014 until 31 March 2015 with the same terms and conditions to enable a review of the existing service to be undertaken.

Decision Made:

That the Contracts Procedure Rules be waived and a 12 month extension of the existing Carers Centre contract be authorised to enable the review of the existing service to be completed and services to be commissioned

Reasons for Decision:

The 12 months contract extension would allow for the review to be completed, the services revised and or re commissioned and mobilisation successfully accomplished.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None. It would be unlikely that another service would be available to deliver this service for a period of 12 months only, without negative impact on current service users.

The Chair reported that the Director of Older People, Robina Critchley would be retiring on 17 April 2014 and that the Head of Communications, Dan Grice would be leaving the Council on 17 April 2014 to take up a post of Head of Communications at The Disclosure and Barring Service, based in Liverpool.

Decision Made:

That the thanks and appreciation of the Council be extended to the Director of Older People, Robina Critchley and the Head of Communications, Dan Grice for the work they have undertaken for the Council and the Borough of Sefton during the last 26 years and 12 years respectively and best wishes be extended to Robina for a long, happy and healthy retirement and to Dan for continuing success in his career.