Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 7 April 2016

Decision Made:

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 7 April 2016 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Head of Commissioning Support and Business Intelligence

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Commissioning Support and Business Intelligence on proposals to commence a procurement exercise for the provision of a Pre-Paid Card service. The report also included details on the outcome of the Pre-Paid Card pilot and proposals for the subsequent implementation of a Pre-Paid Card service should approval be given to procure.

Decision Made: That:

(1)       approval be given to the commencement of a procurement exercise for a Pre-Paid Card service for a period of three years, plus two one-year extension options, utilising an existing framework operated by Surrey County Council as the mechanism to procure the service;

(2)       the criteria for the evaluation of tenders received in the procurement exercise be approved;

(3)       the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care be granted delegated authority to award a contract, following the procurement exercise;

(4)       Officers be authorised to include other Liverpool City Region Local Authorities in the procurement exercise, subject to them having secured the necessary agreement to participate;

(5)       Officers be authorised to provide the commissioning and procurement support, set out in paragraph 5.2 of the report, to other Liverpool City Region Local Authorities who may wish to implement a Pre-Paid Card Service in the future;

(6)       with regard to the implementation of a Pre-Paid Card service for Direct Payments recipients, approval be given to:

(a)  service users not been charged for the use of a Pre-Paid Card, aside from them being charged for the costs associated with replacing any lost or stolen cards;

(b)  the use of a Pre-Paid Card becoming the ‘default’ mechanism used by Sefton Council to make and administer Direct Payments;

(c)   all existing Direct Payment Service Users been engaged with regard to transferring their Direct Payment onto a Pre-Paid Card within an agreed timeframe;

(d)  A project team been established to manage the change detailed in point (c) above; and

(7)       Officers be authorised to investigate and if appropriate implement Pre-Paid Cards for use in other Council service areas.

Reasons for Decision:

The Council had undertaken a successful pilot of a Pre-Paid Card service, in relation to Social Care Direct Payments, which had highlighted significant benefits both to Sefton Council and to Service Users, together with ensuring that the actions detailed within the Direct Payments Strategic Plan (approved by Cabinet on 4 February 2016) are met. Following this Pilot it was recommended that a procurement exercise be undertaken, utilising an existing framework in place (operated by Surrey County Council), for the commissioning of a permanent Pre-Paid Card service in Sefton.

The existing framework would be used as it contains providers/suppliers who operate in the market and who would tender for services as part of an alternative procurement exercise.  Sefton would also be able to utilise existing tendered costs within the framework.  In addition, should other Liverpool City Region Local Authorities be in a position to also procure a Pre-Paid Card service at the same time as Sefton, then they can be included in the procurement exercise and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance which sought the appointment of Council representatives to serve on Outside Bodies set out in the report for 2016/17, or for periods longer than one year. Details of the proposed representation on Outside Bodies were set out in the report.

Decision Made: That:

Report of the Chief Finance Officer

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Finance Officer on proposals to conduct a commissioning process to establish the sourcing strategy for financial and human resource transactional services and ICT services which are currently provided through a partnership agreement with arvato.

Decision Made: That:

1)         it be noted that the contract period ends on 30 September 2018 and that the Council needs to determine its new requirements from that date;

(2)       approval be given to the procurement of consultancy support to prepare the sourcing strategy in preparation for the provisioning of these services;

(3)       it be noted that the partnership agreement with arvato will continue until 30 September 2018, and that staff engagements will take place accordingly;

(4)       the Head of Corporate Resources be authorised in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services) to negotiate any interim arrangements to safeguard the continuity of services in the best interests of the Council as required; and

(5)       it be noted that the sourcing strategy, along with a detailed procurement and implementation plan will be reported to Cabinet for appropriate decision making in the latter part of 2016.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure that the Council reviews the future strategic needs of the organisation, in line with the Council priorities, the future resource plans and the development of new partnership working and service plans. The current contract with arvato runs until September 2018 and discussions between the Council and arvato have taken place, in line with the contract extension clauses. Both the Council and arvato agreed that the current contract is not appropriate in its current form to meet the future needs of the Council. This strategic review will be timely before formal procurement decisions are made in the Spring of 2017. The target date to have all commissioning in place and implementation underway is September 2017 to allow one year for a smooth implementation phase prior to October 2018.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None. The current Partnership Agreement with arvato has provision to extend the existing configuration of services for up to five years. However the needs of the Council have changed very significantly since the specification was prepared in 2007/08 and is no longer appropriate given the Council’s financial position or its future priorities. The scale and scope of the changes required in the future are likely to be significant and could be open to legal challenge if the commissioning was not subject to future competition opportunities.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided details of the key issues arising from the receipt of the Inspector’s Initial Findings on the Local Plan, and sought approval to publish the proposed Modifications for 6 weeks consultation, alongside the Sustainability Appraisal and the Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Local Plan (Modifications). Any comments received would be submitted to the Inspector following the conclusion of the consultation period.

Decision Made:

That the Council be recommended to:

(1)     note the key issues arising from the Inspector’s Initial Findings;

(2)     accept the Inspector’s Initial Findings as the basis for preparing Modifications to the Local Plan;

(3)     authorise the publication of the Modifications (both Main and Additional Modifications) for comment, alongside the Sustainability Appraisal and the Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Local Plan (Modifications);

(4)     grant delegated powers to the Chief Planning Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Planning and Building Control, to make minor editorial changes and any changes required by the Planning Inspectorate or as a result of changes to Government guidance to the Modifications before they are published; and

(5)     following the end of the consultation period, authorise the proposed Modifications to be submitted to the Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the Sefton Local Plan, together with all comments received.

Reasons for Decision:

To brief Members on the issues arising from the Local Plan Inspector’s Initial Findings, and to seek approval to publish the proposed Modifications to the Local Plan for consultation, alongside the Sustainability Appraisal and the HRA of the Local Plan (Modifications).

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None. This is a statutory process that has to be followed as part of the process of securing a ‘sound’ Local Plan which the Council can adopt.

The Chair reported that this would be the last Cabinet meeting that the Chief Finance Officer, Margaret Rawding would be attending before she retires on 21 June 2016.

He referred to the hard and dedicated work she had undertaken for Sefton Council over the past five years and indicated that Margaret was very well respected by Councillors and Officers as a very professional officer who always strived to deliver the best possible services.

Decision Made.

That the Chief Finance Officer, Margaret Rawding be thanked for her sterling work for Sefton Council over the last five years and best wishes be extended to her for the future.