Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2016

Decision Made:

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 July 2016 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director which indicated that Sefton Council was leading on developing a new vision for the borough, working closely with partners, businesses, private sector organisations, the voluntary, community and faith sector and the community.  The Vision and Outcomes Framework would help us focus on what’s important and to be ambitious for the Borough and its communities in the future.

The report provided an update on the 2030 Vision, including the feedback from previous and recent engagement activity and outlines the next steps that will be taken

Decision Made: That

(1)       the details of the engagement feedback set out in the report be noted:

(2)       it be noted that the partnership design work will continue:

(3)       the approach described in paragraph 4.3 of the report be approved; and

(4)       the next steps described in paragraphs 5.3 to 5.5 of the report be implemented.

Reasons for Decision:

Sefton Council was leading on developing a new and exciting vision for the future of the borough and wants anyone who lives, works or visits Sefton to be involved.

Working closely with partners, businesses, private sector organisations, the voluntary, community and faith sector and the wider Sefton community, the aim was to focus on what is important and to be ambitious for the borough and its communities in the future.

Imagine Sefton 2030 has engaged the public, local businesses and potential investors in creating a vision that would collectively promote shared prosperity, coordinated public investment, and a healthy environment and population.

The Vision and Outcomes Framework would guide long term planning - helping to collectively stimulate growth, prosperity, set new expectation levels and to help focus on what is important for Sefton.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The role of the public sector is changing and so the Council and partners must prepare for the future. Doing nothing is not an option and a silo based approach would not maximise opportunities for the borough.

Report of the Head of Corporate Resources

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources which provided details of the progress made in the achievement of the approved Revenue savings for 2016/17 (including residual savings carried forward from 2015/16); the current forecast outturn position for 2016/2017 as at the end of June 2016; the receipt of grant for the Independent Living Fund; a request to engage specialist support to assist the Council in delivering a change programme and a sustainable budget position for the period 2017/18 to 2019/20; and the forecast on Council Tax and Business Rates collection for 2016/17. 

Decision Made: That

(1)          the progress to date on the achievement of approved savings for 2016/17 and residual savings carried forward from previous years be noted;

(2)          the current forecast outturn position as at the end of June 2016 be noted;

(3)          the receipt of £2.319m grant for the Independent Living Fund for 2016/17 be noted, and it be agreed that the additional receipt of £0.5m be allocated to the Adult Social Care budget;

(4)          the proposed approach to deliver the 2030 Vision and a sustainable budget for 2017-2020;

(5)          approval be given to the use of £0.3m from the Transformation Reserve to finance the anticipated costs of specialist support in delivering the three year forecast MTFP deficit of £64m. and

(6)          the forecast position on the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates for 2016/17 be noted.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure Cabinet are informed of the forecast outturn position for the revenue budget and delivery of savings as at end of June 2016. The report also identifies the receipt of Independent Living Fund monies for 2016/17 and requests approval for its use within Adult Social Care to meet ongoing budget pressures. To approve the use £0.3m from the Transformation Reserve to finance the anticipated costs of specialist support in developing the necessary business cases and supporting the delivery of £64m savings requirement, also requires approval. In addition, the Cabinet was updated on the forecast outturn position with regard to the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Head of Corporate Resources

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources which provided details of the Government’s offer of a four year financial settlement up to 2019/20 and indicated that should the Authority wish to accept the offer, an efficiency plan for the period would need to be prepared and approved by Council.

Decision Made: That

(1)       it be noted that the Council needs to formally accept the proposed four-year financial settlement by 14 October 2016; and

(2)       the Council be recommended to accept the four-year settlement and that the production of an appropriate efficiency plan be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Head of Corporate Resources as the Chief Financial Officer (s151 Officer).

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure the Cabinet is informed of the four year financial settlement offer and to consider whether it wishes to recommend acceptance of the offer to Council.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The offer of a four year settlement could be rejected. However, this would create a significant amount of financial uncertainty as to the available resources that the Council would have to balance the budget for the period from 2017/18 – 2019/20.

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health which sought approval to complete a tender exercise to procure a Stop Smoking Service for Sefton, as the existing contract with LCH was due to expire on 31March 2017 and the current provider would no longer exist after this time, and existing contracts with individual pharmacies would expire on 31March 2017.

Decision Made: That

(1)       approval be given to the tender process to procure a Stop Smoking Service for Sefton;

(2)       the contract period be 2 years from 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2019, with an option to extend for three x one year periods;

(3)       the value for the re-procurement be authorised at a ceiling price of £420K per annum plus an additional £250K for the supply of pharmaceutical product, product use advice and support in pharmacies; and

(4)       the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member Health and well being be granted delegated authority to authorise the award of the contract resulting from the procurement.

Reasons for Decision:

The existing contract with LCH was due to expire on 31March 2017 and the current provider will no longer exist after this time.

The replacement contract would be for a 2 year core period, with the option to extend for up to 3 (individual) periods of 12 months.

The Stop Smoking service is fundamental to the overall Integrated Wellness Service recently commissioned.

The new procurement would create the opportunity to align the Pharmacy Stop Smoking offer with the Core offer, and remove the management and clinical responsibility for the pharmacy contribution from the council. 

The new procurement would enable the core service to effectively manage the complete offer (pharmacy and core) to ensure that there is appropriate smoking cessation support for all residents across Sefton.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Continue to contract with individual pharmacies to provide low level support and supply of pharmaceutical products to assist smokers who wish to quit.  Management support and clinical risk lies with the Council, unnecessarily.  

Have a Pharmacy offer only. Pharmacies are not effective in supporting less motivated, more challenging and most at risk clients to quit.  Some pharmacies will only supply pharmaceutical drug support, not motivational support.

Have a Core service offer only. The budget for the core service has already been reduced by almost 50% for 2016/17, resulting in a more targeted service for the most vulnerable clients, including pregnant women, people with poor mental health and people living in the most deprived areas. The pharmacy element provides lower level support for more motivated clients to ensure coverage across all areas. The pharmacy element also provides the drug and supply of pharmaceutical support.  

The implications of deciding not to procure a stop smoking service would be:

• The contract with LCH will expire resulting in no service provision for local residents. If permission is not granted then there will not be enough time to complete the tender process.
• An increase  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance which sought approval to invite tenders through the appropriate procurement route for the provision of parking and environmental enforcement services.

Decision Made: That

(1)       the tender process to procure the provision of enforcement services as outlined in the report be approved;

(2)       the contract period be 3 years from 1April 2017 to 31 March 2020 with an option to extend for 2 one year periods; and

(3)       the  Head of Regulation and Compliance in consultation with the Cabinet Member Locality Services be granted delegated authority to award the contract resulting from the procurement.

Reasons for Decision:

To secure delivery of the Councils statutory responsibility to enforce parking restrictions in Sefton. The contract would also include environmental enforcement and ambassadorial duties.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing which provided details of proposals for the creation of a wholly owned Council Housing Development Company which would therefore sit at the heart of our ambitions and aspirations, to create a great place to live and meet the following demand drivers:

·         Local Housing Need: Over 11,000 homes (all types and classifications) are required in and across Sefton in the medium to long term, this translates at a build rate of  circa 650 units per year;

·         Right for Business: The private and third sector already operate and provide housing at all levels, however supply is in shortfall currently (largely because of an inadequate supply of land, which the Council with good access to land and assets will help to unlock);

·         Sefton’s Communities: where the Council does elect to lead, develop and deliver housing it will do so with due consideration to each community effected and after significant appraisal and in consultation with communities.

Decision Made: That

(1)       approval in principle be given to the creation of a wholly owned Council Housing Development Company;

(2)       approval be given to the allocation of £200,000 from the Council’s Transformation Reserve, for the procurement of external advisors as set out in the report, in order to support the production of the business case and business plan for the most appropriate option for a housing  development company;

(3)       the management of the one-off revenue funding as referred to in Resolution 2 above be delegated to the Cabinet Member - Communities and Housing whom will receive detailed breakdown of this expenditure as chair of the Member Reference Group;

(4)       subject to the viability tests that will be set out within the Outline Business Case and Outline Business Plan (i.e. feasibility studies); the authority to commence with Full Business Case and Full Business Plan be delegated to Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, provided viability tests undertaken as part of the feasibility stage prove favourable;

(5)       it be noted that the Cabinet will receive a further report and a request to implement the housing development company subject to the drafting, scrutiny and presentation of a satisfactory Full Business Case and Full Business Plan; and

(6)       itbe 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 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 the short period of time within the project plan to undertake technical investigations combined with the need to proceed with a number of procurements for advisors, and the economic drivers to establish the Company to provide the choice and type  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

Report of the Head of Communities

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Communities which sought approval to vary the existing contract with the Sefton Supported Housing Group who provide accommodation and support services for homeless households, in order to assist house and support households received in Sefton under the Syrian Resettlement Programme.

Decision Made: That

(1)       the existing contract for the supply of temporary accommodation and support services with the Sefton Supported Housing Group (SSHG) be varied as set out in the report, in order for SSHG to supply additional accommodation and support services for Syrian families (as required by the funding agreement with UK Government) resettled in Sefton;

(2)       the Head of Communities, in consultation with the Head of Corporate Support and the Cabinet Member - Communities and Housing, be given delegated authority to enable the procurement and entering into further service arrangements with Sefton or Liverpool City Region Voluntary, Community and Faith sector organisations, to deliver required services that fall outside of the scope of the contract with SSHG; and

(3)       given the need for flexibility, the Head of Communities, in consultation with the Head of Corporate Support and the Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, be given delegated authority to extend the contract further should the need arise, but within an overall contract cost of no more that £1m.

Reasons for Decision:

The value of the services to be provided under the proposed contract variation requires Cabinet approval.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Council could advertise a new contract but it would be unlikely to be let within the agreed timescales for the Scheme.