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.

Minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2019

Decision Made:

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 14 February 2019 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Head of Corporate Resources

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources which provided details of the current forecast revenue outturn position for the Council for 2018/19 and potential impact on the 2019/20 budget; the current forecast on Council Tax and Business Rates collection for 2018/19 and the current position of the 2018/19 Capital Programme.

Decision Made: That:

(1)       It be noted that in view of the significant budget pressure in 2018/19, officers will continue to review all current budget forecasts across all service areas to close the current in-year forecast budget deficit (£0.062m).  This will include the continuing review of all current vacancies and non-essential expenditure;

(2)       in the event that there is material change to the 2018/19 outturn forecast, approval be given to additional remedial measures being identified in order that a balanced budget position can be achieved;

(3)       in the event that additional financial pressure are identified between now and the year end, that has not taken account of in the recently approved 2019/20 budget, approval be given to additional proposals being brought forward for members to consider in order to ensure that financial sustainability is maintained; and

(4)       the reduced delivery of the capital programme be noted and that as the delivery has reduced, a full review of capital project management be led by the Head of Corporate Resources and be completed in advance of the next financial year.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure Cabinet are informed of the forecast outturn position for the 2018/19 revenue and capital budgets as at the end of September 2018 and to provide an updated forecast of the outturn position with regard to the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.

In March 2017 Council approved a three-year budget plan to March 2020. The final two years of this plan were revised in March 2018 as part of the process of setting the 2018/19 budget. The Council is half way through the second year of the budget plan and remains confident that the strategic approach to budget planning alongside good financial management and extensive community engagement means that it will secure future sustainability to 2020 and beyond. However, in year demand for social care services is currently resulting in the costs for these services exceeding the budget. Corrective action will be required to bring the overall budget into balance before the end of the financial year if the position worsens over the coming months. 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected: 

None.

Report of the Head of Health and Wellbeing

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Health and Wellbeing which provided details of proposals to implement a two-year extension of the current contract with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of the Medically Managed Residential Drug and Alcohol Detoxification Service.

Members of the Cabinet expressed the view that the provision of the service should be mindful of the current work taking place within the Liverpool City Region on the Housing First Initiative.

Decision Made:

That the Head of Health and Wellbeing be granted authority in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing to exercise the option to extend the current contract with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust for a period of two years from the 1 July 2019.

Reasons for Decision:

The Cabinet on 1 October 2015, authorised the Interim Director of Public Health and Chief Finance Officer to award the contract for its core period from 1July 2016 and authority was required to exercise the extension options outlined in the tender exercise.

For the past two and a half years, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust have provided Medically Managed Residential Detoxification Services that meet or exceed contractual and performance targets. For example, the threshold for successful detoxification completions is set at 80%. In Quarter 4 of 2017/18 the service achieved 81%; in Quarter 1 of 2018/19 86% and in Quarter 2 of 2018/19 90%. The threshold for service users rating their satisfaction as good or excellent is set at 80%. In July, August and September 2018 the service achieved 100%. Public Health Commissioners have no concerns over the quality, performance or governance of the current service. 

Mersey Care have recently invested heavily in a refurbishment and upgrade of the Hope Centre Detoxification Centre. The Centre now offers modernised accommodation, bespoke therapy rooms and a Barnardo’s approved children’s area.

Authority to exercise a two-year extension option rather than a one-year extension was recommended to ensure on-going service stability and improvements in outcomes / performance being sustained in the longer-term.

Medically Managed Residential Detoxification services are highly specialist and experience from previous tender exercises show choice within the local and regional market to be extremely limited.

Conducting a full procurement exercise at this point would not bring about any significant benefits for Sefton Council or for users of the detoxification service and exercising the option to extend the current contract by one-year would only bring about temporary short-term stability. Exercising both twelve-month extension options together at this point provides the best opportunity for continued service stability and service improvement within an environment of uncertainty and change.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The available options are:

i)     Exercise one year extension / continuation option. This option would provide a degree of continuity and stability and the value would be within the threshold for Cabinet Member Authorisation. However, any continuity / stability derived from exercising this option would be limited to twelve months at which point the Council would still need to consider exercising the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

Report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing which provided details of the Southport Business Improvement District (BID) Business Plan and the proposals for the Council to hold a ballot as part of the process to enable the BID to be formally established in accordance with the 2004 BID Regulations.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the proposals for the Southport Business Improvement District (BID) as set out in the business plan be approved;

(2)       the Head of Economic Growth and Housing be authorised to submit a positive vote on behalf of the Council;

(3)       the Chief Executive be granted delegated authority inconsultation with the Leader of the Council and the Head of Corporate Resources (Section 151 Officer), to sign a future BID Baseline Agreement on behalf of the Council;

(4)       the Head of Corporate Resources be authorised to complete the necessary formal agreements required for the collection of the BID Levy if a Yes vote is achieved; and

(5)       as the relevant ballot holder, authority be given to the Electoral Reform Services to hold the BID ballot. 

Reasons for Decision:

To allow the BID ballot to commence and then thereafter for the BID company to deliver a new 5 year term

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

There are no other alternative options for the BID delivery, or similar model that would secure the level of private sector investment into Southport.