Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor McGuire.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 13 January 2010

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 January 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Officer on the proposed implementation of speech recognition technology in the Sefton Plus Contact Centre.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and the implementation of speech recognition technology, as set out in the report, be approved.

Report of the Leisure Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Leisure and Tourism Director updating on the Active Workforce Programme.

The report indicated that it covered the period April 2008 – December 2009; that since the successful pilot provided by Sefton Public Health Partnership (Sefton Council and Sefton Primary Care Trust), the partnership now included 10 organisations; that 4,000 employees had signed up to the programme, with 1,500 of these paying for a subsidised Active Sefton fitness suite membership, generating £25,000 per month additional income across all leisure centres; that the Programme was contributing towards National Indicators 18 and 19; and that £47,000 worth of funding from the Department of Work and Pensions had been applied for through the Health Work and Wellbeing Challenge Fund with a view to increased opportunities for the workforce to participate in sport and recreation, i.e the creation of courses and leagues in sports such as badminton, football, netball and softball.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report and the significant progress and development of the Active Workforce Programme be noted;  and

(2)       the Cabinet Member's and Spokespersons' recognition of the quality and success of the Programme be recorded.

Report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director on the performance in relation to the Finance and Information Services Department's element of the Corporate Services Portfolio's 2009/10 Departmental Services Plan, with particular reference to Quarter 2 of 2009/10.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Legal Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Legal and Democratic Services Director which set out a draft response to a consultation by the Government on draft statutory guidance on a new duty in respect of petitions being imposed on local authorities, in accordance with the appropriate provisions of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.  Responses to the consultation had been requested by 24 February 2010.

RESOLVED:

That the draft response to the consultation, as set out in the report, be approved for submission to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

To consider passing the following resolution:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the Press and Public.

RESOLVED:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following three items of business on the grounds that they may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 (Minute No. 99) and 3 (Minute Nos. 100 and 101) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test had been applied and favoured exclusion of the information from the press and public.

Joint report of the Strategic Director, Children, Schools and Families and the Personnel Director

Further to Minute No. 87 of 13 January 2010, the Cabinet Member considered the joint report of the Strategic Director of Children, Schools and Families and the Personnel Director on a proposed re-organisation of the existing School Admissions and Student Support Service to enable it to meet the requirements of the new School Admissions Code, which reflects changes to the law introduced by the Education and Skills Act 2008, which included:

·             extending the co-ordinating role of local authorities to all admissions applications for state primary and secondary schools made by their residents at any time of year, from 2010;

·             the full inter-Local Authority co-ordination of admission to primary schools to be phased in, starting with all in-year admissions from September 2010 and the annual allocation of primary places from September 2011;

·             improving the information provided to parents by local authorities; adding parents and the local community to those who must be consulted regarding proposed admission arrangements;

·             requiring local authorities to report annually to the Schools Adjudicator on the fairness and legality of admission arrangements in their area; plus new powers for the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to act proactively if an Authority is failing in any aspects of the statutory and mandatory duties.

In accordance with the Responsibility for Functions provided in the Council's Constitution, the personnel implications described in the report had been approved by the Personnel Director, in consultation with the Strategic Director of Children, Schools and Families.

RESOLVED:  

That the reorganisation of the Service, as set out in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.11 and Annex 2 to the report, be approved.

Report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director

Further to Minute No. 76 of 9 December 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director on two tenders received for the above contract. 

The acceptance of the most appropriate tender was a key decision and was currently included on the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the Insurance Broker Contract be awarded to Aon Limited, of Manchester, for a period of three years with annual renewals, with the options to renew for a further two periods of twelve months; and

(2)       if these options to renew are exercised, renewals be carried out under the existing delegated authority of the Finance and Information Services Director.

Report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Acting Finance and Information Services Director on an application for the reduction or remission of Non-Domestic Rates on the grounds of hardship, under the provisions of Section 49 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1988.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the application for relief on the grounds of hardship be declined; and

(2)       the Acting Finance and Information Services Director be requested, if possible, to direct the applicant to other possible sources of funding.

To receive a presentation from Mr. Blair Hilton, Health and Safety Manager

The Cabinet Member received a presentation from Mr. Blair Hilton, Health and Safety Manager on a number of health and safety management issues.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       Mr. Hilton be thanked for his informative presentation; and

(2)       best wishes be conveyed to Mr. Hilton in the light of his impending retirement.