Agenda and draft minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Morris.

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 21 January 2025

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2025 be confirmed as a correct record subject to the below change:

1.    Councillor Cavanagh submitted her apologies for the meeting and was not present.

Report of the Assistant Director - Operational In-House Services

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director - Operational In-House Services that provided an update on the progress of Green Sefton’s operational delivery over the last year, and setting out the strategic work programme, in line with the new Service Vision 2030, and updated Service Plan for the next year until March 2026.

The report concluded that the service had performed well under ongoing challenging circumstances, as resources available clearly did not allow for service delivery to meet public, councillor, nor the service’s own expectations; that although there had been challenges at times, there had also been many successes too; that overall, the service was now well established and was starting to see the rewards of the Public Sector Reform project that led to its creation; that more work remained yet to be done, and the structure would be revisited in 2025/26 to ensure this met the business need, and as always focus on the priority work areas in order to deliver on the Service’s own 2030 vision, that ultimately contributed to that of the Council overall; and that the Service Vision, Service Planning and new KPI’s, were all proving a useful tool to manage this, and regular updates would continue to be provided to the Cabinet Member throughout the year.

The full Annual Review was attached as an appendix to the report and included other background information including the newly adopted Service Vision, and Service Plan updates for the three service areas. Table 1 within the document detailed a headline overview of actions in 2024 relating to:

·       Delivery and sharing of the service vision 2030 and service plan 2024 – both within, and external to, the service

·       Embedding culture and behaviour change within the team

·       Look to increase capacity within the team – by apprenticeships, fixed term posts, and a review of the approach to seasonal support

·       Look to reduce existing demands on team where appropriate – by examining the work programme, and amending what wase managed and how, and by looking at a ‘Place-Based’ approach to strategically managing sites

·       Achievement of ‘innovation’ income targets

·       Development of site-based changes to make best use of available resources and increase wider benefits of sites

and table 2 detailed a range of actions, desired outcome, and key measures 2024/26, along with key dates and progress contained in the Green Sefton Service Plan 2025-2026.

The Committee was requested to review the proposals contained in the report and Annual Review and consider the submission of comments to the Cabinet Member - Health and Well Being and the Cabinet Member - Locality Services.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       the financial sustainability of the commercial work Green Sefton undertook within the Land Management Team

·       details were sought on if/when tree stumps that had recently been cut down would be removed

·       what data the Council would be able to be access in future using the asset management database; it was noted that the database was a joint project with Operational  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

Report of the Assistant Director - Strategic Support

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director – Strategic Support that provided information on the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel’s (the Panel) 2024 Annual Report.

The report indicated that the main purpose of the Panel was to coordinate and   ensure that the quality of public engagement and consultation, was in accordance with the standards for engagement and consultation; that during 2024, there had been six meetings of the Panel, and the Panel had appraised:

·       23 proposals for consultation

·       8 Feedback and Evaluation Reports

·       4 information presentations from the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the coproduction for the Short-Term Assessment Unit, Digital Technology update and Have Your Say Sefton engagement activity.

·       3 updates from the Strategic Youth Voice Steering group

and that in addition, 2 proposals for consultation had been shared virtually for feedback during the year, both in connection to the Short Breaks consultation.

The report also indicated that recently, the Panel and Council had agreed a refresh of the Public Engagement and Consultation Framework (the Framework) which included the use of a scorecard to check whether the Framework was having an effect and to identify areas in need of development, and areas where good practice was identified.

The report also provided information on the “You Said, We Did” summary for the Your Sefton Your Say Consultation Hub; advised that the Your Sefton Your Say Consultation Hub homepage had had a redesign to use new design templates that were more engaging for the user; and that it was the intention to review the functionality of the system so that it could also become an engagement tool, as well as a consultation tool.

The report concluded that the standards for consultation and engagement and the Panel, as set out in the Framework helped to quality assure the consultation and engagement that was taking place in Sefton; that the Scorecard adopted by the Panel was helping to monitor whether the plans for consultation and engagement included accessible information in different formats, involving people with lived experience (coproduction) and the use of equality monitoring (as part of our Public Sector Equality Duty) and working in partnership; and that following each meeting of the Panel, key messages were recorded and uploaded to the Consultation and Engagement Intranet Page and shared with the Improving Information Group. 

Attached as Appendix 1 to the report was the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel Comparison Table.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

• praise was offered to Jayne Vincent for all her hard work and the significant improvements reflected in the report
• details were sought on how to effectively engage with young people and hard to reach communities
• it was noted that hard to reach groups and digitally excluded people were part of the framework

RESOLVED:

That the report on the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel’s 2024 Annual Report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets that enabled scrutiny of Sefton Hospitality Operations Limited (SHOL), a wholly owned council company, to provide a level of assurance that both the council’s interests and the services or products provided by the company to residents, were safe and well managed and offered good value for money by:

·       challenging the suitability of the business plan and objectives in meeting the needs of the council, service users and residents

·       testing the financial benefits to the council and economic benefits to the community

·       reviewing the outcomes and achievements of commercial operations against their original plans

·       testing whether the value of the council’s investment into SHOL was being protected and public funds were not exposed to excessive risk and

·       checking that responsible business standards were met.

The report detailed:

·       the council’s objectives for the Company

·       governance arrangements

·       governance arrangements in place for the company in 2023/24

·       key objectives for the Company as per the Business Plan in 2023/24

·       review of performance 2023/24

·       financial performance 2023/24

·       key areas of risk during the year

·       evaluation of performance in 2023/24 compared to council objectives for setting up the company and approved Business Plan for the year

·       Delivery and Improvement Plans for 2024/25

The report concluded by seeking the views of the Committee on:

·       feedback on key issues arising from the report and advice on further information that would support the scrutiny of SHOL in future years

·       feedback on current performance (operational and financial) and how this supported the council’s strategic aims and ambitions and aligned with the objectives and reasons for setting up SHOL

·       clarification or additional information from officers in order to carry out the scrutiny function.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

• details were sought on the forecasted profit/loss for the next 3 years
• how losses were absorbed by the company
• how SHOL was benchmarked against private hospitality in the area
• details were sought on the decision-making process in the event of substantial losses and how often the business plan was reviewed

RESOLVED:

That the report on the 2023 / 24 Outturn Review of Sefton Hospitality Operations Limited, a Council Wholly Owned Company, be noted.

Report of the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets to follow

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets that enabled scrutiny of Sandway Homes, a wholly owned council company, to provide a level of assurance that both the council’s interests and the services or products provided by the company to residents, were safe and well managed and offered good value for money by:

·       challenging the suitability of the business plan and objectives in meeting the needs of the council, service users and residents

·       testing the financial benefits to the council and economic benefits to the community

·       reviewing the outcomes and achievements of commercial operations against their original plans

·       testing whether the value of the council’s investment into Sandway Homes was being protected and public funds were not exposed to excessive risk and

·       checking that responsible business standards were met.

The report detailed:

·       the council’s objectives for the Company

·       council governance arrangements

·       governance arrangements in place for the company in 2023/24

·       key objectives for the Company as per the Business Plan in 2023/24

·       review of performance 2023/24

·       key areas of risk during the year

·       evaluation of performance in 2023/24 compared to council objectives for setting up the company and approved Business Plan for the year

·       Delivery and Improvement Plans for 2024/25

The report concluded by seeking the views of the Committee on:

·       feedback on key issues arising from the report and advice on further information that would support the scrutiny of Sandway Homes in future years

·       feedback on current performance (operational and financial) and how this supported the council’s strategic aims and ambitions and aligned with the objectives and reasons for setting up Sandway Homes

·       clarification or additional information from officers in order to carry out the scrutiny function.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

• what contingencies were in place in regard to changes in the housing market which could impact targets being met
• details were sought on how Sandway Homes’ offer differentiated itself from the private housing sector
• the Committee re-affirmed their enthusiasm for the construction of affordable housing
• feedback was sought on Sandway Homes customers experiences with purchasing and living in the homes sold

RESOLVED:

That the report on the 2023 / 24 Outturn Review of Sandway Homes, a Council Wholly Owned Company, be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director - Economic Growth and Housing

Further to Minute No 14 (8) (2) of the meeting held on 17 September 2024 the Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director – Economic Growth and Housing that provided an update on work done with social housing providers in the borough to develop a Care Experienced Young People (CEYP) Housing Charter, and to address issues highlighted by CEYP about their own experiences of moving into tenancies of their own when they reached 18.

The report indicated that the Corporate Parenting Board had heard direct experiences from two CEYP about moving into their own tenancies aged 18; that this resulted, in June 2024, of a meeting of the Strategic Housing Partnership themed around such experiences of CEYP; that senior representatives from five of our main Registered Housing Providers attended the meeting including two Chief Executives and importantly, by 8 Care Experienced Young People; and that the housing providers who attended agreed in principle to work with the council to develop a Charter outlining a shared commitment to improving housing outcomes for care leavers and that this would be taken forward through a Task and Finish Group.

The report also provided a summary of actions in relation to allocations and a ‘House to Home’ Pilot Project.

The report concluded by detailing the Care Experienced Housing Charter, a copy of which was appended to the report, that had been developed jointly with providers through a Task and Finish Group. The Charter outlined ways that providers would support CEYP moving into tenancies of their own, and thereafter, but it was acknowledged that although the common understanding and commitment that had been shown by partner housing providers in the borough was positive, it was recognised that alone the Charter did not guarantee all the outcomes that the Council would wish for CEYP; that regular catch-up monitoring meetings would be arranged with colleagues in the Leaving Care Team to understand if the commitments made in the Charter were being followed through, and if not these would be addressed on a case by case basis;  and that the work undertaken to date to improve outcomes for CEYP in Sefton had been made significantly easier through the example shown by One Vision Housing and thanks were extended to OVH for their commitment to this work.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       the work detailed in the report was praised 

·       the positive experiences of young people who had engaged with Property Pool and Sefton Council Children’s Services

·       what additional support was offered alongside housing for long term stability

RESOLVED:

That the report updating on work done with social housing providers in the borough to develop a Care Experienced Young People Housing Charter be noted.

Report of the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets to follow

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets on the social value outcomes from the Growth and Strategic Investment Programme (the Programme) and which indicated that the objectives of the Programme, and the projects therein, were consistently intended to balance economic, financial, social and environmental outcomes; that each project was developed with wider aims to support with delivery against strategies and policies in other areas of the Council beyond regeneration; that the aim of the report was to provide Members with visibility of the work that had been undertaken, was being undertaken, and was planned, on projects across the Programme and that demonstrated “social value”, which for the purposes of the report was defined as the wider value created by capital projects beyond the economic and financial; and specific information was provided on the following projects:

·       Marine Lake Events Centre;

·       Bootle Strand;

·       Les Transformations de Southport

The report also provided information on:

·       Employment and learning

·       Employment related activity

·       Ongoing support for care leavers

·       NEET Reduction and Early Intervention Service (NREIS) – Commissioned by Employment and learning and delivered by Career Connect

The report concluded by detailing action areas for 2025 and beyond to ensure the continued incorporation of social value into the Programme, and that would include particular emphasis on children and young people, ensuring they were at the heart of everything the Council did.

The Committee was given the opportunity to provide feedback on key issues and to advise on areas of potential interest for further review and focus in future years.

Attached as appendices to the report were Bootle Strand Demolition Social Value Brochure January 2025 and the MLEC Social Value 2024 Round Up.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following Issues:

·       the complexities within the NEET cohort

·       the officers were praised for their report

·       how NEET young people were identified and approached

·       the beneficial relationship with Sefton@Work and Children’s Services

·       Sefton Council’s ongoing work with Career Connect to engage with NEET young people

RESOLVED:

That the report on the social value outcomes from the Growth and Strategic Investment Programme be noted.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that sought the views on the Work Programme for 2024/25; the identification of potential topics for scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by informal meetings of the Committee and in particular, relating to a review of the cleansing service and which could also include recycling operations; the identification of any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan; and that updated on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

A Member of the Committee suggested that an informal meeting be held to allow Members of the Committee to discuss possible future Work Programme items and informal meeting topics.

RESOLVED: That

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that included the most recent reports from the Cabinet Members for Cleansing and Street Scene; Communities and Partnership Engagement; Housing and Highways; Public Health and Wellbeing (Green Sefton element); and Regeneration, Economy, and Skills.

Councillor Harvey, Cabinet Member - Cleansing and Street Scene presented his report and highlighted the following:

• building cleaning and catering contracts
• the list of alleys being tidied up by Cleansing since autumn had now been completed
• fixed penalty notices for fly tipping, dog fouling and littering
• the Council had teamed up with North West cancer research to place a memorial tree at Thornton Garden of Rest

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues associated with the Cabinet Member – Cleansing and Street Scene report:

• the availability of machinery to remove chewing gum from public pathways
• the condition of public bins across Sefton and the possibility of replacing these with higher spec/more attractive bins
• if there was an official policy regarding weed removal in residents’ alleyways
• the importance of educating young people in schools regarding littering

Councillor Dowd, Cabinet Member - Communities and Partnership Engagement presented her report and highlighted the following:

• the partnership between Sefton CVS and the community foundation and the work they had done with Southport Recovery
• a new case management system for anti-social behaviour
• the good work the libraries service undertook

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues associated with the Cabinet Member – Communities and Partnership Engagement report:

• a progress update on pilot programmes to discourage fly tipping
• any additional benefits to the violence reduction partnership with Vibe UK

Councillor Doyle, Cabinet Member - Public Health and Wellbeing (Green Sefton element) presented her report and highlighted the following:

• 21 of the grazing sheep had been returned to Natural England following a dog attack in which one sheep was killed, two were seriously injured and one was still missing
• the waterfall in Hesketh Park was now operational
• 790 trees had been planted between November 2024 and March 2025
• The Cabinet Member’s recent visit to the eco-centre with St John’s Crossens primary school pupils

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues associated with the Cabinet Member – Public Health and Wellbeing (Green Sefton element) report:

• Southport’s recent In Bloom award
• If a similar number of trees would be planted next year and how Ward Councillors could get involved with new tree placement
• Southport municipal golf links

Councillor Lappin, Cabinet Member - Regeneration, Economy and Skills presented her report and highlighted the following:

• funding had been granted from UKSPF to continue work undertaken by Sefton@Work and InvestSefton on NEET reduction
• an employment fair would be taking place at Bootle Cricket Club on the 12^th of March 2025
• an update was given on Maghull Health Park

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues associated with the Cabinet Member – Regeneration, Economy, and Skills report:

• if there would be any future funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.