Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

  Further to Minute No. 94 of the meeting held on 2 February 2012, the Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive detailing the progress made towards the establishment of the budget for 2012/13 and the reviews of services and consultation processes completed and in progress, as part of the Transformation Programme.

 

The report incorporated the following information:

 

·        Introduction/Background

·        Work Programme and Prioritisation

·        Consultation and Engagement Overview

·        Impact Assessment Overview

·        Risk Management

·        Low and Medium Impact Options - Further clarification on issues raised at the Cabinet meeting held on 2 February 2012

·        Low and Medium Impact Options to progress

·        Reviews

·        Options requiring further consideration

·        Landscape Services

·        Supporting People

·        Adults Transport

·        Re-Commissioning of Nursing and Residential Care

·        Conclusion

 

The report also contained the following Annexes -

 

Annex A          Work Programme Timetable

Annex B          Options previously reported to Cabinet where the impact had been assessed as relatively low or medium following the analysis of the consultation and engagement activity

Annex C         Option where the impact had been assessed as relatively low or medium following the analysis of the consultation and engagement activity

Annex D         Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Review

Annex E          Terms of Reference - Library Services Review

Annex F          Terms of Reference - Leisure Activity Review

Annex G         Terms of Reference - 24 Hour Response Review

Annex H          Terms of Reference - Street Lighting Review

Annex I            Landscape Services Change Proposals

Annex J          Supporting People Proposal

 

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

 

The Chief Executive introduced the content of the report and reminded Members of the need to take into account the equality analysis assessment, risks and the mitigating actions for each budget saving proposal set out in the report. She referred to the extensive consultation exercise undertaken by the Council on the options and made Members aware that the report contained a range of implications for service users and Members of staff affected by the proposals in the report.

 

Members referred to the consultation responses referred to in the report and the need to ensure the prioritisation of Council services.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)       it be noted that the financial recommendations associated with the report had been included in the Framework Budget Recommendation for 2012/13 set out in Minute No. 106 below;

 

(2)       in respect of the proposals within the Framework Budget Recommendation for 2012/13 set out in Minute No. 106, Officers be authorised to prepare for implementation immediately, subject to the duty to consult with employees and trade unions, including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications, subject to the final decision of the Council;

 

(3)       the work programme timetable contained in Annex A of the report be noted;

 

(4)       the Council be requested to approve the following budget savings options set out in Annex B of the report, after taking into account the relevant legislative framework and the issues raised in the consultation, the equality analysis assessment and the mitigating factors for each individual proposal:

 

E4 Street Scene

 

Ref	Service Area	Option
E4.4	Highways Maintenance	A further reduction in Highways Grounds Maintenance Works Budgets to be delivered by a reduction in the number of cuts to all highway grassed areas

 

E6 Other

 

Ref	Service Area	Option
E6.6	Public Conveniences	Public Conveniences - Market Test
E6.7	Tourism	Review of Service

 

(5)       the following option set out in Annex C of the report be not approved, after taking into account the relevant legislative framework and the issues raised in consultation, the equality analysis assessment and the mitigating factors for the proposal.  Furthermore, negotiations were on-going with possible interested parties, of which the outcome was not yet known.

 

E3 Leisure and Culture

 

Ref	Service Area	Option Not Approved
E3.14	Arts and Culture	The cessation of all Council originated activity at Crosby Civic Hall, retaining the building as a ‘latch-key’ operation for local hirers but retaining core supplies and service budgets

 

(6)       it be noted that savings of £142,000 associated with the Community Care Practitioner Review had already been achieved through the Voluntary Early Retirement/Voluntary Redundancy process, but the proposed additional savings of £108,000 to be achieved under the Review be deferred, pending the submission of further information, including clarity on how this proposal relates to Adult Social Care Reviewing Officers to the Council on 1 March 2012;

 

(7)       in respect of the Voluntary, Community Faith (VCF) Review referred to in Annex D of the report:

 

(i)         it be noted that the VCF review is now concluded and any future changes would be considered within the prioritisation process;

            (ii)        the key messages identified from the results of the VCF consultation and equality analysis report be noted and taken into account; and

            (iii)       approval be given to the introduction of three year commissioning processes where grant aid is given to organisations subject to annual performance reviews, subject to the proposals relating to the Sefton Play Council in the Annex being deferred, pending the submission of further information to the Council on 1 March 2012;

 

(8)       approval be given to the terms of reference for the following reviews as outlined in Annexes E to H of the report and the associated timescales:

 

• Library Services
• Leisure Activity
• 24 Hour Response
• Street Lighting

 

(9)       after taking into account the consultation responses received, the following proposals relating to budget savings options set out in Annex I of the report, be deferred for further consideration at the Council Meeting to be held on 1 March 2012:

 

 

Ref	Service Area	Recommendations to be the subject of further consideration by the Council
E4.6	Parks and Green Spaces	Recharge formal sports users and allotment users the costs of provision of utilities at pavilions, allotment sites, etc.
E4.7	Parks and Green Spaces	Recharge formal sports users the costs of grounds maintenance to provide formal facilities
E4.8	Parks and Green Spaces	Closure of Aviary, Nursery Shop and Fernery at Botanic Gardens and Conservatory at Hesketh Park

 

 

(10)     after taking into account the interdependencies, the relevant legislative framework and the issues raised in consultation; the equality analysis assessment and the mitigating factors for the following change proposals set out in Annex I of the report, which requested approval to the re-engineering of the Parks and Green Spaces Service and Coast and Countryside Service in order to achieve a saving of £380,000 in 2012/13 and £330,000 in 2013/14 with the details of the savings to be agreed by the Cabinet Member – Leisure, Culture and Tourism Services, the proposals be deferred for further consideration at the Council Meeting to be held on 1 March 2012:

 

Ref	Change Proposal to be the subject of further consideration by the Council
E4.5	General reduction in Parks Management and Maintenance Standards
E4.10	Cessation of Park Ranger functions
E4.11	Merger of Parks and Coastal Rangers
E4.12	Coast and Countryside site and visitor management

 

(11)     in respect of the Supporting People proposal referred to in Annex J of the report:

 

            (i)         approval be given to a further period of consultation on commissioning priorities for the remaining resources and the detail of how the budget reduction could best be delivered whilst minimising/mitigating the impacts i.e. a further review;

 

            (ii)        it be noted that this further review would be completed by May 2012 so that it identifies the services to be ceased/de-commissioned, rationalised and resources targeted to maximise effect on the basis of those commissioning priorities.  (The outcome of this review to be reported to Cabinet in June 2012 and Officers to confirm whether it will be possible to deliver the full-year budget saving of £3m);

 

            (iii)       the high level project plan for the further review of the Supporting People budget and services be noted; and

 

(12)     approval be given to a further review of transport services provided for vulnerable adults, in order to establish a policy that would determine the future commissioning of such transport; and

 

(13)     approval be given to a review of Nursing and Residential Care commissioning and to explore alternative commissioning approaches.