Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes from the meeting held on 20 September 2010, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            It was reported that no public questions had been received.

            The Board considered the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Board relevant to the Community Portfolio.

            In receiving the minutes the Board requested that an update on the Scrutiny Review of Employment Practices for People with Learning or Physical Disabilities or Mental Health Issues, be brought back to a future meeting.

            RESOLVED: That

1)     the minutes be noted;

2)     and an update on Scrutiny Review of Employment Practices for People with Learning or Physical Disabilities or Mental Health Issues, be brought to a future meeting.

            The Board considered the minutes from the Specialist Strategic Partnership (SSP) held on 13 September 2010.

            RESOLVED: That the SSP minutes be noted.

NB: Councillor Carlin declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the following item and took no part in the discussion, due to being and employee of Halton Voluntary Action.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Adults and Community which outlined the Annual Report for Voluntary Sector Funding 2009/10.  Members were advised, as per the changes made to the Constitution in May 2010, the responsibility for the voluntary sector was now under the remit of the Corporate Policy and Performance Board (PPB).  However as the information in the report related to the time when the Employment Learning and Skills PPB was responsible for the voluntary sector, the Annual report was presented to the Board.

            The report provided performance information on the eleven organisations which had been funded that year.  It was reported that a total of £260,451 had been allocated that year which helped to lever in an additional £1.9m for those organisations.

            Members raised concerns regarding the likelihood of being able to provide funding next year.  In response it was noted that the Council would not know how much funding would be available until the budget had settled and Officers were informed of the size of the grant allocation.

            The Board noted the increase in demand for the services of some voluntary sector organisations and suggested that this factor be taken into account by the Council when making decisions on allocation of funding.  Members requested that this suggestion be forwarded to the Corporate Policy and Performance Board.

RESOLVED: That

1)     the report be received; and

2)     the suggestion that increases in demand for particular services and the volume of activity be taken into account in allocating funding for voluntary sector organisations, and that this be considered by the Corporate Policy and Performance Board.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Economy which set out the policy developments relating to the Employment Learning and Skills agenda and informed the Board’s scrutiny topic “Deficit Policies and the Impact of the Recession”.

            It was reported that the Government had decided to end all employability and welfare reform programmes and replace them with a new ‘Single Programme’.  This would be large contracts organised on a regional basis with contracts predicted to be between £10m and £50m. 

            It was further noted that there would be little to no prescription for how services would be designed as it would be left to the view of potential ‘investors’.

            Members were advised there were 48 organisations in the North West who had expressed an interest in bidding for the framework and Department for Work and Pensions expected to invite between 3 and 8 organisations to bid for the NW framework, although the geography had not yet been confirmed.

            The report also set out new programmes such as Work Choices, Get Britain Working, Work Clubs and Work together, along with The Future of Jobcentre Plus, Work Experience, Service Academies and Work for Yourself.

            Members were advised of the Local Growth White Paper which set out the Government’s role in empowering locally driven growth, encouraging business investment and promoting economic detail.  It was noted that a more detailed briefing would be presented to a future meeting of the Board.

             Arising from the discussion, Members noted the amount of long term unemployed people in the Borough and suggested more resources be utilised to tackle the large number of people with mental health issues who were currently out of work. It was further noted that this could be considered further during the topic group meetings.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Economy which provided an update on the implementation of the Construction Employment Integrator model (now re-named as Construction Halton).  The report also detailed the action plan that set out the next phase of the project to March 2011.

            It was reported that the Mersey Gateway Project, Building Schools for Future and 3MG highway infrastructure had been identified as offering significant training, employment and supply chain opportunities.

            Construction Halton was focussed on facilitating a range of measures to deliver community benefits from construction related work, in the form of employment, apprenticeships, training and work experience opportunities. The aims of Construction Halton were set out in the report for information.

            The report also set out progress to date, initial findings and next steps.  Appended to the report were the construction employment integrator functions, Construction Halton Action Plan plus the risk assessment.

            The Board discussed the continuation of training and apprenticeships once projects were completed, possibilities of actually producing construction materials in the Borough and the necessity for providing transferrable skills which can be utilised now and when the construction business increases in the future.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.