Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes from the meeting held on 18 February 2019 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

ELS30 – LIBRARY SERVICE

The following statement was provided from the Library Service following Members’ queries about how libraries could work with school literacy advisors –

As part of the Summer Reading Challenge we already work closely with a number of schools across the Borough.  The Library Service Children and Family Development Officer would contact the primary schools with the poorest literacy performance and explore ways to work more closely.

ELS28 – PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REPORTS FOR QUARTER 3 OF 2018-19

The Chair advised that the proposed merger between Siemens-Alstom would not happen.

It was confirmed that there were no public questions.

The Board received the Employment, Learning and Skills and Community Policy and Performance Board’s Annual Report for 2018-19.

The Chair wished to convey his thanks to the Vice Chair and all Members of the Board and Officers for their support throughout the year.

RESOLVED:  That the Annual Report is received.

The Board received a report which presented the final outcome of the Scrutiny Topic Group ‘Better Jobs to Make Better Lives’, this was attached at appendix 1.

It was reported that over the past 12 months, Members of this PPB had been working on a Scrutiny Topic Group, which had considered how and to what extent any jobs being created in the Borough were accessible to local people.  Within the context of this work Members had evaluated the employment, learning and skills services provided by the Council which identified the opportunities and challenges the Council faced in delivering these services, whilst taking into account the non-statutory nature of these services.

In summary the report acknowledged the positive work that the Council undertook to support residents into training and or employment, but recognised that employees from outside the Borough commuted to take up higher paid job opportunities provided by Halton businesses.  The report considered actions already being taken and further actions that could be implemented which would increase the number of residents accessing these jobs in the future.

Members gave their thanks to the Officers involved in the Topic Group.  It was commented that the LGA Graduate Development Plan would be used as a way of enticing graduates in the Borough to work in the Borough.

RESOLVED:  That

1)    Members approved the conclusions and recommendations presented in the report; and

2)    the recommendations be presented to the Executive Board for consideration.

The Board received a report from the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, which updated them on the One Front Door for the Liverpool City Region (LCR), a new delivery model for engaging with new prospective investors.

Members were advised that the Inward Investment Service was the approach taken within the LCR to attracting investment into the area and with intense demand for investment among city regions, it was crucial that the approach taken was as effective and efficient as possible.

The report discussed the LCR approach, its success and recent activities such as the review which started at the end of 2017.  Appended to the report was the Terms of Reference for the One Front Door Investment Panel which included details of its main functions.

RESOLVED:  That the update be received.

The Board received a presentation from the Divisional Manager – Employment, Learning and Skills, on behalf of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Apprenticeship Hub Skills Strategy Manager, which gave an overview on progress to date against the City Region’s Apprenticeship Growth Plan 2018 – 2020 and a review of the ESF Employees Support in Skills contract, awarded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

It was noted that the LCR’s Apprenticeship Hub had operated since 2011 and was a good example of close collaborative and partnership work that existed within the City Region.  The Team was employed by HBC on behalf of the LCR and was located in Kingsway Learning Centre, but operated across the City Region.

The presentation provided information on what the Apprenticeship Hub was, as well as information on:

·       The European Social Fund (ESF) Employees Support in Skills (ESIS) Contract and deliverables;

·       Key successes of the Hub;

·       Events and activities happening locally in Halton;

·       The LCR Apprenticeship Ambassador Network;

·       The LCR Skills show 2018;

·       The priorities of the Apprenticeship Growth Plan 2018-2020;

·       Progress on the Apprenticeship Growth Plan 2018-2020 so far; and

·       The next steps for the Apprenticeship Hub.

Members were directed to the LCR main website which contained further information on the Apprenticeship Growth Plan 2018-2020.  Members commented it was useful to have an outside and impartial body visiting the schools to explain apprenticeships.  It was also noted that Halton had hosted the Apprenticeship Hub for a number of years on behalf of the LCR, despite being the smallest local authority; Members praised the work and skills of officers in respect to this.

RESOLVED:  That the Board notes the positive work being undertaken by the Apprenticeship Hub.

The Board received an update on the development of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Growth Company.

It was reported that in the Spring of 2019, the LCR Combined Authority announced its intention to establish a special purpose delivery vehicle for economic growth; this would be known as the Growth Company.

Members were advised that the primary focus of the Growth Company was to develop a step change to how the LCR maximised its growth potential in future years.  In order to achieve this, there was a need to develop a clearer and simpler model to support inward investment and business support in the City Region.  It was also acknowledged that the success of the Company would require greater partnership working with a number of key institutions, notably local authorities; universities; colleges and the third sector.  The proposals sought to further strengthen links between the Combined Authority and Local Enterprise Partnership.

The report described the areas that could be delivered through this vehicle and highlighted some specific areas that may be of interest to the Board.

It was agreed that an update report on the Growth Company would be submitted to the Board in the future.

RESOLVED:  That the update be received.

The Board received a report from the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources on the Delivering the Hydrogen Economy North West Event, held at The Heath Business and Technical Park on Wednesday 5 June. 

A presentation was made to Members to accompany this which described the various major schemes and funding applications currently being advanced across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) and the Cheshire and Warrington LEP area, and the likely impact upon the economy of Halton of the development of a hydrogen economy locally.

The presentation would be sent to Members following the meeting.

RESOLVED:  That Members note the significance of the development of a hydrogen economy locally and the contribution likely to be made to the decarbonisation of industry, the creation and sustainability of local employment and a range of significant positive public health outcomes.

The Board received the performance management reports for Quarter 4 of 2018-19 (1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019) and were requested to consider and raise any questions or points of clarification in respect of these.

It was noted that the key priorities for development of improvement in 2018-19 were agreed by Members and included in Directorate Plans for the various function areas reported to the Board as follows:

·       Enterprise, Employment and Skills; and

·       Community and Environment.

The report detailed progress against service objectives and milestones and performance targets and provided information relating to key developments and emerging issues that had arisen during the period.  Also, progress concerning the implementation of any high risk mitigation measures relevant to this Board was included.

In response to one Member’s query regarding the Stadium budget overspends, it was noted that a restructuring exercise had now been completed resulting in significant savings.  The Chair suggested that the way financial information was reported could form the basis of a future topic group.

RESOLVED:  That the Quarter 4 performance management reports be received.