Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 1^st November 2007 were taken as read and signed as correct record.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which provided information on the involvement and VOICE of children and young people within organisations, schools and council services and how this linked into the drivers for Children and Young People’s Services.

 

            A Participation Strategy had been accepted by the Children and Young People’s Alliance Board in July 2006 which agreed the development of the involvement of children, young people and parents/carers using the Hear by Rights standards. A pilot led by the Cross Alliance Consultation, Participation & Engagement Group, and supported by consultants from the Regional Youth Work Unit took place from October 2006 to March 2007, it involved 8 organisations across sectors and ages and offered a set of recommendations for the development and roll out of a Halton-specific set of Hear by Rights standards.

 

The Board was advised of the principal findings of the pilots and of the principal recommendations from the pilot, which were detailed in the report.

 

The Board was further advised of the progress made since the pilot, in particular that:

 

·        the Hear by Right standards had been reviewed and the format for a Halton specific version completed together with year one floor targets across all 7 Hear by Right areas, as detailed within the appendix to the report;

 

• The 1^st draft of the Hear by Right Plan had been written and would deliver the full framework over a three year period;

 

• The “Shared Values” within the 2006-2009 C&YP Plan vision stated that “All providers of services were accountable to the children and young people they serve”. This remained the foundation stone of the development of the participation of children & young people agenda. This shared value would be enshrined in a proposed Hear by Right Pledge which organisations and departments/services would be asked to sign up to as part of the 3 year plan; 

 

• The 2^nd draft of Job Role document for the Elected Member Champion had been developed along with ones for Chief Officers and was detailed within the appendix to the report;  

 

• The Consultation, Engagement and Participation Group (CPE) organised a multi agency planning workshop which took place on 20^th June 2007 and developed the framework and timelines for the 3 year Hear by Right plan detailed within the report;

 

• Arrangements had been made for the workforce development pilots to embed Hear by Right workforce requirements in their planning;

 

• An Under 11s Participation worker was in the process of being seconded for 12 months from Brookvale Children’s Centre to the Youth Service Participation Team via Barnados. This would bring capacity to support organisations working with under 11s to develop the Hear by Right standards within their organisations. The post was joint funded by the borough’s Children’s Fund and Barnados; and

 

• In July 2007 the Youth Cabinet, supported by the Youth Bank and Area Youth  Fora,  launched the Integrated Youth Support Services. 120 young people attended the all day conference where all workshops were facilitated by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People in relation to the progress of the Youth Bank in appropriately distributing the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) and Youth Capital Fund (YCF) and of the Government’s decision to continue these funding streams to at least 2011.

 

            The Board was advised that in March 2006 the DfES announced the roll out of the Youth Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund which had been described in the Youth Matters green paper published in July 2005. In Halton the combined fund totals £179, 914pa for two years. The main purpose of the funds was to “…give a voice and influence to young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, in relation to things to do and places to go and to convey a powerful message to young people that their needs and aspirations were important”. (DfES guidance notes P3).

 

            In July 2006 the Executive Members Board adopted the following statement:

‘Halton was committed to the continuing development of the voice and influence of young people on services, youth activities, and the structures within which decisions about communities were made. As a part of this commitment the Borough welcomed the introduction of the Youth Opportunity & Youth Capital fund and intended to ring fence these monies so that young people could make the key decisions around which places to go and things to do they wish to fund and have developed. This new initiative would involve the development of a Halton Youth Bank run for young people by young people. It would build on, and link into, the Boroughs recent success in supporting the introduction of the UK Youth Parliament, Borough Youth Forum Cabinet, and area based Youth Forums.’

 

            The Board was further advised that the Borough Youth Cabinet recruited young people to the Youth Bank through a publicity campaign in the media, in all schools and by talking to groups of young people throughout the Borough including in the more deprived areas. These young people went through a selection and training process assisted by their Youth Worker and trained through Youth Banks UK. By September 2006 the Youth Bank was established and registered with Youth Banks UK as an accredited Youth Bank.

 

            In addition the Board was updated on the activities of the Halton Youth Bank between September 2006 and October 2007. In this respect, the Board received a presentation from Miss E. Davidson, Miss E. Klieve and Miss J. Pickering of Halton Youth Bank.

 

The Chairman thanked the Halton Youth Bank Members for attending the meeting and giving an informative presentation.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)                     the report be accepted and its contents noted;

 

(2)                     the presentation on 15^th November 2007 from the young people operating the Youth Bank about their work and achievements be accepted;

 

(3)                      the government’s intention to continue these funding streams and resolve they should continue to be administered by the Youth Bank be noted; and

 

(4)                     the appropriateness of other funding focussed on delivering positive activities  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

            The Board received a report of the Operational Director, Financial Services which set out the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). The MTFS set out a three-year projection of resources and spending. It had been based on information that was currently available but there was information yet to be received and revisions would need to be made as new information became available. As a result, the projections must be treated with a considerable degree of caution, but they do provide initial guidance to the Council on its revenue position into the medium term.

 

            The MTFS showed that the spending required to maintain existing policies and programmes was expected to increase at a faster rate than the resources available to support it. As a result, additional spending on new or improved services would have to be kept to a minimum. To balance the budget the forecast showed there was a requirement to make significant efficiency savings and cost savings. Given the financial challenge the Council was likely to face over the coming years, it was considered prudent to review the way it does its business. It was proposed that external support be engaged to work alongside the Authority to assist that process. Any support engaged could be funded from the Invest to Save Fund.

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1)               the Medium Term Financial Strategy be noted;

 

(2)               the base budget be prepared on the basis of the underlying assumptions set out in the Forecast;

 

(3)               further reports be considered by the Executive Board on the areas for budget savings and spending pressures; and

 

(4)               the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Corporate Services, be authorised to take the appropriate steps to engage a partner to help support the Council’s efficiency agenda.

            The Licensing Act 2003 required the Council to adopt a Statement of Licensing Policy and to review the policy every three years. Prior to any review the Council must carry out a consultation exercise. The review of the Council’s existing policy must be completed by January 2008. The Statement of Licensing Policy set out the broad approach of the Council in its approach to it’s licensing functions under the 2003 Act.

 

            On 20 September 2007 the Council authorised a consultation exercise to be undertaken to review the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy. The consultation period ended on 19 October 2007.

 

            Only one response was received to the consultation exercise and this was from the British Beer and Pub Association. They commented that they welcome the Council’s positive approach to the licensing of the sale of alcohol and the provision of public entertainment and in particular its recognition of the cultural and social contribution that the trade had made and also its importance as a local employer. They further commented that the draft policy had also recognised one of the key principles of the Licensing Act 2003 namely that each application would be treated on its own merits.  

 

            RESOLVED: That the Council be recommended to adopt the Statement of Licensing Policy considered at the Executive Board meeting on 20^th September 2007.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Corporate and Policy which detailed the recommendations of the Employment, Learning and Skills Policy and Performance Board (PPB) for addressing community cohesion in Halton.

 

            Community Cohesion was a complex issue which touches on a range of inter related matters. It was identified as a scrutiny topic for the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB for its 2006/7 work programme. The Board set up a Community Cohesion Working Party to consider the issue and how it might be taken forward to fulfil the Council’s responsibilities. The topic sought to examine and define the concept in the Halton context and consider how cohesion could best be mainstreamed or exemplified in service delivery.

 

            The Topic Groups recommendations, as set out in the report, were endorsed by the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB and commended to the Executive Board for consideration.

 

            The Chairman of the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB attended the meeting and addressed the Board in support of the topic report and to endorse the recommendations of the Topic Group. 

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1)               The Executive Board welcome the work of the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB in respect of community cohesion;

 

(2)               The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) be invited to consider the work undertaken by the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB and develop a community cohesion strategy and action plan for Halton having regard to the recommendations provided by the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB; and

 

(3)               Executive Board receive a further report on completion of the work of the LSP on the actions required of the Council arising out of the strategy and action plan.

The Board considered:

 

(1)       whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

                      

(2)       whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

 

RESOLVED: That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information will be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100(1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

            The Board received a report of the Chief Executive, which updated members on the circumstances of Widnes Vikings going into Administration, the support provided to Widnes Vikings by the Council, in the past and recently and which sought authority to enter into a partnership with Widnes Vikings and professional rugby league in Halton.

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1)               the position of ‘Widnes Vikings’ in Administration be noted;

 

(2)               The Operational Director, Finance be authorised to recover such sums due to the Council as are available from the Administrator and former Directors of the company in Administration;

 

(3)               The Council support the new company ‘Widnes Vikings’; and

 

(4)               The Chief Executive be authorised to negotiate a package of support with the new ‘Widnes Vikings’ company incorporating the matters incorporated in paragraph 3.8 of the report.

 

 

Minutes Issued: 23^rd November 2007

Call in: 30^th November 2007

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 30^th November 2007