Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of 17 June 2010 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which provided an update on the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) procurement process.

The process also identified the opportunity to transfer the centrally based IT support team for schools (known as the SIMS team) and the team that provided the support for the Virtual Learning Platform into the LEP process.

            The report detailed the procurement and evaluation process. Members noted that the recommendation of the evaluation team would be presented to the Board on 5 August 2010. The Preferred Bidder would be announced on 24 August 2010, with the programme team having until 7 December 2010 to reach financial close.           

            Members were informed that school staff who worked on IT must be transferred to the Local Education Partnership Managed Service. This service consisted of a single contract to deliver all IT systems and services for schools. In addition, the authority had staff that provided support and guidance on the learning platform for schools. The Virtual Learning Platform (VLP), managed by UniServity, would be adopted by all schools across the Borough. It was envisaged that the VLP team would transfer to the BSF Managed Service.

Reason(s) for Decision       

To provide a single source of data and IT support to all schools.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

VLP and SIMs were retained by the authority.  This could cause interface issues for the authority as part of the service would be delivered by the LEP managed service and part by the local authority.

Implementation Date

The decision needed to be made by 1^st July 2010 so that consultation could be undertaken with the schools.

RESOLVED: That

1)         the progress in the BSF Procurement process be noted and a further report submitted to Executive Board on 5^th August 2010 for approval of the selected bidder; and

(2)       the Board approve, in principle, the transfer of the SIMs team and the team working on the Virtual Learning Platform, subject to the agreement of the Primary and Secondary Schools and on provision that this represents value for money.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Adults and Community  on the Telecare Strategy 2010-2015.

            Members were advised that the Griffiths report into community care in 1988, placed a strong emphasis on the importance of establishing services to help people live in their own homes and retain independence, dignity and choice with an emphasis on early intervention. A number of policy documents had reinforced this approach and the use of technology had proven increasingly effective in maintaining people’s independence without the need for intrusive costly care.

            Attached to the report was the Telecare Service Evaluation document. Telecare had been operating successfully in Halton for over three years and had helped to improve people’s independence and confidence by allowing them to remain at home longer. The lifeline service was provided to 1765 people and 70 people received a service using environmental telecare sensors. The aim was to increase this service using environmental sensors to an additional 283 people.

            RESOLVED: That

1)                 the Strategy and Implementation Plan be approved; and

2)                 the establishment of a dedicated telecare team be approved.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Resources on the revised Corporate Health and Safety Policy for 2010.

            The report advised Members that the Policy had been amended to take account of the role of the Corporate Services Policy and Performance Board in monitoring health and safety performance. In addition, the document took account of the new Health and Safety Executive’s Strategy entitled “Being Part of the Solution”, and as a result, included aims, objectives and outcomes for the Health and Safety meetings.

            The Policy, attached to the report at Appendix 1, had been considered by the Corporate Services Policy and Performance Board on 25 May 2010, and had been recommended for approval by the Executive Board.

            RESOLVED :That Council be recommended to approve the Health

and Safety Policy for 2010.

            The Board received a report of the Operational Director, Finance which set out the financial implications of the Government’s announcement to cut 2010/11 grants.

            On 24 May 2010, the new Coalition Government announced plans to make £6.2bn of savings in the current financial year. The plans were intended to cut waste and be in areas of low priority whilst protecting key front line services and those on lower incomes. The local government sector would have to make £1.65bn savings equivalent to 18% of the total. However, Formula Grant, Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and Sure Start Grants would be protected in the current year.

            Further details were provided by Government on 10 June 2010 and this information was set out at Appendix A attached to the report. For Halton, the direct cuts amounted to £2.047m in revenue grants and £0.953m in capital grants. The report contained the detail of these figures together with the percentage reduction in each allocation. It was noted that the following grants had been cut that had not been allocated to individual local authorities:-

• Housing Planning Delivery Grant
• Local Area Agreement Reward Grant
• Local Authority Business Growth Initiative Grant

Members noted that if the indicative reductions for these grants were included, the total grant loss for Halton would be £2.879m.

The Government had made it clear that individual local authorities could decide where the cuts would fall, and the number of local government funding streams free from any ring fence restrictions had been increased and were listed at Appendix B for information.

RESOLVED: That Executive Board note the grant cuts in the current year, and if necessary, a Special Council meeting be called to consider any in-year savings required in response.

MINUTES ISSUED: 6 July 2010

CALL-IN: 12 July 2010

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 12 July 2010