Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2022 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director – Policy, People, Performance and Efficiency, on progress against key objectives/milestones and performance targets for the second quarter period to 30 September 2022, for the People Directorate (Children and Young People; and Adult Social Care and Health); and the Enterprise, Community and Resources Directorate.

The Board was advised that the Directorate Performance Overview Report provided a strategic summary of key issues arising from the relevant quarter for each Directorate and was aligned to Council priorities or functional areas.  The Board noted that such information was key to the Council’s performance management arrangements and Executive Board had a key role in monitoring performance and strengthening accountability. Performance Management would continue to be important in the demonstration of value for money and strengthening accountability.

          RESOLVED: That the report, progress and performance information be noted.

          The Board had previously received a report from the Strategic Director, People, on the Right to Succeed initiative and had agreed to support the development of the initiative in the Halton Lea Ward (Minute EXB70/21 refers). The Right to Succeed team had been working in Halton Lea with a multi-agency steering group on the discovery phase. This had involved engagement and consultation with local residents and professionals via interview, surveys, workshops, focus groups and public consultation events in order to understand the perspectives of the Halton Lea community and their priorities. The themes that had emerged from the consultation were set out in the report.

          Subsequently the steering group had considered the findings and had set out recommendations for:

·       A family support hub model that included focussed support for SEND;

·       An education strand working with local schools to better equip education providers at the five partner schools to understand child development challenges; and

·       To co-design a localised youth offer.

          The report outlined the overall Halton Lea Right to Succeed objectives and the long lasting outcomes which the project would achieve.

          On behalf of the Board, the Children and Young People Portfolio, Councillor McInerney, thanked Nicola Goodwin for her work on this initiative.

          RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

          The Board considered a request to waive compliance with Procurement Standing Orders to allow the continuation of a contract with We are With You to deliver on behalf of the Council, the Pan Cheshire Missing from Home and Care Service, for a period of one year from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. The value of the contract extension for one year was £491,633. All local authorities had agreed to continue with a joint commissioning approach with Halton acting as the lead.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the report be noted; and

2)    approval be given to the recommendation that the contract with We are With You be extended for a further twelve months without going through the Procurement process, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.4 (non-emergency procedures – exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – People, which presented the proposal for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Schools Block Funding Formula for Halton’s mainstream schools and academies for the Council’s financial year 2023-24.

The report described how the DSG was split and how the National Funding Formula (NFF) was used by the Department for Education (DfE) to calculate the Schools Block element of the DSG allocated to Halton. 

The Board was required to make a decision on the funding formula to be adopted for 2023-24.  Further to the consultation paper sent to all schools (appendices A and B) and after its consideration at Schools Forum, it was agreed by them that the adoption of the NFF method, principles and rules should continue to be applied to mainstream schools and academies. 

RESOLVED:  That the Board approves the continuation of the National Funding Formula for 2023-24.

          The Board considered a report on the recent Scrutiny Review undertaken by the Health Policy and Performance Board (PPB). On behalf of the PPB, the Chair - Councillor P. Lloyd Jones, attended the meeting to present to the Board the outcomes of the Review and the proposed action plan.

          The Board was advised that the scrutiny topic considered was the North West Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (NWADASS) Elected Member Commission report entitled ‘The impact of Covid-19 on People with Care and Support Needs, their Families, Carers and Communities’. The topic group had met on a number of occasions and a final report was presented to the Health PPB on 27 September, and an action plan was agreed.

          The attached report explained how the review was conducted, the information that was considered by the topic group and the actions agreed in relation to each of the ten NWADASS recommendations.

          RESOLVED: That the contents of the attached report, in particular the action plan be noted.

          The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, which sought approval to the award of a contract for the Community Infection Prevention and Control Services to Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of community infection, prevention and control services on behalf of Halton, Warrington and St Helens councils.

          It was noted that the current contract would end on 31 March 2023 and St Helens Council as lead commissioner had undertaken a retender process. Subsequently one tender submission was received from Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The tender had been evaluated in three stages and in each Bridgewater had achieved or exceeded the required standards. The tender submitted was for £443,527k which was within budget.

Reason for Decision

To ensure business continuity and maintain provision in infection, prevention and control services across the Borough.

Alternative options considered and rejected

To issue a Direct Award for a limited period to the current provider, this does not provide a stable environment for the service area. Impacting on performance and service delivery to service users.

Implementation date

The contract will commence from 1 April 2023.

          RESOLVED: That the Board approve the proposal to award the contract for Community Infection Prevention and Control Services for Halton to Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

PART II

In this case the Board has a discretion to exclude the press and public and, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, it is RECOMMENDED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, having been satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

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 outweighed 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 was likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

          The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – People, which sought approval to commence with a pre-determined contract extension to the current Domiciliary Care and Personal Care Services Contract. The contract extension period would be from 2 April 2023 to 1 April 2024.

          RESOLVED: That the Board

1)    note the contents of the report; and

2)    approve the request for a one year contract extension to the Domiciliary Care and Personal Care Services Contract, in compliance with Procurement Standing Order 1.15.3

MINUTES ISSUED:   13 December 2022

CALL- IN:    20 December 2022 at 5.00 pm

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 20 December 2022.