Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2021 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought approval to award a contract for the supply of Agency Workers beyond 2022 for the Liverpool City Region (LCR).

Halton was the lead Authority for the review of agency provision on behalf of the LCR and had led the re-procurement of a further collaborative contract for agency worker supply to LCR authorities.  In 2017 the Council accessed the ESPO Framework MSTAR2 and made a direct award to Matrix SCM for the provision of a Natural Vendor Managed Service for Agency Workers.  This was due to end in February 2022 so an options appraisal was conducted, with five options considered, as outlined in the report. 

The Board agreed that Option 3 – Direct Award to a single provider accessing the ESPO framework – REF: 653F Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR3), would be the most economically advantageous based on the assessments made in relation to previous years’ contract usage.  Members were advised that the ESPO Framework was in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and was open for access by LCR members, via a direct award option within Lot 1(a) – Neutral Managed Service Provision, which had 8 shortlisted providers.  The incumbent provider, Matrix SCM, was the preferred supplier.

RESOLVED:  That, in accordance with Procurement Standing Order 1.9.4 and 1.10.1, the Executive Board authorise the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, to enter into a 4 year contract with the preferred supplier, who had been assessed as being the most economically advantageous and effective organisation to supply agency workers to the Council and three other authorities within the Liverpool City Region.

Councillor Thompson declared an Other Registerable Interest in the following item, as he is a member of the Runcorn Town Deal Board.

The Board received a report from the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, which requested approval to waive procurement standing orders to award a contract to develop the Runcorn Town Deal Project Business Cases.

Halton Borough Council had secured £23.6m to deliver the Runcorn Town Investment Plan, which included seven projects.  In order to draw down funding, a robust business case for each project was required against a challenging timetable set by Government for the completion of these.  Members were advised that external consultancy support was required to progress the work and it was proposed that the contract for delivering this specialist support be awarded to Amion Consulting Limited.

The report provided some background information in respect of Amion and gave examples of previous Council projects where the Company had provided technical support.  It was noted that Amion was knowledgeable of the area, had already established good working relations with project sponsors and had indepth knowledge of project proposals.  It was agreed that this approach offered the Council good value for money as well as an opportunity to commence this work quickly, thereby reducing the risks of business cases not being completed within the required timeframe.

RESOLVED:  That

1)    Procurement Standing Orders 3.1 be waived to approve the appointment of Amion Consulting Limited to undertake Town Deal Project Business Cases until August 2022, using the same terms as the original contract.  The value of the contract is estimated to be £150k; and

2)    in accordance with the provisions of Procurement Standing Orders, 1.14.4 and 1.14.5 (ii) Procurement Standing Orders be waived on this occasion.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director – People, which requested the approval of the School Admissions Policy, Admission Arrangements and Co-ordinated Schemes, for admission to primary and secondary schools for the 2023/24 academic year.

The Board was advised that in October 2021, the Local Authority issued a statutorily required consultation on the proposed admission arrangements and co-ordinated admission schemes for the September 2023 intake for primary and secondary schools (attached as appendices 1 and 2 respectively).  The primary scheme also included the proposed oversubscription criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools for whom the Local Authority was the admission authority. 

The report provided details of the consultation, which ran from 1 October 2021 and 12 November 2021; no responses to the consultation were received.  Additionally, no amendments to the oversubscription criteria were suggested, as these worked well and met the requirements of the Department for Education’s School Admissions Code.

It was noted that all Halton’s secondary schools were either academies, free schools or voluntary aided and were therefore their own admission authorities, with responsibility for consulting and determining their own admissions criteria and their own Published Admission Number (PAN).

Reason(s) for Decision

The decision was statutorily required.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Other options considered and rejected included the allocation of places to community and voluntary controlled schools through random allocation (lottery), as this method could be seen as arbitrary and random.

Implementation Date

The Policy and co-ordinated schemes would apply for the September 2023 academic intake.

RESOLVED:  That the Board approves the School Admissions Policy, Admission Arrangements and Co-ordinated Schemes, for admission to primary and secondary schools for the 2023/24 academic year.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – People, which provided a summary of the capital funding received by the Council from central Government to support Schools Capital Programmes for 2022/23.

The Board was advised that the Department for Education (DfE) had not announced the Capital Grant Allocation for 2022/23 however, given the timescales for some of the proposed capital projects, there was a requirement to present this report, so it was compiled using the 2021/22 allocation, which was £903,847.

The report set out details of the indicative funding available to support capital projects across the schools estate and also explained how the School Condition Allocation would be utilised.  Members discussed the proposals to create additional teaching space at Cavendish School and the remodelling of two junior classrooms at Fairfield Primary School, details of which were presented in paragraphs 5 and 6 respectively.  

Reason(s) for Decision

To deliver and implement the Capital Programmes.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Implementation Date

Capital Programmes for 2021/22 would be implemented with effect from 1 April 2022.

RESOLVED:  That the Executive Board

1)    notes the position regarding capital funding from the DfE for 2022/23;

2)    approves the proposals to be funded from the School Condition Capital Allocation;

3)    agrees that the capital allocations are put forward for inclusion in the budget report to full Council;

4)    approves the proposal to create additional teaching space at Cavendish School; and

5)    approves the proposal to remodel two junior classrooms to create more suitable teaching spaces at Fairfield Primary School.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – People, which sought approval of a waiver of parts 2 and 3 of Procurement Standing Orders, in compliance with Procurement Standing Order 1.14.4, to make a Direct Award to Halton Speak Out for the provision of a Self-Advocacy Service.

Halton Speak Out, a registered Charity, currently worked in the Borough with adults and young people with learning disabilities, to deliver person centred planning, self-advocacy support and undertake consultation.

It was noted that the current contract had been extended on a year by year basis since March 2017.  Members were presented with a proposal to award a contract for 5 years from April 2022 to March 2027.  This would give the provider financial stability and provide an opportunity for a new service delivery model to be firmly embedded.  Details of the requirement for a new service delivery model was outlined in the report.

RESOLVED:  That Executive Board

1)    approves a direct award to Halton Speak Out for the provision of a Self-Advocacy Service, in compliance with Procurement Standing Order 1.14.4; and

2)    notes the change in service delivery model.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought authorisation for the use of the SCAPE Framework for procurement and development of the Runcorn Town Investment Plan – High Street Connectivity Scheme.

The report provided Members with a summary of the development of the High Street Connectivity project in support of the Runcorn Town Investment Plan.  It discussed two schemes in particular – a replacement footbridge crossing the Bridgewater Canal by the Brindley Theatre; and the improvement of a section of High Street to make it more pedestrian and cycling friendly.  Approval was sought to utilise the SCAPE Framework for the development of these schemes.  A diagram of the SCAPE process was appended to the report for information.

An amendment to recommendation (3) was made to include consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Urban Renewal.

RESOLVED:  That Executive Board approve

1)    the use of the SCAPE Framework for development of the replacement footbridge scheme to Project Order stage;

2)    the use of the SCAPE Framework for development of the High Street scheme to Project Order stage; and

3)    the delegation of authority to the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Urban Renewal, to authorise the passing of the SCAPE gateways prior to this stage.

MINUTES ISSUED:   25 January 2022

CALL- IN:   1 February 2022 at 5.00 pm

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on1 February 2022.