Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes of the meeting held on 18^th November 2010 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            The Sub-Committee received a report of the Strategic Director, Adults and Community which outlined the role and function of Best Interests Assessors under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The report put forward a proposed agreement for the delivery of this service across Halton, St. Helens Borough Council and NHS Halton and St. Helens (the PCT) under Section 75 National Health Service Act 2006. The agreement put in place a clear structure for the delivery of the BIA function across the organisations, with fully identified governance, accountability and reporting arrangements.

            RESOLVED: That approval be given to the proposal to enter into an agreement for the delivery of Best Interest Assessors across Halton, St. Helens Borough Council and the PCT.

            The Sub-Committee considered a report which outlined a proposed Merseyside brokerage pilot scheme. Although each local authority within Knowsley, St. Helens, Liverpool and Halton would introduce their own brokerage provider, their quality assurance and contract frameworks would be similar and would meet the aims of the pilot.

            In Halton it was proposed that Halton Speak Out would provide the brokerage and individual support planned service. Halton Speak Out had experience of conducting individual support plans to disabled people and had previously worked with service users to broker services. There was also evidence that the organisation had access to relevant local knowledge and networks that would be required.

            After completion of the pilot, each local authority would compare their own pilots to determine the future brokerage and support models and consider whether it was feasible to integrate their services across the four boroughs.

             RESOLVED:

            (1)       the Operational Director, Prevention and Commissioning be authorised to award the contract for Support Brokerage in the sum of £20,000 to Halton Speak Out;

            (2)       on this occasion, in the light of the following exceptional circumstances namely that the Authority:

·        Undertakes a pilot up to twelve months across Merseyside in conjunction with Liverpool City Council, St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council and Knowsley Metropolitan Borough to consider options for the delivery of a Merseyside brokerage service; and

·        Considers that there is a need to undertake a trial period of appraisal to enable it to identify the best basis for going out to tender in 2012; and

(3)               in accordance with Procurement Standing Order 1.8.2 (f) (where compliance with Standing Orders would be inconsistent with partnership or special external funding arrangements) and also to allow a trial period of appraisal Procurement Standing Orders 3.1, 3.3 – 3.6 and 4.1, be waived on this occasion; and

(4)               a further report on the outcomes of the pilot scheme be submitted to a future meeting of the Sub Committee.

            The Sub-Committee considered a report on the future arrangements for the provision of a Shopmobility service in Halton. On the 1^st April 2009 Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) were appointed to run a Shopmobility service from Halton Lea on behalf of the Council. A grant of £33,670 was paid by the Council to WDP for a period of 12 months. This was renewed for a further 12 months on the 1^st April 2010 at a cost of £34,015.

            The Shopmobility service at Halton Lea provided accessible transport in the form of motorised scooters and wheelchairs to enable those who suffer from mobility problems to access the main shopping areas. The current service only operated at Halton Lea through a small yearly membership charge (£17) with free usage, thereafter, for 12 months. Day members paid a small visitor charge of £4.00. The Widnes Shopping Mobility Service ceased in 2008.

            With regard to future arrangements, ideally, there should be one Shopmobility in each town centre. However, cost, location and accessibility were key considerations.

            It was proposed that in order to consider continuing the service in Halton Lea the Council would enter a process of determining the extent and capacity of community organisations, including an in-house option through day services to undertake the work. A draft Service Specification for Shopmobility in Halton was attached to the report. In addition, a tender process for the provision of a Shopmobility service at Halton Lea would commence, however the tender would be at no cost to the Council.

            RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee –

            (1)       agree to proceed with a tender process for the provision of  a Shopmobility service at Halton Lea, Runcorn; and

            (2)       agree to receive a further report on the outcomes at a future Board meeting.

            The Sub-Committee received a report which outlined the arrangements for meeting the revenue costs associated with CRMZ, the new centre for Youth Services. It was proposed that revenue costs would be covered by partners’ contributions, grant sources and the reallocation of contract. However the change in the financial climate had meant the cessation of a number of grants and many of the partners found themselves in a challenging financial position which had impacted significantly on the level of revenue funding available. Therefore, a revised funding profile had been put together identifying the revenue available to support the project up to 31^st March 2012. In the next twelve months work would take place to explore funding options to ensure the provision remained sustainable.

            Although the building would remain the property of the Council, day to day management of the building, in the first year, would take place through the Centre and Partnership Co-ordinator in a position which would be recruited to by Action for Children. Following advice from Property Services and Action for Children it had been agreed that a service level agreement would be developed to cover the building users and the revenue costs. This service level agreement would run in parallel to the Action for Children as the service level agreement for Youth Service provision in Halton and would cover the period until the 31^st March 2012.

            Members noted that the estimated cost per annum for Action for Children was £55,995 plus a charge for refuse removal. This included payment of gas, electricity, metered water and water rates, refuse disposal, cleaning and hygiene costs, contents insurance, telephone costs and non-domestic rates. It was anticipated that in future other agencies could deliver services from the building and, as such, would be required to contribute to the costs of the services on a pro rata basis determined by the space they occupied and their usage of the building. 

            The Council would be liable for all other costs associated with the building including maintenance, service contracts and insurance. The initial costs for maintenance had been estimated at £20,000 per annum.

            RESOLVED: That

            (1)       the proposed building arrangements are approved; and

            (2)       no charge be made by the Council for the rental of the building.

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 items 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 Sub-Committee considered a report which requested a waiver of Procurement Standing Orders to permit the extension of the contract of the BSF Programme Director until 31^st March 2013. In addition, the report provided an update on the reduced revised costs of each of the external consultants working on the BSF Programme.

            RESOLVED: That

            (1)       the Operational Director of Children’s Organisation and Provision be authorised to award the contract for the management of the BSF Sample School Projects in the reduced sum of £118,125 and in the light of the exceptional circumstances outlined in the report and in accordance with Procurement Standing Orders 1.6, Standing Orders and 3.1 to 3.6 be waived on this occasion;

            (2)       the Operational Director be authorised to use this resource flexibly from 2011 to 2013 to ensure the maximum value for money in the utilisation of the application of the contract; and

            (3)       the reduction in the costs of the BSF external consultants be noted.

(NB: Councillor Nelson declared a Personal Interest in the following item of business as he is a Council representative on Halton Housing Trust and he left the room during its consideration.)

            The Sub-Committee considered a report which sought approval to dispose of an area of land to Halton Housing Trust (HHT) to enable the development of an Extra Care Housing Scheme for Older People. The HHT proposal was for a scheme on a Council owned site in Liverpool Road, Widnes.

            RESOLVED: That subject to Homes and Communities Agency grant funding being secured by HHT to develop an Extra Care Housing Scheme, the area of land shown in the Appendix to the report, be sold to HHT on the terms reported.

(NB: Councillor Nelson declared a Personal Interest in the following item of business as a family member is on the Halton Hornets committee and he left the room during its consideration.)

            The Sub-Committee considered a report on the progress on the development and management of the Widnes Recreation Club site. At a previous meeting of the Executive Board, it approved a process to market test for expressions of interest to develop the site and gave delegated authority to the Strategic Director and portfolio holder to move to letting a lease.

            Following an advert placed to attract expressions of interest, three completed pre qualification questionnaires were received and two of the expressions of interest moved to the second stage of submitting proposals for the management and development of the premises. Both submitted proposals but only one addressed the issues the Council wished to see addressed in the descriptive document.

            RESOLVED: That

            (1)       the Board endorse the progress on the development and management of the Widnes Recreation Club site;

            (2)       the Operational Director of Community Services be authorised to enter into negotiations with Widnes Sports Limited for the development and lease of the Widnes Recreation Club site;

            (3)       the Strategic Director, Adults and Community, in conjunction with the portfolio holders for Environment, Leisure and Sport, and Corporate Services be authorised to develop detailed proposals for the development and lease of the site; and

            (4)       the Board resolved that this decision required immediate action due to the deterioration of the site therefore this decision be excluded from the call-in procedure.

            The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director, Adults and Community regarding the tendering process for services to the deaf community and those with acquired deafness. It was reported that 18 organisations had expressed an interest and pre-qualification questionnaires and invitations to tender were issued to all. Subsequently, three organisations submitted tenders. All three tenders were evaluated on the basis of price (40%) and quality (60%).

            RESOLVED:

(1)       in accordance with Standing Order 3.2, the Operational Director, Prevention and Commissioning be authorised to enter into a contract for services to the deaf community and those with acquired deafness with Deafness Resource Centre who through open tender and rigorous evaluation processes, were deemed to the most economically advantageous tender. The contract period would be for three years from the 1^st April 2011 at a total cost of £174,000;

(2)       the Operational Director, Prevention and Commissioning, in consultation with the portfolio holder for Health be given delegated powers to extend the contract beyond 31^st March 2014 for a period of up to two years should this service continue to be the most economically advantageous; and

(3)               a further report on the outcomes of the contract be submitted to a future meeting of the Sub Committee.

MINUTES ISSUED:   6^th December 2010

CALL IN (with the exception of Minute No: ES57 above): 13th December 2010

Any matter (with the exception of Minute No: ES57 above) decided by the Executive Board Sub Committee may be called in no later than 13^th December 2010