Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2018 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

          The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which provided an update on the High Needs budget for 2018/19.

The Board was advised that funding received by local authorities from Government for pupils with special educational needs had not kept pace with the increase in demand. It was reported that the needs of children and young people with additional support requirements had become more complex; in addition, the Government had extended cover for children and young people from 0 to 25 years of age.

Under new Government regulations, only 0.5% of funding could be moved between funding blocks, if approved by Schools Forum. In previous years, reserves had been used to fund the high needs overspend, but it was noted that the reserves had now been fully committed.

The report set out details of the indicative budget for High Needs for 2018/19. A range of budget reductions, discussed at the Schools Forum, were attached at Appendix A. It was noted that there was a shortfall of over £220,000. Following a review, a further report would be brought to the Board setting out future funding options.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    applications for Enhanced Provision continue to be considered for the Summer term 2018;

2)    a review be undertaken with a report to the Board in June 2018; and

3)    the Board approve the reductions in central spend included in Appendix A.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, on the proposed annual uplift for domiciliary and care home providers within Halton for 2018/19.

The Board was advised that the care sector was critical to the sustainability of the health and social care economy and ensured that the Council was able to support adults to live as independently as possible in their own homes.

It was reported that one of the main challenges for the sector had been the introduction of a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above from 1 April 2016. In addition, changes in case law required providers to pay the NLW for each hour worked in an overnight “sleep-in”. It was reported that the Council had engaged with all care home, supported housing and domiciliary care providers that would be working in the Borough in 2018/19 in respect of inflationary increases. The report set out details of the proposed increases for each sector for Members’ consideration.

Reason(s) for Decision

The Adult Social Care budget 2018/19 for Residential and Nursing Care was set on the assumption of an inflationary increase of 3.5%. Any increase over 3.5% would exert financial pressure on the budget.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

The social care market had been recognised nationally as being extremely fragile and the Council had a statutory duty to maintain market stability and sufficiency under the Care Act 2014.  Not providing an inflationary uplift at a time when providers must pay the National Living Wage would destabilise the market.  In addition, people were living longer with very complex health care needs and Halton needed a robust and skilled workforce to continue to provide high quality care for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

The recommended increase was based on an analysis of the cost pressures on providers and included an element of flexibility to ensure that market sustainability and quality was maintained whilst being affordable to Halton.

An increase less than the recommendations could undermine market stability as providers would not be able to meet their mandatory responsibility to pay staff the National Living Wage, resulting in services becoming financially unviable.  This would impact negatively on the local health and social care system, with a potential knock on effect for supporting timely discharge from hospital.

An increase of more than the recommendations would impact negatively on the Council’s finances and would be unaffordable.  The Council would have less money available to meet its statutory duties and continue to support vulnerable adults.

Implementation Date

1 April 2018.

RESOLVED: That the Board

1)    note the contents of the report; and

2)    give approval to actively enter into discussions with Care Providers, with a view to offer a 3.5% uplift for 2018/19.

The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, on the procurement of a new Integrated Sexual Health Service.

The Board was advised that Halton Borough Council was responsible for commissioning services to promote the health and wellbeing of the residents of Halton. It was noted that it was a mandatory requirement of the Public Health grant that local authorities were responsible for the commissioning of sexual health services, as detailed in the report.

The current contract for this service was due to end in September 2018, although there was capacity within the contract for a one year extension, to enable a procurement exercise to be undertaken to secure a provider to deliver a new service. It was proposed that an integrated service be procured in partnership with Warrington Borough Council, which would increase choice for local people and enable better utilisation of resources across a larger footprint.

Reason(s) for Decision

A decision was required to enable the procurement exercise to commence. As the value of the proposed contract would exceed the EU threshold for services of this type, Board approval was sought.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Implementation Date

The new procurement process would commence immediately with the new service in place by April 2019.

RESOLVED: That Executive Board

1)    approve the proposal to commence the procurement of a new integrated Sexual Health Service for Halton and Warrington;

2)    support the proposal to enter into a joint commissioning arrangement which would be led by Warrington Borough Council; and

3)    when the commissioning exercise is completed, a report would be submitted to the Executive Board with a view to formally approving the detailed arrangements.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on proposed changes to the policy and operating practices at Halton’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

The Board was advised that a review of HWRCs in Halton had been undertaken. Table 1 in the report set out details of the increase in annual operating costs since 2014/15. It was reported that the purpose of the review was to identify options to reduce the overall costs associated with each Centre whilst maintaining a high level of customer service. Research was undertaken into the operation of HWRCs across a number of other local authority areas, both regionally and nationally, and four key options for change had been identified for Members’ consideration. The four were as follows and were detailed in the report, together with the rationale behind each:

·       To reduce the current opening hours at the Centres;

·       To amend aspects of the current Vehicle Permit Scheme;

·       To introduce a new ‘Halton Resident Only’ Policy; and

·       To introduce a new Policy of charging for the deposit of ‘non household’ waste items at the HWRCs.

It was noted that the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board (PPB) had considered a report on the proposals, recommending that Executive Board approve the introduction of a number of changes to the current Policy and operating practices at the Centres.

The Board wished to place on record their thanks to Members of the PPB for their work and contribution to the Policy. In addition, they also wished to record their thanks to the Waste Operatives who provided a consistent service across the Borough during the 2017/18 winter months.

RESOLVED: That

1)    Members approve

(i)        that the current opening times for Halton’s HWRCs be amended and new opening times of 9.00am to 5.00pm be introduced to operate all year round;

(ii)       that the current HWRC Vehicle Permit Scheme be amended and the number of Temporary Permits that each household is eligible to receive be reduced from 12 per year to 6 per year;

(iii)     a new ‘Resident Only Policy' which limits access to the Council’s HWRCs to Halton residents only and prohibits access to non-residents of the Borough;

(iv)     a new Policy of charging for the deposit of ‘non-household waste’ items at Halton’s HWRCs; and,

2)    the Strategic Director - Enterprise, Community and Resources, be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Environmental Services, to take all such actions and to make any decisions necessary to develop and implement the proposals set out in Recommendation (ii), including the implementation date for each individual proposal and the setting of the level of charge for depositing Hardcore within the range of £2.50 to £3.00 per standard sized ‘rubble sack’.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on the adoption of the Council Business Plan 2015-18, as a basis for action and performance monitoring.

The Board was advised that the Council developed its business plan in parallel with the determination of its annual budget and the review and refresh of Corporate and Directorate Risk Registers. The Plan was formulated as a series of extracts representing each of the Council’s six strategic priority areas. Each of the Business Plan extracts provided details of specific objectives and performance measures which would provide a focus for the ongoing monitoring of progress throughout the coming financial year.

It was noted that Elected Members were engaged in the development of Directorate Plans, primarily through the autumn cycle of individual Policy and Performance Board meetings. This allowed Members to consider key themes for each strategic priority area and develop specific improvement activities and targets for the coming year.

RESOLVED: That

1)  the draft Business Plan extracts be received; and 

2)  the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, be authorised to make any final amendments and adjustments that may be required.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on progress against key objectives/milestones and performance targets for the third quarter to 31 December 2017.

The Board was advised that the Directorate Performance Overview Report provided a strategic summary of key issues arising from performance in the relevant quarter for each Directorate. The Board noted that such information was key to the Council’s performance management arrangements and the 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 outward accountability.

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

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on the annual publication of the Pensions Discretion Statement (the Statement).

The Board was advised that the 2017/18 Statement had been approved in March 2017. The Statement for 2018/19 was based upon the previous Statement, and it was reported that no new discretions had been added or removed. In addition, there had been no material changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013, that would result in a change in the Statement.

RESOLVED: That the Pensions Discretion Statement for 2018/19 be approved.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, regarding improvement works to facilities at Widnes Cemetery and Runcorn Cemetery.

The Board was advised that the current garage and storage facilities at both Widnes Cemetery and Runcorn Cemetery have reached the end of their useful life and had become unsightly and/or dangerous.

It was proposed to erect a new purpose built garage and hard standing at Widnes Cemetery along with new storage bays for soil and green waste. In addition, a new storage bay area and skip store was proposed for Runcorn Cemetery, split between the old cemetery and new cemetery extension,  east of Langdale Road. The report set out details of the cost of the proposals and it was noted that the annual capital financing cost of the scheme would be met from the existing Cemeteries revenue budget.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the proposed capital scheme to erect a new storage garage and waste storage bays at Widnes Cemetery and new storage bays at Runcorn Cemetery be approved; and

2)    Council be recommended to include the scheme in the 2018/19 Capital Programme, to be funded as set out in paragraph 5.1 of the report.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought approval to prohibit the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons from Council owned land.

The report outlined the risks which had been identified in respect of the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons into the open air and the options available to control their use within the Borough. It was proposed that in order to mitigate the risks associated with the use of sky lanterns and helium balloons, a Policy be adopted to prohibit the release of both from Council owned land.

          It was noted that the Policy would only apply to Council owned land and would not prohibit the release from private land. The Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board had considered the matter at its meeting on 28 February 2018, and recommended a communications campaign to raise awareness of the safety risks and environmental impacts so as to discourage the use of such events on private land.

RESOLVED: That the Board approve a Policy which prohibits the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons on Council owned land.

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 items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 2 and 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 Section 100A (4) 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 paragraphs 3 and 5 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 that 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 Section 100A (4) 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 paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on the disposal of the Council’s freehold interest in the site known as The Old Transporter Public House, Runcorn.

The report set out the details of a proposed redevelopment of the area, to include the public house and adjoining residential building by a local developer.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the disposal of the site to the company and for the amount stated in the report, subject to contract be approved; and

2)    the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property be authorised to arrange for all required documentation to be completed to the satisfaction of the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on The Hive Leisure Complex, Widnes.

RESOLVED: That the existing arrangements continue.

MINUTES ISSUED: 24 April 2018

CALL-IN: 1 May 2018

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 1 May 2018