Cabinet Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, the following declarations of interest were made, as follows –

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2012.

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2012 are confirmed as a correct record.

To receive questions from the public in accordance with the Constitution.

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Corporate Support Department, Plymouth City Council, Civic Centre, Plymouth, PL1 2AA, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five clear working days before the date of the meeting.

There were no questions from the public for this meeting.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

The Chair reported on the successful opening of the Life Centre.  It was reported that 20,000 to 25,000 people visited the Life Centre during the opening weekend.  A number of enquiries were still coming in with swimming being the most popular.  On Monday morning there were 200 swimmers and a further 200 booked in for a gym induction.  The Chair thanked all members and staff for their involvement in the Life Centre opening last Thursday and to the 700 people who took part in some type of activity on the opening day.

The Chair also reported that the official opening of High View Primary School took place on Monday and Conrad Humphreys, Sailor was present for the opening.  Thanks to everyone that was involved.

The report of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group will be submitted. 

Councillor James (Chair of the Task and Finish Group and Chair of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel) has been invited to attend Cabinet to present the report.

(Please see also agenda item 8 below).    

Councillor James (Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Chair of Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel) submitted the task and finish report.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a written report on the recommendations of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel’s Task and Finish Group.

The report indicated - 

a.                   that the task and finish took place over 2 days and included a site visit to Ballard House;

b.                  that staff were not negatively impacted following the restructure;

c.                   trade unions were supportive of the restructure;

d.                  that there were a high level of abandon adult social care calls which was a cause for concern.

Agreed that the recommendations of the task and finish group are accepted -

1.         Given the concerns identified with the call management in the Proof of Concept Team, the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel add this issue to its work programme and request an update at a future meeting from the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care;

(The high level of abandoned calls to the Adult Social Care team was a major safeguarding issue and one which should be addessed as a matter of urgency.  The Overview and Scrutiny Management Board therefore supported Councillor McDonald's proposal that a recommendation regarding the installation of a dedicated phone line to enable customers to ring directly through to Adult Social Care be added to the report arising from the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Task and Finish Group).

2.         A dedicated cross-department training resource be established to help deliver a service function that has a more effective and consistent role in dealing with training requirements, interpreting and dealing with legislation changes and monitoring quality assurance. It is believed that the training team will alleviate conflicts, friction and pressure between staff as well as ameliorate staff morale and assist a service which has suffered from poor performance levels;

3.         Malcolm Coe, Assistant Director for Finance, Assets and Efficiencies and Martine Collins, revenues & Benefits Manager to undertake a review of the role profiles for grade D and grade E posts and ensure that clear differentials are contained within the role profiles to bring clarity to the roles and alleviate confusion and friction between staff;

4.         The Strategic Manager (Revenues and Benefits) role be re-evaluated through Job Evaluation process in an attempt to ensure fairness is established in the grading of strategic manager positions;

            5.         A single, central Customer Services location be developed as a part of the Corporate Accommodation Strategy to meet the needs of our customer base and allow for flexibility within disciplines;

            6.         An interim staff survey is conducted with all staff in May 2012, six months after the implementation of the new structure, and the results of which are shared with the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel;

            7.         Malcolm Coe, Assistant Dire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 141.

Further to agenda item 6 above, the Director for Corporate Services will submit a written report on the draft responses to the recommendations of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group on the impact of the restructure into revenues and benefits, customer services, cashiers, income and creditors.

Please refer to minute 141.

(The Chair took agenda items 6 and 8 together to facilitate good meeting management).

The report of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group will be submitted. 

In the absence of Councillor Wildy (Chair), Councillor Stark (Vice Chair of the Task and Finish Group and Vice Chair of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel) has been invited to attend Cabinet to present the report.

(Please see also agenda item 9 below).  

Councillor James (Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board) submitted the task and finish report on behalf the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel.  In the absence of Councillor Stark, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Sam Leaves reported that –

a.                   the Children’s Trust had accepted the recommendations made by the task and finish group;

b.                  there were waiting time concerns and an action plan was produced by Plymouth Community Healthcare to monitor the waiting times;

c.                   a communication was sent to all schools last November clearly outlining the interventions on offer through the Targeted Mental Health in Schools Project.

The Director for People submitted a written report on the recommendations of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel’s Task and Finish Group.

Agreed the recommendations from the scrutiny task and finish and request as set out below and that the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel continue to monitor progress against the action plan.

1.              The Panel extends its congratulations to members of the Youth Cabinet for their work in carrying out the survey of attitudes towards mental health that is referenced in this report;

2.          Representatives of Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel attend the Youth Cabinet to feed back on the report and recommendations following task and finish review

3.          The Council should consider the use of social media networks to promote consultation initiatives

4.          The Children’s Trust allocates responsibility to a lead agency to develop a framework that clearly identifies the roles of statutory and non-statutory agencies and the resources available both in prevention and early intervention work with regard to mental health among children and young people.

5.          The Children’s Trust review reasons for non attendance of key professionals at Common Assessment Framework meetings, and make recommendations to ensure that such meetings are timely and properly resourced, with particular attention being paid to the role of Educational Psychologists and communication interaction professionals.

6.          Plymouth Community Healthcare (PCH) prepare a communications strategy with respect to children and young people’s mental health and revise content of media as appropriate

7.          The Panel commends the Excellence Cluster for their flexible approach to the delivery of services and the best practice demonstrated in their work

8.          PCC and PCT commissioners review the range of early intervention services available and assess the value for money of the range of options.

9.          The Council ensures that key universal services including schools and youth services are notified of alternative counselling services available in the city.

10.              The Council update the Panel regarding the impact of new multi-disciplinary locality teams on Children’s emotional well being and mental health services in six months

11.              An urgent summit meeting to be arranged between strategic leads from CYPOSP, PCC, PCT and PCH regarding the findings of this report

12.              PCH review the cost effect  ...  view the full minutes text for item 143.

Further to agenda item 7 above, the Director for People will submit a written report on the recommendations of the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group on children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Please refer to minute 143.

(The Chair took agenda items 7 and 9 together to facilitate good meeting management).

The Director for Place and the Director for People will submit a written report on the outcome of consultation on the draft Housing Plan 2012-17 and asking Cabinet to recommend the draft plan to the City Council for adoption.

The Director for People and Director for Place submitted a written report on the Housing Plan.  The Housing Plan had been updated to reflect outturn statistics on this final year’s delivery of the Housing Strategy, which precedes the new Housing Plan 2012 – 17.

Councillor Fry (Cabinet Member for Planning, Strategic Housing and Economic Development) presented the report which indicated that this was a 5-year housing plan which will grow the city and increase our economic prosperity.

Agreed that Cabinet –

1.            approves the Housing Plan 2012 – 17 and recommends it to Council for adoption, with delegation to the Assistant Director for Homes and Communities to agree a final layout with the portfolio holder prior to publication;

2.            instruct officers to develop delivery plans for each theme working with partner agencies to realise the objectives in the housing plan, and reporting annually to cabinet and relevant boards on their outcomes.

The Director for Corporate Services will submit a report on proposals to improve outcomes for customers and to ask Cabinet to make a recommendation to the City Council to amend the capital programme.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a written report on the modernisation of customer interaction to improve access for all and make Council services more open and accountable.

Councillor Ball (Cabinet Member for Customer Services) further reported that this was a corporate integration programme that would deliver significant savings across the council.

Agreed that Cabinet recommend Full Council approve the addition of this £3m project to the Capital Programme over years 2012/13 to 2015/16.

The Director for Corporate Services will submit a written report on proposed amendments to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2012/13 (approved by the City Council on 27 February 2012) and will ask Cabinet to recommend the amendments to the City Council for approval.

The recommendations of the Audit Committee (of 16 March 2012) on the proposal will also be reported.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a written report on the proposed amendments to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2012/13 (approved by the City Council on 27 February 2012) and seeking Cabinet to recommend the amendments to the City Council for approval.

Agreed that –

            1.         the removal of the short-term rating requirement from the criteria required for the inclusion of organisations on the Council’s list of proposed counterparties for new investment in 2012-13;

           2.          theorganisations and counterparty limits as set out in Appendix A.

The Director for Place will submit a written report summarising the appraisal work undertaken for the replacement of a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) service or facility and seeking approval of the strategic direction and procurement parameters to secure a replacement MRF solution capable of recycling glass.

See also agenda item 20 below.

The Director for Place submitted a written report on the appraisal work undertaken for the replacement of a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) service or facility and to seek approval of the strategic direction and procurement parameters to secure a replacement MRF service solution capable of recycling glass.

Agreed to approve the strategic direction and procurement parameters of a MRF service solution utilising either a new or existing facility located within or outside Plymouth being taken forward into a formal procurement for a replacement MRF solution capable of recycling glass.

The Director for People will submit a written report on proposals to vary the Services for Children and Young People Basic Need Programme to delay the expansion of Holy Cross Catholic Primary School and to add capacity at Montpelier Primary School, St Mary’s CE Infant School and Victoria Road Primary School.   Approval will also be sought to commence consultation on the in-year expansion of Pilgrim Primary and Lipson Vale Primary Schools, for reception age pupils. 

Cabinet will also be asked to recommend to the City Council amendments to the capital programme.

The Director for People submitted a written report on proposals to vary the Services for Children and Young People Basic Need Programme to delay the expansion of Holy Cross Catholic Primary School and to add capacity at Montpelier Primary School, St Mary’s CE Infant School and Victoria Road Primary School.  Further approval was sought to commence consultation on the in-year expansion of Pilgrim Primary School and Lipson Vale Primary School for reception age pupils.

Agreed that –

            1.         due to the delay to the expansion of Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Cabinet vary the proposals of Wave II by the addition of ‘bulge’ years at Montpelier Primary School, St Mary’s CE Infant School and Victoria Road Primary School; an extra class of 30 pupils (additional to the PAN) at each school, allocated to one year group, which move through the schools’ year groups until the pupils’ transition to the secondary phase.

2.                  Cabinet approve the in-year expansion of Pilgrim Primary and Lipson Vale Primary Schools’ PANs for reception age pupils; and :

·                    approves the public consultation on the statutory proposals to expand the above two schools; and

·                    authorises the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Director for People, to consider the outcomes and responses to any statutory notices, published as part of statutory school organisation processes, and in light of them to make a final determination on proposals.

            3.         Cabinet recommend Council to amend the Capital Programme to include the allocations for Waves III and IV of £2.657 million as set out in Section 6 of this report.

            4.         Cabinet recommend Council to amend the Capital Programme to include the allocations for condition, of £3 million as set out in Section 8 of this report.

The Director for Place will submit a written report on the appointment of the selected panel member (preferred bidder) to deliver capital improvements to All Saints Academy Plymouth.

The Director for Place submitted a written report on the preferred bidder to deliver the capital improvements to All Saints Academy Plymouth.

Agreed that –

         1.            Cabinet approves the appointment of BAM Construction Ltd as the selected panel member to deliver the capital improvements to All Saints Academy Plymouth and that expenditure of the design fees is awarded to this contractor.

         2.            the final approval to agree the scope and quality of works be delegated to the Director for Place.

The Director for People will submit a report asking Cabinet to make a recommendation to the City Council on a proposal to establish a Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board from May 2012 and to agree the membership of the Board as outlined in the draft terms of reference.

The Director for People submitted a report on the proposal to establish a Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board from May 2012.

Agreed the –

1.                  establishment of the Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board from May 2012;

2.                  membership of the Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board outlined in the draft terms of reference.

The Director for People will submit a report on a proposal to adopt the Personal Budget Policy following scrutiny by the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel.  

The Director for People submitted a report on the proposal to adopt the Personal Budget Policy.  The Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel have also reviewed the report.

Agreed the Personal Budget Policy and for it to be implemented from 1 April 2012.

The Director for People will submit a written report on funding available in accordance with the annual Operating Framework for the NHS and through Primary Care Trust allocations, to be spent on social care services to benefit health and social care in 2011/12 and 2012/13.   

The Director for People submitted a report on funding available in accordance with the annual Operating Framework for the NHS through the Primary Care Trust allocations and to be spent on social care services to benefit health and social care in 2011/12 and 2012/13.

Agreed that –

1.                  Cabinet note and support the investment plans as outlined.

            2.         Cabinet approve the carry forward of £1,420,000 from 2011/12 to 2012/13 subject to final outturn.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Agreed that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public are 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 paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Further to agenda item 13 above, the Director for Place will submit a written report on the confidential soft market testing findings and option analysis work undertaken for the replacement of a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) service or facility.

The written report of the Director for Place was submitted providing confidential details relating to the appraisal work to be undertaken for the replacement of a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) service or facility and to seek approval of the strategic direction and procurement parameters to secure a replacement MRF solution capable of recycling glass.

(See also minute 148 above).

The Director for Place will submit a written report on a proposal to vary the existing PFI contract at Riverside Community Primary School to design, build and operate additional classrooms.

The Director for Place submitted a written report on the proposal to vary the existing PFI contract at Riverside Community Primary School to design, build and operate additional classrooms.

 Agreed the recommendations as set out in the report.