?

investment in customer transformation and ICT core infrastructure;

?

strategy  for the procurement of the Council’s energy requirements for the next four years;

?

to procure a framework for emergency repairs and statutory compliance for Plymouth City Council corporate property;

?

commissioning plan for the Plymouth Domestic Abuse Partnership;

?

tenancy strategy;

?

school funding reform.

(1)

(minute 19) to include the following items on the work programme –

?

primary school attainment to include secondary school attainment;

?

school transport to be brought forward to September 2012;

?

hospital appointments for children and young people and the co-ordination of consultants when seeing patients.

(2)

(minute 19) delegated authority is given to the Board’s Lead Officer, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and the opposition lead member to agree the project initiation document for the alcohol strategy.

(a)

part of the Localism Act 2011 relating to the community right to challenge came into effect on 27 June 2012; at the same time, both the supporting regulations were enacted and draft guidance was published;

(b)

the community right to challenge required the council (as a relevant authority), to consider expressions of interest in carrying out a relevant service from relevant bodies; where the expression of interest was accepted, the council had to carry out a procurement exercise for the service;

(c)

the Act did not give an automatic right to the organisation expressing an interest to deliver the service, nor was it guaranteed that the organisation would be successful in any procurement exercise;

(d)

the relevant bodies that would be able to submit expressions of interest are –

?

a voluntary or community body;

?

a body of persons or a trust established for charitable purposes only;

?

a parish council;

?

two or more city council employees;

?

any other person or body specified by the Secretary of State;

(e)

following the Cabinet decision on community right to challenge taken at the meeting held on 14 August 2012, it agreed that pre decision scrutiny would be undertaken on the development of the policy and process in four specific areas –

?

the production of a comprehensive and workable timetable for submitting expressions of interest;

?

the determination of what additional information would be required of those submitting expressions of interest; 

?

the setting of a timetable for making a decision on expressions of interest;

?

the setting of a timetable for a procurement exercise.

(f)

the timetable for the receipt of expressions of interest - there were a number of options for a timetable -

?

have no timetable and take expressions for any service at any time:

?

set specific dates for an expression of interest for any service;

?

set specific dates for different services;

some authorities had a single period (generally a month) once a year; others had two opportunities a year;

(g)

the evaluation of expressions of interest –

it was good practice for the evaluation of tenders for example (as an administrative process) to be undertaken by officers; the evaluation of expressions of interests was a similar exercise but a political input would be helpful as a means of challenge;

(where the expression of interest had a particular impact on a specific ward, then the ward councillors should be consulted);

the Monitoring Officer would also seek advice from other officers including representatives from Finance, HR, Procurement, Property and others as appropriate to the particular expression of interest;

(h)

did the council want to request additional information to be included in an expression of interest –

it was open to the council to request additional information, although under the law,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

(a)

the Chair of Children and Young People reported on the areas which would be impacted by the reform –

?

an increase in free school meals (budgetary issues);

?

increase in debt at school level (meals/visits);

?

homelessness (young people);

?

domestic violent increase;

?

increases in children in care;

?

childcare (inability to pay only a proportion is funded through Early Years);

?

school organisation, access and services to schools;

(b)

the Chair of Support Services reported on the areas which would be impacted by the reform –

?

revenue and benefits service (major changes proposed in this area that will impact area the benefit cap, housing/local housing allowance, localisation of council tax benefit, localisation of business rates;

?

legal services (increase in unpaid debts such as council tax leading to increased court cases;

?

customer services (impact on increased demand for frontline services for advice services);

?

communications (extensive communications with staff and customers);

?

training requirements (extensive training requirements for staff, awareness raising, specialist and technical systems);

?

ICT (implementing and updating new systems and training for staff on operating new systems);

(bb)

a number of ‘pledges’ related to addressing and minimising the impacts of the reform, such as –

?

a campaign on budget cuts and the involvement of the public in subsequent budget choices;

?

to provide access to council services at more suitable times;

(c)

the Chair of Growth and Prosperity reported on the impact of the reform, which included –

?

economic development plans for jobs;

?

the housing strategy (which would affect the delivery of the Plymouth Plan);

?

worklessness (improved cooperation and links across the authority following the recommendation from the task and finish group);

?

items on the work programme would continue to be reviewed;

(d)

the Chair of Customers and Communities reported on the areas which would be impacted by the reform, such as –

?

crime;

?

family break ups;

?

budget monitoring;

?

Social Fund;

?

family intervention services;

?

prison (not have the support required);

(e)

the Chair of Health and Adult Social Care reported on the areas which would be impacted by the reform, such as –

?

delayed discharge if the Social Fund prevents the move out of hospital;

?

suicide rate;

?

mental health service review;

?

charging for adult social care;

?

impact on direct payment regime.

?

Review of subsidised bus routes and through ticketing.