Agenda and minutes

That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 16 December 2010 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.

There were no apologies for absence received.

If a Councillor has any prejudicial or personal interest in a particular report he/she should declare the existence and nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of the item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a prejudicial interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken, unless a dispensation has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

Where members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance, then the Councillor with a prejudicial interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration, unless the disability has been removed by the Standards Committee.

Councillor Caroline Needham declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 7 (Family Support Centre) as her son is employed as an outreach worker at Fulham Central Children’s centre.  She left the room during the discussion.

Councillor Rory Vaughan declared a personal interest in item 7 (Family Support Centre) as his son uses the Wendell Park Children’s centre.

To approve the changes to the capital programme as set out in Appendix 1.

That the following recommendations be made for approval to Council for the 2011-2012 financial year:

1)     That the estimated numbers of properties for each Valuation Band, as set out in this report, be approved.

2)     That an estimated Collection rate of 97.5% be approved.

3)     That the Council Tax Base of 79,799 Band “D” equivalent properties be approved.

1.  That  a framework agreement for the off-site storage of Council records for a 5 year period (with the option to extend for up to 2 further years on an annual basis) be awarded to Box-it Ltd.

2.  That approval be given to the expenditure of a maximum of £28,500 for the relocation all the boxes from the current supplier to the new supplier, to be funded from the existing Corporate Contingency budget in financial year 2011/12.

Councillor Binmore (Cabinet Member for Children’s Services) introduced the report.  She stated that the report had been drafted before detailed information regarding the Early Intervention Grant, which including Sure Start and Children’s Centres, had been received by the Council.  Therefore, funding levels for Children's Centres had been assumed at the time the report was written.  It is proposed that the current network of 15 Sure Start centres will increase to 16 with all Sure Start funding received directed at front line services.  The reorganisation of the Family Support Services will allow the most vulnerable families to receive help at the earliest opportunity.  Cabinet was informed that no decision was being made at the meeting regarding the future of Children’s Centres.  A public consultation on the proposed Sure Start Children’s Centres programme will shortly commence allowing parents, carers and providers to have their input.

In response to questions regarding proposed closure of children's centres, possible reduction in staffing levels and maintaining the same standards of service in spite of a £3.2m cut in the budget, Councillor Binmore noted that:-

·        There will be no closure of centres.  Services are proposed from 16 centres.

·        The Council has not agreed to cut 50 full time posts; some posts in question are part time.  The results of the consultation will determine how and where services will be provided.  Service provision should be targeted at areas of most need bringing together services which would be provided through multidisciplinary teams.  The reconfiguration of Family Support Services aims to improve support for vulnerable children and families.

·        Proposed savings will be achieved through the removal of duplications amongst the teams and a reduction in back office costs.  The reduction in tier 2 and 3 services helps to safeguard tier 4 services.

Some Opposition Councillors asked that the report be withdrawn as it indicated that some Children’s Centres would be closed and the report’s funding assumptions were inaccurate.  Councillor Binmore reiterated that the report was about the reorganisation of the Family Support Service and not focusing on Children’s Centres.  The Locality team model based on the successful Family Intervention project model would allow quick response and support for the most vulnerable from birth to school age.  The teams would work closely with GPs, health visitors and schools and deliver services in Children's Centres.

In response to other questions, Cabinet was informed that :-

·        The Education Select Committee will consider the Children’s Centres report.

·        A separate Child Protection team will be retained.

·        After 2013, current PCT funding will be provided by the GP commissioning body.

·        Potentially affected teachers will be involved in the consultation processes which would last up to a month.

RESOLVED:

1. That  the implementation of a locality team model for Family Support at a total cost of £832k, as set out in para. 3.7 of the report, be approved.

2. That approval is given to change the children’s centre programme, within financial constraints.

The report was withdrawn.

That 120 Dalling Road Children’s Home is closed, subject to achieving the outcomes for the care plans of the young people currently resident at the home.

In response to questions, it was clarified that where services were unique to the Borough it would be delivered locally in line with local priorities.  The Council will not rush into integrating services.  It will initially operate different policies and build on successes.  The proposed LBHF LSCB training officer will provide the client side support to the three boroughs rather than deliver their respective programmes.  It was agreed that the report will be considered by Education Select Committee.

RESOLVED:

1.       That the proposal to develop shared education provision across London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF), Westminster City Council (WCC) and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) be approved, subject to agreement by WCC and RBKC Councils, and for the implementation to be phased as set out in Appendix 1 -  to include the establishment of a joint commissioning unit and the establishment of an arm’s length delivery unit for education services across the three Local Authorities (LAs) by September 2012, with an interim merged service in place for the new academic year in September 2011.

2.         For the exploration, in the second phase, of possible different models for the delivery of services - options may include market testing or a social enterprise.

3.       That agreement be given for the development of shared provision for the Local Children’s Safeguarding Board, Fostering and Adoption services and Youth Offending services by September 2011, subject to agreement by WCC and RBKC Councils.

4.         With a view to the implementation in line with these timescales, that the Director of Children’s Services be authorised to:

i) reach agreement with fellow Directors of Children’s Services on reorganisation proposals on a service by service or part service basis, with a view to agreeing the future scope of such services; management arrangements; the staffing structures for such services; the advisability of harmonising terms and conditions across boroughs; and the implementation of a joint commissioning strategy;

ii) consult with affected staff and unions on the basis that any sharing of services will initially take place by affected staff either being seconded to work with staff at other boroughs or will be transferred to the employment of a host borough depending on the detail of the agreement to be reached with other boroughs on a service by service or part service basis;

iii) implement the sharing of the services identified at paragraph 2.2 below on the above basis; to agree the terms of any secondment either to or from the Council; to agree any necessary changes  to staffing structures; and to authorise any resulting  redundancies in accordance with the Council’s usual procedures;  and to do everything necessary to give effect to the above recommendations.

5.         That the implementation of these proposals and any future proposals in relation to Children’s Services be aligned with the requirements and timescales for the wider development of shared services across the three LAs be approved.

1.      To endorse and adopt as policy the intention of creating an integrated system of care -  to include social care,  housing support, community health, specialist acute and primary care and General Practice - in order to improve access, to better respond to people’s needs and to achieve necessary efficiencies.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, acting with the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and the Assistant Director (Legal & Democratic Services), in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Community Care, to enter into agreements on such terms as officers consider appropriate with Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) NHS Trust through powers under s. 113 of the Local Government Act 1972 to place officers of CLCH and the Council at the disposal of each other in order to manage adult social care, housing support and related health services on behalf of each other.

3.      That authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, acting with the Director of Community Services and Assistant Director (Legal and Democratic Services), to enter into agreements on such terms as officers consider appropriate with Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) NHS Trust under s.75 of the NHS Act 2006 to set up integrated provider services with pooled budgets as appropriate to manage integrated health and Council services, the first of these being for Rapid Care.

4.      To note and agree the actions in phase one of this integration programme as set out in section 3 of this report.

1.                  To retain the current Hammersmith Library provision in its present location.

2.                  To end the Council run facility at Barons Court Library from March 31 2011, and enter into a suitable agreement with other organisations to:

(i)                 transfer library provision to a volunteer-run service, overseen by Avonmore Primary School,

(ii)               utilise any spare accommodation space to other voluntary sector groups including Citizens Advice Bureau

3.                  If Cabinet agree to the closure of Sands End Community Centre, re-provide Sands End library provision in a community setting, at Hurlingham & Chelsea School, ensuring there is no break in service provision.

4.                  To cease the provision of the mobile library service and re-provide to the Home Library Service and nearby static libraries.

5.                  To roll out the More Than a Library brand to all libraries, retaining the focus on books, promoting quiet space but also offering additional services within the library setting.

6.                  That delegated authority be given to the Director of Residents Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Residents Services, to take all necessary steps to implement the above.

1.      To consider the outcomes of consultation with tenants and leaseholders concerning the future of housing management services in the borough. 

2.      Following the outcome of consultation to approve the return of housing services to the direct management of the Council.

3.      To agree the creation of a single Housing & Regeneration Department within the Council as shown in the proposed structure in Appendix C

4.      To authorise the Director of Housing and Regeneration, in consultation with the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and the Assistant Director (Legal & Democratic Services), to make all such  arrangements considered appropriate to transfer the ALMO’s business to the Council and to integrate its operations with the Council’s  housing service with effect from 1 April 2011.

The summary was noted.

The Forward Plan was noted.

The Cabinet is invited to resolve, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3of Schedule 12A of the said Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED:

That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the remaining items of business on the grounds that they contain information relating to the financial or business affairs of a person (including the authority) as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

[The following is a public summary of the exempt information under S.100C (2) of the Local Government Act 1972.  Exempt minutes exist as a separate document.]

That the recommendations outlined in the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendations outlined in the exempt report be approved.

The summary was noted.