Agenda and minutes

There were no questions from members of the public.

There were no Declarations of Interest to report.

-           Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services to report.

Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development, introduced the minutes of the Rotherham Local Plan Steering Group held on 15^th February, 2013.

Reference was made to Minute No. 66 (Revocation of the Regional Spatial Strategy).

It was also noted that three seminars had also been set up for Elected Members to look at the selection of sites being considered for housing.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the progress to date and the emerging issues be noted.

(2)  That the minutes of the Local Plan Steering Group held on 15^th February, 2013 be received.

-           Strategic Director of Resources to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Deputy Leader, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services, which detailed the changes to the discretionary social fund as part of the Welfare Reform Act, 2012 which would see community care grants and crisis loans abolished from April, 2013. 

Local authorities would be provided with funding to establish replacement local support schemes for vulnerable groups, which were primarily intended to help vulnerable people live as independent a life as possible in the community and be renamed the Fund for Change.

Further information was provided on how it was anticipated the process would function, the actions that have been taken to meet likely demand and the governance and scheme review arrangements.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the proposed delivery model for the Fund for Change as set out in the report and appendix be approved.

(2)  That an update on progress be submitted to the Cabinet during October 2013, following the scheme’s six month review.

-           Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services to report.

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services, which detailed how advice services in Rotherham would be critical in helping the people of the Borough through the significant changes to welfare benefits that would start to be implemented from April, 2013.

At the same time, the principal advice services would experience a reduction in external funding of £431,000 owing to the time expiry of Big Lottery funding and cut in Ministry of Justice grant from April, 2013.

To address this situation, the Citizens Advice Bureau made a bid to the Big Lottery Advice Services Transition Fund for £339,375 over two years, £75,000 of which would support front-line advice support, however the outcome of the bid would not be known until June, 2013. The bid, if successful would support advice services in Rotherham and be hosted through Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Consequently it was proposed that bridging support to the value of £30,000 be provided to five advice agencies and “Nellbooker”, the advice online booking system.

The proposed funding would form part of the Council’s overall approach to local welfare provision for the period 1^st April to 30^th June, 2013.

Cabinet Members were mindful that the loss/changes to the funding arrangements for advice services came at a critical time owing to the Government’s welfare reform agenda.

Resolved:-  That bridging support be provided for three months to:-

         Age UK                                                                        £10,000

         Citizens Advice Bureau                                             £6,500

         Rotherham Diversity Forum                                      £1,250

         Kiveton Park Information Advice Centre                 £3,500

         South Yorkshire Centre Independent Living         £5,600

         Nellbooker                                                                    £3,150

-           Strategic Director of Resources to report.

Councillor Whelbourn, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, introduced the report, which summarised the outcomes of the recent 11 Million Takeover Day.

The Youth Cabinet identified that they wished to discuss transport issues - their concerns broadly focusing on safety on buses and at interchanges and access to affordable, integrated travel throughout the borough. In addition to Cabinet Members and officers, a wide range of agencies were invited to attend including South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, First Bus Group and Stagecoach.

A number of recommendations were suggested, some of which were not in the Council’s control and included:-

(a)     That each body examines how communication could be improved, throughout the Rotherham Borough area, informing young people of public transport services; where and how they may report incidents of concern which threaten their safety when travelling and how to raise comments or concerns about service standards.

(b)     To explore how young people can be involved in influencing decisions concerning transport (for example becoming members of the Bus User Group “mystery young passenger” system or a Youth Forum).

(c)       To examine ways of improving safety for the public waiting at passenger interchanges and bus and rail stations, especially late in the evening.

(d)       To inform young people of the range of concessionary fares available and consider introducing a new concessionary transport ticket which will be valid throughout the year and be capable of use on any form of public transport across South Yorkshire.

(e)       To consider how the transports needs of young people can be met in light of the raising of the participation age in education and training to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015.

Cabinet Members congratulated the young people on how they conducted the Eleven Million Takeover Day and reported that some of the issues raised by the young people at the meeting on the 7^th February, 2013, relating to safety and affordability of public transport, had already been taken forward to the Integrated Transport Authority and Safer Rotherham Partnership.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the areas that were within the Council’s control or influence arising from the Eleven Million Takeover Day and its recommendations be noted and a response be submitted within two months as outlined within the Council’s Constitution.

(2)  That the decision of Cabinet on the report, recommendations and proposed action be reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board in due course.

(3)  That the a further meeting be convened to meet with Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and members of Youth Cabinet in six months time to discuss progress.

-           Strategic Director of Resources to report.

Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, introduced a report by the Director of Legal and Democratic Services, which set out details of the Overarching Information Sharing Protocol, which was being used by many organisations in Rotherham as evidence and compliance to Information Sharing best practice.

The protocol was updated in 2009 and had been well received and widely used within Rotherham to facilitate trust in allowing the sharing of information.

The protocol had been revised to reflect the establishment of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the need of organisations to share information at a strategic level in order to provide and plan integrated services.

The protocol had been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board and agreed by other partner organisations, with a view to gaining approval by the Cabinet.

Resolved:-  That the Overarching Information Sharing Protocol be approved.

-           Strategic Director of Resources to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Deputy Leader, introduced a report by the Director of Finance, which provided details of progress on the delivery of the Revenue Budget for 2012/13 based on performance for the first ten months of the 2012/13 financial year.  It was currently forecast that the Council would overspend against its budget by £1.278 million.  The main reasons for the forecast overspend were:-

-        The continuing service demand and cost pressures in looking after vulnerable children across the Borough.

-           Additional one-off property costs relating to the continued rationalisation of the Council’s asset portfolio as part of the efficiency drive to reduce operational costs.

It was expected that the forecast overspend would reduce further over the remaining months following the instruction by Cabinet, endorsed by Scrutiny, that future spend should be on essential items only.  For the remainder of the current financial year, spend must only be in respect of ensuring that vulnerable children and adults were safeguarded, be contractually committed, where to not spend would be a false economy or to ensure compliance with Health and Safety requirements.

Continued management action would be required over the remaining periods of the financial year to ensure that the Council was able to preserve its successful track record in managing both its in-year financial performance and its overall financial resilience.

Resolved:- (1)  That the progress made to date in delivering the significant financial challenges presented in the Council’s 2012/13 Revenue Budget be noted.

(2)  That further progress reports be submitted during the remainder of the financial year.

The following items are likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3  of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs)

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded 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 I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act (as amended March, 2006) (information relating to financial and business affairs of any particular person).

-        Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services to report.

Councillor McNeely, Cabinet Member for Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services, which set out the details relating to the disposal of two Housing Revenue Account owned sites to Johnnie Johnson Housing Association to enable the delivery of fourteen units of affordable housing.

Johnnie Johnson Housing Association have an allocation of Homes and Communities Agency grant funding to deliver the homes, but due to the previous site being found to be unviable due to unforeseen abnormal costs required for the land remediation, two further sites were identified that this grant could be switched to at short notice.

The new homes would be of a high quality and meeting housing need, in particular for older people.

The financial information and risks and uncertainties associated with this land disposal were set out in detail as part of the report.

Cabinet Members welcomed this opportunity to continue with the allocation of funding sought, but  clarification on the use of the New Homes Bonus.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the disposal of the two sites, identified in this report to Johnnie Johnson Housing Association for best consideration to enable the fourteen new Affordable Homes to be built, be approved.

(The Mayor agreed to exempt this item from call-in to achieve the start on site date to secure the Homes and Community Agency grant)

-           Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services to report.

Councillor Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Young People, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services, which sought authorisation for the acceptance of a tender for the provision of two new modular buildings comprising of five classrooms at Herringthorpe Infant School.

The financial information and risks and uncertainties associated with this tender were set out in detail as part of the report.

Resolved:-  That the tender, as submitted, dated 28^th February, 2013 for the total project as outlined, be approved.

-           Strategic Director of Resources to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Deputy Leader, introduced a report by the Director of Commissioning, Policy and Performance, which detailed how Digital Region Limited (DRL) was set up to provide high speed broadband across South Yorkshire. Shareholders agreed in 2012 to undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a new operator for the Digital Region moving forward. This report, therefore, provided an update on the conclusion of the procurement process.

The financial case was clear in the appointment of a new operator. This would ensure the project would help to realise the original objectives of superfast broadband for South Yorkshire and thereby helping to drive the economy.

Cabinet Members expressed some concern about reputational damage to the Council should the wider economic benefits of the project not be realised, but noted that the appointment of a new operator would help to significantly transfer risks away from the public sector.

Resolved:-  (1)   That Digital Region Limited appoints Bouygues Energy and Services  Ltd (BYES) as the new operator for the network and is authorised to enter into the contract.

(2) That the Council release additional funding of up to £1.3 m in order to meet its share of the likely estimated costs of appointment of the new operator.

(3)  That Digital Region Limited gives notice to terminate the contract and project agreements with the current operator, Thales, following signature of the new contract.

 (The Mayor agreed to exempt this item from call-in in order to proceed with the appointment of new operator)

-           Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services to report.

Further to Minute No. 56 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing held on 11^th March, 2013, Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing introduced a report by the Strategic Commissioning Manager on the recent tender and evaluation process for the Healthwatch Rotherham Service.

Following the evaluation process, which had included a formal interview with four of the potential providers, the preferred provider had been identified.

Cabinet Members sought clarification on the ability of the preferred tenderer and were assured that Parkwood Healthcare Ltd presented as a very polished and professional organisation that had the structure to deliver Healthwatch Rotherham , which had replaced the current model of Local Improvement Networks (LINks), the infrastructure to support the development of the service whilst carrying forward the functions while taking on new, additional functions and a clear ability to operate as a business which focused on outcomes that would be closely monitored and scrutinised by the relevant Select Commission.

Resolved:-  That the Healthwatch Rotherham contract be awarded to Parkwood Healthcare Ltd.