Agenda and draft minutes

No apologies for absence were submitted for the meeting.

Cllr Andrew Johnson declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 8 below (Final Decision Regarding the 2015 Primary School Expansion Programme) in so far as he is Chair of Governors of Bilston CE Primary School.

[For approval]

Resolved:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22 October 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting]

There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

[To approve a preferred option for the future delivery model of the Anti-Social Behaviour Service]

Cllr Elias Mattu presented a report on options for the future delivery of the city’s Anti-Social Behaviour Service with a recommended preferred option.

Resolved:

1.    That the preferred option (Option 4) for the future delivery model of the city’s anti-social behaviour service be approved which recommends:

·           Overall management of the city’s Anti-Social Behaviour Service by Wolverhampton Homes under a contractual arrangement with Wolverhampton City Council;

·           Monitoring of the contract through a robust performance management framework;

·           Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) of Wolverhampton City Council employees to Wolverhampton Homes and a revised staffing model.

2.    That the proposal to retain the existing arrangements for the management of domestic noise complaints be approved.

3.    That the proposal to procure a single supplier for legal services for anti-social behaviour legal work be approved.

4.    That the application of a consistent approach to managing anti-social behaviour cases in Tenant Management Organisation properties by the introduction of a city-wide anti-social behaviour policy be approved.

[To receive an update on local plans for implementation and to approve a proposed threshold and process for the ‘Community Trigger’]

Cllr Elias Mattu presented the report that briefed Cabinet on new legislation relating to anti-social behaviour (ASB), together with an update on plans for local implementation.  The Act included two local measures designed to give victims and communities a say in the way ASB is dealt with, the ‘Community Remedy’ and the ‘Community Trigger’.  The latter gave victims of ASB the right to request a review of their case, where the locally defined threshold had been met.  Cabinet was asked to approve a proposed threshold and process for the ‘Community Trigger.

Resolved:

1.    That the undermentioned threshold for the Community Trigger be approved:

·           An individual has reported three separate incidents relating to the same problem in the past six months to the Council, Police or your landlord;

OR

·           An individual has reported one incident or crime motivated by hate (due to race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity) in the last six months and no action has been taken;
OR

·           At least five people have made reports about the same problem in the past six months to the Council, Police or your landlord and no action has been taken.

2.    That the Community Trigger process in Wolverhampton be managed by the ASB Team Manager and working alongside the ASB Co-ordinator from Wolverhampton Local Policing Unit, the ASB Team Manager be responsible for ensuring the Community Trigger is managed appropriately and in line with Home Office guidance.

[To approve the latest strategy]

Cllr Val Gibson gave an overview of the latest Securing Sufficient Accommodation for Looked After Children Strategy which set out how the Council planned to fulfil its duty over the next three years, to take reasonably practicable steps that secure sufficient accommodation for looked-after children under its care who could not live at home and whose circumstances indicate that it would be in their best interest to be accommodated by the local authority.

An amendment was required to the bullet point at paragraph 1.3 of the Strategy relating to ‘Market development and management’. The bullet point was to be deleted and substituted with the following:

‘Market development and management at both the strategic and operational levels to ensure that there is an appropriate range of placement providers who can offer provision to meet all LAC needs.’

Resolved:

            That the strategic approach to the provision of services for looked after children (LAC) set out in the Securing Sufficient Accommodation for Looked After Children Strategy as now amended be endorsed.

[To consider the outcomes of the consultation and to approve the implementation of the 2015 primary school expansion programme in order to ensure the provision of sufficient schools places]

Cllr Phil Page presented the report on the outcomes of extensive consultations in relation to schemes proposed for inclusion in the 2015 Primary School Expansion Programme.  The Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel had undertaken pre decision scrutiny on the proposals at its meeting on 4 November 2014. A note on the feedback from the scrutiny panel had been circulated to the Cabinet.

Cllr Page requested approval to implement the proposed programme in order to ensure the provision of sufficient school places.

Resolved:

1.    That the outcomes of Initial Consultation and Formal Consultation on the proposed expansions of Bilston CE Primary School, Bushbury Hill Primary School, Eastfield Primary School, Loxdale Primary School, Manor Primary School, St Martin’s CE Primary School and West Park Primary School, in accordance with statutory guidance be received.

2.    That the proposed expansion of the following schools be approved:

            Bilston CE Primary School.

            Bushbury Hill Primary School.

            Eastfield Primary School.

            Loxdale Primary School.

            Manor Primary School.

            St Martin’s CE Primary School.

            West Park Primary School.

3.    That the position regarding the proposed expansions of Stowlawn Primary School and Westacre Infant School be noted and approved for  implementation.

4.    That the current position regarding the need to extend the 2015 Primary School Expansion Programme be noted.

5.    That the potential conversion of The Royal School Wolverhampton to free school status and the proposed introduction of additional capacity be noted.

6.    That the ongoing development of contingency plans and the establishment of a contingency fund to support the provision of sufficient primary school places be noted.

7.    That it be noted that the current bulge in primary school pupil numbers would impact on the secondary estate in the short to medium term.

[To approve proposals to develop a merged UTC service with Walsall Council and to explore the potential for a fully developed Black Country shared UTC service]

Cllr Peter Bilson presented proposals to initially develop a merged urban traffic control service with Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and then to explore the potential for a fully developed Black Country shared UTC service.

Resolved:

1.    That the proposals regarding the implementation of a merged service with Walsall Council for the provision of UTC, development and design services to improve operational performance from April 2015 be approved.   

2.    That the future development of proposals relating to phase two in respect to establishing formal contractual UTC service provision with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council  and other agencies be approved.

3.    That the exploration of the establishment of a fully shared UTC service through a single local authority to the remaining Black Country local authorities and possibly other agencies be approved and a further report on the proposed way forward be submitted to Cabinet by March 2016.

[To approve a revised senior management structure for the Council]

Cllr Roger Lawrence presented the report on a revised senior management structure for the Council.  The report outlined how the target he had set, as Leader of the Council, of a minimum of £350,000 saving from the revised structure would be met and exceeded.  The report also created the conditions to ensure a performance focused organisation with clearly accountable officer leadership.

Resolved:

1.    That the senior management structures attached as appendix 1 to the report be approved for implementation on 1 January 2015.

2.    That the savings in excess of £500,000 as detailed in the Medium Term Financial Strategy and financial implications section of the report be approved.

3.    That the Leader of the Council in consultation with the Managing Director be authorised to make amendments to the structures moving forward where these are contained within the current cost envelope for senior management and appropriate consultation has taken place with relevant Cabinet Members and employees.

4.    That, as proposed to Council on 5 November 2014, an interim be appointed to cover the Strategic Director People until such time as a permanent appointment is made by a Special Appointments Committee of the Council.

5.    That the lead officer for Safeguarding at Service Director level (currently the Director of Public Health) be reviewed by the Interim Strategic Director People in January 2015 to ensure the role is best aligned.

6.    That the change of roles for the three posts be approved as follows:

·         Assistant Director Education - to Director of Education

·         Assistant Director Governance - to Director of Governance

·         Assistant Director Finance - to Director of Finance (assimilation)

7.    That the Assistant Director Finance be assimilated into the role of Director of Finance with effect from 1 January 2015.

8.    That all other posts within the new senior management structure be assimilated to or ring-fence interviews arranged or advertised in line with the Council’s policies and procedures.

9.    That Assistant Director roles be renamed Service Director to ensure accountability on the same grade as present.

10.That it be noted that Council would establish Special Appointments Committees as required to appoint the following posts:

a.      Director of Education (interviews before Christmas 2014)

b.      Director of Governance (interviews before Christmas 2014)

c.      Strategic Director People (sometime in 2015)

11.That it be noted that further reports would be coming forward to Cabinet in January as follows:

All of these are important steps in creating the One Council culture and the Confident Capable Council (C3) to deliver the Corporate Plan.

[To pass the following resolution:

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information on the grounds shown below.]

Resolved:

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within the paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Act set out below:

[To consider the new public health responsibilities transferred to the Council and to support the public health priorities and how they will be delivered]

Cllr Sandra Samuels outlined the salient points of the report which set out the Council’s new duties with respect to Public Health; provided clarity regarding the public health service within the local authority and how this relates to delivery across the Council’s wider functions; described the health inequalities challenge for Wolverhampton and why a whole system approach to some of our greatest health concerns was fundamental; and clearly defined our key public health priorities and how the service was planning to deliver them.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet support the priorities identified by Public Health focussing on the key health challenges facing the City.

2.    That the plans and strategies Public Health are putting in place to address these priorities be endorsed.

3.    That the breadth and scale of the new public health responsibilities transferred to the Council and the importance of prioritising activity to maximise the impact that can be made on improving the health of the population and reducing health inequalities be noted.

4.    That the widening gap in relation to health inequalities in our City and the need to ensure a whole system approach is taken across the Council be noted.