Council decisions

This DPR authorises the restructuring of the SEN Referral and Assessment team to ensure the team can fulfil the range of current and new statutory tasks in the light of the Children and Families Act and associated changes to regulations and funding schemes.

The restructuring involves:

•           The deletion of the vacant SEN Inclusion Manager post

•           The creation of the following new/additional posts:

o          1 Statutory and Strategic Processes Manager

o          1 Placement, financial strategy and SEN Information co-ordinator

o          1 Out of Authority, Out of Borough, Appeals, Complaints and Annual Review Co-ordinator

o          1 SEN Transport Officer

•           The establishment of the following posts on a fixed-term basis:

o          2 SEN Casework Officers (fixed-term)

o          2 SEN Support Officers (fixed-term)

Agreement to utilise the London Borough Government Procurement Service (GPS) framework and sign a contract for a period of two years with Royal Mail for the delivery of postage items.  Royal Mail is the current supplier. There will be no change to the operations with an annual saving of circa. £109,000, subject to a successful transition of Franking machine spend to Printing Postage Impressions (PPI).

This report is supplemental to: (i) the Cabinet Resources Committee report of 16 December 2013 which provided authority to extend/vary contracts held between the Council and providers of youth homelessness, short breaks and community coaching services, and (ii) the Cabinet report of the 25 February 2014 which approved the Children’s Service savings to commissioned services. The extensions and variations are effective from 1 April 2014.

This report recommends entering into a contract with Sanctuary Health & Social Care Group (aka Skylakes Social Care) for the supply of managed review services, as a single source procurement, within the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules for a limited number of reviews.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Environment (Councillor Dean Cohen), the Strategic Director for Growth and Environment (Pam Wharfe), the Housing and Environment Lead Commissioner (Declan Hoare) and the Acting Waste Strategy Manager (Michael Lai) for the item. 

Finance

The Acting Waste Strategy Manager advised the Committee that the North London Waste Authority (NLAW) levy for 2013/14 was £2.146 million or 11.5% higher than in 2012/13.  £1.079 million of the increase was attributable to the Council’s decision to consign its co-mingled dry recyclates to the NLWA from October 2013 rather than make its own arrangements for treatment.  It was expected that the increase of £1.079 million would be offset by an estimated income of £1.028 million for 2013/14 and 2014/15 as a consequence of Barnet qualifying for payments that will be made by the NLWA under its Commingled Income Payment Scheme.

The Committee were informed that the Council were currently benchmarking the cost of their waste streams against other council’s costs.  It was reported that the Landfill Tax was due to rise next year.

Procurement – Waste Services Contract and Fuel Use Contract

The Acting Waste Strategy Manager updated the Committee on the NLWA procurement for two activities: Waste Services Contract (treatment of waste for disposal, recycling and composting); and Fuel Use Contract (fuel produced through the treatment of waste).  It was reported that the two procurement processes had been halted in September 2013 due to the pressure on local authority funding, changes in the projected lifespan of the existing Edmonton Energy from Waste facility, and changes in the planning environment.  The NLWA were working with the constituent boroughs on developing an alternative waste strategy based on using the existing Edmonton Energy from Waste facility up to 2025 and replacing it with a new facility.  It was reported that potential savings of up to £900 million could be achieved against the procurement options previously explored. 

Inter Authority Agreement

In relation to the Inter Authority Agreement, the Committee were advised that the previous draft agreement was in the process of being redrafted.  The NLWA constituent boroughs appear to be supportive of the introduction of menu pricing which would be reflective of the actual cost of treating the different types of waste streams. 

The Committee noted that the NLWA policy on the provision of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the North London area made a case for the provision of an additional two HWRCs in Barnet.  Additional facilities would increase Barnet’s recycling rate but it is likely that the costs would be largely borne by Barnet.

North London Waste Plan

Referring to the North London Waste Plan, the Acting Waste Strategy Manager advised the Committee that this was a planning document which set out polices for determining planning applications for waste facilities and future site requirements for waste management use in the area to meet London Plan requirements.  In relation to the Pinkham Way site, the Committee were informed that part of the site had previously been purchased from the Council by the NLWA for use as a waste facility site. The other part of the site remains in Council ownership.  A planning application submitted in May 2011 which proposed the use of the site for NLWA waste management facilities and a Barnet Council depot was withdrawn in April 2013 due to changes in the NLWA procurement process.  Options for the site were currently being explored. 

A Member identified that government guidance in June 2013 had indicated that co-mingled waste collections would not be permissible from January 2015 and that the Council’s had recently introduced co-mingled collections as part of the new waste collection arrangements.  The Acting Waste Strategy Manager advised that the Revised EU Waste Framework Directive provided that separated waste collections would be the default position where they were necessary to provide high quality materials, and where they were technically, environmentally and economically practicable.  It was the Council’s position that co-mingled collections had increased recycling, that the quality of waste streams at the Biffa site in Edmonton was being monitored, and that the council would pass any tests in relation to the technical, environmental and economic reasons why a separated collection is not viable in Barnet. 

The Committee highlighted that the NLWA had procured the Pinkham Way site from the Council for £12.5 million and then had found no use for the site.  It was questioned who was accountable for this decision.  The Strategic Director for Growth and Environment advised the Committee that the NLWA was made up of Member representatives from the constituent boroughs and that changing circumstances with the NLWA had caught up with the procurement processes.  It was reported that Enfield’s position had changed substantially and they were now more supportive of an energy from waste plant.

A Member referred to the Memorandum of Understanding on NLWA procurement signed in August 2008 and questioned whether this had covered site selection and transport requirements.  The Acting Waste Strategy Manager reported that the NLWA had looked across the seven boroughs and wider as part of the procurement process.  It was noted that there was no current active list of potential waste disposal sites.

Responding to a question from the Committee, the Strategic Director for Growth and Environment reported that there were limited options for additional HWRC sites in the borough. 

The Committee noted that NLWA levy costs were based on figures from two years ago rather than being a reflection of the current price for the various waste streams.  It was questioned whether the prices should be adjusted in-year or live to reflect the actual cost of processing.  A move to menu pricing could include in-year charging.

A Member questioned whether there were issues with plastic bags being included in co-mingled waste and questioned whether the Council could offer plastic bag recycling as an option to residents.  Officers reported that some of the plastic bags included in the co-mingled waste stream might be recycled (granulation), but the offer of a dedicated plastic bag recycling service would need an outlet to be commissioned via the NLWA.  It was noted that the current policy was to encourage residents to recycle plastic bags via existing outlets such as supermarkets.

A Member requested a breakdown of the value of the co-mingled waste stream.  Officers reported that income would be affected by the quantities of the different materials (e.g. volumes of paper, plastics, tins etc).  However, values were expected to be in the region of £25 per tonne.   The Cabinet Member for Environment confirmed that the income from the co-mingled waste collections would not be lower than for separated collections. 

RESOLVED that:

1.         The Committee note the update on the North London Waste Authority as set out in the report.

2.         The Cabinet Member for Environment be requested to liaise with the North London Waste Authority regarding:

i)               the identification of additional sites for Household Waste Recycling Centres in Barnet to increase recycling rates; and

ii)         potential options for developing a plastic bag recycling scheme.

3.         The Cabinet Member for Environment refer to the North London Waste Authority the concerns of the Committee regarding the £12.5 million procurement of the Pinkham Way site which failed to result in the delivery of a new waste facility site.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Housing (Councillor Tom Davey), the Strategic Director for Growth and Environment (Pam Wharfe), the Housing and Environment Lead Commissioner (Declan Hoare), the Director of Business Services at The Barnet Group Ltd. (Troy Henshall) and the Head of New Build at The Barnet Group Ltd. (Tony Piggott) for the item. 

In presenting the item, the Cabinet Member for Housing informed the Committee that the local authority new-build programme had delivered new affordable homes and was currently under budget.  He added that the new tenants had been positive about the properties. 

A Member commented that Barnet required over 10,000 homes to meet population demands.  It was noted that the new-build scheme would deliver a relatively small number of new homes and it was questioned whether new sites for affordable homes had been identified as part of the programme.  The Director of Business Services reported that the current developments were using in-fill sites and work was on-going to identify the best use of these sites.  Proposals for 30 additional units had been developed in detail and work was on-going to develop schemes for a further 10-15 units on additional sites.  The Committee were informed that the sites currently under development had fewer issues than some of the sites to be used later in the programme which may require demolition work to take place before construction could commence.

The Strategic Director for Growth and Environment reported that a revised Housing Strategy was in development which would set out options for meeting construction site demands to enable the achievement of housing targets.  It was noted that the Housing Strategy would be reported to the new Housing Committee in June 2014.  The Committee were informed that the Council had commissioned Savills to identify opportunities for using Housing Revenue Account headroom for new housing development. 

A Member highlighted that there had been some slippage in the current developments and questioned what lessons had been learnt from the initial phases.  The Director of Business Services reported that the main issues had been delays commencing on-site and planning restrictions.  Members were advised that the Warwick Close scheme had been dropped because of site issues.  A planning application for a scheme in Bedford Road was due to be submitted in May 2014.

The Committee noted that tenants had been placed on five year fixed tenancies and questioned whether they would qualify for right-to-buy.  The Cabinet Member for Housing informed the Committee that tenants currently qualified for right-to-buy after five years.

RESOLVED that the update on the Local Authority New-Build Programme as set out in the report and above be noted.

RESOLVED that:

1.         The minutes of the meeting held on 6 January 2014 be approved.

2.         In relation to the actions and resolutions agreed at the Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 6 January 2014, the Committee were informed that minute item 12 (Task and Finish Groups / Scrutiny Panel – Recommendation Tracking) which related to the issue of the provision of secondary school places had been referred to the 23^rd January 2014 Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration under the work programme.  The Committee were advised that the Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee would receive a report on Provision of Secondary School Places and Vocational Opportunities at their meeting on 19^th March 2014.

The Chairman of the 20 MPH Zones Task and Finish Group, Councillor Kate Salinger, presented the findings and recommendations of the Group. 

RESOLVED that the Committee endorse the report for onward referral to Cabinet on 2 April 2014 subject to the amendment of recommendation 2 as follows:

“Cabinet are recommended to review on a case by case basis other areas where a 20 mph zone could be suitable to be implemented.”

The Chairman of the Parking Policy (Cash Meters) Task and Finish Group, Councillor Brian Gordon, presented the findings and recommendations of the Group.  Councillor Alan Schneiderman, a Labour Member of the Task and Finish Group, was also in attendance to address the Committee on recommendation 1 which related to the reintroduction of cash pay and display meters.

Councillor Gordon informed the Committee that the Group had been sympathetic to those that were calling for the return of cash as a parking payment method, but the additional costs to covert the recently introduced credit/debit card machines to accept cash (as detailed on page 24 of the Task and Finish Group report) was an issue. Councillor Gordon highlighted that following the removal of pay and display machines in 2011, the community had reluctantly accepted pay by phone as the primary payment method for parking.  It was highlighted that the policy to remove cash meters had already been implemented meaning that the Group had to consider the current position.  He advised the Committee that the Conservative Members on the Group had agreed that the success of credit/debit card machines introduced in December 2013 should be evaluated before any recommendation was made to Cabinet whether or not to convert the new machines to accept cash payments. 

The Committee questioned whether the reintroduction of cash as a payment method would actually increase churn (the turnover of vehicles parking) on the high street or not.  Councillor Gordon highlighted that there were potential further costs arising from the reintroduction of cash as pay and display machines had been vandalised in the past.

Councillor Schneiderman advised the Committee that the written and verbal evidence submitted to the Task and Finish Group had indicated support for the reintroduction of cash pay and display machines in high streets and car parks.  It was on this basis that the Labour Group had made an alternative recommendation 1 which proposed the immediate reintroduction of cash as a payment method through the conversion of the recently introduced credit/debit card pay and display machines. 

A Member suggested that introduction of pay by phone and the implementation of a cashless parking policy had been very unpopular and had contributed to consumers staying away from town centres. 

Officers reported that the total cost detailed in Figure 2 in paragraph 6.3 was incorrect and should be £259,831.

Councillor Moore MOVED a motion that the Committee actively supports the Labour Group recommendation 1.  Upon being put to the vote, the motion was LOST.  The Chairman informed the Committee that the report of the Task and Finish Group would be referred to Cabinet including both the majority group and minority group recommendations.  Cabinet would vote on whether they accepted or rejected the two alternatives for recommendation 1.

RESOLVED that the Committee endorse the report for onward referral to Cabinet on 2 April 2014.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Resident Safety and Engagement (Councillor David Longstaff), Detective Superintendent (Neighbourhoods and Crime) Mark Strugnell, the Strategic Director for Growth and Environment (Pam Wharfe) and the Head of Community Safety (Kiran Vagarwal) for the item. 

The Head of Community Safety advised the Committee that the Barnet Community Safety Engagement Group was being replaced by Safer Neighbourhoods Boards effective from April 2014. 

A Member questioned how the Council and police worked with the probation service to monitor offenders who were under a supervision order and sought clarification of the impact on local policing services.  The Head of Community Safety advised the Committee that the police and Council had links with the national probation service, adding that the issue of how Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service were working together had been raised with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).  The Committee noted that a review of the Offender Management Strategy was currently being undertaken and the revised Strategy would be reviewed by the Safer Communities Partnership Board, Children’s Trust Board and Health & Well-Being Board.

A Member questioned how the system would deal with increasing number of offenders.  The Head of Community Safety reported that the ‘through the prison gate’ system provided support to ex-offenders.  She added that there were Ministry of Justice pathways aimed at reducing re-offending. 

The Committee sought assurance that local policing knowledge would be retained under the neighbourhood policing model.  Detective Superintendent Strugnell informed the Committee that ward officers (a Police Constable and Police Community Support Officer) would be retained in the new model.  He added that Safer Neighbourhoods Teams (SNT) had been increasing in size over recent years and it was confirmed that these teams would remain.  The main change to SNTs had been that they were being deployed flexibly. 

The Committee welcomed the reduction in the number of crimes and the fear of crime in Barnet.  In relation to the borough wide Dedicated Place Order for Street Drinking, commonly referred to as the Alcohol Free Zone (AFZ), the Committee queried how effective this had been in reducing instances of street drinking.  Detective Superintendent Strugnell confirmed that there had been a positive impact as a result of the introduction of the AFZ. 

A Member highlighted a risk to Home Start and Victim Support due to their reliance on volunteers to provide their services. 

Officers confirmed that the updated Safer Communities Strategy would be considered by the new Community Leadership Committee and the Safer Communities Partnership Board. 

Responding to a question Detective Superintendent Strugnell informed the Committee that Barnet had a strong neighbourhood watch.  40 new neighbourhood watches had come online in the last year and there were now over 800 in the borough with 15,000 members. 

A Member questioned whether information sharing protocols were in place between the various statutory agencies in line with Section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.  Officers confirmed that the relevant protocols were in place and that information was shared via the multi-agency Integrated Officer Management.

A Member highlighted that he had experienced difficulty in getting in contact with his local SNT.  Detective Superintendent Strugnell undertook to look in to this issue to ensure that SNTs were available to Members and members of the public.

Responding to a question about the cultural awareness of the police, Detective Superintendent Strugnell reported that these issues were covered in central and local training through programmes such as the 8 – 10 week Street Tutoring scheme for officers.  The Cabinet Member for Safety and Resident Engagement added that the Safer Neighbourhood Boards had representation from across the community. 

Detective Superintendent Strugnell undertook to report back to the Committee on the issue of the Alert Com system used by Barnet Borough Watch to communicate with its members.  The Committee reported that as they system was in private ownership, continued use of the system could not be guaranteed.  It was highlighted that this posed a significant risk to the effectiveness of Barnet Borough Watch.

The Committee were advised that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) would be introduced borough-wide from April 2014.  Detective Superintendent Strugnell reported that had been used in Barnet recently using equipment borrowed from other police forces. 

Members noted that the in considering the issues set out in the report, the Committee had discharged its statutory duties in relation to the scrutiny of crime and disorder functions as required by the Police and Justice Act 2006.

RESOLVED that:

1.         The Committee note the updates on the: New Policing Model; Enhancements to the Safer Communities Strategy; Delivery against the Safer Communities Strategy 2011/12 to 2013/14; and Barnet Community Safety Engagement Group as set out in the report.

2.         The Committee request that outcomes from the implementation of borough-wide Alcohol Free Zone be reported to the Community Leadership Committee.

3.         Detective Superintendent Strugnell be requested to report back to the Committee on continuity arrangements for the Barnet Borough Watch communications system.

4.         The Committee refer the Neighbourhood Policing Model to the work programme of the Community Leadership Committee for consideration in the 2014/15 municipal year.

A pivotal deliverable of the Transparency Project is to implement a dedicated portal to publish the Council’s Open Data sets.

The Open Knowledge Foundation CKAN is the EU and UK Governments official open data portal provider; a trusted Open Source portal developer, this means the CKAN portal is free and can be used without any license fees. 

This application is to procure CKAN’s specialist services, to design and deploy a portal data store for the Council, provide hosting arrangements and technical training.  The expected cost, including external hosting is expected to be £40,950.

The Committee welcomed Tessa Garvan, Assistant Head of Primary Care & Pharmacy North East and Central London at NHS England for the item. 

In relation to Dr Thwe’s practice, Ms Garvan confirmed that GP contracts only expired when there were no partners remaining.  She advised the Committee that in the case of Dr Thwe’s practice, there was still a partner in-situ so the GMS contract would continue.  She clarified that NHS England were not requiring Dr Thwe to relocate her practice.  The current practice accommodation was below the Care Quality Commission (CQC) minimum standard meaning that the current accommodation would need to be improved or the practice would need to relocate.  If the practice were to relocate, it could move to any location and the move would be supported by NHS England.  She added that there had been no pressure from NHS England for Dr Thwe to move to GP space at FMH.

Referring to the relocation of practices onto the FMH site, Ms Garvan advised the Committee that the moves had taken longer than anticipated due to legal barriers, but were expected to be completed in April or May.  It was noted that project managers had now been appointed to progress the moves.  Ms Garvan undertook to report back to the Committee with more substantive information as and when it became available. 

In relation to the impact on West Finchley of dispersing the patient lists of The Finchley Practice (110 – 112 Ballards Lane) and Dr Thwe’s practice (209 Ballards Lane), Ms Garvan reported that the patient list of The Finchley Practice had been dispersed at the end of January 2014.  Following consideration of patient opinions, NHS England had been unable to find an ideal solution, but had given patients a choice of practices. It was confirmed that there was no intention to disperse the patient list at Dr Thwe’s practice. 

A Member commented that it was disappointing it had taken so long to get GP practices onto the FMH site. It was suggested that there should have been a coordinated plan to get them on site when the hospital opened. 

Councillor Cooke advised the Committee that Dr Thwe had attended his Ward Surgery last year and had advised him that she was under notice from NHS England and her contract would be terminated.  Ms Garvan reported that NHS England had not served Dr Thwe with any notices.  It was agreed that if correspondence between Dr Thwe and Councillor Cooke could be located, that it be circulated to the Committee for information. 

The Committee commented that it was difficult to get an overview of GP services in the borough, particularly premises issues, the general adequacy of services to serve the population and the impact of GP services on accident & emergency services.  Ms Garvan advised the Committee that the Barnet Primary Care Trust had undertaken a premises condition review in 2012 which had included compliance with CQC standards.  It was added that the CQC regularly reviewed premises standards and highlighted areas on non-compliance.  It was expected that the situation with Dr Thwe’s premises would be replicated elsewhere in Barnet.  It was reported that a Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Partnership Board (which had representation from the Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships) had been established to plan for premises availability in the three boroughs.  It was noted that this was an important part of delivering the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy which required investment in GP services to reduce hospital admissions.  A Member suggested that consideration should be given to included patient views in the development of plans (e.g. Healthwatch and Patient Participation Groups). 

Members of the Committee reiterated concerns relating to the lack of a bus service within or on to the FMH site.  It was highlighted that when new GP services came on site, demand was expected to increase.

RESOLVED that:

1.         The update on GP services at Finchley Memorial Hospital and in West Finchley as set out in the report and above be noted.

2.         NHS England be requested to circulate the terms of reference of the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Partnership Board which were considering estates matters in the three boroughs.

3.         NHS England be requested to confirm the total number of patients and GPs transferring to Finchley Memorial Hospital from Cornwall House Surgery and Squires Lane Medical Practice.

4.         The Committee add an item to the future work programme on GP service planning to review NHS England’s strategic plans for GP provision and linkages to the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy.

RESOLVED that:

1.        The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme be noted.

2.        The Committee approve the addition of items to the Work Programme as detailed in the minute items above. 

The Chairman welcomed Andrew Charlwood, the Overview and Scrutiny Manager, for the item.   The Committee noted that it had been agreed at the 12 December 2013 meeting that the Committee would sign-off the NHS Health Checks Scrutiny Review via e-mail to enable the final report to be submitted to the Centre for Public Scrutiny in January 2014 to link to the body of work produced by the five NHS Health Checks Scrutiny Development Areas nationally. 

At the request of the Chairman, Dr Howe provided an initial response to the Committee on the recommendations.  He advised the Committee that the findings from the review would be used to guide the Health Checks programme in Barnet and Harrow.  It was noted that some of the recommendations were for Public Health England.  Mr Charlwood confirmed that these recommendations would be submitted to Public Health England for response.

Councillor Hart advised the Committee that Cabinet were likely to accept the recommendations.  The Committee were informed that she was supportive of Health Checks being undertaken in alternative settings.  Members were advised that Dr Azim had been piloting a Health Checks outreach programme in West Hendon.

A Member highlighted that one of the recommendations proposed that Health Checks be offered to adults with learning difficulties from age 40 as this population cohort tended to suffered from a number of health conditions. 

RESOLVED that the findings and recommendations of the NHS Health Checks Scrutiny Review be noted.

The Committee welcomed the Councillor Helena Hart, the Cabinet Member for Public Health, and the Director of Public Health, Dr Andrew Howe, for the item. 

Councillor Hart outlined achievements to date in relation to public health services.  The Committee were informed that it was planned for overweight and obese residents to be supported to lose weight via obesity and weight management clinics.  Further work was underway on cancer prevention with a plan to introduce cancer ‘pop up shops’. 

Dr Howe advised the Committee that 2013/14 had been a year of transition for the Public Health service and there had been some issues with the transfer of contracts from the Primary Care Trust, particularly in relation to sexual health services.  It was reported that the re-commissioning of drugs and alcohol services was due to take place in the next eight to 12 months. The Committee were advised that there had been a focus on children’s centres, early years and the healthy schools programme.  It was highlighted that since public health services had come under local authority control, there had been a focus on initiatives to support people back to work and it was reported that these now included the allocation of a health coach.  Public Health had also been working with the Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group on the self-care and integrated care agenda. 

A Member questioned whether Public Health had been undertaking any dental hygiene promotional work in schools.  Dr Howe reported that responsibilities in this area were split between public health and NHS England who were responsible for commissioning dental services. Public Health were promoting the “Brushing for Life” campaign and NHS England commissioned their own preventative work.

RESOLVED that the update on Public Health Commissioning Intentions as set out in the report and above be noted.

The Committee welcomed the Councillor Helena Hart, the Cabinet Member for Public Health, and the Director of Public Health, Dr Andrew Howe, for the item. 

Dr Howe advised the Committee that the Report was a top level overview rather than a detailed performance report.  It was noted that statistics and trends were set out in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and detailed performance targets were set out in the Health & Well-Being Strategy and Public Health Outcomes Framework.  As such, the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report was a call to action on physical activity rather than a detailed strategy and action plan. 

Responding to a question, the Cabinet Member for Public Health reported that the Council’s outdoor gyms would have a variety of equipment to cater for all abilities and that the existing one at Oak Hill Park was well used.  She advised the Committee that there was an average of eight to 10 pieces of equipment in each outdoor gym. 

A Member questioned how physical activity in schools was being monitored.  The Director for Public Health reported that Barnet had a Healthy Schools Programme.  The Public Health team undertook outreach work to provide materials and review the school’s curriculum.  It was noted that this was primarily targeted at primary schools.

Members questioned how successfully public health had been integrated into the Council, particularly in relation to the design of residential developments and urban spaces.  Dr Howe reported that integration into the Council had progressed well, adding that he had been in discussions with the Regeneration team regarding integration of the public health agenda into strategic planning.  A Member highlighted that Health Impact Assessments should be integrated into planning at the correct stage.

RESOLVED that:

1.         The Committee note the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report 2013 as set out above.

2.         The Committee request that the Director of Public Health present a report to a future meeting to provide an update on the call to action on physical activity and delivery against targets in the Health and Well-Being Strategy.

The Committee welcomed Julie Pal, Chief Executive of CommUNITY Barnet, who was in attendance for the item.  Ms Pal presented an Enter and View report on Woodfield House in West Hendon which had been visited by Healthwatch Barnet at the request of the CQC.  It was reported that the CQC had previously issued two improvement notices to Woodfield House following an inspection.  A further CQC inspection had been undertaken in May 2013 when Woodfield House had met all of the required standards. 

Enter and View volunteers had visited Woodfield House on two occasions in July 2013.  Detailed findings and the response of Woodfield House were set out in the Enter and View report set out in the agenda.  The visit had resulted in a total of 17 recommendations being made.  It was acknowledged that whilst most of these were minor, they did have an impact on the quality of life for residents.  Ms Pal reported that due to the number of recommendations made, Healthwatch Barnet would be making a further unannounced visit, the findings of which would be reported to the Committee in due course. 

A Member raised a query regarding staffing levels during the night shift.  Ms Pal undertook to request this information and circulate it to the Committee. 

The Committee noted that the objective of the home was to reintegrate patients back into society. It was highlighted that all of the residents had been living there for over three years.  Ms Pal undertook to refer this back to the Enter and View team.  It was suggested that Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust should be questioned on their reintegration plans for the patients. 

RESOLVED that:

1.         The Committee note the Healthwatch Barnet Enter and View report into Woodfield House as set out above.

2.         Healthwatch Barnet be requested to provide written responses to the queries relating to staffing levels and the tenure of residents as outlined in the preamble above.

The Committee welcomed Dean Patterson, Head of Property and Facilities Management at Community Health Partnerships for the item. 

At the request of the Chairman, Councillor Kate Salinger, who had brought a Members’ Item to the Committee in December 2013 on these issues, advised the Committee that she was pleased that the benches had been reinstated on a trial basis.

In relation to the public transport issue, Mr Patterson advised the Committee that he had been in attendance at meetings where the FMH bus service issue had been discussed.  He advised the Committee that as the head leaseholder, he would commission a survey into this issue to gauge demand and then report the findings back to his peers at the Lift Co.  It was noted that Transport for London (TfL) had made it clear that they were not prepared to divert any existing routes on to the site on the basis of cost.  A Member commented that this was a TfL issue and not an estates issue.  It was highlighted that NHS premises should be served by public transport and a collective solution was required.  In relation to the comment made by Community Health Partnerships in their written submission that FMH has never been served by a bus, a Member highlighted that the new hospital was much larger now than prior to the redevelopment. 

The Committee questioned whether all of the requirements of the Travel Plan (a constituent part of the planning permission for the hospital redevelopment) had been implemented.  Mr Patterson reported that the Hospital had sought advice at the planning application stage and there had been no requirement to include a bus route in the Travel Plan.  He added that all planning conditions had been met and signed-off. 

In response to a question from a Member, Mr Patterson reported that Community Health Partnerships managed 301 sites which had been transferred from the Lift Co.  The other 3,600 sites which had previously been under the control of Primary Care Trusts had been transferred to NHS Property Services.  Both NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships were wholly owned subsidiaries of the NHS.  It was noted that NHS Property Services tended to be responsible for operational management, while the Lift Co. was responsible for design and build. 

RESOLVED that:

1.         The update on site issues at Finchley Memorial Hospital as set out in the report and above be noted.

2.         Community Health Partnerships be requested to report back to a future meeting of the Committee on any progress made in securing an on-site bus service at Finchley Memorial Hospital.

Cabinet Resources Committee on 4 November 2013 authorised Barnet to enter into an Inter Authority Agreement for a shared Registration and Nationality service with the London Borough of Brent following approval of the Outline Business Case.

This report confirms that the Business Case for this new arrangement remains valid and encloses a summary of the final terms of this agreement.

This report provides authorisation for the signing of the Inter Authority Agreement.

This report provides formal approval for the specific proposals identified under the £1m priorities fund.      

This report summarises the tendering process which has been conducted for the award of a new contract for the provision of generic housing floating support services and mental health floating support services. It recommends the Council proceed with the appointment of Genesis Housing to operate the services from 1 July 2014 for three years, with an option to extend for a further 2 years subject to satisfactory performance and funding.

This report recommends awarding individual single source contracts for prevention services delivered by the following organisations:

British Red Cross

Stroke Association

Alzheimer’s Society

Middlesex Association for the Blind

Barnet Refugee Service

Chinese Mental Health Association

Barnet Asian Women’s Association

Mind in Barnet

Barnet Bereavement Service

North London Eating Disorder Support Group

Barnet Depression Alliance

Cherry Lodge Cancer Care

Dimensions

All contracts will be awarded for one year with the option to extend for a further year subject to review (except the contract with Dimensions that will be awarded for a period of 6 months).

All contracts have a start date of 1 April 2014.

To approve fees and charges for 2014/15, some of which are increasing by up to the rate of inflation.

The Cabinet Member for Education Children and Families and the Cabinet Member for Health introduced the report.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.    Approve the Outline Business Case for the consolidation of early years services and agrees development of a full business case based on the recommendations set out in 9.31 of this report, with the exception of recommendation F, and emphasising that the work will need to take into account the outcomes of the Health Visitor/ School Nurse Review.

2.    Agree for consultation to be undertaken with stakeholders as set out in the report.

3.    Agree that the full business case should be taken to the relevant committee under the new committee structure in the Summer 2014 for consideration of the final proposal.

4.    Approve a budget of £46,000 from the transformation reserve for the development of the full business case.

RESOLVED

That the exempt information set out that relates to the item for consideration at the meeting in public session be noted.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee

Authorises the extension of the Grocery and Provisions contract with Thomas

Ridley & Son for a further year until 29 July 2015, for the value of £1,500,000,

to allow for a new procurement exercise to be undertaken.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee

1.    Agree to terminate the existing Fleet Procurement with Maintenance Services contract (FPWMS) with Go Plant Ltd (GPL) by mutual agreement based on Option 3, as outlined in the options appraisal in paragraph 9.17 to this report.

2.    Give approval to transfer the service and staff in-house.

3.    Approve waiver of Contract Procedure Rules (CRC) for a period up to 12 months, to regularise and continue arrangements with existing suppliers which enables and provides business continuity whilst a procurement process is undertaken.

4.    Give approval to procure GPL’s Transport IT Software (Chevin Fleetwave) and hardware necessary to support the system.

5.    Approve the remaining capital budget allocation be used to fund purchase of required vehicles to deliver Street Scene services, with the detail of the purchase to be approved by delegated authority of the Street Scene Director.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee

Approve the proposed fees and charges as detailed in Appendix A for implementation from 1 April 2014, or as soon as possible thereafter.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee authorises waivers to the Contract Procedures Rules to allow:

1.    The existing CAMHS contract with Barnet, Enfield and Haringey MentalHealth Trust (BEHMHT) to be varied and extended, for the period of 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, up to the value of £970,000.

2.    The 10 Short Breaks contracts to be varied and extended for the period of 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, up to the value of £603,955.

3.    The CIC Healthcare contract with Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) to be varied and extended for the period of 1October 2013 to 30 September 2014 up to the value of £119,785.

4.    The London Care Placements framework agreement for the provision of independent fostering agency services and residential care services to be extended for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

5.    The regularisation of the current arrangements with CLCH for the provision of Occupational Therapy (OT) for the period 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2015, up to the value of £180,000.

6.    The variation of the contract with Prospects Services Limited for the provision of assessments and services for young people with learning difficulties, for a reduction of £31,350 from 1 April 2014.

7.    The contract for with Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) for the provision of speech and language therapy to Excellence in Clusters schools to be varied and extended for the period 1 April 2014 to 22 July 2014, up to the value of £50,000.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee

1.    Authorise the procurement of a four year Council wide Training framework.

2.    Authorise entry into a call off agreement with the ESPO to access their Training Framework Agreement.

3.    Authorise award of a four year Council wide Training contract to Premier Partnership via the ESPO Framework Agreement.

Cabinet Resources Committee heard a comment from Ms Jasmin Parsons. Questions were asked to Ms Parsons and verbal answers were given in the meeting.

For the reasons outlined in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee approve the policy of discounted resident leaseholder regeneration estatemajor works charges as set out in paragraphs 9.7, 9.8 and 9.9 of the report.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That Cabinet Resources Committee agree a contract variation for a permanent increase in the enablement hours within the block contract with Housing 21 from 1200 hours to 1400 hours a week. This is to meet the increased demand for enablement packages following re-design of services across health and social care.

This report is seeking agreement to award a contract to Barnet Mencap, for the provision of Support and Employment Services to people with learning disabilities and people with autism, following competitive tender.

This document details decisions taken by Officers using delegated powers during March 2014.

This report seeks authorisation to award a contract for the provision of Home and Community Support.

This report seeks authorisation to enter into a number of new contracts and to regularise a number of contracts to supply Home and Community Support to residents as a single source until October 2015.