Agenda and minutes

Apologies were given from Councillor Scott Seaman-Digby.

Councillor Douglas Mills declared a non-pecuniary interest in decision no.12 on Item 7 (minute 872) due to the proximity of his property to the proposed route. He remained in the room during the discussion and vote on the item.

The decisions and minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 24 October 2013 were agreed as a correct record.

This was confirmed.

The Chairman of the Children, Young People & Learning Policy Overview Committee, Councillor John Riley, presented his Committee’s review, which was warmly welcomed.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Welcomes the report from the Children, Young People & Learning Policy Overview Committee on the review into the Strengthening the Council’s Role as a Corporate Parent.

2. Endorses the recommendations of the Policy Overview Committee set out below, as amended:

Policy Overview Committee Recommendations

1)     Welcome the work currently being undertaken to review and revise the remit of the Corporate Parenting Board, its increased overview of the Council’s wide ranging role as a corporate parent and endorse its administration by Democratic Services.

Health and Wellbeing

2)     Ask the Health & Wellbeing Board to request that the Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Hillingdon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) acquire, maintain and share data on the following areas:

a.      Proportion of total budgets spent on Looked After Children (LAC);

b.      Proportion of LAC registered with a GP;

c.      Proportion of the CAMHS caseload that is made up of LAC;

d.      Information on what intervention / therapy is being provided by CAMHS and what health issues are being dealt with via wider case consultation; and

e.      The number of Tier 2, 3 and 4 assessments that CAMHS undertake for LAC.

3)     Ask the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services to request officers continue to work alongside colleagues from Hillingdon CAMHS to provide a designated point of contact to provide advice and assistance for all mental health issues relating to LAC, reporting to the Health & Wellbeing Board if required.

4)     Ask the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services to request officers continue to work alongside the Council’s partner agencies to develop a comprehensive understanding of where responsibilities lie between NHS England and CCGs for all aspects of the health needs of LAC and report findings back to the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services, the Children, Young People & Learning Policy Overview Committee and the Health & Wellbeing Board as appropriate.

5)     In order to ensure that the mental health needs of LAC are met when placements are out of Borough, ask the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services to request officers produce a protocol on the process of how services are brokered between CCGs and NHS England for agreement by the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services and the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Educational outcomes

6)     Ask the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services to request officers monitor data on the number of relevant young people up to the age of 25 approaching the Council for support in education, training and employment and report findings back to the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services in due course.

7)     In accordance with the budget planning process and to ensure compliance with changes set out in the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010, ask officers, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services, to explore the viability of providing additional general and pastoral support through the Hillingdon Virtual School to relevant young people up to the age of 25 going on to education or training and report findings back to the Cabinet.

8)     Ask the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services to request officers investigate the viability of building Education Residential and Respite Accommodation alongside the future development of schools in the Borough and report findings back to Cabinet in due course.

9)     Ask the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services to request officers monitor and report back to the Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services on the success of the peer-mentoring scheme currently being trialled as a means through which to provide additional support to care leavers with a view to expanding the scheme if it leads to improved outcomes.

Sport, Leisure and Recreation

10)Ask officers to collect comprehensive data on LAC’s use of the Borough’s health, sport and leisure facilities, including their use of and engagement with taster events.

11)Subject to the outcome of Recommendation 10 above, ask officers to undertake feasibility work on whether further discounted rates or incentives could be put in place to increase access to sporting and leisure facilities for LAC and report findings back to the Cabinet for consideration.

12)Subject to the budget planning process, ask officers to investigate the viability of providing regular consultation and social events for LAC to offer them further opportunities to socialise and share experiences.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet considered the Children, Young People & Learning Policy Overview Committee’s review into strengthening the Council’s role as a Corporate Parent and the recommendations contained therein.

Cabinet felt that addressing the needs of Looked After Children, to whom Members act as “corporate parents”, was of paramount importance and agreed a number of recommendations aimed at improving the lives of Looked After Children and Young People, including when they leave care.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided to reject some or all of the Committee’s recommendations.

Officers to action:

Merlin Joseph, Children and Young People’s Services

Steven Maiden, Administration Directorate

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Approves the attached scrap metal dealers guidance;

2. Approves the attached schedule of fees in respect of scrap metal dealers licences and;

3. Requests that the Chairman of the Executive Scrutiny Committee waives the scrutiny call-in on the recommendations to ensure the swift implementation of the guidance and fees before the commencement of the Act.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet received an update on the implementation of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 and approved the necessary guidance and fee schedule.

It was noted that the new legislation would come into force on 1st December 2013 and by requesting the waiving of the scrutiny call-in period, the decision could take immediate effect, giving additional time to make applicants aware of the new fees prior to the Act coming into force.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None, as this was a statutory requirement.

Officer to action:

Stephanie Waterford, Residents Services

Urgency

This decision was taken under urgency procedures and notice of this was given in accordance with The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1.      Note the forecast budget position for revenue and capital as at Month 6.

2.      Note the treasury management update for Month 6 at Appendix E.

3.      Continue the delegated authority up until the 19 December 2013 Cabinet meeting to the Chief Executive to approve any consultancy and agency assignments over £50k, with final sign-off of any assignments made by the Leader of the Council. Cabinet are also asked to note those consultancy and agency assignments over £50k approved under delegated authority between the 24 October and 21 November 2013 Cabinet meetings, detailed at Appendix F.

4.      Approve the addition of £312k transitional funding to Finance budgets in 2013/14 to manage one-off costs associated with Welfare Reform and the introduction of a Local Council Tax Support Scheme.

5.      Cabinet agrees to vary the existing Knowles contract to a value of £300,000 for preparing and conducting the arbitration in relation to Triscott House.

6.      Cabinet agrees to enter into a contract with the Arbitrator, Mr Matt Malloy, with a liability of fees approved up to £75,000.

7. Further to the decision of the 26^th September authorising the use of Trickle Transfer funds held by Paradigm Housing Group, agree to:

a)     Progress the purchase of up to 60 properties by Paradigm Housing Group, funded from Trickle Transfer funding as set out in the supporting information, delegating all the necessary decisions to finalise and implement the programme to the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Residents Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services and;

b)  Paradigm Housing Group be asked to procure 44 units of Private Sector Leased (PSL) property which will be funded via the Trickle Transfer funding as set out in the supporting information, and to which the Council will have 100% nomination rights over the lease period.

8. Agree the temporary transfer of up to a further 50 HRA properties to the general fund on a short-term licensed basis, and for these to be let as temporary accommodation in order to move on families who are currently placed in higher-cost and/or unsuitable Bed & Breakfast accommodation, or other forms of temporary accommodation;

9. Agree in principle to establish an in-house Private Sector Leasing scheme and delegate all necessary decisions to progress this to the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Residents Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services, with details of the final scheme being reported back to Cabinet for ratification.

10. Authorise officers to recommend variations to the existing Private Sector Renewal Grant policy, in respect of individual empty properties that can add to the supply of Temporary Accommodation, on a case-by-case basis. Any variation to be agreed by the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property & Business Services in conjunction with the capital release process. 

11. Further to the decision agreed by Cabinet in September to explore the use of HRA receipts for the procurement of additional properties, agree in principle to establish an ex-Council property buy back scheme with details of the scheme and its implementation reported back to Cabinet for future decision.

12. Authorise a grant of £100k from the HS2 contingency fund to the HS2 Action Alliance, in support of Hillingdon Council’s, the local community and the wider campaign’s objectives.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet was informed of the latest forecast revenue, capital and treasury position for the current year 2013/14 to ensure the Council achieved its budgetary and service objectives. Cabinet made a wide range of further decisions, including increase support for welfare reform and some contractual decisions in relation to Triscott House.

Additional recommendations were approved by Cabinet moving forward a number of important housing initiatives and opportunities reporting back to Cabinet where required, along with an external grant to support the Council and local community’s campaign against High Speed 2 at a national level.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

Officer to action:

Paul Whaymand, Finance Directorate

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet note the progress made with Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the Primary School Expansion Programme.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet received its monthly update on London’s largest school building programme, aimed at ensuring that every child in the London Borough of Hillingdon would have a quality place at a local school.

It was noted that there had been an unprecedented increase in the number of new families moving into the Borough; almost a four-fold increase compared to the same time last year and that officers were closely monitoring the situation.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

Officer to action:

David Murnaghan – Residents Services

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Declare the land at Fassnidge North depot surplus to requirements;
2. Authorise the submission of a planning application for residential development;
3. Authorise the sale of the site on the open market and;
4. Delegate authority on all future decisions relating to the site to the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services, in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Residents Services.

Reasons for decision

In order to optimise the use of property assets for the relocation to the Harlington Road depot, Cabinet agreed the disposal of the Fassnidge North depot site and its sale, as offering the best consideration. 

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet considered a number of development options.

Officer to action:

Marcia Gillings, Residents Services

Exempt Information

This report was included in Part II as it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it (exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 as amended.

No additional items were considered by the Cabinet.

The meeting closed at 7.24pm

* IMPORTANT INFORMATION

DECISION AUTHORITY

Meeting after Cabinet, the Executive Scrutiny Committee did not call-in any of the Cabinet’s decisions.

The decisions of the Cabinet will therefore come into effect from 5pm, Friday 29 November 2013, with the exception of those on Item 6 (minute 871) which come into immediate effect following agreement by the Chairman of the Executive Scrutiny Committee to waive the call-in period.