No Declarations of Pecuniary Interest were made

No Apologies for absence were recieved

The minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 29 June 2015 were approved as a correct record

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.          considers and endorses the report arising from the scrutiny review of online strategies in schools, attached at Appendix 1.

2.          agrees to submit an Executive Response and Action Plan to the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel, at their meeting in November 2015, outlining their response to the report and decisions taken regarding the recommendations made, including actions to implement the agreed recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Education presented the report of the online Strategies in Schools Task Group. He thanked Councillor Katy Neep, Chair of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel for the report which presented the findings and recommendations from the scrutiny review which considered online strategies in schools and how to mitigate e-safety risks.  Cabinet members agreed that the online safety of children was of great concern and noted that the report contained 12 recommendations, including the following that would involve the council; ensuring all schools have an e-safety strategy, raising awareness of e-safety issues, using volunteers in libraries to raise awareness amongst parents and young people, identifying schools that are exemplars of good practice and encouraging all schools to undertake the council’s e-safety audit.

Cabinet noted a small typing error in Recommendation A. and considered an updated version of this recommendation

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.    considers and endorses the report arising from the scrutiny review of online strategies in schools, attached at Appendix 1.

2.    agrees to submit an Executive Response and Action Plan to the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel, at their meeting in November 2015, outlining their response to the report and decisions taken regarding the recommendations made, including actions to implement the agreed recommendations.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.          notes the progress made so far in moving to a commissioning model for adult education and the recent Skills Funding Agency announcement of further in year budget cuts

2.          agrees to the procurement exercise commencing as outlined in this paper

3.          agrees that the Whatley Avenue site is not made available as part of the procurement process for the newly commissioned adult education service

4.          agrees that the Integrated Property Team (IPT) looks at alternative uses for the site.

The Cabinet Member for Education presented the report on Adult Education Commissioning and reminded Members of the reduced funding and budget cuts  that led to the decision to move to a commissioning model for adult education.  The report outlined the results of the soft market testing that confirmed that there was market for the council to commission adult education services and that formal procurement that combined small lots and a larger lot was reasonable and would increase flexibility in where services were provided.

Members noted that the report detailed the options for the Whately Avenue site, and that the results of the soft market testing suggested that potential providers did not see the unavailability of the site as a barrier to bidding. The report also detailed the financial risks in including the site in the tendering process.

The Cabinet Member for Education and the Director for Community and Housing both stated that the pre-decision scrutiny on this subject had been valuable.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.    notes the progress made so far in moving to a commissioning model for adult education and the recent Skills Funding Agency announcement of further in year budget cuts

2.    agrees to the procurement exercise commencing as outlined in this paper

3.    agrees that the Whatley Avenue site is not made available as part of the procurement process for the newly commissioned adult education service

4.    agrees that the Integrated Property Team (IPT) looks at alternative uses for the site.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet consider the following recommendations made by the Sustainable Communities O&S Panel, at their meeting on 2^nd September 2015, further to considering the Adult Education Commissioning Update:

1.          That Cabinet consider providing more detail (at paragraph 2.13 in the report) to explain that expressions of interest from providers in the Whatley Avenue site require further consideration, particularly regarding the scale of providers and curriculum offer, along with the costs of managing the site.

2.          That Cabinet consider all options including maintaining the Whately Avenue site.

3.          That Cabinet ensure that the user group be appropriately consulted during the commissioning process.

The Cabinet Member for Education presented the report that detailed the recommendations of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee further to undertaking pre decision scrutiny of the Adult Education Commissioning Update. He thanked the Committee for their valuable work.

In accepting the following recommendations Cabinet noted that the decision to not include the Whately Avenue site in future options had been taken in the previous item.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet consider the following recommendations made by the Sustainable Communities O&S Panel, at their meeting on 2nd September 2015, further to considering the Adult Education Commissioning Update:

1.      That Cabinet consider providing more detail (at paragraph 2.13 in the report) to explain that expressions of interest from providers in the Whatley Avenue site require further consideration, particularly regarding the scale of providers and curriculum offer, along with the costs of managing the site.

2.      That Cabinet consider all options including maintaining the Whately Avenue site.

3.      That Cabinet ensure that the user group be appropriately consulted during the commissioning process.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.          notes the rolled forward MTFS for 2016 - 20.

2.          confirms the latest position with regards to savings already in the MTFS.

3.          agrees the approach to setting a balanced budget using weighted controllable expenditure for each department as the basis for the setting of targets

4.          agrees the proposed departmental targets to be met from savings and income.

5.          agrees the timetable for the Business Plan 2016-20 including the revenue budget 2016/17, the MTFS 2016-20 and the Capital Programme for 2016-20.

6.          notes the process for the Service Plan 2016-20 and the progress made so far.

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented the Business Plan 2016-2020 report to the Cabinet.  He asked Cabinet to note that more than £22.5 million of savings will be required and that this will be a challenge.  The report detailed departmental savings, which were to be applied using a weighting system in order to protect front line services and services to  the vulnerable.  The Director of Corporate Services asked the Cabinet to note that the detail of the Governments Comprehensive Spending Review would not be available until later in year, and so at this time, assumptions had been made in funding cuts.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.    notes the rolled forward MTFS for 2016 - 20.

2.    confirms the latest position with regards to savings already in the MTFS.

3.    agrees the approach to setting a balanced budget using weighted controllable expenditure for each department as the basis for the setting of targets

4.    agrees the proposed departmental targets to be met from savings and income.

5.    agrees the timetable for the Business Plan 2016-20 including the revenue budget 2016/17, the MTFS 2016-20 and the Capital Programme for 2016-20.

6.    notes the process for the Service Plan 2016-20 and the progress made so far.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.          notes the financial reporting data relating to revenue budgetary control, showing a forecast net underspend at year end of £0.47million, 0.3% of the net budget.

2.          notes the following capital adjustments:

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented the report which provided the regular monthly financial monitoring update for June 2015.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1.    notes the financial reporting data relating to revenue budgetary control, showing a forecast net underspend at year end of £0.47million, 0.3% of the net budget.

2.    notes the following capital adjustments:

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    note the financial reporting data relating to revenue budgetary control, showing a forecast net overspend at year end of £3.5million, 2.3% of the net budget.

2.    approve the virement of £119k from the corporate contingency to Children, Schools and Families for the first quarter costs of additional social worker capacity.

3.    approve the adjustments to the capital programme detailed in appendix 5b

4.    approve the following adjustments to the Capital Programme:

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented the report which provided the regular monthly financial monitoring update for July 2015, and showed a forecast net overspend at year end of £3.5 million, 2.3% of the net budget.  The Director of Corporate Services explained that the overspend was being monitored closely.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    note the financial reporting data relating to revenue budgetary control, showing a forecast net overspend at year end of £3.5million, 2.3% of the net budget.

2.    approve the virement of £119k from the corporate contingency to Children, Schools and Families for the first quarter costs of additional social worker capacity.

3.    approve the adjustments to the capital programme detailed in appendix 5b

4.    approve the following adjustments to the Capital Programme:

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.     notes arrangements for the transfer of commissioning responsibility for Healthy Child 0-5 Services to the London Borough of Merton.

2.     authorise the novation of the contract for Healthy Child 0-5 Services from NHS England to the London Borough of Merton on 1 October 2015.

3.     authorise the delegation to the Director of Public Health authority to enter into all documents necessary to effect the legal receipt of this commissioning responsibility, including the deed of novation.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health presented the report which outlined the arrangements for the transfer of  commissioning responsibility for Healthy Child 0-5 services from NHS England to Public Health LBM.  From October 2015 to March 2016 this service will be provided by the Royal Marsden Hospital, additional funding from NHS England has been secured for this. The new service contract will commence. from 1 April 2016

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    notes arrangements for the transfer of commissioning responsibility for Healthy Child 0-5 Services to the London Borough of Merton.

2.    authorise the novation of the contract for Healthy Child 0-5 Services from NHS England to the London Borough of Merton on 1 October 2015.

3.    authorise the delegation to the Director of Public Health authority to enter into all documents necessary to effect the legal receipt of this commissioning responsibility, including the deed of novation.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet agree the new Terms of Reference for Merton Health and Wellbeing Board and that these be included within the Council’s Constitution

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health presented the report on the updated Terms of Reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board, and detailed one of the changes  - the new role of Vice Chair which will be taken by the Chair of the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group)

RESOLVED

That Cabinet agree the new Terms of Reference for Merton Health and Wellbeing Board and that these be included within the Council’s Constitution

To RESOLVE that the public are excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following report(s) on the grounds that it is (they are) exempt from disclosure for the reasons stated in the report(s).

RESOLVED

That the public are excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following reports on the grounds that they are exempt from disclosure for the reasons stated in the reports.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet awards a building Fabric Maintenance term contract to Tenderer B for a 3 year period from 1^st  December 2015 to 30^th November 2018 with an option to extend for a further 2 years on a 1+1 basis at the discretion of the employer.

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented the report on the award of the Building Fabric Maintenance Repair Term Contract

RESOLVED

That Cabinet awards a building Fabric Maintenance term contract to Tenderer B for a 3 year period from 1^st  December 2015 to 30^th November 2018 with an option to extend for a further 2 years on a 1+1 basis at the discretion of the employer.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet approves the recommendation to award the contract for Lot 1 for the provision of Public Health Community Health Services jointly with Merton Clinical Commissioning Group  (as detailed in Appendix 1, this being subject to approval by Merton CCG Governing Body on 24 September).

The Director for Community and Housing and the Director of Public Health presented the report on Community Health Service Procurement

RESOLVED

That Cabinet approves the recommendation to award the contract for Lot 1 for the provision of Public Health Community Health Services jointly with Merton Clinical Commissioning Group  (as detailed in Appendix 1, this being subject to approval by Merton CCG Governing Body on 24 September).

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.     agrees in principle to a 10 year arrangement with one and/or both of the preferred contractors to the valued, detailed within the report for the accommodation at Hall Place.

2.     delegates to the Director of Community & Housing and the Cabinet Member for Community and Culture the best way to secure this arrangement

3.     agrees to an exemption from Contract Standing Order 22.1 (Contracts valued at or greater than the EU Threshold) under the provisions of Contract Standing Order 19 (Emergency Procurement) to enable the Council to enter into an arrangement(s) to secure the accommodation at Hall Place.

The Cabinet Member for Community and Culture presented the report on the award of a contract for temporary accommodation services.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    agrees in principle to a 10 year arrangement with one and/or both of the preferred contractors to the value, detailed within the report, for the accommodation at Hall Place.

2.    delegates to the Director of Community & Housing and the Cabinet Member for Community & Culture the best way to secure this arrangement.

3.    agrees to an exemption from Contract Standing Order 22.1 (Contracts valued at or greater than the EU Threshold) under the provisions of Contract Standing Order 19 (Emergency Procurement) to enable the Council to enter into an arrangement(s) to secure the accommodation at Hall Place.