Agenda, decisions and minutes

To note any apologies for absence.

See above.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2022 (minutes attached).

The minutes of the meeting on 26 January 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

To  declare any pecuniary or personal interests relating to specific matters on the agenda.

Please see information note (1) at the end of the agenda

No declarations were made at the meeting.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Written questions

To answer any written questions from a County Councillor, (or any person living or working in the county, or is affected by the work of the County Council), about any matter which relates to any item on the agenda for this meeting.

The closing date for the receipt of written questions is 4.00 pm on Thursday  17 February 2022.

Please submit any questions to stephen.bace@gloucestershire.gov.uk

A written answer will be provided for each written question received (to be presented to the questioner and to Cabinet (in advance of the meeting). The questions and answers will be taken as read and will not be read out at the meeting. At the discretion of the Leader of Council, each questioner ( in attendance at the meeting) will be allowed to ask one supplementary question (in response to the answer given to the original question).

A copy of all written questions and written answers circulated at the meeting will be attached to the signed copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Urgent questions

An urgent written question may be asked by a member of the public about any item on the Cabinet agenda for that meeting which the Chairperson considers could not have been reasonably submitted by the deadline for the receipt of written questions, provided he or she gives notice of the question to the Chief Executive by 12 noon the day before the meeting.

A total of 8 member questions were asked at the meeting. No supplementary questions were asked.

Cllr Lynden Stowe provided an update on the year-end forecast for the 2021/22 County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Note the forecast revenue year end position based on January 2022

(Period 10) forecasts for the 2021/22 financial year is an overspend of

£946k all of which relates to non-Covid-19 expenditure, as we are

forecasting a balanced position in relation to Covid-19 expenditure and

income.

2. Note delivery of the £5.717 million of savings against a target of £6.761

million in 2021/22 or 84.6% of target.

3. Note the forecast capital year end position as at the end of December

2021 of £137.910 million against the current budget of £153.404 million.

4. Approve the £1.041 million increase to the capital programme as

outlined in Section C.

Cllr Lynden Stowe provided an update on the year-end forecast for the 2021/22 County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets.

The forecast revenue year end position based on January 2022 (Period 10) forecasts for the 2021/22 financial year was an overspend of £946k all of which is non Covid-19 related.

A balanced position was forecast in relation to Covid-19 expenditure and income.

The largest non-Covid-19 budget variance was the £8.893 million forecast overspend in Children and Families – this overspend was partially offset by the £6.524 million underspend in Technical & Countywide. The overspend in Children and Families reflected the continuing pressure on external placements. Social care staffing and disability services were also over-spending.

Capital –Theforecast outturn position for 2021/22 is £137.910 million, against the budget of £153.404 million, giving a forecast in-year slippage of 15.494 million.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Note the forecast revenue year end position based on January 2022

(Period 10) forecasts for the 2021/22 financial year is an overspend of

£946k all of which relates to non-Covid-19 expenditure, as we are

forecasting a balanced position in relation to Covid-19 expenditure and

income.

2. Note delivery of the £5.717 million of savings against a target of £6.761

million in 2021/22 or 84.6% of target.

3. Note the forecast capital year end position as at the end of December

2021 of £137.910 million against the current budget of £153.404 million.

4. Approve the £1.041 million increase to the capital programme as

outlined in Section C.

Cllr Philip Robinson, on behalf of Cllr Stephen Davies, sought Cabinet permission to invite tenders for new contracts for Children and Family Centres from 1st April 2023 as a starting point in the development of the Family Hub model for children 0-19 (0-25 for SEND) across Gloucestershire.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, to:

a) Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of one or more contracts for the supply of Children and Family Centres that will begin the new Family Hubs model across Gloucestershire. The proposed contracts shall continue for an initial period of 7 years and include an option to extend its/their term for a further period of not more than 2 years;

b) Award such contract(s) to the preferred tenderers.

2. Delegate power to the Assistant Director for AMPS to grant leases for the 16 sites to the preferred tenders as required.

Cllr Philip Robinson, on behalf of Cllr Stephen Davies, sought Cabinet permission to invite tenders for new contracts for Children and Family Centres from 1st April 2023 as a starting point in the development of the Family Hub model for children 0-19 (0-25 for SEND) across Gloucestershire.

This procurement would allow the Council to focus on developing an agreed multiagency vision and principles for Family Hubs, starting with a focus on 0-11 with a view to incremental (age and stage) transition that was aligned with the wider transformation within children’s services and partner agencies.

Recently the Family Hub model had emerged nationally as an effective integrated model which was being encouraged by various policy initiatives

This would provide a different balance been universal and targeted services and was the first year of a three year incremental approach.

Members noted the equality impact assessment provided alongside the report.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, to:

a) Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of one or more contracts for the supply of Children and Family Centres that will begin the new Family Hubs model across Gloucestershire. The proposed contracts shall continue for an initial period of 7 years and include an option to extend its/their term for a further period of not more than 2 years;

b) Award such contract(s) to the preferred tenderers.

2. Delegate power to the Assistant Director for AMPS to grant leases for the 16 sites to the preferred tenders as required.

Cllr Tim Harman, on behalf of Cllr Stephen Davies, sought Cabinet approval to exercise an option to extend the term of the council’s existing Gloucestershire Welfare Support contract for a period of 2 years (2022/23 & 2023/24), following the expiry of its initial 3 year term.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Approve the exercise of a 2 year extension option (commencing 01/04/2022) under a contract with Auriga Services Ltd for the provision of Local Welfare Support services in respect of the Gloucestershire Welfare Support Scheme for eligible adults, families and young people that was awarded pursuant to a decision by Cabinet dated 18/07/2018.

Cllr Tim Harman, on behalf of Cllr Stephen Davies, sought Cabinet approval to exercise an option to extend the term of the council’s existing Gloucestershire Welfare Support contract for a period of 2 years (2022/23 & 2023/24), following the expiry of its initial 3 year term.  He outlined the background within the report and the options that had been available. Option one to continue with the contract had been put forward.

Applications to the Gloucestershire Welfare Support Scheme could broadly be categorised into two:

·         Crisis awards: awards which helped alleviate extreme pressure on the health/safety of an individual or family

·         Care awards: awards that helped people moving back into the community to settle i.e. Care leavers, homeless individuals

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Approve the exercise of a 2 year extension option (commencing 01/04/2022) under a contract with Auriga Services Ltd for the provision of Local Welfare Support services in respect of the Gloucestershire Welfare Support Scheme for eligible adults, families and young people that was awarded pursuant to a decision by Cabinet dated 18/07/2018.

Cllr Carole Allaway-Martin and Cllr Kathy Williams, sought Cabinet permission to invite tenders for new contract(s) for Children’s and Adults advocacy services from 30th September 2022 and to award such contract(s). The proposed model provides for a contract divided into the following 2 lots:

Lot 1. Independent Advocacy Health and Social Care for Adults.

Lot 2. Independent Advocacy for Children and Young People.

This would allow an alignment of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults, Children and Young people to meet the Council’s statutory duties laid down in the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Act 2005, the Care Act 2014 and the Children Act 1989, in addition to the Human Rights Act of 1998.

This aligned contract(s)for the duration of the term and saved resources for Commissioning and support services in a joint procurement exercise. In addition, it had the potential to gain more interest in the marketplace.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Delegate  authority to the Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Public Health in consultation with the Executive Director of Children’s Services, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Delivery and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years to:

1. Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of the following two lots:

a) Lot 1: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults; and

b) Lot 2: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Children and Young people.Such lots may be awarded to the same tenderer or awarded to twoseparate tenderers. The contract(s) shall continue for an initial periodof five years and include an option to extend their terms for a furtherperiod of not more two years.

2. Reserve the council a right under the above-mentioned contract (Lot 1) insofar as it relates to Independent Advocacy Services for Adults to modify its provisions following the introduction of anticipated legislative changes Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Liberty Protection Safeguards, changes arising from the Mental Health White Paper and the expectation of increased demand for advocacy for self-funded clients. It is anticipated that such changes will result in increased requirement to commission additional volume of existing statutory advocacy for adults (up to an additional 50%), depending on yet to be released Government guidance.

3. Award such contract(s) to the preferred tenderer(s) for the specified period of five years.

4. Determine whether to exercise the option to extend the term of the contract(s) for a further period of not more than 2 years on the expiry of the initial 5-year term.

Cllr Carole Allaway-Martin and Cllr Kathy Williams, sought Cabinet permission to invite tenders for new contract(s) for Children’s and Adults advocacy services from 30th September 2022 and to award such contract(s). The proposed model provides for a contract divided into the following 2 lots:

Lot 1. Independent Advocacy Health and Social Care for Adults.

Lot 2. Independent Advocacy for Children and Young People.

This would allow an alignment of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults, Children and Young people to meet the Council’s statutory duties laid down in the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Act 2005, the Care Act 2014 and the Children Act 1989, in addition to the Human Rights Act of 1998.

This aligned contract(s)for the duration of the term and saved resources for Commissioning and support services in a joint procurement exercise. In addition, it had the potential to gain more interest in the marketplace.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Public Health in consultation with the Executive Director of Children’s Services, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Delivery and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years to:

1. Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of the following two lots:

a) Lot 1: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults; and

b) Lot 2: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Children and Young people. Such lots may be awarded to the same tenderer or awarded to two separate tenderers. The contract(s) shall continue for an initial period of five years and include an option to extend their terms for a further period of not more two years.

2. Reserve the council a right under the above-mentioned contract (Lot 1) insofar as it relates to Independent Advocacy Services for Adults to modify its provisions following the introduction of anticipated legislative changes Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Liberty Protection Safeguards, changes arising from the Mental Health White Paper and the expectation of increased demand for advocacy for self-funded clients. It is anticipated that such changes will result in increased requirement to commission additional volume of existing statutory advocacy for adults (up to an additional 50%), depending on yet to be released Government guidance.

3. Award such contract(s) to the preferred tenderer(s) for the specified period of five years.

4. Determine whether to exercise the option to extend the term of the contract(s) for a further period of not more than 2 years on the expiry of the initial 5-year term.

Cllr Philip Robinson, on behalf of Cllr Stephen Davies, sought Cabinet approval for the commissioning of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Approve the allocation of £239,232 from the £1,594,880 received by the council from the Department for Education (“DfE”) pursuant to a Section 31 Grant Determination for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) 2022 -2023 (No: 31/5854) (referred to in these Recommendations as the “HAF 2022 -2023 Funding”) for the provision the Holiday Activity and Food Programme during the Easter School holiday period (11th – 14th April 2022) as follows:

1.1 £187,674 shall be apportioned between the six Gloucestershire districts based upon the number of children and young people who are eligible to receive Free School Meals (“FSM”) in the relevant district as set out in Annex One. £36,230 from such sum shall be provided as grants to district lead organisations for the purpose of developing the delivery of the Holiday Activity and Food Programme in their district. £151,444 shall be allocated to a grants pot that will be used by local public, private and voluntary sector organisations to deliver enriching activities and food to children and young people who are eligible to receive FSM.

1.2 The remaining £51,558 shall be allocated to funding the delivery of the HAF programme during the Easter Holiday period 11th April to 14th April 2022, by funding activities to meet the requirements of the programme and with a view to providing nutritional education, family support, tickets for local attractions, activity packs and other such items in line with the funding guidance from the DFE. The opportunity to receive such grants will be advertised and made available by way of an online grant application and due diligence process using the council’s online procurement system and local voluntary and public sector networks.

2. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning to award the grants and funding described in Recommendations 1.1 and 1.2 above.

3. Approve the allocation of £159,488 (i.e., 10% of the £1,594,880 HAF 2022 -2023 Funding) to support the council’s administration costs in relation to the delivery of the Holiday Activity and Food Programme across Gloucestershire during the period 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.

4. Delegate Authority to Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years to:

4.1 Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of a multisupplier three year (2022 – 2025) Modified Framework Agreement under which public, voluntary and private sector organisations shall be engaged by the council (subject to receipt by it of additional DfE funding) to co-ordinate the council’s future HAF programmes, comprising the provision of holiday activities, food ; family support; nutritional education, and such other related deliverables as may be required during school holidays (referred to in these Recommendations as the “HAF Deliverables”). Such Modified Framework Agreement  ...  view the full decision text for item 9.

Cllr Philip Robinson, on behalf of Cllr Stephen Davies, sought Cabinet approval for the commissioning of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

The Council had received the grant determination letter in December 2021 confirming the allocation of £1,594,880 for delivery of the HAF during 2022- 2023 and would do annually for each year of the programme. The new national programme consisted of six weeks, for four days a week of services spread out over the main school holidays, (one week at Easter, four weeks during the summer and a final week during the Christmas school holidays).

During 2021, the Council had worked with District Lead Organisations and local providers successfully delivering the Holiday Activities and Food programme. The Programme reduced holiday loneliness, hunger, and the loss of education. With over 140 activity providers, children, and young people across Gloucestershire, kept active and engaged and had access to healthy food, during the school holidays.  The programme reached, 37% of children and young people eligible for Free School Meals at Easter, 57% in the summer school holidays and 49% during the winter school holidays. 

The Council therefore intended to commission the Holiday Activity and Food Programme in Gloucestershire and meet DFE requirements in 2022 – 2023 and beyond subject to future funding being available using the following approach:

·         To allocate grants to six District lead organisations and local providers for Easter 2022

·         establish a modified framework for commissioning of the Holiday Activity and Food Programme in Gloucestershire summer 2022 onwards and award call-off contracts thereunder

·         To allocate funding to meet the requirements of the HAF programme

·         To allocate 10% of the budget to cover the administration of the programme.

This would ensure that the Easter 2022 HAF Programme was commissioned within tight timescales.  This created a three-year modified framework to enable the commissioning of HAF related activities from six district lead organisations and provided the Council with the flexibility to secure the participation of a wide range of local providers, based in communities across Gloucestershire, ensuring that they met the requirements of the HAF programme. This approach ensured the Council had the flexibility to fund activities to the meet the requirements of the HAF programme.

Members commented that they were pleased to see the scheme continue in the future. One member commented on the management of 140 activities and asked whether there was an opportunity for the Council to seek benefits of scale by reducing the numbers of providers. In response it was explained that this was a good point, but that the programme was affectively managed by the six districts.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Approve the allocation of £239,232 from the £1,594,880 received by the council from the Department for Education (“DfE”) pursuant to a Section 31 Grant Determination for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) 2022 -2023 (No: 31/5854) (referred to in these Recommendations as the “HAF 2022 -2023 Funding”) for the provision the Holiday Activity and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.