Agenda, decisions and minutes

To note any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Lynden Stowe, (Cabinet Member: Economy, Skills and Growth).  

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2017 (minutes attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2017 were agreed and signed as a correct record of that meeting.

Cabinet members are invited to declare any pecuniary or personal interests relating to specific matters on the agenda.

Please see note (a) at the end of the agenda

No declarations of interest 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 13 July 2017.

Oral questions

To answer any oral questions from members of the public. An oral question may be asked by a member of the public about any item on the agenda for this meeting, provided notice of the question is given by the questioner to the Chief Executive’s representative, at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.

Depending on the nature of the questions, it may not be possible to provide a comprehensive answer at the meeting, in which case a written answer will be provided as soon as reasonably possible after the meeting. Questions received and proposed responses do not accompany this agenda but will be circulated prior to the meeting.

Public Questions

No public questions were submitted for consideration.

Member Questions

A total of 3 member questions were submitted in advance of the meeting.

Please refer to the following link to view the responses to the questions

http://192.168.220.171:9071/documents/b13414/Cabinet%20Questions%20and%20Answers%20Wednesday%2019-Jul-2017%2010.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=9

If you are unable to access the document at the above link, please go to the link below and select the ‘Cabinet Questions and Answers’ PDF document at the top of the web page.

http://192.168.220.171:9071/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=117&MId=8409&Ver=4

The following supplementary questions were asked at the meeting.

Questions 1 and 2: Cllr Lesley Williams

Agenda Item 8: Tender and Award of Transport Contracts under the new Dynamic Purchasing System for Transport (Pages 53 to 55 of the agenda)

Expressing concern about the style of language used within the report, Cllr Williams requested that the cabinet member consider reviewing the way in which reports were written, with a particular focus on the use of ‘Plain English’. Cllr Williams asked ‘how could the council expect members of the public to have an interest in council matters, when the means of communication it used prevent us from reaching them’?.

Response by: Cllr Nigel Moor (Cabinet Member: Fire, Planning and Infrastructure)

Cllr Moor acknowledged Cllr Williams’ concerns and gave an explanation of the terminology used within the report. Cllr Moor explained that, references to ‘Dynamic Purchasing System’ was an over-riding legislative term. As a moving process, this particular model was considered to be advantageous in maximising the number of bidders. To aid communication, Cllr Moor agreed to ‘tease out’ the meaning of some of the more technical terminology referred to in future reports.

To give an update on the year-end forecast for the County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets 2017/18.

Cllr Ray Theodoulou: Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, gave an update on the year-end forecast for the council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets 2017/18.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of May 2017 for the 2017/18 financial year of a net £0.193 million overspend.

2.    Approve the additional £10.598 million one off BCF grant with delegated authority to the Commissioning Director for Adults in consultation with the Cabinet Member-Vulnerable Adults and Commissioning, Cabinet Member- Adult Social Care, Cabinet Member- Finance and Change and the Health and Wellbeing Board, as is the requirement of all other Better Care Funding, to work up the detailed plan.

3.    Approve the draw down of £3.05 million from the Vulnerable Children’s reserve to offset the overspend within the vulnerable children’s service area. This is due to the increased numbers of children in care.

4.     Agree the following revenue contributions to capital of:

4.1 £0.005 million from Strategy and Challenge revenue budgets    towards a Freedom of Information (FOI) database  

4.2 £0.166 million from Highway Commissioning to fund £0.150 million of safety fencing and £0.016 million of minor capital works

4.3 £0.062 million from flood alleviation revenue to fund capital schemes at Slimbridge and Ruskin Hill.

5.    Note the capital year end position for 2017/18 of a £1.894 million overspend against the original budget – this overspend is due to planned works against confirmed grant funding not yet added to the re-profiled budget.

6.    Approve £1 million of funding as part of the £150 million manifesto pledge to invest in Highways, which will be made up of £0.750 million capital expenditure funded from capital receipts and £0.25 million of revenue expenditure to be funded from the Transformation reserve.  

7.    Approve the following changes to the Capital Programme totalling £10.497 million.

7.1 A new Disabled Facilities Grant scheme is added to the 2017/18 capital programme, with a budget of £5.135 million financed from Department of Health Grant.

7.2 Increase of £4.325 million in the Highway capital budget funded by the DfT National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) Grant of £3.26 million, additional DfT Incentive Grant of £0.038 million, £0.798 million of external contributions and £0.229 million of revenue contributions to help fund a variety of highway schemes. 

7.3 An increase of £0.005 million in the Business Support capital budget. This increase will be funded by an RCCO from Information Management for the FOI database.

7.4 A new £0.220 million scheme in the Libraries capital programme, funded by the £0.220 million GFirst Grant.

7.5 A new £0.062 million scheme in the Safety capital programme, funded by a £0.062 million grant from the Home Office.

7.6 Increase of £0.750 million as highlighted in recommendation 6 above.

Cllr Ray Theodoulou: Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, gave an update on the year-end forecast for the council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets 2017/18. The update was based on the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of May 2017.

Cllr Theodoulou reported a forecast year end position with a £0.193 million overspend. As an early forecast, this current ‘best placed’ position was achieved from using council reserves and grant funding, including an additional £10.598 million one off Better Care Fund Grant. Members noted, this position could change over time.

Cllr Theodoulou informed members that the drawing down of reserves demonstrated the pressures placed on the council when delivering demand led council services, in particular, Adult Social Care and Children’s services. He stated that the Adult Social Care Budget was dependent on making substantial savings and that the recent Ofsted Inspection Report, (Children’s Services), had placed considerable pressure on the council.

Clarifying that the number of children living in care in Gloucestershire had increased, Cllr Theodoulou stated that the current issue was not only a county issue, but a national issue. Financial pressures on the Children and Families Budget for Gloucestershire were offset by positive variances within corporate budgets.

Referring to the capital budget, Cllr Theodoulou confirmed a budget of £111.556 million for 2017/18. The forecast spend for 2017/18 was forecast at £113.449 million, with the accumulative actual spend in June, reported as £11.143 million.

Cabinet Members Cllr Vernon Smith and Nigel Moor welcomed the increased investment proposed for their respective portfolio area, including the benefits anticipated from such investments. Cllr Smith conveyed particular appreciation for the proposed increase of £4.325 million in the Highway Capital Budget and the added investment in the council’s road investment scheme. 

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of May 2017 for the 2017/18 financial year of a net £0.193 million overspend.

2.    Approve the additional £10.598 million one off BCF grant with delegated authority to the Commissioning Director for Adults in consultation with the Cabinet Member-Vulnerable Adults and Commissioning, Cabinet Member- Adult Social Care, Cabinet Member- Finance and Change and the Health and Wellbeing Board, as is the requirement of all other Better Care Funding, to work up the detailed plan.

3.    Approve the draw down of £3.05 million from the Vulnerable Children’s reserve to offset the overspend within the vulnerable children’s service area. This is due to the increased numbers of children in care.

4.     Agree the following revenue contributions to capital of:

4.1 £0.005 million from Strategy and Challenge revenue budgets    towards a Freedom of Information (FOI) database  

4.2 £0.166 million from Highway Commissioning to fund £0.150 million of safety fencing and £0.016 million of minor capital works

4.3 £0.062 million from flood alleviation revenue to fund capital schemes at Slimbridge and Ruskin Hill.

5.    Note the capital year end position for 2017/18 of a £1.894 million overspend against the original budget – this overspend is due  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To seek approval to exercise an option to extend the term of the current contract for youth support services with the provider known as Prospects Services from 5 years, expiring on 1 April 2018, to 7 years, expiring on 31 March 2020.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, sought to extend the term of the council’s contract for youth support services from 5 years to 7 years.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to authorise: -

(a)  Council officers to exercise an option under the council’s current Youth Support Services Contract with the provider known as Prospects Services to extend its term by two years in accordance with the terms thereof; and

(b)  The Commissioning Director for Children and Families, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Children & Young People, to negotiate, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, the contract price and service levels that will apply throughout the  period of the proposed extension.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, sought to extend the term of the council’s contract for youth support services by two years. Referring to the recent Ofsted Inspection Report, (Children’s Services), the Cabinet Member reported some of the more positive elements of the report and expressed how the report had helped focus minds. 

Commending the performance of the contract with Prospect Services, Cllr Boyles informed members that performance was good, outweighing national averages. The proposed extension would allow the council to review its youth support services without disrupting the good work already in place. No additional work was envisaged.  

The new contract would commence on 1 April 2018, ending on 31 March 2020.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to authorise: -

(a)  Council officers to exercise an option under the council’s current Youth Support Services Contract with the provider known as Prospects Services to extend its term by two years in accordance with the terms thereof; and

(b)  The Commissioning Director for Children and Families, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Children & Young People, to negotiate, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, the contract price and service levels that will apply throughout the  period of the proposed extension.

To seek approval to direct award a number of five year contracts for the delivery of Public Health Enhanced Services (PHES) by GP practices.

Cllr Tim Harman, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, sought to direct award a number of five year contracts for the delivery of Public Health Enhanced Services (PHES) by GP practices, including two mandated Public Health Services, from  2018 – 2023.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to:

Authorise the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, to:

(a)  Directly award contracts to General Practices for the delivery of the Public Health Enhanced Services as set out in this Report with an estimated total value of £7.44m;

(b)  Ensure that each of the contracts:

i.              Is for a maximum term of five years, commencing on the 1st April 2018;

ii.            Comprises an initial fixed term of two years to 31st March 2020, and;

iii.           Contains a contractual right for the Council to terminate each contract on 12 months notice exercisable at any time on or after the 31st March 2020.

Cllr Tim Harman, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, sought to award a number of five year contracts for the delivery of Public Health Enhanced Services (PHES) by General Practices (GPs), including two mandated Public Health Services, from  2018 – 2023.

Thanking former Cabinet Member, Cllr Andrew Gravells, for his earlier work with the portfolio, Cllr Harman referred to a cabinet decision made in September 2016, (extension of public health contracts to March 2018), and informed members that the current proposal sought to award contracts for the provision of four public health enhanced services commissioned under a contract with local GPs. The recommendation to award the contracts to GP’s allowed direct access to patients’ medical records and ensured public health services are accessible countywide.

Following a review of public health services, the current proposal sought to award contracts for a five year period, commencing April 2018.

Cllr Harman confirmed that a Due Regard Statement had been published with the agenda, focussing on the equality considerations within the recommendations. 

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to:

Authorise the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, to:

(a)  Directly award contracts to General Practices for the delivery of the Public Health Enhanced Services as set out in this Report with an estimated total value of £7.44m;

(b)  Ensure that each of the contracts:

i.              Is for a maximum term of five years, commencing on the 1st April 2018;

ii.            Comprises an initial fixed term of two years to 31st March 2020, and;

iii.           Contains a contractual right for the Council to terminate each contract on 12 months notice exercisable at any time on or after the 31st March 2020.

To seek approval to use the Transport Services Dynamic Purchasing System (TSDPS) to procure and award local bus passenger transport contracts. 

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought approval to use the Transport Services Dynamic Purchasing System to procure and award local bus passenger transport contracts.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to:  

Delegate authority to the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to:

1)    Use the Transport Services Dynamic Purchasing System (TSDPS) in accordance with its terms to undertake in each case a legally compliant procurement processes to procure contracts for the provision of each of the local bus services set out in Table 1.

2)    Upon the conclusion of each process under Recommendation 1 above to award a contract to the preferred provider in each case evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of the services in accordance with the TSDPS requirements. In the event that a preferred provider for a contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into a contract with the Council then the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing, highest placed, suitably qualified provider.

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, explained that this was an annual report, presented to Cabinet to seek approval to use the Transport Services Dynamic Purchasing System to procure and award bus passenger contracts in accordance with a decision taken in February 2016. The contracts relating to this decision are listed at Table 10 of the report.

Cllr Moor confirmed that the majority of contracts involved school provision, including provision of a new route from Cheltenham to Evesham. 

The contracts are for an initial term of 5 years, with an option to extend for a further 2 years.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to: 

Delegate authority to the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to:

1)    Use the Transport Services Dynamic Purchasing System (TSDPS) in accordance with its terms to undertake in each case a legally compliant procurement processes to procure contracts for the provision of each of the local bus services set out in Table 1.

2)    Upon the conclusion of each process under Recommendation 1 above to award a contract to the preferred provider in each case evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of the services in accordance with the TSDPS requirements. In the event that a preferred provider for a contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into a contract with the Council then the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing, highest placed, suitably qualified provider.

To seek approval to conduct an EU compliant procurement process to award a contract for an adult social care case management system that can be fully integrated with the council’s adult social care finance module and children’s social care case management and education systems. To award a contract for the support and maintenance of the solution above.

Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Adults and Commissioning, sought to conduct an EU compliant procurement process from which to award a contract for an adult social care case management system, plus a contract for the support and maintenance of the system.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to authorise the Commissioning Director (Adults & DASS) to:

1)        

a) Conduct an EU compliant procurement process to award a contract for an Adult Social Care case management solution.  The contract will be for a term of 7 years (5 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years).

b) Upon conclusion of the procurement process to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the best fit to Council system requirements and best value for money. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council then the Commissioning Director (Adults & DASS) is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing highest placed suitably qualified provider.

2)        

a) Conduct an EU compliant procurement process for the maintenance and support of the Adult Social Care case management solution referred to in Recommendation 1a, for a term of 7 years (5 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years).

b) Upon conclusion of the procurement process to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the best fit to Council system requirements and best value for money. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council then the Commissioning Director (Adults & DASS) is authorised to enter into such contract with the next highest scoring suitably qualified provider.

Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Adults and Commissioning, sought approval to conduct an EU compliant procurement process from which to award a contract for an adult social care case management system and a contract to support and maintain the system.

The procurement process to consider awarding a contract for a case management solution that fully integrated with the council’s new Adult Social Care finance module, children’s social care and education systems. This would enable officers and partner organisations to deliver ‘cradle to grave’ social care requirements.

Cllr Wilson explained that, until recently, the council had relied on an in-house, bespoke computer system, (ERIC), for the delivery and management of social care provision for adults in Gloucestershire. Members welcomed the decision to replace the system, which they agreed, was long overdue.

The procurement and implementation of the case management system to be funded from the Department of Health Community Capacity Grant. 

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to authorise the Commissioning Director (Adults & DASS) to:

1)        

a) Conduct an EU compliant procurement process to award a contract for an Adult Social Care case management solution.  The contract will be for a term of 7 years (5 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years).

b) Upon conclusion of the procurement process to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the best fit to Council system requirements and best value for money. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council then the Commissioning Director (Adults & DASS) is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing highest placed suitably qualified provider.

2)        

a) Conduct an EU compliant procurement process for the maintenance and support of the Adult Social Care case management solution referred to in Recommendation 1a, for a term of 7 years (5 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years).

b) Upon conclusion of the procurement process to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the best fit to Council system requirements and best value for money. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council then the Commissioning Director (Adults & DASS) is authorised to enter into such contract with the next highest scoring suitably qualified provider.