Agenda, decisions and minutes

To note any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, Cllr Ray Theodoulou.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, thanked Jo Walker for her extensive work at the council over the past thirty years and wished her every success in her new appointment as Chief Executive Officer at North Somerset Council.

The Leader also welcomed Wayne Bowcock to his first cabinet meeting as Chief Fire Officer for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19 December 2018 (minutes attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 December 2018 were confirmed and agreed as a correct record of that meeting.

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

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 10 of the agenda, (Gloucester South West Bypass – Llanthony Road Improvements; Compulsory Purchase Order and Ancillary Orders).

Cllr Hawthorne left the meeting for consideration of the item due to a connection with local business, Bikini Bathrooms. Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, chaired the meeting for consideration of this item.

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 24 January 2019

Please submit any questions to jo.moore@gloucestershire.gov.uk

A written answer will be provided for each written question and presented to the questioner and to Cabinet Members in advance of the meeting. The questions and answers will be taken as read at the meeting and need not be read out. 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 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.

Public Questions

No public questions were considered at the meeting.

Member Questions

A total of 25 (member) questions were submitted for consideration prior to the meeting.

Please refer to the link below to view the responses to the questions: -

http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/b15064/Cabinet%20Questions%20and%20Answers%20Wednesday%2030-Jan-2019%2010.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=9

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

http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=117&MId=9224&Ver=4

The following supplementary questions were asked at the meeting.

Question 1: Cllr Kate Haigh

Agenda item 8: Tendering of Services for Homelessness and People in Vulnerable Circumstances

Expressing concern about the vulnerable people within her division needing housing with access to services and community support, Cllr Haigh asked if the multi-agency co-ordination groups, (responsible for making placements across the county network of services), were aware of the needs of vulnerable people and if the Cabinet Member was prepared to visit the Coney Hill and Matson communities to look at the work being undertaken in these areas?

Response by: Cllr Roger Wilson (Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care: Commissioning)

Cllr Wilson confirmed he was aware of the work being undertaken in the Coney Hill and Matson communities and that he had been very impressed when visiting the areas during previous visits. Cllr Wilson informed Cllr Haigh both he and Cabinet Member Adult Social Care: Delivery, Cllr Kathy Williams, would be pleased to revisit the areas, particularly to look at the work being undertaken in conjunction with the County Council. 

Question 2: Cllr Kate Haigh

Agenda item 8: Tendering of Services for Homelessness and People in Vulnerable Circumstances

Cllr Haigh expressed concern about shortages of suitable accommodation at some housing agencies. Whilst acknowledging the value of partnership working with District Councils at strategic levels, Cllr Haigh asked how, at operational levels, the County Council could make best use of available accommodation to address homelessness?

Response by: Cllr Roger Wilson (Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care: Commissioning)

Cllr Wilson reinforced that the County Council was working closely with the District Councils to address homelessness in Gloucestershire. Referring to the creation of an open framework for the delivery of services to people in vulnerable circumstances and homeless people with complex needs, (to be considered later in the meeting), Cllr Wilson informed members that the proposal aimed to provide the necessary flexibility which would enable the councils to respond quickly to the needs of the homeless in Gloucestershire.

Question 3: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda item 9: High Needs

Cllr Hodgkinson referred to pressures emerging from government changes in the provision of High Needs support for schools with high numbers of SEND pupils, (Special Educational Needs), and asked how much money would be lost to individual schools?

Response by: Cllr Richard Boyles (Cabinet Member: Children and Young People)

Cllr Boyles advised that the amounts varied between each school and agreed to provide a detailed list of information after the meeting.  

Question 4: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda item  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To seek approval of recommendations to Council on the Council Strategy, Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), and final Revenue and Capital Budget 2019-20.

Supporting Documents: -

Appendix 1      Council Strategy

            Appendix 2      Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)

            Appendix 3      Budget Consultation Report

            Appendix 4      Scrutiny Management Committee Budget Report (to follow)

            Appendix 5      Due Regard Statement (to follow)

The decision will take into account the outcomes of the recent formal budget consultation and report of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, (following approval by the Scrutiny Management Committee on 23 January 2019).

Cllr Patrick Molyneux, (Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee), to present the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee’s observations and budget priority recommendations.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, presented the Draft Council Strategy and Medium Term Financial Strategy, (MTFS), 2019-2020 to 2020-2021, (including the proposed Revenue and Capital Budget 2019-20), for recommendation to Council.

Having considered all of the information, including the outcomes of the council’s formal budget consultation, the due regard statement for the decision and recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, Cabinet noted the decision report and the reasons for the recommendations and,

RESOLVED:- 

1.    To consider the outcome of the budget consultation as set out in Appendix 3 and the report from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC) in Appendix 4.

2.    To approve the Draft Council Strategy for submission to County Council (Appendix 1).

3.    To approve changes to the draft budget and to approve the MTFS and final revenue and capital budget for 2019/20 for recommendation to County Council, including all of the proposals set out in the annexes of the detailed MTFS (Appendix 2).

4.    To approve the schools funding, the provisional local government finance settlement and forecast reserve movements as summarised in this report and set out in the MTFS to County Council.

5.    To recommend to Council a revenue budget of £429.661 million, a Band D council tax of £1,293.70 and consequential precepts on District Councils.

6.    To approve for recommendation to Council the Capital Strategy, Treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy as set out in Annexes 7 & 10 of the detailed MTFS.

7.    To note the Risk Management Policy Statement & Strategy as set out in Annex 11 of the detailed MTFS.

The following amendments to the draft budget were presented at the meeting.

Cabinet considered the amendments and

RESOLVED to make the additional recommendations to County Council on 13 February 2019: -

8.    Approve a Highways Local capital allocation of £0.53 million (or £10,000 per Councillor) to be funded from capital receipts;

9.    Approve a permanent allocation of £0.16 million to eliminate the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) Efficiency Saving in the draft budget approved by Cabinet in December 2018, to be funded from the MTC3 Savings Contingency Budget;

10.Approve a one-off allocation of £0.025 million to fund a %G Readiness Study in 2019/20, to be funded from the MTC3 Savings Contingency Budget;

11.Approve a one-off contribution of £0.18 million to the Vulnerable Peoples’ Reserve to mitigate the demand risks associated with services to vulnerable adults and children. This will be funded from the MTC3 Savings Contingency Budget.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, presented the Draft Council Strategy and Medium Term Financial Strategy, (MTFS), 2019-2020 to 2020-2021, (including the proposed Revenue and Capital Budget 2019-20), for recommendation to Council.

The Leader invited Cllr Patrick Molyneux, Chairman of theOverview and Scrutiny Management Committee, to present the scrutiny management committee’s observations and budget priority recommendations on the Council Draft Budget 2019/20. The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee is the lead committee for budget scrutiny at Gloucestershire County Council. A budget scrutiny evidence-gathering day was held on 10 January 2019, the outcomes of which were included in the scrutiny report presented to Cabinet at this meeting. The joint response was produced on behalf of the council’s scrutiny function as a whole.  

Cllr Molyneux gave a brief summary of the key findings taken from the participating members at the evidence-gathering day on 10 January 2019. He stated that a number of key themes had been identified, the context of which were included in the summary section of the scrutiny report. He also stated that comments on the budget scrutiny process and how they might be developed would be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee at a later date. These included; the request for additional information against budget headings, benchmarking information and more focus on the Council’s Strategy. The comments will also be included in the scrutiny review outcome report as proposals for the next council.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, thanked Cllr Molyneux and the Scrutiny Management Committee for their work and said how much the feedback was appreciated when considering the draft budget for recommendation to Council. The Leader confirmed Cabinet would now reflect on some of the more specific aspects of the report.

The Leader reported that, during the past four weeks, people across Gloucestershire had been asked to comment on the councils proposed budget plans. 535 responses had been received, of which 68 per cent had agreed with the proposals, and 77 per cent had agreed the council had the right priorities. In addition, between October and December, the council had consulted on the new council strategy, ‘Looking to the Future’. Through a series of roadshows plus other engagement exercises the council had received 432 responses, with overall general support for the councils proposed priorities and ambitions.  

The Leader advised that the headlines for the budget remained the same as those in previous years with the demands in Adult Social Care and Children’s Services continuing to create significant challenges to the Council.

In presenting the proposals, the Leader reported a number of amendments. He advised that, since the report to Cabinet in December 2018, revenue budget changes had resulted in an increase in revenue funding of £1.305 million. As a result of the additional funding, and having considered the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, the Leader proposed a number of minor changes to the draft budget proposal for recommendation to Council. Cllr Nigel Moor seconded the proposal.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To provide an update on the year-end forecast for the 2018/19 County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1 Note the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of November 2018 for the 2018/19 financial year of a net £0.957 million overspend. This represents a £1.259 million improvement on the previous position reported to Cabinet.

2. Note the forecast capital year end position as at the end of November 2018 of £99.147 million against the current budget of £99.909 million, reporting slippage of £0.762 against the year end target.

3. Note the forecast overspend in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of £5.7 million in 2018/19, which exceeds the £2.3 million of uncommitted DSG balances brought forward and the £1.35 million additional funds announced in December 2018 to support children with special educational needs and also endorses on going discussions with the Schools Forum to agree actions to bring DSG back into balance.

4. Approve the addition of £0.004 million to the Adults Capital programme funded by an insurance contribution.

5. Approve the addition of £0.214 million to the Highway Capital budget funded from a variety of sources as outlined in the body of the report.

6. Approve the addition of £0.111 million to the Libraries Capital programme funded by developer contributions.

7. Approve the addition of £0.025 million to the Information Management Capital budget funded by transfer from the GDPR reserve.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, updated members on the year end forecast for the council’s capital and revenue budgets 2018/19.

The Leader reported a forecast revenue year end position for the current financial year with a £0.957 million overspend, (on a net budget of £418.081 million). This represented a £1.259 million improvement on the previous position. This net position masked a significant underlying forecast overspend in Children and Families of £10.57 million, (reduced to £7.97 million by using one-off income from the business rate retention pilot). The Leader clarified that this reflected the continuing pressure on external placements and the cost of agency staff to cover vacancies.

Overall, the revenue budget was anticipated to be broadly balanced, subject to demand pressures.

Cabinet was asked to note the transfer movements detailed at recommendations 4,5,6 and 7 of the cabinet report before making their decision.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Note the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of November 2018 for the 2018/19 financial year of a net £0.957 million overspend. This represents a £1.259 million improvement on the previous position reported to Cabinet.

2. Note the forecast capital year end position as at the end of November 2018 of £99.147 million against the current budget of £99.909 million, reporting slippage of £0.762 against the year end target.

3. Note the forecast overspend in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of £5.7 million in 2018/19, which exceeds the £2.3 million of uncommitted DSG balances brought forward and the £1.35 million additional funds announced in December 2018 to support children with special educational needs and also endorses on going discussions with the Schools Forum to agree actions to bring DSG back into balance.

4. Approve the addition of £0.004 million to the Adults Capital programme funded by an insurance contribution.

5. Approve the addition of £0.214 million to the Highway Capital budget funded from a variety of sources as outlined in the body of the report.

6. Approve the addition of £0.111 million to the Libraries Capital programme funded by developer contributions.

7. Approve the addition of £0.025 million to the Information Management Capital budget funded by transfer from the GDPR reserve.

To review and approve the new three year Sufficiency Strategy for Gloucestershire County Council Children’s Services.  

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

(a)  Approve  the Sufficiency Strategy for Children and Young People 2018-2021 for publication and implementation

(b)  Delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services to develop  an implementation plan, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People; and

(c)  Receive further reports as and when appropriate

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, presented the new 3-year Sufficiency Strategy for Gloucestershire County Council’s Children’s Services.

Cllr Boyles advised that the Council was required to adhere to statutory guidance as part of its Ofsted recovery journey and that the Sufficiency Strategy was an important statutory document. Cllr Boyles explained that the County Council had a duty of “sufficiency”, whereby local authorities and partners are required to ensure, (through direct provision or through commissioned services), a range of placements are sufficient to meet the needs of children are available locally, or that a plan is in place to move towards this position. It was therefore a requirement for the Council to produce a strategy to describe how it intended to provide sufficient care placements for its children in care.

Cllr Boyles informed Cabinet that a total of 48 children in care and care leavers in Gloucestershire had taken part in consultation sessions throughout 2018. Students had been invited to share their experiences and views, and to provide feedback to form the Gloucestershire Strategy. Stakeholders had also helped shape the strategy, which was now out for formal consultation, (January 2019), seeking further comments and awaiting final sign off. 

The Sufficiency Strategy sets out the overall approach to managing demand, focusing specifically on the right solutions at key points within “The Integrated Pathway”. The strategy to focus on planning and delivering sufficient and high-quality accommodation and associated support in order to ensure every child who is looked after away from home achieves their potential, irrespective of their permanence plan.

The Vulnerable Children’s Budget 2019/20, (included in the Medium Term Financial Strategy), was proposed at £84.3 million at the December Cabinet meeting. (Children’s services to be reconfigured within this value). Cllr Boyles stated that the proposed strategy supported efficiency savings through earlier planning of children’s needs and innovative commissioning of placements.

A Due Regard Statement had been completed to consider the equalities impact of the proposed Sufficiency Strategy.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

(a)  Approve  the Sufficiency Strategy for Children and Young People 2018-2021 for publication and implementation

(b)  Delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services to develop  an implementation plan, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People; and

(c)  Receive further reports as and when appropriate

To seek approval for:

a) The council to act as the lead authority on behalf of public sector organisations in Gloucestershire for the creation of a multi-supplier ‘Open Framework’ Agreement for the provision of services to people in vulnerable circumstances and homeless with complex needs, and,

b) Upon conclusion of the award of the Framework, to use the agreement to award contracts for the provision of Community and Accommodation Based Support Service Contracts.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

Cabinet authorises the Director of Public Health to:

1.    Develop and conduct an EU compliant competitive tender process with the Council acting as lead authority for the creation of a 4 year multi-supplier ‘Open Framework’ for the delivery of services to people in vulnerable circumstances and homeless with complex needs. The ‘Open Framework’ will be divided into specialist Lots and have a total estimated value of £100M over its term which comprises both the council’s projected value of call off contracts (some which may extend for a longer period than the Framework itself) currently estimated to be in the region of £80M and that of the participating local partners.

2.    Conduct the tender on the basis that the specialist Lots will be re-opened:

(a)          Annually on each anniversary of the commencement date of the “Open Framework” throughout its term for the admission of new providers who meet the selection criteria; and

(b)          At any time during the term of the “Open Framework” in the event that there is a single supplier appointed to one of those specialist Lots who subsequently becomes insolvent or is removed or suspended from the “Open Framework”.

3.    Upon the conclusion of the competitive tender process, to appoint the preferred provider(s) to each specialist Lot under the ‘Open Framework’ that have been evaluated as meeting the standards set out in the evaluation criteria subject to any limitation on numbers that may have been provided for in the tender process.

4.    Simultaneously conduct with the tender process for the “Open Framework” a tender process for the award by the Council of a number of contracts for the provision of Community and Accommodation Based Support Services each contract being for a term of 7 years comprising an initial term of 3 years with 2 options to extend for a further 2 years in each case, with an estimated aggregated total value of all contracts awarded by the Council of £66.3M.

5.    Upon conclusion of the competitive tender processes set out in Recommendation 4 above, to enter into in each case a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of each of the services. In the event that a preferred provider is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council, then the Director Public Health is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing highest placed and suitably qualified provider in each case.

6.    Use the ‘Open Framework’ Agreement to enter into such call off contracts during the term of the ‘Open Framework’ as are required to meet the Council’s assessed needs for the ‘Open Framework’ services in accordance with the Council’s Constitution. 

Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care: Commissioning, sought approval for the Council to act as the lead authority on behalf of public sector organisations in Gloucestershire for the creation of a multi-supplier ‘Open Framework’ Agreement for the provision of services to people in vulnerable circumstances and homeless with complex needs. The proposed framework will allow the council and partners to procure services to meet local needs and provide flexibility to respond to changes in Government legislation and potential funding opportunities. Cllr Wilson advised that the primary aim of the framework was to look after those people living in the most vulnerable circumstances.

The 4-year multi-supplier agreement to be divided into specialist ‘lots’ and provide the vehicle by which the council will continue to deliver Community and Accommodation Based Support services following the end of the current contractual arrangements in March 2020. 

The total value of the framework over its term was estimated at £100 million. This included both the council spend estimated at £80 million and that of the participating local partners, estimated at £20 million. The estimated £80m council spend included the recommended investment for the Community and Accommodation Based Support services, (at an estimated total value of £66.3 million), with a potential additional £13.7 million to be invested across the framework by the council over its lifetime. 

Cllr Wilson informed members that conversations regarding the design and potential use of the open framework by other commissioners were ‘well advanced’, in particular, by Children and Families’ Commissioners.

Whilst the estimated investment figures were indicative, they provided the ceiling to the investment to allow them to be made through the Open Framework Agreement over its term. This meant the Council and partners would not be committed to the investment levels stated.

Cllr Wilson urged his cabinet colleagues to support the proposals.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

Cabinet authorises the Director of Public Health to:

1.    Develop and conduct an EU compliant competitive tender process with the Council acting as lead authority for the creation of a 4 year multi-supplier ‘Open Framework’ for the delivery of services to people in vulnerable circumstances and homeless with complex needs. The ‘Open Framework’ will be divided into specialist Lots and have a total estimated value of £100M over its term which comprises both the council’s projected value of call off contracts (some which may extend for a longer period than the Framework itself) currently estimated to be in the region of £80M and that of the participating local partners.

2.    Conduct the tender on the basis that the specialist Lots will be re-opened:

(a)          Annually on each anniversary of the commencement date of the “Open Framework” throughout its term for the admission of new providers who meet the selection criteria; and

(b)          At any time during the term of the “Open Framework” in the event that there is a single supplier  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To seek Cabinet approval of proposed new arrangements for helping children and young people with additional needs.  

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve the Joint Strategy for Children and Young People with Additional Needs, including Special Educational Needs (SEND).

2.    Agree the strategic approach to high needs set out in para 3.2.

3.    Apply the Education Risk Reserve (£500,000) to invest in the development of ‘hubs’ in the primary sector.

4.    Agree to prioritise £200,000 p.a. funding for Restorative Practice from the 2019/20 High Needs budget with a full evaluation to be carried out jointly with the Schools Forum after the first year.

5.    Agree the principles outlined for the Specialist Commissioning Strategy and Post 16 SEND Strategy and authorise the Director of Education, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet member for Economy Skills and Growth, to consult on the strategies upon completion.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, sought approval of new arrangements proposed to provide support to children with additional needs.

Cllr Boyles outlined the need to adopt a new approach to assist children with ‘high needs’, (children who need extra help because they have learning difficulties or struggle with school for a range of different reasons). He stated that, in general, education outcomes for children in Gloucestershire exceeded the national average. However, the education system was not working well for some children with ‘high needs’. The number of children relying on Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) for support had increased rapidly, (a 47% increase since 2015 and the introduction of the SEND reforms), and the progress of children with additional needs was not as good as that of other children.

The ‘Joint Strategy for Children and Young People with Additional Needs’ was developed with input from partners, families, schools, health and social care. The Strategy replaces the county’s SEND strategy and sets out the county’s vision to develop and provide services to achieve positive outcomes for children with additional needs. Building on from the strategy, a major high needs consultation was launched in June 2018, from which a number of strategic aims and delivery plan were developed, including;

Strategic aims:

• An inclusive education system characterised by effective early intervention and supported by a skilled workforce able to access specialist support
• High quality specialist provision available locally for those that need it
• Sustainable budget

The aims to be delivered through:

• Primary hubs with devolved funding and co-commissioned support services, linked to parent support networks
• Investment in Restorative Practice
• New approaches to exclusions in secondary schools (details dependent on government announcements)
• Specialist commissioning strategy
• Post-16 Strategy
• Changes to the EHCP process
• Stronger partnership with Schools Forum
• Focus on transition from Early Years settings to primary school.

Setting out the recommendations, Cllr Boyles emphasised the detrimental impact to the Council from the high volume of exclusions the County was currently experiencing before urging Cabinet to approve the Joint Additional Needs Strategy for Children and Young People with Additional Needs, including Special Educational Needs, and the strategic approach to high needs, (set out at section 3.2. of the decision report). It was noted that action would be taken if the excessive number of exclusions continued.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve the Joint Strategy for Children and Young People with Additional Needs, including Special Educational Needs (SEND).

2.    Agree the strategic approach to high needs set out in para 3.2.

3.    Apply the Education Risk Reserve (£500,000) to invest in the development of ‘hubs’ in the primary sector.

4.    Agree to prioritise £200,000 p.a. funding for Restorative Practice from the 2019/20 High Needs budget with a full evaluation to be carried out jointly with the Schools Forum after the first year.

5.    Agree the principles  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To seek approval for Cabinet to:

(1) Authorise the making and submission of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to the Secretary of State to compulsorily acquire all land and rights shown as coloured pink on the plan for plot numbers 1 to 14 (Appendix A), required for the Gloucester South West Bypass (GSWB) Llanthony Road Improvement Scheme

(2) If required, to authorise the making and submission of a Side Road Order to the Secretary of State to make the necessary alterations to the public highways and private means of access affected by the GSWB Llanthony Road Improvement Scheme; and,

(3) Delegate authority to the Lead Commissioner; Highway Authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, to: make any other ancillary orders that might be required to successfully implement the scheme and to undertake the steps necessary to enable the orders identified above to be confirmed and implemented.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

(1)  Authorise the making and submission of a CPO to the Secretary of State to compulsorily acquire all land and rights shown coloured pink on the plan for plot numbers 1 to 14 and shown in Appendix A, required for the Gloucester South West Bypass (GSWB) Llanthony Road Improvement Scheme 

(2)  Delegate authority to the Lead Commissioner; Highway Authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning to:

·         If required, authorise the making and submission of a Side Road Order to the Secretary of State (SoS) to make the necessary alterations to the public highways and private means of access affected by the GSWB Llanthony Road Improvement Scheme; and

·         Make any other ancillary orders that might be required to successfully implement the scheme and to undertake the steps necessary to enable the orders identified above to be confirmed and implemented

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, declared a non-pecuniary interest and chose to leave the meeting for consideration of this item. Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, chaired the meeting in Cllr Hawthorne’s absence.

Cllr Moor sought to authorise the making and submission of a Compulsory Purchase Order to the Secretary of State to compulsory acquire all land and rights required for the Gloucester South West Bypass Llanthony Road Improvement Scheme. The scheme is included in the County Council’s adopted Local Transport Plan.

Cllr Moor informed members that the Llanthony section of the Gloucester South West Bypass was the only section of the A430 not to have undergone improvement works. As a single carriageway, the road often forms a bottleneck, with significant traffic congestion experienced between Llanthony Road and St. Anne Way. The proposed scheme sought to widen the Llanthony section of the road along with refurbishment of traffic signals to maximise traffic flows and improvements to the side road junctions. The scheme to also include improvements to pedestrian crossing facilities as well as the widening of pedestrian and cycle facilities to link to existing facilities at either end of the scheme.

Cabinet was advised there would be no change to the total County Council highways capital grant allocation for the scheme agreed by Cabinet on 18 April 2018. The proposed scheme required the acquisition of third party land to allow the improvements to take place, including demolition of a number of commercial buildings in use. The land in question was currently in the ownership of various owners.

The land acquisition to be progressed via a ‘negotiated settlement route’ in parallel with a ‘compulsory purchase order’ route. Cllr Moor explained that, to take this approach provided the council with the flexibility of securing a mutually agreed settlement package for business and property owners combined with the added assurance of taking a compulsory purchase order route should officers be unable to complete the acquisition process via the negotiated route.

It was noted that consultation with relevant landowners and businesses had commenced and was ongoing. The aim of the consultation was to agree compensation values with landowners to enable the scheme to progress.

Outlining each of the recommendations, Cllr Moor drew attention to the Due Regard Statement that accompanied the agenda.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

(1)  Authorise the making and submission of a CPO to the Secretary of State to compulsorily acquire all land and rights shown coloured pink on the plan for plot numbers 1 to 14 and shown in Appendix A, required for the Gloucester South West Bypass (GSWB) Llanthony Road Improvement Scheme 

(2)  Delegate authority to the Lead Commissioner; Highway Authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning to:

·         If required, authorise the making and submission of a Side Road Order to the Secretary of State (SoS) to make the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To seek Cabinet approval of the procurement options and provision of Youth Support Services following expiry of the current contractual arrangements in March 2020.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

Authorise the Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member Children and Young People to:

1. Arrange to bring in house the management of statutory Social Care and case management for 11-24 Children in Care and Care Leavers before April 2020;

2. Identify the range of services for other Youth support and wrap around services and to vary the existing contract with Prospects for such services for one year from April 2020 to March 2021;

3. Undertake a redesign of these Youth support and wrap-around services, followed by recommissioning by April 2021.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, sought to approve procurement options and the provision of Youth Support Services following expiry of the council’s current contractual arrangements in March 2020.

Cllr Boyles informed members that the proposals aimed to bring ‘in-house’ the management of Children-in-Care and Care Leavers in 2019 and make the necessary arrangements for providing Youth Support Services from April 2020, and beyond. The current Gloucestershire integrated Youth Support Service, known as the Youth Support Team (YST), was currently managed by Prospects Services(Shaw Trust) on a contract due for expiry in March 2020 at a value of £5.4million per annum.

The contract included:

• A wide range of statutory and other youth support functions, including

Youth offending, NEET and wrap-around services for care leavers, delivered by Prospects staff with other professionals seconded from Health and Police.

• Statutory Social Care and case management for 11-24 Children in Care and Care Leavers, delivered by council-employed Social workers under Prospects management.

Cllr Boyles explained that the proposal to bring in-house the management of statutory social care and case management for 11-24 Children in Care and Care Leavers before April 2020 would support the closer alignment of all aspects of children’s social care on the continuing improvement journey post the Ofsted Children’s Services Report.

The recommendations proposed to vary the existing contract with Prospects for other youth support services for a one-year period from April 2020. The redesign, followed by the retendering or in-sourcing of the current contract, supported the continued integration of services and would enable a restructure of services to meet emerging needs.

Cllr Boyles informed members that the decision would give the council more oversight, including the opportunity to challenge at an earlier point in a child’s placement. This provided a more streamlined service proposal and improved sufficiency planning whilst on the Ofsted recovery journey and beyond.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to: -

Authorise the Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member Children and Young People to:

1. Arrange to bring in house the management of statutory Social Care and case management for 11-24 Children in Care and Care Leavers before April 2020;

2. Identify the range of services for other Youth support and wrap around services and to vary the existing contract with Prospects for such services for one year from April 2020 to March 2021;

3. Undertake a redesign of these Youth support and wrap-around services, followed by recommissioning by April 2021.