Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence (if any).

None received from Members of Cabinet.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests arising from business to be transacted at this meeting from:

(a)               all Members of the Cabinet; and

(b)               all other Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members.

To receive any petitions submitted by members of the public or Councillors.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following petition had been received:

1.                  Petition:  Wemborough Road and Weston Drive

Mr. Raymond Reed submitted a petition signed by 181 residents with the following terms of reference:

“We, the residents of Wemborough Road and Weston Drive, would like to bring to your attention the vehicle accidents along the route especially at the junction of Weston Drive and Wemborough Road. We accept that Harrow Council has made several unsuccessful attempts to make the junction safe, but more needs to be done before somebody is either seriously injured or killed.

We urge the Harrow Council to implement appropriate speed reduction measures (such as speed cushions, 20 mph speed restriction, etc.,) to rein in the speeding motorists before more damage is done to property, limb or life.

We welcome the full support of our ward councillors in this matter.”

RESOLVED:  That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise and the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Crime and Community Safety, including the Traffic and Road Safety Advisory Panel.

To receive any public questions received in accordance with paragraph 16 of the Executive Procedure Rules.

Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.

[The deadline for receipt of public questions is 3.00 pm, Monday 20 April 2015.  Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

Such public and Councillor questions as were received were responded to and any recording placed on the Council’s website.  Councillor questions 8 and 9 were not reached at Cabinet and the Councillor would be provided with written responses which would be placed on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED:  To note the contents of the Key Decision Schedule.

For consideration.

RESOLVED:  To note the progress made on scrutiny projects.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Children and Families.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to September 2015 Council)

That the Corporate Parenting Strategy be noted and the position that all Members should undertake training to ensure they understand and were able to meet their Corporate Parenting responsibilities be endorsed.

RESOLVED:  That the Corporate Parenting Strategy be approved.

Reason for Decision: To ensure that all Members were aware of their responsibilities as Corporate Parents and the Council’s current strategy for addressing the needs of Looked After Children.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply to the Recommendation to Council.]

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to May 2015 Council)

That the West London Waste Plan be adopted as part of the Borough’s Local Plan.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)               the outcome of the independent Examination in Public of the West London Waste Plan be noted;

(2)               the Portfolio Holder for Business, Planning and Regeneration be notified as soon as practicable when the post-adoption statutory requirements for the West London Waste Plan had been complied with.

Reason for Decision:  To progress the West London Waste Plan to adoption in accordance with the current Local Development Scheme.  To ensure that an up to date Development Plan for the Borough was in place.  To comply with regulatory requirements.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply to the Recommendation to Council.]

Joint Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Children and Families and Corporate Director of Resources.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)               the update on the implementation of the School Expansion Programme be noted;

(2)               the additional Basic Need grant allocation be noted and the use of the extra funding to offset current committed Council borrowing within the existing Capital Programme be agreed;

(3)               authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Children and Families, following consultation with the Corporate Director of Resources and the Portfolio Holders for Children, Schools and Young People and Finance and Major Contracts, to appoint contractors for works on projects in the Capital Programme, including for school expansions, amalgamation, capital maintenance and bulge class works.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the Local Authority to fulfil its statutory duties to provide sufficient school places in its area.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Children and Families.

RESOLVED: That the statutory proposals to expand permanently Longfield Primary School by one form of entry (30 pupils) from 1 September 2015 be approved.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the Local Authority to fulfil its statutory duties to provide sufficient school places in its area.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Children and Families.

RESOLVED:  That the Special Educational Need and Disability Strategy 2015 ? 2020 be approved and annual updates on the implementation of the Strategy be submitted to Cabinet.

Reason for Decision:  To fulfil the Local Authority’s statutory duties to ensure access to high quality provision for vulnerable children and their families.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Children and Families.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)               the Information, Advice, Guidance (IAG) and Support Services to Young People in Harrow be re?tendered with a view to awarding a 3-year contract with a possible extension of a further 2 years from April 2016;

(2)               the Corporate Director for Children and Families, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children, Schools and Young People and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Major Contracts, be authorised to award a contract for IAG Careers Service to ensure that the tendering process was undertaken without delay and that new services were commissioned with a view to commencing in April 2016.

Reason for Decision:  The Education Act 2011 places the duty for local authorities to encourage, enable or assist young people’s participation in education or training and to assist the most vulnerable at risk of disengaging with education or work.  In addition, local authorities were expected to have arrangements in place to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds have received an offer of a suitable place in post-16 education or training and that they were assisted to take up a place.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise.

Having considered the confidential appendices, it was

RESOLVED:  That the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business, Planning and Regeneration, be authorised to enter into new Facilities Management contracts with Cofely GDF Suez UK.

Reason for Decision: To ensure the Council fulfils its statutory responsibilities for maintaining its assets.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)               the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business, Planning, and Regeneration, be authorised to enter into a grant funding agreement with Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) for £1.2m Transformation Challenge Award, and to enter into a procurement process to secure a supplier to deliver the service;

(2)               subject to the grant award, the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business, Planning, and Regeneration, be authorised to enter into a grant funding agreement with London Councils for up to £1.2m European (ESIF) match funding and to enter into a procurement process to secure a supplier to deliver the service.

Reason for Decision: Grant funding would be used to support residents in receipt of employment related welfare benefits with common mental health conditions into sustainable employment.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Report of the Director of Finance and Assurance.

RESOLVED:  That the  response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Challenge Panel be noted.

Reason for Decision:  To respond to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Challenge Panel.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply.]

Report of the Director of Finance and Assurance.

RESOLVED:  That the response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Challenge Panel be noted.

Reason for Decision:  To respond to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Challenge Panel.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply.]

Report of the Corporate Director of Resources.

Having considered the confidential appendices and subject to an amendment to Recommendation 1 with regard to the month in which the Policy should take effect, it was

RESOLVED:  That

(1)               the revised Risk Based Verification Policy (RBV) at Appendix A to the report be agreed and that it take effect from May in the 2015/16 financial year;

(2)               the Corporate Director of Resources, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Major Contracts, be authorised to review and change the policy annually as necessary.

Reason for Decision:  To allow the RBV processes to be used for changes in circumstances and new claims. To implement in May in the 2015/16 financial year.

Implementation of Risk Based Verification in the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support assessment process supports the savings requirement within the Resources Directorate.  Adopting the policy would reduce the necessity for benefit claimants to contact the Council through more expensive methods, such as face to face, and decrease the need to produce original documents to support their claim resulting in a reduction in the number of customer contacts in Access Harrow, lower volumes of scanning and indexing within the Business Support hub and less information requests made by the Housing Benefit Service. 

Risk Based Verification allows the targeting of resources from low risk cases to those which were at higher risk of potential fraud and error.  By identifying these cases at the point of entry, the process should help to reduce fraud and error from entering the system.  For those claimants classified as low risk the customer journey would be enhanced as they would be required to provide minimal information to support their claim, speeding up the claim process.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

Information Report of the Chief Executive.

RESOLVED:  That the consultation be noted.

Reason for Decision:  To allow, at the conclusion of the consultation process, a further report on the final Senior Management Structure to be submitted for Cabinet’s agreement at its meeting on 17 June 2015. 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply.]

Reference from Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the report be received and the Corporate Director of Community, Health and Wellbeing submit a report responding to recommendations of the Challenge Panel to the May Cabinet meeting;

(2)               cross-party representation in line with the Cabinet/Scrutiny protocol be invited to address the May Cabinet meeting.

Reason for Decision:  To allow the responses to recommendation to be considered by Cabinet.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply.]

Reference from Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED:  That the reference be received and officers be reminded that all Part I background papers be listed on reports presented to Cabinet and that they be published in line with the requirements set out in the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

Reason for Decision:  To comply with the Regulations and the request of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted:  None.

[Call-in does not apply.]

The Leader of the Council proposed a ‘Vote of Thanks’ to Paul Najsarek, the Council’s Corporate Director of Community, Health and Wellbeing, who would be leaving the Council to take up his role as Chief Executive of Bolton Council. On behalf of Cabinet, the Leader wished Paul well for the future.