Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Glen Hearnden, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Employment.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 8 – Watkins House, Woodlands Road, HA1 2RS

Councillors Sue Anderson and Keith Ferry declared non-pecuniary interests in that they were Greenhill Ward Councillors where the premises was situated.  They would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

Agenda Item 11 – School Expansion Programme

Councillor Ramji Chauhan, who was not a Member of Cabinet, declared a non-pecuniary interest in that, as Ward Councillor for Harrow Weald, he had had been involved in discussions at the initial stages of the building programme in relation to Weald Rise Primary School.  He added that he was also a governor for Glebe Primary School.  He would remain in the room to listen to the discussion and decision-making relating to this item.

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 10 October 2016. 

Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

Public and Councillor questions accepted were responded to and any recording placed on the Council’s website.  Councillor questions 9 to 17 were not reached at Cabinet and the Councillorswould be provided with written responses which would be placed on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED: That the Key Decision Schedule be noted, including that the item relating to ‘Stanmore Place – Commercial and Community Space’ had been deleted and that the ‘Efficiency Plan’ had been deferred.

For consideration.

RESOLVED:  That the progress on Scrutiny Projects be noted.

Report of the Corporate Director of Community.

Having considered the confidential appendices, it was

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          Housing Option 3, namely redevelopment of the Watkins House site as modern housing for older people, be approved;

(2)          the Outline Business Case and steps to achieve Option 3 be approved, including:

a)     the procurement of a housing services organisation as a development partner;

b)     the disposal of Watkins House to the development partner for the re-development of the site as a new build housing development for older people;

c)      the disposal of General Fund land, as shown on the Ordnance Survey land map at Appendix 4 to the report, to the development partner with the aim of including this in the development site;

(3)          the Corporate Director of Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing and Employment, Adults and Older People, Business, Planning and Regeneration and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to:

a)     undertake consultation with all staff affected by the implications of the decision under housing Option 3;

b)     undertake a procurement exercise and select a suitable housing service organisation as a development partner;

c)      agree the terms of the disposal of the two sites referred to in resolution 2 above, including agreeing retained nomination rights and the housing model and design principles, and enter into the appropriate documentation for this purpose on behalf of the Council;

d)     seek consent from the Secretary of State in relation to disposal and re-development of the site;

e)     support the existing tenants, including undertaking further engagement and involvement during the implementation of this project and arrange the decant of existing tenants to suitable alternative accommodation, including arranging temporary accommodation and a “right to return” to new homes where appropriate.

Reason for Decision:  The current accommodation at Watkins House was outdated and did not contain communal facilities that were reflective of modern design principles for accommodation of this nature.  To take the opportunity to facilitate new homes for older people on site and on an adjacent site.  To note that existing tenants of Watkins House, including family members and carers, had been consulted on the options and their views were set out in the report. 

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 People.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the contract for face to face, telephone and document translation and interpreting services, with a view to awarding a 4-year contract commencing 1 March 2017, be procured;

(2)          the Divisional Director of Commercial, Contracts and Procurement, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Children, Schools and Young People and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to approve the final evaluation criteria to be used in the procurement, appendix 2 to the report refers, prior to publication of the final tender documents;

(3)          the Corporate Director of People, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Children, Schools and Young People and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to approve the award of contract for the Translation and Interpreting Service to ensure that the tendering process was undertaken without delay and that new services were commissioned with a view to commencing the service in March 2017.

Reason for Decision:  The existing translation and interpreting services contract with The Big Word would cease on 28 February 2017.  The procurement focused upon securing new contractual arrangements for Face to Face and Telephone Interpreting.  On account of the specialist nature, localism implications, and relative low value, a British Sign Language and Braille service would be sourced separately.

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 Divisional Director of Children and Young People Service.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the Children and Young People’s Emotional, Health and Well-Being Service be commissioned collaboratively with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) through the appropriate agreement for 2?years with a potential 1?year extension;

(2)          an extension of up to six months from December 2016 to the current service provider to ensure there was continued service provision to Children Looked After be approved;

(3)          the Corporate Director of People, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Children, Schools and Young People and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to award an Agreement to Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for the Future in Mind Children and Young People’s Emotional, Health and Well-Being Service. 

Reason for Decision:  To fulfil Harrow’s local priority within the Future in Mind Transformation Plan, to develop an integrated Emotional Health and Wellbeing Targeted Service as approved by the Health and Well-Being Board in October 2015. In addition, through the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for NW London and the local Harrow STP, the Council would continue to maintain and protect social care provision and explore further integration with health wherever possible.

To fulfil the statutory requirement of Local authorities, CCGs, NHS England and Public Health England in co-operating to commission health services for all children in their area.

To support the corporate parenting responsibilities of local authorities which included having a duty under section 22(3)(a) of the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children they looked after, including the promotion of the child’s physical, emotional and mental health.

To enable the Council to fulfil its statutory duty of ‘Promoting the Health and Well-Being of Looked-After Children’ in response to the statutory guidance for local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and NHS England, March 2015.

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 People.

RESOLVED:  That the update on the implementation of the School Expansion Programme be noted.

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.

[Note: Call-in does not apply as the decision was noted.]