Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Tuesday 17 September 2013 4.00 pm

Venue: Ground Floor Meeting Room GO1A, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH

Contact: Everton Roberts or Paula Thornton  Phone: 020 7525 7221/4395 Email:  everton.roberts@southwark.gov.uk;  paula.thornton@southwark.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

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    To receive any apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    All members were present.

2.

Notification of any items of Business which the Chair Deems Urgent

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    In special circumstances, an item of business may be added to an agenda within five clear working days of the meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were no late items.

3.

Notice of Intention to conduct business in a closed meeting, and any representations received

4.

Disclosure of Interests and Dispensations

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    Members to declare any interests and dispensation in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were no disclosures of interests or dispensations.

5.

Public Question Time (15 Minutes)

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    To receive any questions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance of the meeting in accordance with the cabinet procedure rules.

    Minutes:

    Public question from Mr Mick Barnard

     

    The following public question was submitted by Mr Mick Barnard to Councillor Peter John, Leader of the Council:

     

    When a report is complied for standards committee what level of management would be made aware if an amendment to the constitution was being recommended and how and where are the names of those connected with compiling that report recorded?”

     

    Mr Barnard was unable to attend the meeting and the following response was given by the Leader of the Council:

     

    “The monitoring officer is responsible for providing support to the standards committee. Under Part 3L of the constitution standards committee undertakes a number of functions, these include amendments to the constitution, advising on councillor training, the withholding of member allowances and providing strategic oversight on the use of powers regulated by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

     

    Where an amendment to the constitution is being proposed , depending on the nature of the amendment, the following level of management might be aware of the amendment; chief officers, strategic directors and heads of service.

     

    As is the practice with all reports going before committee, details of the report author can be found at the end of the report under the heading 'audit trail' lead officer and report author.”

6.

Minutes

7.

Deputation Requests

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    To consider any deputation requests.

    Minutes:

    There were no deputation requests.

8.

Walworth Road Business Mix (Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

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    To note the recommendations of the review of the Walworth Road Business Mix by the overview and scrutiny committee and to request that relevant cabinet members bring back a report in response to the report.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    The chair of overview and scrutiny committee, Councillor Catherine Bowman presented the report.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the recommendations of the review ofthe Walworth Road Business Mix be noted, and the relevant cabinet members bring back a report to cabinet, in order to respond to the overview and scrutiny committee, within eight weeks.

9.

Centre of Excellence for Older Adults with Dementia and Complex Needs

10.

Home Care Annual Contract Performance Report

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    To note that the delivery of the contracts over the second year has met the council’s requirements.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    That it be noted that the delivery of the contracts over the second year has met the council’s requirements and that the council and providers remain committed to working together to continually improve the quality and consistency of home care delivery.

11.

Children and Young People's Plan - Scrutiny Recommendations

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    To consider the recommendations of the education, children’s services and leisure scrutiny sub-committee.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    The recommendations by the education, children's services and leisure scrutiny sub-committee were considered and incorporated when agreeing the children and young people’s plan (CYPP).

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the cabinet member for children’s services bring back a report to cabinet, in order to respond to the sub- committee, within eight weeks.

12.

2013-16 Children and Young People's Plan

13.

Approval of the Council's Revised Local Implementation Plan Delivery Plan, Including Annual Spending Submission for 2014/15, Indicative Programme to 2016/17, Revised Targets and Related Funding Bids

14.

Air Quality and Schools in Southwark

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    To note the progress made on working with schools to improve air quality.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.  That the progress made on working with schools to improve air quality be noted.

     

    2.  That regular update reports be brought back to the cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling.

15.

Physical Activity and Sport Strategy 2014-2017

16.

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Scheme and the Housing Revenue Account

17.

Revenue Monitoring Report for Quarter 1, 2013/14, including Treasury Management

    To note: the general fund outturn forecast for 2013/14 and forecast net movement in reserves by department, the housing revenue account’s (HRA) forecast outturn for 2013/14 and resulting forecast movement in reserves, the treasury management activity for the first quarter of 2013/14, the forecast performance for the collection of council tax, and the forecast performance for the collection of business rates and the risks associated with the business rate retention scheme.

     

    To approve the general fund budget movements that exceed £250,000.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.  That the following be noted:

     

    ·  the general fund outturn forecast for 2013/14 and forecast net movement in reserves by department

    ·  the housing revenue account’s (HRA) forecast outturn for 2013/14 and resulting forecast movement in reserves

    ·  the treasury management activity for the first quarter of 2013/14.

     

    2.  That the forecast performance for the collection of council tax be noted.

     

    3.  That the forecast performance for the collection of business rates and the risks associated with the business rate retention scheme be noted.

     

    4.  That the general fund budget movements that exceed £250,000, as shown in Appendix A of the report be approved.

18.

Quarter 1 Capital Monitoring for 2013/14

19.

Motions referred from Council Assembly

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    To consider motions referred from council assembly 10 July 2013:

     

    • Welfare reform
    • Drummer Lee Rigby and faith communities in Southwark
    • Surrey Docks Brown Brick
    • East Dulwich and Rye Lane Crown Post Offices
    • Door entry for the Dickens Estate
    • ‘Robin Hood Tax’
    • Northern Line extension

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    Welfare Reform

     

    That the motion referred from council assembly as a recommendation to cabinet, set out below be agreed. Cabinet noted that the second bullet point under recommendation 6 had been implemented.

     

    That council assembly:

     

    1.  Is gravely concerned by the impact the Tory Liberal Democrat government’s welfare reforms is having on Southwark’s most vulnerable residents.

     

    2.  Notes that more than 10% of Southwark’s population are affected by the range of welfare cuts. More than 4,000 by the bedroom tax, over 24,000 by the government’s £2.8m council tax benefit cut (including over 16,000 who are in work), thousands by changes to DLA beginning this year and hundreds more by the benefit cap from later this year.

     

    3.  Notes that local advice and support organisations are seeing a steep rise in demand for help. Over 500 people were fed by foodbanks in Southwark in April alone (compared with 100 in April 2012) and the provider estimates 30 tons of food will need to be distributed to meet demand this year. 10% of the recipients are in work. Southwark’s Citizen Advice Bureaux saw a 40% jump in demand for help this year but legal aid cuts mean the loss of the equivalent of 4 full time advisors across Southwark Legal Advice Network.

     

    4.  Notes the action taken by the council to deal with these changes including:

     

    ·  Labour’s £800,000 Hardship Fund; £400k of which is targeted towards local disabled people and carers

    ·  An extra £400,000 went into helping people downsize homes to avoid the bedroom tax

    ·  The Social Fund replacement scheme (the Southwark Emergency Support Scheme)

    ·  More than 700 people have been supported face to face at the partnership events – Southwark’s partnership work is being held up by (national) Citizens Advice as an example of good practice and a model for other councils to adopt.

     

    5.  Regrets Simon Hughes’s unequivocal support for the government’s welfare reforms despite claiming the benefits cap would “drive families apart”. It also regrets that Simon Hughes has dismissed reports of a fivefold increase in people claiming discretionary housing payments as “alarmist”. It regrets that he has refused to meet with local organisation such as Cooltan Arts to discuss the impact of the reforms and that he missed the “Frontline Welfare” event despite being specifically asked to attend.

     

    6.  Calls on cabinet to:

     

    ·  Continue to work constructively with advocacy groups in the borough to ensure we are able to continue to support our most vulnerable residents

     

    ·  Lobby the Department of Work and Pensions for increased funding for discretionary housing payments

     

    ·  Continue to challenge Simon Hughes and the Liberal Democrats regarding their role in enabling the government’s welfare changes.

     

    Drummer Lee Rigby and Faith Communities in Southwark

     

    That the motion referred from council assembly as a recommendation to cabinet, set out below be agreed.

     

    That Council:

     

    ·  Registers its abhorrence at the appalling and savage murder of Drummer Lee Rigby on the streets of south-east London on 22 May 2013, and extends sympathy to his family.

     

    ·  Welcomes the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Wilkinson House, Dewar Street, London SE15

21.

Gateway 2 - Contract Award Approval: Semi-independent Living Service

22.

Gateway 2 - Contract Award Approval: Independent Fostering Services

Exclusion of Press and Public

It was moved, seconded and

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in category 3 of paragraph 10.4 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Southwark Constitution.

 

The following is a summary of the closed part of the meeting.

23.

Minutes

    To approve as a correct record the closed minutes of the meetings held on 16 and 31 July 2013.

Minutes:

The closed minutes of the meetings held on 16 and 31 July 2013 were approved as correct records and signed by the chair.

24.

Wilkinson House, Dewar Street, London SE15

Minutes:

The cabinet considered the closed information relating to this item. See item 20 for decision.

25.

Gateway 2 - Contract Award Approval: Semi-independent Living Service

Minutes:

The cabinet considered the closed information relating to this item. See item 21 for decision.

26.

Gateway 2 - Contract Award Approval: Independent Fostering Services

Minutes:

The cabinet considered the closed information relating to this item. See item 22 for decision.