Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting(s) listed below be approved and signed as a correct record:

1)           Cabinet held on 17 November 2016.

The Leader made no announcements.

Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt within a 10 minute period.

No questions were asked.

No questions were asked.

Councillor C A Holley, Convenor of the Service Improvement and Finance Scrutiny Performance Panel will present feedback on pre-decision scrutiny.

Councillor C A Holley, Convenor of the Service Improvement and Finance Scrutiny Performance Panel presented the feedback from the pre decision scrutiny.

The Cabinet Members for Environment and Transportation & Wellbeing and Healthy City jointly submitted a report which outlined the background to the Parks and Cleansing Management Commissioning Review and set out the findings and recommendations from the Review.

RESOLVED that:

1)            Recommendations 1 to 5 detailed in Section 8 of the report, as measures to improve performance, make the service more robust, and make savings be deemed appropriate to take forward to implementation pending relevant consultation subject to the following amendments:

a)            Page 26 of the Report:

i)             Recommendation 8.1 a) being deleted;

ii)            Recommendation 8 b) Bullet Points 3 and 4 being deleted.

b)         Page 28 of the Report:

i)             Paragraph 9.1.  Delete Recommendation 1a;

ii)                  Paragraph 9.2.  Amend the Potential Target referred to in Recommendation 1f to £140K

The Cabinet Members for Finance and Strategy & Transformation and Performance jointly submitted a report which outlined the Corporate and Service Performance for Quarter 2 of 2016-2017.

RESOLVED that:

1)        Performance be reviewed to help inform executive decisions on resource allocation and, where relevant, corrective actions to manage and improve performance and efficiency in delivering national and local priorities.

The Cabinet Member for Education presented a report which sought approval of the nominations submitted to fill Local Authority (LA) Governor vacancies on School Governing Bodies.

RESOLVED that:

1)           The following nominations be approved as recommended by the LA Governor Appointments Panel:

The Cabinet Members for Adults and Vulnerable People & Next Generation Services jointly submitted a report which provided an update on the findings and progress of the in-year charging review task and finish group.  The report also outlined the business case for the pre deputyship support charge.

RESOLVED that:

1)            The findings and progress of the in-year group be acknowledged;

2)            The Pre Deputyship support charge be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report which detailed the outcome of recent tenders for Home to School Transport services for mainstream pupils and sought approval to award contracts.

RESOLVED that:

1)            The tender prices recommended by the Tender Evaluation Panel and set out in Schedule B of the report be accepted as representing the most economically advantageous tenders;

2)                  Contracts be awarded to the companies as set out in Schedule B of the report.

The Cabinet Member for Services for Children and Young People submitted a report which presented a strategic partnership response for delivering priorities for Children and Young People in Swansea.

RESOLVED that:

1)            The Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Plan be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report which sought approval to consult on a proposal to establish three new specialist teaching facilities (STF’s) in schools from January 2018.

RESOLVED that:

1)            Approval be given to consult on the establishment of specialist teaching facilities (STFs) at three schools (Birchgrove Comprehensive School, Portmead Primary School and Dunvant Primary School) in January 2018 for learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD);

2)            Agreement be given to seek additional corporate funding to support the establishment of these STFs (both capital and revenue);

3)            Cabinet considers responses following the consultation period.

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report which considered the proposed future of Swansea’s Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) provision.

RESOLVED that:

1)            The City and County of Swansea extensively overhauls its entire EOTAS service to provide sector-leading practice as recommended by Officers;

2)            Swansea Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) significantly reduces capacity in recognition of increased devolution of funding and responsibility to schools.  The needs of the majority of learners with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) are met through mainstream education, with central provision only being made for those learners with the most severe SEBD needs;

3)            A multi-agency support team be developed to provide support for young people, their schools and their families;

4)            Swansea’s Behaviour and Wellbeing Strategy be overhauled to support the needs of the majority learners with SEBD through mainstream education;

5)            Swansea PRU is restructured into three strands (including a ‘halfway house’) educated in fit-for-purpose learning environments;

6)            Permanent senior leadership positions are secured for the Head of Swansea PRU, Deputy Head of PRU and managers for two of the centres and for the support team;

7)            A new ‘early move’ protocol be included in an overhaul of the existing ‘managed move’ protocol;

8)            Additional funding be approved of approximately £100k to carry out a full feasibility study on the Cockett site;

9)            Additional corporate capital funding be approved (subject to a full feasibility study) in relation to the possible accommodation;

10)         Additional corporate revenue funding be approved (at least for the next ten years) to support additional staff, devolved funding to schools and “managed move” transport costs.

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report which provided an update on the progress in meeting the five recommendations in the Estyn Inspection Report.

RESOLVED that:

1)            The progress in meeting the five recommendations in the Estyn Inspection Report be noted.

The Head of Democratic Services and Chief Transformation Officer jointly submitted a report which reviewed the “Councillors ICT – May 2012 and Beyond” Policy thereby ensuring that Councillors are provided with an ICT provision suited to their need and complaint with the determinations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.

The Head of Democratic Services stated that the words “be noted” in recommendations 3), 4) and 5) be amended to read “be adopted”.

RESOLVED that:

1)            The current arrangements for Councillors to purchase their own ICT equipment be continued;

2)            Access to Office 365 to enable cloud technology for more resilient, secure information sharing system, subject to successful pilot be noted;

3)            The Councillors’ ICT Allowance as outlined within the report be adopted;

4)            The Councillors’ Broadband and Telephone Allowance as outlined within the report be adopted;

5)            The Councillors’ Mobile Phone Allowance as outlined within the report be adopted;

6)            The section relating to Councillors’ Self Service be noted;

7)            The Co-opted Member ICT Allowance and the Co-opted Member Broadband and Telephone Allowance be adopted;

8)            Council’s decision to ensure that all Scrutiny agendas, reports etc. utilise the Modern.gov Software by May 2017 be noted.