Agenda item

a)        Consideration of Cabinet Report and Questions

b)        Committee’s views for Cabinet

Councillor Clive Lloyd, Cabinet Member for Service Transformation & Business Operations and Andrew Hopkins, Business Improvement Advisor were present for the committee’s consideration of the cabinet report on ‘All Council Catering Commissioning Review’.

The Cabinet Member explained how this review was an evolving process as part of ‘Sustainable Swansea – Fit for the Future’, and the first of a series that will represent a cross cutting council wide review.  The review had identified that there was duplication of certain functions across the Council in Social Services, Education, and our ‘In House’ catering service.  Although some services had been excluded from the review, it had become clear that the current service could not be maintained.

The Council wide approach to improving catering services would be taken forward by a 3 year business plan, included in the cabinet report.

The preferred option, as outlined in the report, was to consolidate the existing school meals and social services catering functions into a single in-house managed service which will also manage existing staff catering functions at the Civic Centre, Guildhall & Pipehouse Wharf.

The Committee considered the proposed recommendations in the report and raised any issues and concerns that should be brought to the attention of Cabinet ahead of its decision on 17 March 2017.

There was some concern about the limited amount to time available to consider the report, but the Committee indicated no objection to the recommendations. However, members had a number of observations which they asked to be considered by Cabinet, in relation to:

·       The need for further scrutiny of implementation of the business plan

·       The relationship with schools and issues

·       The need to demonstrate that the integrated in-house service is competitive

·       The internal controls necessary to support the business model

·       Implications of the planned sale of the Civic Centre on plans

·       The achievability of projected savings

·       The need for more evidence in the report to support the rejection of outsourcing as the best way forward

·       The desire for an emphasis with future plan on local food sourcing and improving nutrition

The Cabinet Member stated that he would be happy for further reports to come to scrutiny as requested in the future.

RESOLVED that the Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee write to the Cabinet Member on the views of the Committee, for Cabinet’s consideration.