Agenda and minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Deputy Leader referred to agenda item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting and Members noted this information. The Leader entered the meeting at 6.33pm and continued to chair the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence received.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business. (Late items of Urgent Business will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items of Urgent Business will be dealt with under Item 15 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at Item 18 below).

There were no items of urgent business considered.

A Member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and

(ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

A Member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest put forward.

On occasions part of the Cabinet meeting will be held in private and will not be open to the public if an item is being considered that is likely to lead to the disclosure of exempt or confidential information. In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 (the “Regulations”), members of the public can make representations about why that part of the meeting should be open to the public.

This agenda contains exempt items as set out at Item [16] : Exclusion of the Press and Public.  No representations with regard to these have been received.

This is the formal 5 clear day notice under the Regulations to confirm that this Cabinet meeting will be partly held in private for the reasons set out in this Agenda.

There were no representations received.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on the 12^th of  July 2016 as a correct record.

The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on the  12^th of July 2016 were agreed  as a correct record of the meeting.

There were no deputations, petitions or questions received.

None

There were no matters put forward.

[Report of the Chief Operating Officer. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health.] Cabinet to consider the 2016/17 Quarter 1 financial position; including Revenue, Capital, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG).

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Health introduced the report which set out the projected financial position of the Council for 2016/17 as at quarter 1[April-June 2016]. The report covered significant operating and capital revenue variances and had been compiled on a forecast full year basis.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Health drew attention to the significant budget pressures in the demand led areas of Adults, Children and Temporary Accommodation which were leading to a current forecast of £28m budget over spend for the Council. He continued to outline the ongoing measures to bring down the overspend including the work at the corporate centre to reduce spend in the organisation and further  highlighted the necessity to keep up the pace with the transformational activities in these demand led areas.

Actions to bring down spend would involve: managing demand at the ‘front door’ of Adult Services, reviewing care packages, continuing to focus on homelessness prevention, by  increasing the number of AST’s[ Assured Tenancies] including building modular housing. These types of interventions would help to reduce overspend in short, medium and long term.

Cabinet noted the difficult financial picture for all local authorities and the importance of focusing on reducing cost in the centre whilst also focusing on transformation activities for the demand led areas.

In response to questions from Cllr Engert, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health set out the following:

·         The budget overspend figure was, as outlined, in the attached report.

·         Councillor Engert would receive a written response setting out the planned savings to be made from the reduction of agency and interim staff.

·         The envisaged revenue savings to be made in energy costs from adding LED bulbs to street lights had not been achieved as the implementation had not been completed at the required pace to make the saving.

RESOLVED

1.    That the Council’s 2016/17 Quarter 1 financial position in respect of revenue and capital expenditure be noted.

2.    To note the risks and mitigating actions identified in this report in the context of the Council’s on-going budget management responsibilities;

3.    To endorse the measures in place to reduce the overspend in service areas; and

4.    To approve the virements over £250k in Table 1 - Appendix 1 and note other virements;

Reasons for decision

A strong financial management framework, including oversight by Members and senior management, is an essential part of delivering the Council’s priorities and statutory duties.

Alternative options considered

This was the 2016/17 Quarter 1 Financial Report as such there were no alternative options.

[Report of the Assistant Director for Commissioning . To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health.] Cabinet to consider an agreement between the Council and CCG,   which as drafted at appendix 1,  will act as a framework partnership agreement and set out shared outcomes and objectives, and contain detailed schedules enabling:

                                          i.    Lead commissioning for specified care groups

                                        ii.    Pooled budgets for specified care groups

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Health introduced the report which proposed taking forward a partnership agreement to allow the Council and Haringey CCG [Clinical Commissioning Group] to pool their relevant social care budgets and take forward a model of commissioning which would better support providing joined up care and, in turn, better outcomes for Adults with health and social care needs. The report included details of the framework to be followed and the areas which the Council or CCG would lead on commissioning activities.

Cabinet were asked to note that the pooling of budgets would formally start in April 2017 and, until then, there would be work on unifying budgets.

In response to Councillor Engert’s questions, the following information was noted:

·         The lead commissioning role for long term conditions and older people would be decided over the next month as the Council and CCG were awaiting the outcome of Better Care Fund allocations for the year.

·         There were a number of different mechanisms in place for Members to understand what will happen in the areas of social care spend. The Cabinet Member reported that: the Adults Scrutiny Panel will have specific session looking at detail of spend in Adults in October , the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider the draft Medium Term Financial Plan for 2017 -2222 as well as looking at budget performance of 2016/17.

·         In terms of monitoring the use of the pooled budgets, it was the Cabinet Member’s role and responsibility to relay information about the performance of the Council’s partnership with CCG to Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED

1.    To approve the S. 75 Partnership Agreement between the Council and the CCG which provides for:

a)         Lead commissioning and the establishment and maintenance of pooled fund for the commissioning of learning disability services for eligible adults resident in Haringey;

b)         Lead commissioning and the establishment and maintenance of a pooled fund for the commissioning of mental health services for eligible adults resident in Haringey;

c)         Lead commissioning and the establishment and maintenance of a pooled fund for the commissioning of older people’s services, including those services identified in the Better Care Fund 2016/17, for eligible adults resident;

d)         Joint commissioning and the establishment and maintenance of a pooled fund for the commissioning of children and adolescent mental health services for the residents of the London Borough of Haringey;

e)         Lead commissioning and the establishment and maintenance of a pooled fund for thecommissioning of the Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Service and the Identification and Referral to Increase Safety Service for eligible adults resident in Haringey.

2.    To delegate to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chief Operating Officer and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health, the authority to finalise and agree the draft S.75 Partnership Agreement between the Council and the CCG which is attached as Appendix 1.   

Reasons for decision

There had been previous work on developing joint commissioning across the CCG and the Council and recently  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

[Report of the Deputy Chief Executive. To be introduced by the Leader of the Council.] This report sets out the Council’s initial response to the Haringey STEM Commission recommendations.

The Leader introduced the STEM [Science Technology, Engineering, Maths] commission’s report and recommendations which was an outstanding and comprehensive piece of work which set out how the local authority can lead schools, and education providers to work on increasing the opportunities for young people to have access to STEM related jobs which were likely to remain part of a growing London economy.

The Leader referred to the action plan responding to the recommendations of the review. The actions would involve partnership working across a number of different areas and the plan set out the individuals who will co-ordinate this work.

In response to Councillor Engert’s questions, it was noted that: the contributors to the STEM commission report had worked with the Council on a voluntary basis and the annual cost for the action plan would be met within existing resources. The Leader would provide Councillor Engert with a written update on the actual set up cost of this project.

RESOLVED

1.    To welcome the Haringey STEM Commission’s Report and their recommendations, which was attached as Appendix B;

2.    To agree the Commission’s recommendations and the Council’s Action Plan in response set out in Appendix A;

3.    To agree the internal governance arrangement as set out in paragraphs 6.12 and 6.13 of this report to monitor progress with delivery against the recommendations; and

4.    To agree that there be a further report to Cabinet in September 2017, setting out progress against the Action Plan.

Reasons for decision

The recommendations of the Haringey STEM Commission set out how a modern, ambitious local authority should support and lead our education system by strengthening schools’ leadership and teaching, building partnerships that can drive improvement, and acting as a champion for parents and children.

This was a challenge that the Council must respond to. In order to do so, the report sets out an action plan at Appendix A detailing how we will respond to each of the Commission’s recommendations. This includes working closely with schools and other education providers. In order to achieve the desired outcomes, school leaders will also need to prioritise STEM in their strategic and financial planning.

Alternative options considered

The alternative option in this scenario would be not to bring a report to Cabinet. However, given the level of stakeholder engagement and partnership that has been involved in the work of the Commission itself – and that will be required to deliver on the actions – it was felt that the Council should be transparent and open, setting out publicly how the Council can play a leading role in implementing the recommendations.

[Report of the Director for Planning, Regeneration and Development. To be Introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning.]

The report sets out the key elements of the Housing Zone Phase 2 funding package which has been allocated by the Greater London Authority (“GLA”) to facilitate regeneration in North Tottenham and seeks approval to agree and enter into an Overarching Borough Agreement (“OBA”)  (and all Borough Intervention Agreements (“BIA”) flowing from the OBA) with the GLA.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning was pleased to introduce the report which took forward a new exciting phase for the regeneration of Tottenham. The GLA had already agreed £44m for the Housing Zone phase 1 in Tottenham Hale and were now agreeing a further £62m to support High Road West regeneration in, Northumberland Park, with Phase 2 of the Housing Zone. This would fund housing infrastructure costs, land assembly, including affordable housing, ensuring a continued mix of housing in Tottenham.

The report set out the key elements of the Housing Zone phase 2 funding package and sought approval to enter into an overarching Borough Agreement[OBA] and BIA[ all Borough Intervention agreements[ BIA] flowing from the OBA with the GLA.

In response to Councillor Engert’s questions, the following information was noted:

• The Council’s continued aspiration was for a higher ratio, than the 30% listed in the report, of affordable housing. It was noted that the 30% figure included the use of the affordable housing grant, and other grants, demonstrating the challenges faced with building affordable housing in North Tottenham. The Council were aiming to get a higher ratio of affordable housing but this depended on land values secured and also taking into account a need to rebuild properties in this area as this would push up cost and further affect the level of affordable housing units available.

• Bids on a set of development proposals will be taken forward for the scheme. Firstly, the Council will acquire the land in the scheme and divide this up for development. Land would then be released in phases to the agreed developer allowing the financial viability for each stage of development to be assessed and the Council’s vulnerability to any cost to be understood.  Should the market valuation at each phase show a problem with financial viability then there would be an opportunity to look again at each of the phases, as this would be part of the contractual arrangement. The Director for Planning, Regeneration and Development assured Councillor Engert that the Council would not take forward a deficit position in the development of this land for housing.

• The length and timing of Brexit negotiations were uncertain and land values had not currently seen an impact. Therefore, the Cabinet were being recommended to capture the opportunity provided by GLA funding and to take forward the competition for the development of land for housing in North Tottenham.

RESOLVED

1.To agree to the funding from the Greater London Authority (“GLA”) set out in paragraph 6.6 of this report and give delegated authority to the Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Regeneration, Planning and Development after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing to:

1.1Finalise and agree the Overarching Borough Agreement (“OBA”)  for Tottenham Housing Zone Phase 2 (North Tottenham)  based on the core terms set out in paragraphs  6.7- 6.11 of this report and associated legal documents, including all  Borough Intervention agreements (”BIA”);

1.2 bid for and agrees any further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67.

To note the minutes of the following:

Cabinet Member Signing – 4^th July 2016

Cabinet member Signing – 12^th July 2016

Cabinet Member Signing  - 15^th July 2016

Leader of the Council  Signing – 22^th August 2016

RESOLVED

To note the minutes of the following meetings:

Cabinet Member Signing – 4^th July 2016

Cabinet Member Signing – 12^th July 2016

Cabinet Member Signing - 15^th July 2016

Leader of the Council Signing – 22^th August 2016

To note the significant and delegated actions taken by Directors in July and August 2016.

In response to Councillor Engert’s questions on this report, it was noted that:

• The recruitment and staffing contract listed at page 257, was associated with staffing and remuneration which was aiding social worker recruitment .Further specific information on the contract could be provided to Councillor Engert if required.

• The acquisition of a 10 year lease on unit 2 Fountayne business park and sub lease to the National College of Digital Skills [ADA] provided economic value and was an important part of attracting investment to the borough. Noted that ADA will only use the building for 2 to 3 years before moving to a larger local site and they would have renovated and updated the building before moving allowing the building to remain an attractive acquisition. Securing this College’s placement in the borough was likely to attract the interest of technology businesses and be somewhere for young people to attend and to develop ideas for their own start up tech related businesses. There were already conversations with organisations about tech start ups and potential decisions on an incubator project would be brought to a future Cabinet meeting.

RESOLVED

To note the significant and delegated decisions taken by directors in July and August 2016.

To consider any items admitted at Item 3 above.

There were no new items of urgent business to consider.

Note from the Democratic Services &Scrutiny Manager

Items 17 and 18 allow for the consideration of exempt information in relation to items,12  and 3 respectively.

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as the items below contain exempt information, as defined under paragraph, 3 and 5 Part 1, schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded form the remainder of the meeting as the items contained exempt information , as defined under schedule 12, Paragraph 3 and 5 of the Local Government Act 1972.

As per item 12.

As per item 67.

To consider any items admitted at Item 3 above.

None