Agenda and draft minutes

 Councillors Rice, Wilson and Khan submitted apologies to the meeting. Cllr Gibson substituted for Cllr Rice  in accordance with the  Constitution rules on substitutions as set out  in part 4, rules of procedures, section B, committee rules, paragraph 55.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late reports in relation to the items shown on the agenda.

(Please note that under the Council’s Constitution  - Part 4 Section B paragraph 17 – no other business shall be considered).

There were no items of urgent business submitted.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgment of the public interest and if this interest affects their financial position or the financial position of a person or body as described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct and/or if it relates to the determining of any approval, consent, licence, permission or registration in relation to them or any person or body described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct.

None were declared.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

There were none received.

The report sets out the proposals for closing down the Neighbourhood Management Service.

Following Cabinet endorsement, on the 25 January 2011, to dis-establish the Neighbourhood Management Service, the enclosed report set out the proposals for closing down the service to achieve the associated financial savings.

The committee were aware that due to the scale of spending cuts being imposed on Local Government there would be 42 million less for the Council to spend on services in 2011/12. The Council priority was to protect services for the most vulnerable residents. The Council was no longer in a financial position to maintain the Neighbourhood Management Service as it was neither statutory nor an essential service.  The closure of the service would achieve £1.4m with some funds set aside for the continued operation of Area Assemblies, which would become Area Forums, and the establishment of the Area Committees which would facilitate local decision making. The Making the Difference funds (this was a funding pot which local  groups  could apply for  funding from, in each of the 7 area assembly catchments) would remain but at a reduced level. The community engagement function of the Neighbourhood Management team would be facilitated by the new Single Frontline service later in the year.

The committee noted that consultation with staff was currently underway and would complete on the 27^th February. Following this an equalities impact assessment would be completed. The beginning of the assessment was enclosed as part of the report for the committee’s information.   Members noted that a total of 12 staff from the service had been accepted for voluntary redundancy, leaving 16 staff that would enter the redeployment pool. Members were advised that four community engagement posts were likely to be created in the autumn and be located in the Single Frontline service. This was after the period in which the staff would be placed in the redeployment pool and also likely to be after the expiry of their notice period, Unfortunately, it was not possible to dovetail these exercises in order for these new positions to be available before the autumn. This was due to the need to make the financial saving of 1.4m, by the end of the financial year (April) by closing the Neighbourhood Management service.  Significant work on the creation of the Single Frontline service was underway. This involved co-ordinating the required services that would form this service and undertaking the necessary staff consultations. This exercise was expected not to be completed until May.

In noting, that the payment for the redundancies would be financed by the reserves of the Council, clarification was sought on the total cost of the redundancy payments across the Council. The committee learned that the total cost of redundancy to the Council’s reserves would not be fully known until the redundancy process was complete. The committee noted that there was still another cohort of staff applications, for voluntary redundancy, to be considered after the finalisation of further staff structures.

Clarification was sought on the impact of the overall reduction in Council staff, in terms of contribution levels  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

To consider the proposals for a reduction in staff in the Children and Young People’s directorate support team.

The committee were informed that the Business Support and Development Business unit, of the Children and Young People’s service was in the process of being wound up. As a consequence there would be one fewer Deputy Director post based at Station Rd and other reductions in the overall numbers of senior managers.  In conjunction with the reduction in management, it was proposed to the committee, that there be a further reduction in the directorate support team from 6 members of staff to 3. The deletion of these posts was part of the implementation towards the overall Council savings targets.

RESOLVED

1. It be noted that formal consultation on these proposals began on 23 December 2010 and was concluded on 28 January 2011.

2. The comments received from staff and trades unions and the management response to these enclosed in (Appendix 2) be noted.

3. That the proposed reduction in staff as set out in the enclosed consultation document (Appendix 1) be agreed.