Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny has further agreed that the call-in procedure shall not apply to this urgent decision. This is because the decision is urgent and any delay in implementation caused by the call-in procedure would seriously prejudice the Council's or the public's interests due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a high and increasing demand for PPE and it is of vital importance that the Council access supply routes to ensure that the health, safety and wellbeing of Haringey staff, care providers and our residents. This is in accordance with Part 4, Section H, and Paragraph 18 (a) and (b) of the Council Constitution.

It was noted that boroughs across London have been working closely together to respond to the current crisis. Through these existing relationships, it was prudent to take advantage of shared buying power to procure a significant volume of contingency PPE directly from suppliers to ensure frontline staff were protected in the short-to-medium term.

The Leader noted that the London Borough of Ealing (LBE) had established a framework for PPE supplies that can be accessed by all London Boroughs, including Haringey Council, through signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The Council’s Contract Standing Orders (CSO) 7.01 b) made provision for the Council to procure goods, works or services via a framework.

The LBE framework required PPE orders to be processed via a sub-regional ‘hub’ borough. The hub borough in North Central London (NCL) would be the London Borough of Camden (LBC) for Haringey related orders. LBC would process payments on behalf of the Haringey, which the Council would reimburse back to LBC.

Keeping in mind the high demand globally for PPE, and the need to seek additional procurement methods, the Leader:

RESOLVED

1.    To agree for the Council to enter into the pan-London MoA (a draft of which is attached as Appendix 1) with the London Borough of Ealing and other London Boroughs  to access and procure contingency supplies of PPE through a supply framework.

2.    To agree that delegated authority be granted to the Director of Adults and Health to implement the arrangement for the pan-London MoA including approving any further amendments and entering into and signing off the MoA and any other agreement between the Council and the participating London Boroughs.

3.    To agree the allocation of £350,000 from the General Fund Emergency Response Contingency to cover the estimated costs of procuring contingency PPE for the period to end of June 2020.

Reasons for decision

The Council have a responsibility to ensure that staff who need PPE have access to the right equipment to enable them to do their jobs safely. It is imperative that the Council continue to prioritise those who are most in need of PPE supply, particularly our partners across the community care system and Council staff who require PPE to carry out their critical activities.

The Council existing supply lines, however strained,  were supported by emergency deliveries of PPE from central government,  and have thus far been sufficient to cope with the levels of demand. The emergency stock is limited and intended for use by all London Resilience Forum (LRF) partners including local authorities, social care and primary care providers. The list of organisations able to access the emergency continues to grow.

The following steps are set out for ordering of PPE based on the latest guidance the Council have received from government:

• Please continue to try and secure PPE supplies through your usual supply routes. We know stocks are being delivered through everyday orders and this should continue in the first instance.

• Make contact with other Borough or partner colleagues and support each  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The report sought approval to extend Councillor Hinchcliffe’s required attendance at a council meeting for a period of 3 months until 8^th of September 2020. Cllr Hinchcliffe had been unable to attend a meeting for ill health as a reason. He would automatically cease to be a Member, after the 9^th June 2020, if this decision was not taken forward.

On 19^th March 2020, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Full Council approved the reason. However, although it was the long-established practice of most local authorities to treat this as a non-executive function, it now appeared that it was a decision for the executive. Therefore, a ‘belts and braces’ approach was considered necessary to avoid any difficulties on this issue and so the approval of the Leader was also being sought.

The Leader considered the report and:

RESOLVED

1. To note that Councillor Justin Hinchcliffe has been unable to attend Council meetings due to ill health, and the last meeting he attended was 10^th December 2019.

2. To approve Councillor Hinchcliffe’s continued ill health as a reason for not attending Council meetings, such that:

a.      He will continue to be a Member of this Council until 8^th September 2020 even if he does not attend a meeting of the authority (as defined in section 85(2) Local Government Act 1972) due to ill health; and

b.      If he does not attend a meeting of the authority (as defined in section 85(2) Local Government Act 1972 by 8^th September 2020, he will cease to be a member after that date.

Reasons for decision

To approve the above recommendations would allow Councillor Hinchcliffe the opportunity to recover from a period of ill health and retain his membership on the Council.

If the reason for Councillor Hinchcliffe’s failure to attend meetings is not approved before the expiry of 6 months from his last attendance (i.e. by 9^th June 2020), he will automatically cease to be a member of the Council, as a result of section 85(1) Local Government Act 1972.

The extension of 3 months is thought to be appropriate given Councillor Hinchcliffe’s ill health.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are currently no scheduled meetings for Councillor Hinchcliffe to attend in person. However, there are arrangements being made for virtual meetings. If his condition improves, he may be able to attend a virtual meeting where his attendance will be recorded and meet the attendance requirements.

Alternative options considered

The Leader could do nothing. However, Councillor Hinchcliffe continues to be unable to attend meetings and, if his extension is not approved, he will automatically cease to be a member of the Council after 6 months.