Corporate Services Cabinet Member – Minutes – 3 December 2010

422 (49) BUSINESS RATE RELIEFS NOVEMBER 2010 – The Service Director Finance submitted a report considering the level of Business Rate relief to be awarded to ratepayers in North Lincolnshire.

The former Policy Committee agreed the legal position and administrative practices for dealing with rate relief on 22 January 1996.

The Corporate Services Cabinet Member on 20 February 2005 (minute 128 refers) agreed to adopt a scoring system based on set criteria for the awarding of discretionary rate relief. On 7 February 2005 (minute 233 refers) he agreed to amend the criteria. On 21 December 2006 he also agreed to update the criteria and gave approval to the Service Director Finance to authorise relief where the level of relief remained unchanged.

There was no discretion about granting mandatory relief.

Resolved – That the level of rate relief be awarded to each applicant as set out in the schedule attached to the report.

423 (50) VIREMENTS 2010-11 – The Service Director Finance submitted a report seeking approval for changes to the revenue and capital budgets for 2010-11.

On 24 February 2010 Council approved the revenue and capital budgets for the 2010/2011 financial year (minute 1830 refers). The report gave details of virements approved by the Service Director Finance under delegated powers and those that required Cabinet Member approval.

Resolved – (a) That the virements at paragraph 3.1 of the report, approved by the Service Director Finance under delegated powers be noted, and (b) that the permanent virements outlined in paragraph 3.2 of the report be approved.

424 (51) YORKSHIRE PURCHASING ORGANISATION – ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP SCHEME PROPOSAL – The Service Director Finance submitted a report which outlined the benefits to the council in applying for associate membership status of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO).

The YPO had recently established a new Associate Membership Scheme to reward members for their business. There was no risk or commitment exposed to the council in applying for associate membership and a financial rebate could be realised through being an associate member.

The Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) was one of 5 regional public buying organisations (PBO), specifically for local government. PBO’s provided professional procurement services which allowed public sector customers to benefit from efficiency savings and economies of scale through increased buying power. YPO’s customer base extended across more than 100 local authority areas encompassing schools, colleges and universities in addition to all major local government departments including adults and children’s services, catering, transport, highways, building, energy, administration and waste management as well as the emergency services.

YPO had recently gone through a reorganisation. Original membership was only available to founding members. This restriction hindered YPO’s growth and therefore a new associate membership scheme had been made available to other public sector buying organisations. Becoming an associate member entitled the council to take advantage of dividends through an annual finance rebate, based on its level of growth on catalogue sales and use of framework. Dividend payments were determined each calendar year after receipt of pre-audited accounts by YPO’s Management Committee.

Resolved – That the proposal to submit a formal application to become an Associate Member of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation be approved.

425 (52) QUARTERLY WORKFORCE MONITORING Q2, 2010/2011 – The Service Director Human Resources submitted a report for consideration of the attached quarterly workforce monitoring report.

A number of key workforce indicators were included in the attached quarterly workforce monitoring report. This covered workforce profile, employee turnover, sickness absence, recruitment and selection and learning and development.

As part of the implementation of the sickness absence improvement plan, two supplementary areas of monitoring around sickness absence had been added. These focused on attendance at sickness absence refresher training and completion of manager checklists. This information was designed to support service area quarterly performance reviews, as well as assisting managers to carry out workforce planning.

The issues raised within the report were addressed through actions included in the Human Resources (HR) Service Plan. Service specific issues were considered as part of quarterly performance reviews, with individual service areas taking appropriate action to improve performance in key areas. HR continued to support service areas to do this.

Resolved – That the Quarterly Workforce Monitoring Report for July to September 2010 be considered and key issues noted.

426 (53) FUTURE JOBS FUND DELIVERY – The Service Director Strategic Regeneration, Housing and Development Unit submitted a report which outlined a request to establish a new post within Community Planning and Resources.

The Future Jobs Fund (FJF) was launched in May 2009 by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), in partnership with Department for Communities and Local Government to create new jobs for long term unemployed young people and others who lived in unemployment hotspots facing significant disadvantage in the labour market.

Resolved – That the proposal to create the new temporary posts funded through the Future Jobs Fund, be approved.

The following items contain exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

427 (54) PROPERTY TRANSACTION SCHEDULE – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking for consideration, and where necessary approval, of a schedule containing the terms of all recently negotiated property transactions.

Resolved – That the schedule appended to the report be approved.

428 (55) PROVISION OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COUNCIL – The Service Director Community Planning and Resources submitted a report to seek permission to provide the development of Neighbourhood Watch within the Council and permission to TUPE the HANWaG Neighbourhood Development Officer for North Lincolnshire in to the Council.

Historically Humberside Area Neighbourhood Watch Group (HANWaG) had been responsible for providing the service for the development of Neighbourhood Watch within North Lincolnshire. The service was funded and supported by the four unitary authorities within the Humberside Policing area and the Humberside Police Authority, the funding within North Lincolnshire coming from the Local Authority Area Based Grant. HANWaG entered into a Service Level Agreement each year with the unitary authorities detailing the exact level of service each authority could expect to receive. Within North Lincolnshire one Neighbourhood Watch Development Officer contracted to working 37 hours per week was supplied by HANWaG to provide this service.

The continued delivery of Neighbourhood Watch Development within North Lincolnshire was vital in respect of Community Safety and it was considered that it would be desirable for this function to be delivered from within the Council.

Resolved – (a) That the proposal for the future delivery of the Neighbourhood Watch Development service to be provided by the Council be endorsed, (b) that staff be transferred to the Council under TUPE arrangements, as outlined in the report, on 1 December 2010, and (c) that a post of Neighbourhood Watch Development Officer be established with effect from 1 December 2010 to accommodate the transferred staff member.

Where there is no report this is because it is exempt, as it contains information which is considered to be of a confidential nature, as detailed in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act.

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