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187 (54) VIREMENTS 2008 – 2009 – The Service Director Finance submitted a report seeking approval for changes to the revenue budget for 2008-09.

On 20 February 2008 Council approved the revenue and capital budgets for 2008/2009 financial year (minute 1545 refers). Since then various developments had been approved which needed to be reflected in the budget to assist proper financial control. 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 and 3.2 of the report, approved by the Service Director Finance under delegated powers be noted, and (b) that the permanent virements outlined in paragraph 3.3 of the report be approved.

188 (55) SECTIONS 43 AND 47 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE ACT 1988 SECTION 1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RATING ACT 1997 – The Service Director Finance submitted a report considering the level of Business Rate relief to be awarded to six ratepayers in North Lincolnshire.

The 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. The Corporate Services Cabinet Member on 7 February 2005 (minute 233 refers) agreed to amend the criteria. The Corporate Services Cabinet Member on 21 December 2006 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.

189 (56) FINANCE SERVICE PLAN 2008/11 – The Service Director Finance submitted a report seeking approval for the service plan for the Finance service.

The service plan set out the priorities, targets and areas of development for the Finance service for the next three years. It identified the service’s contribution to the council’s priorities and how the service aligned with the ambitions of the council.

The plan demonstrated how priorities would be achieved and how performance would be measured and also detailed key outcomes to show what the service aimed to achieve for the council.

Resolved – (a) That the 2008/2011 service plan for Finance be approved and adopted, and (b) that the achievements of the Finance service during 2007/08 be noted.

190 (57) TRAINEE TRADING STANDARDS OFFICER – The Service Director Neighbourhood and Environment submitted a report seeking approval to convert the established post of Trainee Trading Standards Officer from a single grade to a career graded post.

In June 2002, a trainee Trading Standards Officer post was established to enable a student, undertaking a BSc Hons degree in Trading Standards, to gain work experience and attain the skills element of the Diploma in Trading Standards. Since April 2005 the post had remained unfilled due to budgetary constraints, however, additional government funding for enforcing new legislation had now been provided to Trading Standards Services.

Concern had been expressed by the Local Government Association and Office of Fair Trading regarding the drop in the number of qualified and trainee Trading Standards Officers since 2003. The restructured post of Trainee would enable a person with the required educational qualification to enter Trading Standards at the bottom of the career grade, and then to progress through the grades after completing elements of the new Trading Standards qualification framework. Due to the need to demonstrate practical skills and experience, the trainee would become involved in all areas of enforcement activity and over time would become an increasingly valuable resource.

Resolved – That the conversion of the post of Trainee Trading Standards Officer, from a single grade to a career grade, as set out in the report, be approved.

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

191 (58) CREATION OF POST TEAM MANAGER (SEN) DELETION OF POST SENIOR SEN ADVISOR – The Service Director Children, Strategy and Partnerships submitted a report seeking approval for the creation of the post of Team Manager (SEN) and the deletion of the post of Senior SEN Advisor.

As part of the realignment of Children and Young People’s Services the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Statementing team was now within the management responsibilities of Children and Family Services. The Statementing team undertook the local authority statutory duty to process, finalise and review statements of SEN. Historically, the management of this had been undertaken by a Senior SEN Advisor.

Within the new organisational arrangements, it was appropriate that the Statementing team was managed at an operational level with a manager graded at a level appropriate with operational duties. Therefore it was more relevant and cost effective to create a Team Manager to deliver this than a specialist advisor.

Resolved – (a) That the establishment of the post of Team Manager (SEN), set out in the report, be approved, and (b) that the deletion of the post of Senior Advisor SEN be approved.

192 (59) STREETSCENE AND LANDSCAPES DIVISION REGRADING OF HANDYPERSONS POSTS – The Service Director Neighbourhood and Environment submitted a report seeking approval for the regrading of three posts of handyperson.

Following a regrading claim submitted by the team of three handypersons, which resulted in their post being downgraded, a gradual reduction in pay was implemented for the employees.

During the summer of 2008, the role of the team had widened to include removal of graffiti. The new duty and associated responsibility for the extra equipment needed to carry out the work was added to the employees’ job description, and the post was re-evaluated as an outcome of the normal job evaluation procedure.

Resolved – That the regrading of the three posts of handyperson, as set out in the report, be approved, with effect from 1 September 2008.

193 (60) REGRADING OF PARENT PARTNERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER – The Service Director Children, Strategy and Partnerships submitted a report seeking approval for the regrading of the post of Parent Partnership Manager.

It was a statutory requirement under the Education Act 1996 for a Parent Partnership Service to be provided. The Service provided a free, confidential and impartial support service for the parent and carers of children or young people aged 0-19 with additional or special educational needs. The Service aimed to promote positive relationships between parents/carers, schools, the council and other agencies. It also encouraged parental participation in the planning and delivery of services.

Due to the increased responsibilities of the post, it was regraded in November 2007. The proposed regrading took into account the additional duties and responsibilities of the post.

Resolved – (a) That the proposal to regrade the post of Parent Partnership Service Manager be approved, and (b) that the regrading be implemented with effect from 1 November 2007.

194 (61) MINSTER ROAD DAY CENTRE – CARETAKER POST – The Service Director Adult Social Care submitted a report seeking endorsement to convert the part time post (five hours per week) of Caretaker at the Minster Road Day Centre, to additional hours for a higher graded Support Officer post.

The Physical Disability Day Service was currently contracted to deliver five hours per week of caretaking services to Minster Road Day Centre. This service provided cover for bookings, reporting of repairs and alarm checks.

The Minster Road Day Centre was transferred to the Community Association with effect from 5 September 2008, this included responsibility for the building. Four week’s notice was given for withdrawal of the caretaking service. It was proposed that the five hours that remained against the caretaking post be allocated to the post of Support Officer elsewhere within the service.

Resolved – That the conversion of five hours, as set out in the report, be approved.

195 (62) COMMUNITY MEALS SERVICE – OPERATIONAL SUPPORT – The Service Director Adult Social Care submitted a report seeking approval of a temporary option to provide operational support to the Community Meals Service.

Currently, there was a vacant post within the Community Meals Service as a result of the resignation of an experienced Operational Support Clerk. Recently the service had undergone a review and was currently awaiting a specification document for transport services to complete the costing for the provision of the service. The future of the service was also being considered as part of the Fit for the Future review of Adult Social Services.

Due to the timescale of the review, it was currently not appropriate to appoint to the Operational Support post on a permanent basis. However, the Community Meals Service worked closely with the WRVS in the administration and delivery of the service, and the WRVS Co-ordinator performed similar tasks to those required by the Operational Support Clerk. Therefore, it was proposed that, on a temporary basis, the WRVS Co-ordinator took on the role of administrative support.

Resolved – That the proposal to appoint, on a temporary basis, the WRVS Co-ordinator to cover the Operational Support post within the Community Meals Service, be approved.

196 (63) PROPERTY TRANSACTION SCHEDULE – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report 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.

197 (64) TENDERS FOR PURCHASE OF SURPLUS COUNCIL LAND AT COLLUM AVENUE, ASHBY AND COLTON STREET, BRIGG – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report to consider tenders received for two development sites at Collum Avenue, Ashby and Colton Street, Brigg.

The council had received tenders on two development sites in Ashby and Brigg. One of the tenderers had indicated that they could only take on one site at present.

Tenders were disappointing compared to prices for land that were received in the last year. This reflected the state of the market for development property in the current turbulent economic climate. The prices on both sites were probably the best that could be obtained in the current market. However, it was expected that prices would recover eventually. In the case of the Colton Street site, it could be possible to obtain planning consent for individual plots and market them separately achieving a higher price, therefore, it was not recommended that the site be sold at the present time.

Resolved – (a) That the highest tender on Collum Avenue, Ashby, as set out in the report, be accepted, and (b) that the situation be reviewed if plots proved unpopular at Colton Street, Brigg.

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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.