Agenda, decisions and minutes

No declarations of interest were made.

the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 11th March, 2019 be received and approved as a correct record.

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 11th March, 2019 be received and approved as a correct record.

At this point in the proceedings and in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4.1 (Order of Business), the Chairman advised Cabinet that he wished to move agenda item 6 (Homelessness Shared Service) to the next item of business.  All Members present agreed with this course of action.

Key Decision

Portfolio Holder for Housing – Councillor Kier Barsby

a)    the Homelessness shared service between Mansfield District Council and Ashfield District Council be dissolved;

b)    Ashfield District Council’s statutory homelessness function be delivered wholly in-house.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing presented the report to Cabinet and requested approval to formally dissolve the homelessness shared service between Mansfield District Council and Ashfield District Council to enable the service to be delivery in-house.

The Director of Housing and Assets commented that following the decision to bring Ashfield Homes Limited back in house in 2016, it was now prudent to bring the Council’s Housing and Homelessness teams back together to provide the desired efficiencies whilst increasing aspirations for delivery of the service.

Members considered the alternative option of continuing with the shared service notwithstanding that circumstances were now very different to when the shared service was created thus meaning that in-house provision was now the most appropriate delivery model.

RESOLVED that

a)    the Homelessness shared service between Mansfield District Council and Ashfield District Council be dissolved;

b)    Ashfield District Council’s statutory homelessness function be delivered wholly in-house.

Reasons:

1.    To enable the Council to respond in the most efficient and effective way to the Ashfield specific issues highlighted by the joint Homelessness Strategy.

2.    The issues can now be best addressed by Ashfield District Council as the housing expertise required to do this is now available as a result of the Council’s housing stock and service being brought back in-house and the Council now being in full control of those front line Housing services which are closely aligned to the homelessness service.

a)    the recent allocation of £30,000 for the engagement of a dedicated Mental Health Worker within the Complex Case Team, as requested by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members following their annual Crime and Disorder meeting held in March 2019, be welcomed;

b)    having acknowledged the benefits of restorative justice, the Council consider its application on a wider basis focussing on the rehabilitation of anti-social behaviour offenders through reconciliation with victims and local communities;

c)    the Community Safety Team be requested to endeavour to capture additional anecdotal evidence from professionals and regular visitors to the Council’s sheltered housing courts to enable any anti-social behaviour issues to be addressed more efficiently.

The Service Manager, Scrutiny and Democratic Services presented the report and reminded Members that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Crime and Disorder meeting held in March 2019 had focussed on anti-social behaviour in Ashfield and included representation from Nottinghamshire Police, the Council’s Community Safety and Housing Teams, a representative from Change, Grow, Live and a local Care Worker.

The meeting was streamed live through the Council’s Facebook and Twitter pages and questions submitted by Nottinghamshire County Council Youth Forum were answered in real time during the debate. 

During consideration of the report, Cabinet Members were advised by the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety that following the meeting in March 2019 and subsequent discussions, £30,000 funding had recently been earmarked for the engagement of a dedicated Mental Health Worker within the Complex Case Team.

Members considered the alternative option of declining to approve the recommendations as presented.

RESOLVED that

a)    the recent allocation of £30,000 for the engagement of a dedicated Mental Health Worker within the Complex Case Team, as requested by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members following their annual Crime and Disorder meeting held in March 2019, be welcomed;

b)    having acknowledged the benefits of restorative justice, the Council consider its application on a wider basis focussing on the rehabilitation of anti-social behaviour offenders through reconciliation with victims and local communities;

c)    the Community Safety Team be requested to endeavour to capture additional anecdotal evidence from professionals and regular visitors to the Council’s sheltered housing courts to enable any anti-social behaviour issues to be addressed more efficiently;

d)    the Director of Housing and Assets be requested to provide an update to Cabinet Members during October/November 2019 regarding the security measures (new door entry systems, cameras, reinforced doors etc.) being implemented within the Council’s sheltered homes and its impact or otherwise in relation to incidences of anti-social behaviour.

Reason:

To provide Cabinet with the considerations and recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee following its extraordinary meeting to consider crime and disorder in Ashfield.

(At the commencement of this item, Councillor Keir Barsby left the meeting at 10.17 a.m.)

Key Decision

Portfolio Holder for Community Safety – Councillor Daniel Williamson

the draft Ashfield Community Partnership Strategic Plan 2019-2022, be endorsed and recommended to Council for approval.

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety presented the report and requested the draft Ashfield Community Partnership Strategic Plan 2019-2022, as presented, to be endorsed by Cabinet and referred to Council for approval.

Members considered the updated Plan and expressed their gratitude to the Community Protection Team for their determined approach to tackling anti-social behaviour within the District especially the current issues being experienced on the Coxmoor Estate.  The revised Plan was comprehensive and would be focussing on a more collaborative working relationship between all partners.

Members considered the alternative option of declining to support the Strategic Plan but this was not recommended as failure to approve the Ashfield Community Partnership Strategic Plan would breach the legislative requirements for the Partnership to produce a rolling three-year strategic plan.

RESOLVED that

the draft Ashfield Community Partnership Strategic Plan 2019-2022, be endorsed and recommended to Council for approval.

Reasons:

1.    The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as amended, requires that every district has a Community Safety Partnership and an associated Strategic Plan in place. 

2.    Approval of the Ashfield Community Partnership Strategic Plan 2019-2022 will ensure legislative requirements are met.

Non-Key Decision

Portfolio Holder for Finance – Councillor David Martin

a)    the 2018/19 Revenue Outturn for the General Fund, the HRA Outturn and the Capital Programme Outturn be noted;

b)    the 2019/20 revenue budgets be adjusted to reflect carry-forward of 2018/19 approved but unutilised project funding from earmarked reserves and for Officer Decisions taken during April 2019 as detailed at Section 4 of the report be noted;

c)    it be recommended to Council that the £4.715m underspend on the Capital Programme during 2018/19, caused by delays to schemes included in the Programme, be carried forward to 2019/20;

d)    it be also recommended to Council that £55,000 of the 2018/19 underspend be used to meet the additional costs of the Council’s new political structure.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance presented the financial outturn for 2018/19 in respect of the General Fund, the Housing Revenue Account and the Capital Programme, as well as an analysis of how this compared to the budget and an explanation of any significant variances.  Cabinet was also requested to endorse and recommend to Council two budget underspend adjustments as outlined in the report.

Members considered the alternative option of declining to approve the funding carry-forwards but acknowledged that this would prevent some projects from progressing or would require them to be funded from the General Fund balance which was not recommended.

RESOLVED that

a)    the 2018/19 Revenue Outturn for the General Fund, the HRA Outturn and the Capital Programme Outturn be noted;

b)    the 2019/20 revenue budgets be adjusted to reflect carry-forward of 2018/19 approved but unutilised project funding from earmarked reserves and for Officer Decisions taken during April 2019 as detailed at Section 4 of the report be noted;

c)    it be recommended to Council that the £4.715m underspend on the Capital Programme during 2018/19, caused by delays to schemes included in the Programme, be carried forward to 2019/20;

d)    it be also recommended to Council that £55,000 of the 2018/19 underspend be used to meet the additional costs of the Council’s new political structure.

Reason:

To report to those charged with governance, the Council’s financial Outturn for 2018/19 and to comply with the Council’s Financial Regulations.

Non-Key Decision

Portfolio Holder for Finance – Councillor David Martin

that the revised Council’s Procurement Policy and Strategy, as presented, be approved.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance presented the report seeking approval for an update to the Council’s Procurement Policy and Strategy for the years 2019/20 to 2022/23.

Members considered the alternative option of declining to adopt the revised Procurement Strategy and Policy as presented.

RESOLVED

that the updated Council’s Procurement Policy and Strategy for 2019/20 to 2022/23, as presented, be approved.

Reason:

In March 2018, Ashfield District Council changed providers of the procurement service from Bassetlaw District Council to Nottingham City Council. Since that change, Ashfield’s Contract Procedure Rules have been updated to ensure continued good governance and to align our rules to those of the provider to achieve the best possible outcomes. As a consequence, the Procurement Policy and Strategy is therefore due for alignment reflecting the practical change to service delivery.