Minutes for Cabinet Member - Performance and Governance meeting, Feb 17 2010, 9.00AM official page

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Barber.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

Minutes of the meetings held on 19 and 20 January 2010.

RESOLVED:  

That the Minutes of the meetings held on 19 and 20 January 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) and the Acting Finance and Information Services Director.

The Cabinet Member considered the joint report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) and the Acting Finance and Information Services Director informing of the quarterly forecast position based on information as at 31 December 2009, in relation to the Portfolio's Revenue Budget and Capital Programme.

The report indicated the details of the Portfolio's budgets that were monitored and reported on the risk-assessed basis as set out in Annex A of the report as follows:

·             Performance (employee costs)

·             Communications Unit (employee costs)

·             Communications Unit (additional income)

·             Performance (underspend reserve)

The report concluded by inviting comments about the overall performance of the Portfolio's revenue budget to the Cabinet for consideration.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the progress on the Environmental Portfolio's revenue budgets that are subject to risk-based monitoring be noted; and

(2)       the progress made on the schemes within the Portfolio's elements of the Council's Capital Programme be noted.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management)

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) advising of the progress made towards the achievement of Sefton's Local Area Agreement (LAA), Corporate Plan Objectives and National Indicators (NIs) as at 31 December 2009; and indicating that a decision on this matter was required because to facilitate the ongoing analysis and management of the Council's performance as part of the Performance Management Framework, the Cabinet and Cabinet Member - Performance and Governance received third quarter monitoring reports.

The report indicated that the performance in the third quarter report showed that the Council continued to perform well; that the progress made in delivering key projects was excellent and the performance against indicator targets demonstrated that the Council continued to deliver against our priorities; and that the action plans and other steps to be taken where performance was lower than anticipated should help to drive improvement in performance indicators and project delivery.

RESOLVED:

That the level of performance of the LAA, Corporate Plan and National Indicators as at 31 December 2009, be noted.

Report of the Chief Executive

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Chief Executive seeking approval of the proposed structure and membership of the Sefton Borough Partnership and a number of principles relating to the partnership and area management development, with a view to making recommendations thereon to Council; and indicating that a decision on this matter was required as the Governance Review determined that most decisions should be implemented in the Municipal Year 2010/11; and that a decision taken now on the structure, membership and principles governing the area management development and partnership development would allow a new structure to start in the new Municipal year.

This was a Key Decision and was included on the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:  

That the Cabinet be requested to recommend the Council to:

(1)            approve the broad principles of area management as set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report;

(2)            approve the timescale for development of area management and the related area based thematic groups in the next municipal year (May 2010 to April 2011);

(3)            approve the broad areas for development of area management as set out in paragraphs 3.6 and 3.7 of the report;

(4)            approve the proposed roles and membership of the SBP Board and Operations Board, as set out in paragraphs 4.2 - 4.5 of the report;

(5)            approve the approach to membership and structure outlined in paragraphs 4.6 - 4.11 of the report;

(6)       note the intention that quarterly reports from the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) and Assistant Director Neighbourhoods will be submitted throughout the Municipal Year which will incorporate changes to membership and development of area management and area based thematic groups; and

(7)       grant delegated authority to the Cabinet Member - Performance and Governance to approve any in year changes to the principles agreed in the report, but where the development relates to Area Management, that any proposals be approved by Cabinet.

Report of the Equalities Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Equalities Director which outlined the activities of the Public Engagement and Consultation Team (PECT) and Standards Panel between December 2008 and December 2009.

The report indicated that Sefton Equalities Partnership had the responsibility for consultation and engagement as part of a multi-agency approach to co-ordinate activity and to embed standards for engagement and consultation across the Borough Partnership; that a key element of this co-ordinated approach had been the establishment of a Public Engagement and Consultation Panel (the Panel); that the Panel had met on eight occasions; Table 1 within the report detailed proposals appraised by the Panel; and Table 2 within the report detailed feedback and evaluation reports presented to the Panel.

The report also indicated that the PECT intended to continue raising awareness of the Team and the Panel and would identify ways of embedding the standards and principles fully within partner organisations.

RESOLVED:          That

(1)      the report on the Public and Engagement and Consultation Standards Panel be noted; and

(2)      the Public Engagement and Consultation Team be congratulated for their efforts in progressing engagement and consultation activity during 2008/2009.