Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received from Alderman Sir Paul Judge, Ann Holmes, Deputy Stephen Haines, Mark Wheatley, Deputy Henry Jones, Deputy Elizabeth Rogula and Philip Woodhouse.

Mr Gareth Moore declared an interested in all housing related matters as he

was a tenant on the Golden Lane Estate.

To agree the minutes of the previous Committee meeting.

Resolved – that the minutes be agreed an accurate record.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services. The report can be found at:

Members noted that as part of its statutory functions, the City & Hackney

Safeguarding Children Board is required to produce an annual report that

reflects a transparent assessment on the effectiveness of safeguarding and the

promotion of child welfare across the City of London and the London Borough

of Hackney.

Resolved – that the update be received.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Director of Community and Children’s Services that sought approval to an amendment to the Scheme of Delegations to delegate marriage premises licensing to the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Discussions ensued regarding the fee charged for the marriage premises license. Officers recommended that they be tasked with investigating the possibility of changing the fee charged from £1,000 for a 3-year license to £1,500 for a 5-year license. Some Members of the Committee agreed that to ensure a decision was made by 1^st April 2017 when information regarding fees was published that the decision be taken under delegate authority. Other Members felt that the decision should be bought back to the Committee for consideration. A motion was proposed that the matter be bought back to a Committee meeting and was seconded by a Member of the Committee; the matter was put to a vote with two Members voting in favour of the motion and eight voting against it. The motion was lost and the Committee agreed to delegate the matter to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

RESOLVED – That the amendment of Paragraph 29 of the Delegations to the Director of the Community and Children’s Services be approved for consideration by the Court of Common Council; and that authority be delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman to review and agree the marriage premises license fee.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The appendix to this report has been circulated via email to Members of the Committee.

Members noted an update on the Carers Action Plan based on the analysis of evidence and consultation with carers and stakeholders that took place in 2015, and also in the context of the Care Act 2014. The Action Plan contained the six key priorities contained in the strategy with the overarching aim of improving outcomes for carers in the City of London. A key aim of the Action Plan was to focus on ways in which carers can be identified at an earlier stage and offered support, with a focus

on improving their health and wellbeing.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

Members noted the progress made during Quarter 3 (Q3 – October to December

2016) against the refreshed 2015–17 Community and Children’s Services Business

Plan, including what has been achieved and the progress made against the five

departmental strategic aims:

· Safeguarding and early help

· Health and wellbeing

· Education and employability

· Homes and communities

· Efficiency and effectiveness.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee noted that business plans were reviewed annually and cover a three year period. Members were presented with an initial draft high-level business plan for the Department of Community and Children’s Services which included items relating to the Barbican and Community Libraries which became a part of the DCCS with effect from 1February 2017.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee noted that in autumn 2016, Members of the London Borough of Hackney and the City of London Corporation, along with the NHS City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body, agreed to explore the benefits of an integrated commissioning model, which is part of the Hackney devolution business case and is the local delivery mechanism for the North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (NEL STP).

In summary, the model is built on an Integrated Commissioning Fund and the

establishment of an Integrated Commissioning Board, who will make decisions on

services to be commissioned using the Integrated Commissioning Fund. The fund

includes a pooled budget made up of health, adult social care and public health

funding.

Resolved – that Members approved:

· The establishment of integrated commissioning arrangements for the City of

London Corporation and City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group.

· The establishment of an Integrated Commissioning Sub-Committee of the

Community and Children’s Services Committee.

· The establishment of the Transformation Board.

· The funding arrangement to pool budgets Members are asked to delegate authority to the Town Clerk (in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Community and Children’s Services Committee) to:

· Agree the membership and terms of reference of the Integrated Commissioning Sub-Committee.

· Recommend consequential amendments to the terms of reference of the

Community and Children’s Services Committee to the Court of Common

Council Members are asked to delegate authority to the Director of Community and

Children’s Services (in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the

Community and Children’s Services Committee) to enter into the necessary Section 75 agreement(s) on such terms as they consider appropriate.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The appendix to this report has been circulated via email to Members of the Committee.

The Committee noted the information on the outcome of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of reablement services which took place on 13 December 2016.

The Adult Social Care Service provides reablement services to residents of the City

of London for up to six weeks following their discharge from hospital so that people

can become more independent and confident with their self-care. The service

provides home-based support, involving domiciliary care, occupational therapy,

physiotherapy, equipment, telecare and/or social work support.

At the time of the inspection there were three service users receiving reablement

services. The inspection is a short notice statutory inspection of the reablement service under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and seeks to check if the provider is meeting the legal requirements associated with the Act and to look at the overall quality of the service and provide a rating under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection involved a review and assessment of service provision against five

key questions that generate a subsequent grading for each as well as an overall

judgement for the service. The following judgements were made:

Is the service safe Good

Is the service effective Good

Is the service caring Good

Is the service responsive Good

Is the service well-led Good

Overall rating Good.

The Committee congratulated Officers and thanked them for a job well done.

Resolved – that the update be received.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The appendix to this report has been

Members considered a Gateway 4 Options Appraisal report regarding the concrete testing and repairs on the Barbican Estate, Golden Lane Estate & Middlesex Street Estate.

During questions, the following matters were raised:

·        Previous concrete testing – officers advised that the last complete testing had been carried out in the 1990s and undertook to circulate that report..

·        Barbican Estate car parks – officers advised that the extensive repairs and incidents of corrosion detailed in the report referred only to the car parks.

·        Fees and staff costs – officers advised that fees were likely to be higher than on regular projects, but reminded Members this was an estimate based on a standard percentage used for projects. Costs were apportioned as works progressed, with officers (including Barbican Estate Office staff) logging every hour spent on this project (e.g. project management or on site).

RESOLVED – That:

a)     the concrete testing report from the last survey carried out be circulated to Members;

b)     officers to report back with regard to structure and how it affected service charges;

c)     Option 1, a planned programme of concrete repairs, based on the outcomes of the recently completed testing contracts to the Barbican, Golden Lane and Middlesex Street Estates, be approved for proceeding to Procurement and Gateway 5;

d)     the estimated total project budget of £2,275,000 be noted, of which £905,000 was designated for the Barbican Estate and £1,370,000 designated for Golden Lane and Middlesex Street Estates;

e)     a budget of £18,400 be approved to reach the next Gateway.

f)       the project be transferred from the complex approval track to the regular approval track.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The appendix to this report has been circulated via email to Members of the Committee.

The Commissioning Team has produced a prospectus which sets out the City of

London Corporation’s vision and commitment for commissioning services for adults.

Through this document, the Department of Community and Children’s Services will

strengthen the commissioning arrangements for adults.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services which sought approval to combine the existing projects in respect of the redecorations to external and internal common parts for the Middlesex Street, Avondale Square, Golden Lane and York Way Estates.

A Member asked for clarification regarding why the works in relation to the flooring in the lift lobby areas and replacement of tenants’ front doors at Petticoat Tower were not included within the combined project. The Director of Community and Children’s Services explained that these aspects of the work were of a specialised nature and therefore it would be better value for money to progress these works independently of the main project.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

a)    Approves the combination of the two External and Internal Common Parts redecorationprojects.

b)    Approves the separation of the additional works to Petticoat Tower from the scope of the External and Internal Common Parts redecorations project, so that they can be addressed separately as Revenue projects.

c)     Notes the revised total budget of £2,875,163.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee noted that the Barbican and Community Libraries comprises the City’s three lending libraries; Barbican Library, Shoe Lane Library and Artizan Street Library and Community Centre. Our libraries all do far more than simply loan books. They also provide a range of innovative activities and services for children and families which positively impact education and literacy, socialisation/social isolation, health and wellbeing/child development and fun and play. Many of these services and activities are the product of successful partnership working and they also provide a variety of opportunities for the City’s communities to engage in volunteering.

City parents consistently rate the services provided by the libraries very highly and

consequently, the Department of Community and Children’s Services has

commissioned Barbican and Community Libraries to deliver a range of Children’s

Centre services on its behalf.

Resolved – that the update be received.

A Member raised a query regarding the lift replacement on the  Middlesex Street Estate.  Officers informed Members that in 2010, the City commissioned a detailed condition survey of the six passenger lifts on the Middlesex Street Estate. The survey was carried out by Butler & Young, a nationally recognised specialist lift and escalator consultant.

The lifts on the Middlesex Street Estate were installed in the 1960’s and are now over 50 years old. The consultant concluded back in 2010 that essential remedial works were necessary to comply with the relevant health and safety legislation and best practice.

The consultant made it very clear however that the completion of these essential remedial works would only extend the serviceable life of the lifts by a maximum of 7 years. Officers were entirely satisfied that the serviceable life of the lifts on the Middlesex Estate has now expired and can no longer guarantee their reliability and continuity. Officers were satisfied that all the options for the future maintenance of the lifts have been properly explored and the proposed extensive refurbishment and modernisation of the lifts is the correct course of action.

Officers assured Members that this decision had been taken properly and was supported by specialist advice and evidence that should carry considerable weight in the event of any legal challenge, and also confirmed that the Leaseholder’s Association had been provided with all the relevant information relating to our decision in this matter.   

There was no urgent business.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the

public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the

grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined

in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The appendix to this report has been circulated via email to Members of the Committee.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The appendix to this report has been circulated via email to Members of the Committee.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

There were no questions.

There was no urgent business.