Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 May 2019 as an accurate record.

The part A minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 7 May 2019 were agreed. The Leader of the Council signed the minutes as an accurate record.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to register disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and gifts and hospitality to the value of which exceeds £50 or multiple gifts and/or instances of hospitality with a cumulative value of £50 or more when received from a single donor within a rolling twelve month period. In addition, Members and co-opted Members are reminded that unless their disclosable pecuniary interest is registered on the register of interests or is the subject of a pending notification to the Monitoring Officer, they are required to disclose those disclosable pecuniary interests at the meeting. This should be done by completing the Disclosure of Interest form and handing it to the Democratic Services representative at the start of the meeting. The Chair will then invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3. Completed disclosure forms will be provided to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion on the Register of Members’ Interests.

There were none.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

Officer: Shifa Mustafa

Key decision: yes

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.    Adopt the Framework for The Public Health Approach to Violence Reduction in Croydon (“The Framework”), at Appendix 1 of the report;

2.    Agree the themes and key priorities set out in the report and the above referenced Framework; and

3.    Delegate to the Executive Director Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Safer Croydon and Communities, authority to develop and agree a comprehensive Delivery Plan in accordance with Appendix 1 of the report through engagement with the existing structures of the Local Strategic Partnership and keep the Delivery Plan under review to ensure ownership of the Public Health Approach to Violence Reduction is embedded across a wider range of organisations, maximising the skills and knowledge of the strategic partnerships. 

The Cabinet Member for Safer Croydon & Communities gave a presentation on the public health approach to addressing violence in Croydon, an approach which recognised that violence was a complex issue and sought to address the root causes through a whole system approach.

The Vulnerable Adolescent Review which was commissioned by the Children Safeguarding Board had been important in Croydon and the key findings of the report helped shape some of the report.

Members were informed that youth violence in Croydon had seen an ongoing reduction of 11% which outperformed the London average. Additionally, substantial reductions in serious youth violence had been experienced and a reduction of 17% of knife crime had also been seen. While the reduction in crime was encouraging, and over the past five years it was the first time Croydon had dropped below the London average, it was recognised that more needed to be done to reduce crime further and for there to be a sustained reduction.

To realise a sustained reduction in crime the ambition was to treat the source of the issue by looking at the root causes and not just addressing the violence itself. In response to the Vulnerable Adolescent Review and the Director of Public Health’s annual report on the first 1,000 days of a person’s life, the council had recognised that trauma in early life could have a lasting impact on a person’s life. As such, a cultural shift was required to design solutions which addressed issues at an early age and young people did not fall off the radar of partnership organisations. To support the embedding of the cultural shift it was recognised that there was need to ensure impact of trauma was understood by all and interventions were targeted.

The priorities of the public health approach were outlined to Members as building an understanding across all organisations regarding the impact of trauma, ensuring hard to reach communities were being approached, supporting young people in the wider community and family, recognising culture, and ensuring a truly collaborative approach among all involved in tackling the issue.

The Cabinet Member informed Members that work was ongoing to ensure the Croydon approach was in line with the approach being developed by the London Violence Reduction Unit to ensure consistency. Whilst the Croydon Unit would not provide a frontline response, it was intended to seek to influence a range of disciplines both in the council and outside organisations to work together to deliver a public health approach to tackling violence.

Lib Peck, Director of the Violence Reduction Unit at MOPAC, informed Members that the London Violence Reduction Unit had been launched by the Mayor in 2018 and there were representatives from across the board working on delivering the initiative.

The Director of the VRU stated that she felt there was great ambition in Croydon to deliver this approach. By adopting the public health approach it was noted that violence was being looked in its context, and by looking at a child’s journey you were moving  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47/19

Officer: Shifa Mustafa

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.    Endorse the activity being undertaken to promote and increase the number of apprentices in Croydon; in particular the 2019 100 Apprentices in 100 Days campaign; and

2.    Note changes to apprenticeship rates of pay to bring it into line with London Living Wage.

The Cabinet Member for Economy & Jobs gave Members an overview of apprenticeships, noting that the scheme gave people 16 years and over practical experience and was not just for young people starting in employment, but also could assist people in changing careers. The Cabinet Member informed Members that in Croydon only 20% of apprentices had been aged 16 to 18.

Bernadette Aze and Nafiza Chowdhury, apprentices at Croydon Council, spoke of their experience of apprenticeships and noted that often young people were encouraged at college to follow the traditional path of attending university. It was recognised by the guests that the university route was not always the best option and that young people should be informed of alternative career paths, such as apprenticeships.

Nafiza and Bernadette spoke of their experience of being supported by Croydon Works to prepare for their interviews and receiving feedback which gave them the confidence to apply for apprenticeships. They felt that undertaking apprenticeships had been fantastic experiences for them as it had given them practical experience to support them in their careers, and they requested the support of the council to spread awareness of the apprenticeship scheme to support other young people.

Members thanked Nafiza and Bernadette for their contribution and for being inspirational to other young people in talking about the opportunities apprenticeships provided.

The Cabinet Member noted that the Apprenticeship Levy could be used to support Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) to have apprentices in their organisations. As such, the council would contact all business rate payers of the opportunity and the Cabinet Member asked that councillors also speak to local businesses.

Within Croydon Council, Members were informed that almost 50 apprentices were employed, supported and had mentors. These apprentices represented the local community with a number from BME background, all ages, and 15% with declared special needs or disabilities. Due to the success of the council’s scheme the authority had been awarded two awards for its support and dedication to diversity, and members were given two case studies of apprentices who were being supported by the council; Anna Smith and Alexander Gayle. 

Members were informed that the next apprenticeship launch event would be taking place on 21 August 2019 at BoxPark and would be hosted by the Deputy Mayor who would speak about her experiences. Members were requested to share information about this event to all relevant parties. To further develop apprentices in Croydon, the Croydon Apprenticeship Academy had been formed which was made up of employers and council officers. The Academy was already speaking to businesses, and many companies in Croydon had already pledged to be part of the scheme.

Members noted that the decision to pay apprentices the London Living Wage which enabled people of all ages to fully experience all the opportunities an apprenticeship offers. It was recognised that apprenticeships were changing the life journeys of many young people positively and the scheme was supported.

It was noted by some Members that it was recommended that 2.3% of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48/19

Officer: Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: yes

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.    Approve the pipeline sites listed in Appendix A of the report to be disposed of to Brick by Brick Croydon Ltd (BBB) subject to terms and conditions being agreed to the satisfaction of the Executive Director (Resources) and the Director of Finance and s151 Officer acting in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Homes and Gateway Services and Finance and Resources and the scope of this delegation includes the decision as to whether the disposal of land is by freehold or by way of a long lease in line with the indicative terms set out in sections 3.5 to 3.7 of the report;

2.    Approve that the Council lend Brick by Brick Croydon Ltd funding to progress the development of the sites and that such funding will include funding for professional services, construction costs, acquisition of third party sites and working capital and that the Executive Director (Resources) and the Director of Finance and s151 Officer be given delegated authority to finalise and agree the terms of such lending acting in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources;

3.    Approve that where it is considered necessary by Officers  and subject to consideration of any objections received by third parties, that the sites listed in Appendix A of the report will be appropriated for planning purposes pursuant to the Council’s powers under s122 of the Local Government Act 1972 and/or s233 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 or such other statutory powers as may be relevant and that the Executive Director (Resources) be given delegated authority to finalise and agree the terms of such appropriation acting in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources; and

4.    Note the governance and monitoring process set out in the report.

The Leader of the Council stated that it was important to remember that housing was a basic human right and that over 100 young people in the borough were sleeping in temporary accommodation every night.

The Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services stated the council was looking to deliver homes of all tenures across the borough, and provided Members with an overview of the housing which was being delivered by Brick by Brick across the borough. It was noted that residents had been supportive of schemes in various parts of the borough and that the developments were also enabling further improvements to the local areas, such as new libraries, community facilities and improvement work to local council buildings to ensure they were fit for the future.

Members were informed that the report looked at how Brick by Brick could be taken further with new sites identified, with a specific emphasis on providing housing for care leavers and older generations who sought to downsize. However, it was noted that Brick by Brick was not the only option being utilised by the council to deliver housing in the borough as community led housing had been launched, and the council had brought unused properties back into use also.

It was noted that many of the proposed sites listed in the report were very small and under government legislation would not be required to deliver any affordable housing. The Cabinet Member, however, stated that by Brick by Brick developing the sites it was possible to ensure significant affordable housing was to be delivered.

The Cabinet Member further stated that no detailed plans had been drawn up for the sites listed, and it was important to note that Brick by Brick would work with and consult the local communities ahead of seeking planning permission.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources informed Members that all the benefits from the developing the sites would remain with the council. Best value from the land was being sought when the land was sold to Brick by Brick; however the Cabinet Member further noted that capital receipts would be received from Brick by Brick also.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services confirmed that consultation with residents would take place ahead of planning permission being sought, and that the transfer of land was subject to planning permission being granted.

It was recognised that a proposed site listed in the report included green space on the Monks Hill estate, and following some Members suggestions that the green space was highly valued by residents and that there was an alternative site for development at the edge of the estate, the Cabinet Member confirmed she would be happy to speak to local residents regarding alternative options.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, in response to Members questions, confirmed that best consideration was being fulfilled and that auditors had reviewed the previous transfer of land and a report would be produced which outlined that the council had fulfilled all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49/19

Officer: Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.    Approve and adopt the refreshed Commissioning Framework 2019-2023 (as set out at Appendix 1 of the report);

2.    Approve and adopt the Council’s Social Value Policy 2019-2023 (as set out at Appendix 2 of the report);

3.    Recommend the adoption of the revised Tenders and Contracts Regulations, part 4 of the Constitution (as set out at Appendix 3 of the report) to Full Council; and

4.    Delegate to the Director of Commissioning and Procurement, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, authority to make minor amendments to the documents presented to Full Council and any consequential amendments as necessary and to ensure publication of any amendments.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources paid tribute to the work of the Director of Commissioning and Procurement and her team for their work on developing a Commissioning Strategy and Social Values Framework.

It was noted by the Cabinet Member that when Labour became the Administration that the rating for contracts had been 60% price and 40% quality; however there had been a change to focus on quality with a weighting of 60% as it was recognised that it was important to deliver quality contracts for residents. Additionally it was noted that the social value of contracts was important for delivering for residents, and as such a 10% weighting in relation to social value was part of the quality score when assessing tenders.

The council was proud of the ethical approach which has been adopted; including the charters which the council had signed up to and had been put at the heart of procurement.

The Cabinet Member stated that the council was committed to transparency, and noted the strengthened Value Croydon website which sought to assist Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the borough to see the contracts the council was letting. Additionally, it was noted, that the council was increasingly holding suppliers to account which was ensuring the delivery of the best service for residents.

Members noted the different ways a new approach to commissioning had delivered improved results; such as a number of the Ground Maintenance team had previously been paid the minimum wage and when they had transferred as part of insourcing had started to be paid the London Living Wage. This had led to staff feeling valued and an improved service. Additionally, Members noted the social value of the New Addington Leisure and Community Centre had been phenomenal with local residents being trained through apprenticeships which would have a long term impact on the local community.

The Cabinet Member concluded his presentation by stating that the documents for approval were the bedrock for delivering services and ensuring services were being delivered in the right way to ensure the best outcomes for residents.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member informed Members that monitoring would take place which would show how successful the approach had been to support local SMEs in being awarded contracts. Additionally, it was noted that the new system, My Resources, would further allow geographical tracking to enable the council to monitor the delivery of contracts and ensure that contracts were remaining local, which was defined as being within the borough.

The Cabinet Member stated that it was not possible to speak in detail in relation to a letter received from Croydon Accessible Transport as it was subject to a formal response from the Chief Executive and Procurement; however confirmed that the allegation had been fully investigated and due process had been followed. Members were informed that the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources and the Cabinet Member for Safer Croydon & Communities would be meeting with Croydon Accessible Transport to discuss their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50/19

Officer: Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To receive the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny & Overview Committee (30 April 2019) and to provide a substantive response within two months (i.e. at the next available Cabinet meeting on 8 July 2019).

Officer: Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To approve the response and action plans attached at Appendix A of the report and that these be reported to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee or relevant Sub-Committees.

Officer: Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.     Approve the recommendation for the appointment of the Approved Provider Panel for Children’s Social Care Assessments in accordance with the recommendation set out in the report at agenda item 11a;

2.     Recommend to the Leader of the Council that prior to the next meeting of Cabinet in July, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources in consultation with the Leader, be authorised to agree the award in respect of the contract for the Microsoft Enterprise Software Agreement which was included in the Good to Great ICT Transformation strategy approved by Cabinet on 20th November 2017 (reference: 91/17 Investing in our Borough c. ICT sourcing strategy) for the reasons set out in para 4.3.1 of the report; and

3.     Note that any award made under this delegation will be notified in the standard contracts report to the next meeting of Cabinet.

RESOLVED: To note

1.     The contracts over £500,000 anticipated to be awarded by the nominated Cabinet Member, in consultation with the nominated Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources or, where the nominated Cabinet Member is the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, in consultation with the Leader; and

2.     The list of delegated award decisions made by theDirector of Commissioning and Procurement, between 12/04/2019 – 11/05/2019.

Officer: Robert Henderson

Key decision: yes

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.     Approve the award of an Approved Provider Panel for the delivery of Children’s Social Care Assessments, in accordance with Regulation 27(c) of the Council’s Contracts and Tenders Regulations and the appointment of 13 providers across the 10 Lots as detailed in the Part B report on this agenda, for a term of two years with an option to extend for a further two years for a maximum contract value of £10,049,000; and

2.     Note that the names of the successful providers in Part B of this report will be released once the appointments to the Approved Provider Panel decision has been agreed.

The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”

The following motion was moved by Councillor Newman and seconded by Councillor Butler to exclude the press and public:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”

The motion was put and it was agreed by the Committee to exclude the press and public for the remainder of the meeting.

Officer: Robert Henderson

Key decision: yes

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.     Award of an Approved Provider Panel for the delivery of Children’s Social Care Assessments, in accordance with Regulation 27(c)/29 of the Council’s Contracts and Tenders Regulations and the appointment of the providers across the 10 Lots as detailed in the Part B report, for a term of two years with an option to extend for a further two years for a maximum contract value of £10,049,000; and

2.     Note that the names of the successful providers will be released once the appointments to the Approved Provider Panel have been agreed.