Decisions

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to note the Corporate Performance Report for Quarter One, 2023/24. 

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to note: 

1. The budgetary control position for 2023/24 on 30 June 2023 is a forecast overspend of £5.1m position.  

2. The key variance analysis and explanations are contained in section 4.2and Appendix A to the report.  

3. The Council’s performance with respect to Business Rates (NNDR) and Council Tax Collection, as outlined within Appendix Bto the report. 

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to: 

1. Approve the award of a contract to OPUS People Solutions via ESPO MSTAR4 Lot1b Master Vendorfor the provision of all social care temporary resources for a period of three years with an option to extend for a period of one year. The estimated value of the contract is £4m per year. 

2. Approve the award of contracts via the ESPO 3S_22 framework to the suppliers listed below for the provision of all temporary resources that are non-social care for a period of four years including an option to break at year three and the estimated total value of the contracts is £3m per year.  

· Eden Brown  

· Tile Hill  

· Capita  

· Morgan Hunt  

· Hays  

· Reed  

· Sellick Partnership  

· Penna PLC  

· Liquid  

· Blue Arrow  

· OPUS People Solutions  

3. Delegate authority to the Executive Director Corporate Services and Section 151 Officer to award non-social care call-off contracts to additional suppliers that are listed on the ESPO 3S_22 framework on a case-by-case basis and following recommendation by the Council’s Work Force Board. The value of additional call-off contract(s) shall not exceed the value set out in recommendation 2.  

4. Approve the Council entering into contracts with the contractors that are awarded contracts within recommendation 1, 2 and 3. 

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to approve: 

1. the award of Contract to Hereward Care Services Limited (company number 04044871) for the provision of Respite Care & Accommodation Services for Adults with Learning Disability / Autism for  

Lot 1: six shared social care beds at a total cost of £429,240 per annum; being a total of £4,292,400 for the possible duration of ten (10) years)across all beds (budget to be uplifted annually as per the Inflation Strategy through the business plan) for a period of five years from 1st November 2023, with an option to extend up to a maximum period of five years in two increments; three years plus a further two years, making a possible total contract period of ten years and;  

2. the award of Contract to Hereward Care Services Limited (company number 04044871) for the provision of Respite Care & Accommodation Services for Adults with Learning Disability / Autism for  

Lot 2: five health beds at a cost of £393,562 across all beds for a period of one year from 1st November 2023  

3. the Council entering into a Collaboration Agreement with Integrated Care Board to set out the funding arrangements for the Lot 2 Contract. 

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to agree: 

1. The launch of the Budget Simulator from 19 September 2023, which will be open for the public to submit responses for a period of 6 weeks, closing on 31 October 2023. 

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to: 

1. Note the third report of the Independent Improvement and Assurance Panel and agrees to the action to be taken as a result and progress being made with delivery of the Improvement Plan.  

2. Respond with the action it wishes to take, including on the following issues:  

· Completing the audit and sign off of all outstanding annual accounts in this financial year,  

· Planning for the permanent recruitment to the S151 role,  

· Continuing to invest in the work of the Portfolio Boards,  

· Considering the approach to the disposal of assets,  

· Developing and approving a Commercial Strategy to strengthen the work of the Shareholder Committee and align with best practice, Completing an Asset Management Plan and a Corporate Landlord approach,  

· Considering replacement of the building compliance IT system,  

· Reconsidering the proposal to move to all out elections,  

· Facilitating handover between the outgoing and incoming Audit Committee chairs. 

The Cabinet Member:  

1.     Authorised Peterborough City Council (PCC) to be delegated the authority by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) and for PCC to act as the lead authority in commissioning the Infant Feeding and Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support Service across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, which shall include the associated transfer of funding to PCC from 1 October 2023.  

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2.     Authorised a Delegation and Partnering Agreement between PCC and CCC to enable the function to be transferred from CCC to PCC in respect of this service. 

3.     Authorised PCC to award the contract to the National Childbirth Trust for the period of 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2025 (contract value £301,500.00 (PCC £176,378 and CCC £125,122)) with the option to extend for a further period of 12 months (estimated £194,000 between PCC and CCC). 

The current approach, of authorising each placement by an exemption report, involves significant officer time and resource, and the responsibility for approvals sits with the Executive Director of Corporate Services and S151 Officer, which is not appropriate as they have no knowledge of the placements made so the sign off is an ineffective internal control.

This report accordingly requests that authority be delegated the Executive Director for Adult Services or their delegate (in the case of placements for adults) the Executive Director for Children's Services or their delegate (in the case of placements for children) and signed off by the relevant Head of Finance, who will assess and comment upon the financial implications and to make such directly awarded placements, on an interim basis, while work is undertaken to put in place a longer-term solution.