Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

There was one Item of Urgent Business - Appointments to Cabinet Sub-Committees and Joint Committee which the Chair agreed to consider in accordance with S.100 B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as the Cabinet sub-committees were due to meet before the next meeting of Cabinet.

There were no public questions received.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 22^nd March 2021 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Strategic Director of Communities and Reform which sought approval of and recommendation to Full Council of the Covid 19 Recovery Strategy 2021-2022.

It was reported that Oldham’s current Corporate Plan expired in December 2020 and work to refresh the plan was due to be completed by Summer 2020, however the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic had impacted the viability of producing the plan. It was agreed by Cabinet that a COVID-19 Recovery Strategy would be developed acting as an interim Corporate Plan until at least September 2022.

The Policy and Overview Scrutiny Committee considered

Members discussed the key priority areas that had been developed for the Recovery Plan.;

1.    Driving Equality

2.    Investing in quality Housing

3.    Championing a green recovery

4.    Creating and protecting Jobs and supporting business

5.    Prioritising education and skills

6.    Promoting health and wellbeing and supporting the most vulnerable.

Each of these focus areas formed a key strand of the COVID-19 recovery Strategy with individual actions attached to each priority area.

Monitoring of the Recovery plan would be untaken through the Council’s annual business planning process to assure delivery against the plan and quarterly reporting via the Corporate Performance Framework.

Options/alternatives

Option 1 – To agree and recommend that the Covid-19 Recovery Strategy was submitted to Full Council for approval.

Option 2 – Not to agree and recommend the COVID-19 Recovery Strategy to Council.

RESOLVED – That the Covid-19 Recovery Strategy be agreed and commended to Full Council.

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Strategy and Performance which provided the Cabinet with a review of the Council Performance to March 2021.

Performance measures that achieved their target as a percentage of all reported Performance measures was 63%with a target of 60%. Corporate Actions completed was 79% this quester with a target of 90%.

As anticipated, performance in 2021 had continued to be affected by Covid-19. Ongoing restrictions had impacted on the achievement of a number of measures. It was noted that a Covid Recovery Strategy had been developed outlining the priorities to support the Council’s recovery form the pandemic and would include revised performance measures.

Option/alternatives considered

N/a

RESOLVED- That the Council Performance Report for March 2021 be noted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Managing Director of Children & Young People which sought approval to award an optional one year extension to the current Special Educational Needs Transport Service Contract.

It was reported that it was a statutory function of the Council to provide travel assistance to those children and young people with special educational needs, disabilities or mobility issues who were eligible in accordance with SEN Travel Assistance Policy.

A dynamic purchasing system was used to procure and award contracts for the journeys and this was accessed via the CHEST. There were 23 contractors providing specialist vehicles and qualified drivers to provide the service

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and despite the challenges the service had faced over the last two academic years the original contract had been successfully delivered and a contract extension would support all parties during that period.

Options/ alternatives considered

Option 1 – To award the optional 1 year extension to the current contractors that had provided a high quality service and shown real commitment to the children and Young people of Oldham with Special Educational Needs.

Option 2 – That an extension is not approved and a new tender exercise would be required, the risk of not having a SEND Transport contract in place would leave the Council open to challenge.

RESOLVED – That the Council would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 11 of the agenda before making a decision.

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Democratic Services which sought appointments to:

1. The Failsworth Trust Cabinet Sub-Committee
2. The Local Investment Fund Cabinet Sub-Committee
3. The Commisisoing Partnership Board
4. The Shareholder Cabinet Sub-Committee

RESOLVED – That:

1.            Membership in 2021/22 of the Failsworth Trust Sub-Committee was:-

·                         The Council Leader

·                         The Deputy Leader (Statutory)

·                         The Cabinet Member for Housing

2.            Membership in 2021/22 of the Local Investment Fund Cabinet Sub Committee was:

·                         The Council Leader

·                         The Deputy Leader (Statutory)

·                         Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon

3.               Membership of the Commisisoing Partnership Board in 2021/22 was:

·                         The Council Leader

·                         The Deputy Leader (Statutory)

·                         Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care

·                         Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

4.               Membership in 2021/22 of the Shareholder Cabinet Sub- Committee was:

·                         The Council Leader

·                         The Deputy Leader (Statutory)

·                         Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon

·                         Cabinet Member for Corporate Services

That, in accordance with 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 they contain exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

RESOLVED that, in accordance with 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 they contain exempt information under paragraphs 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

The Cabinet gave consideration to the commercially sensitive information in relation to Item 8 Special Educational Needs Travel Assistance Service – Contract Extension.

RESOLVED – That the optional one year contract extension to the current Special Educational Needs Transport Service Contract be approved.