Agenda and minutes

To note attendances, substitutes, and any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

No Declarations of Interest were made.

Members of the public are entitled to address the Joint Committee on reports contained within the agenda.  One person can speak in support of each item, and one against, with a limit of three minutes each.  It would be helpful if any person wishing to speak would give prior notice to the Democratic Services Officer named below.

No members of the public were in attendance and no questions had been submitted prior to the meetings.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2013.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider a joint report of the Chief Operating Officer, Cheshire East Council, and the Director of Resources, Cheshire West and Chester Council, on the current position of the Shared Service arrangements between Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils

Consideration was given to a report which provided a summary of the current position of the Shared Services arrangements between Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council.

A summarised position statement for all current Shared Service arrangements was detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.

One of the outcomes from the strategic and operation review of the Libraries Support Services and the Education Library Service was that Cheshire East staff employed in the Libraries Support Service would be transferred to Cheshire West and Chester under TUPE regulations.  Following some delay this had now been completed with the Transfer Agreement becoming operational on 5 December 2013.

The Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Shared Services Manager was seeking to put a similar arrangement into place to reducing the amount of management time spent on managing two sets of staff on differing terms and conditions of employment.  The Joint Officer Board had endorsed this approach with a view to getting the transfer arrangements in place by 1 April 2014 and the Committee was asked to approve the proposal.

It was expected that the feasibility study relating to the potential re-location of the Cheshire Archive would be delivered in March 2014.  On delivery of the Report, a preferred option could be identified and work commenced on securing external funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the overall position statement relating to current Shared Service arrangements be noted; and

(2)       the proposal to enter into a Transfer Agreement for staff employed in the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Shared Service be approved.

The report relating to the remaining item on the agenda has been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

The Committee were informed that the report made specific references to commercial information, operational issues and on-going negotiations between Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council and a third partner that could not be disclosed at this point in time, and

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

To consider a report of the Managing Director, CoSocius Ltd

Consideration was given to the report of Managing Director, CoSocius Ltd on the principles of on-boarding a further partner into CoSocius Ltd.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)       Agreement in principle be given for Wirral Council to join CoSocius as a third partner.

(2)       The Principles of Wirral joining CoSocius be agreed as outlined in section 3.4 of the report.

(3)       Agreement in principle be given that Wirral Council join CoSocius as a full partner and the Section 151 officers of both Councils be authorised to proceed with the next steps, as outlined in section 11 of the report.

(4)       A full business case be presented in March 2014 demonstrating the full expected benefits and associated costs of change to enable an informed decision to be made regarding Wirral becoming a partner in CoSocius.