Agenda and minutes

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

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor R Short.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

There were no declarations of interest.

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.

Councillor S Wilkinson asked for consideration to be given to the current governance arrangements for shared services, in order to increase the opportunity for involvement by Members who are not on the Joint Committee in matters of special interest, or in their capacity as users, of the Shared Services.  It was agreed that this would be considered further by the Shared Services Joint Officer Board and a report submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2009.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2009 be approved as a correct record.

To consider the Business Plans and Service Delivery Statements for those Services not previously presented to the Committee on 13 July 2009.

(Due to technical difficulties it has not been possible to append the detailed Business Plans and Service Delivery Statements to the agenda electronically.  Printed copies will be circulated to Members of the Committee and can be obtained on request from Democratic Services.)

Consideration was given to the detailed Business Plans and Service Delivery statements for those services not considered by the Committee at its meeting on 13 July 2009.  Officers from both Council’s had prepared the following business plans and service delivery statements, taking into account the complexities of the services, and these had been reviewed and agreed by the Joint Officer Board.  

1. Archaeology Planning Advisory Service
2. Domestic Abuse Partnership
3. Drug and Alcohol Action Team
4. Farms Estate
5. Community Equipment Service (Choicequip)
6. Highways Term Contract Management
7. ICT
8. International Unit
9. Visual Impairment Service

Members received clarification in response to a number of specific questions in respect of the above listed services.  With regard to the ICT Shared Service Members asked for further information in respect of certain aspects of the Business Plan and it was, therefore, agreed that it be noted as a transitional report, and that it be considered further by the Committee after the Visioning Day which was in the process of being arranged.  

With reference to Outdoor Education, Minerals and Waste Planning, and the Learning Disabilities Pooled Fund, the Joint Committee was asked to consider not applying this form of governance to service delivery in Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester.  The report detailed the reasons for this and proposed that for these services a transition plan would be prepared by the Service, for approval by the Joint Officer Board, in order to monitor the delivery of a successful transition to service delivery by each individual Council.

RESOLVED

1. That the Minerals and Waste Planning Services be not formally shared, but that the Councils will work together to support each other via day to day collaboration and/or pieces of work commissioned and reimbursed via a service level agreement as applicable.

2. That the Outdoor Education Service be not shared, but the facilities in question be subject to a review of the treatment of the former County assets, by the Property Transfer and Balance Sheet Group.

3. That the Learning Disabilities Pooled Fund be not governed under this Shared Services Joint Committee but instead under existing agreements with health partners.

4. That the ICT Business Plan and Service Delivery Statement be noted as a transitional statement and that further consideration be given to this Service at a future meting of the Committee.

5. That the approval by the Joint Officer Board of the Shared Services Business Plans and Service Delivery Statements for the remaining services be noted.

6. That Members note the intention to hold a visioning day for the Shared Services for which they were requested to supply any specific observations or requests regarding its structure and content.