Agenda item

To consider a report on shared pan-Cheshire services.

Report of the Joint Implementation Team attached.

(Councillors D Brickhill and P Mason had declared personal interests in this item.   In accordance with the Constitution they remained in the meeting during its consideration.)

Consideration was given to a report of the Joint implementation Team on shared pan-Cheshire services. It was reported that at the meeting of the Joint Liaison Committee on 1 August 2008 the recommendations now made to Cabinet had been approved.  In considering the report it was agreed that the wording of the decisions requested in 4(a) and (d) be amended to show that the arrangements would be reviewed after the first year of operation in line with the other recommendations in that part of the decision.

RESOLVED

For the reasons set out in the report and as now stated: -

That approval be given to the decision requested and that

1.      The six key principles underpinning Shared Services (section 3.4) be endorsed with an additional principle that any Inter-Authority Agreements contain clear service standards and performance management mechanisms.

2.      That of the three governance models the constitutional model be endorsed as the primary governance mechanism     for Cheshire (sections 3.5 - 3.70 and Appendix A).

3.      That agreement be given to the functions identified by officers as potential candidates for a short-term, transitional       Shared Service (Appendix C) subject to:-

a)           Item 9 School Admissions.  Given the close relationship between the School Admissions process and the management of Appeals, it is proposed that a phased approach also be adopted to disaggregating the appeals service until 31 August 2009.

b)           Appendix B Research and Intelligence: Defer a decision on the Research and intelligence service pending further investigation.

4.      That agreement be given to the functions identified by officers as potential candidates for a pan-Cheshire Shared       Service (Appendix D) subject to:

a)      Item 15: Civil Protection/Emergency Planning:  Consideration during 2009-10 of the scope for joint working with Halton, Warrington and other members of the Joint Resilience Forum: Reviewing the joint arrangements after the first year of operation.

b)      Item 16: Occupational Health: Reviewing the joint arrangements after the first year of operation.

c)      Item 17: Procurement

(i)      Strategic procurement - to receive a more detailed report at the next Joint Liaison Committee on the recommended service delivery approach for Strategic Procurement;

(ii)     Operation Procurement (Procure-to-Pay):  to be considered as part of the independent review of the shared back office (see para 2.1 (v) below); and

(iii)    CBS Supplies: consideration of CBS Supplies operating in the short-term as part of any shared back office arrangements (see para 2.1 (v) below) with a review of CBS Supplies during 2009-10 to consider the future of the service.

d)      Item 19: Youth Offending Team: Consideration during 2009-10 of the scope for joint working with the Halton and Warrington Joint YOT: Reviewing the joint arrangements after the first year of operation.

e)      Item 20: Libraries Specialist and Support Services :Reviewing the joint arrangements after the first year of operation.

f)           Item 25: County Farms: To recommend retaining this small specialised service as a pan-Cheshire service    subject to reviewing the joint arrangements after the first year of operation.

5.      That agreement be given to the further work required to address the issue of the shared back office (section 3.66).