Agenda

To receive apologies for absence from the meeting.

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meetings held on 9 September (Extraordinary) and 16 September 2024 (Ordinary).

To receive a verbal report on the latest activities of the Young

Mayor and Young Cabinet.

The report outlines a new Borough wide Commitment to Carers for 2024-2029. 

The North Tyneside Commitment to Carers 2024-2029 has been developed by the North Tyneside Carers Partnership Board, which includes decision makers from a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector agencies and organisations across the Borough, including the Authority.

The Commitment to Carers sets out a shared ambition from those organisations which is to improve the health and wellbeing of carers of all ages, supporting them to have a positive life and experiences, outside of their caring role. The Commitment also identifies actions that the North Tyneside Carers Partnership Board will carry out to improve the identification of carers in the Borough and services delivered to them. The Commitment has an associated work plan, currently in development, which be monitored at Partnership Board meetings.

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All local authorities are required, to produce and regularly update a Strategy in relation to how they will fulfil their responsibilities for children in their care and care leavers.

The Authority’s governance arrangements require the Strategy to be agreed by Cabinet and oversight of delivery of the actions set out in the Strategy is undertaken by the Authority’s Corporate Parenting Forum which is chaired by the Cabinet Member for Supporting and Protecting Children.

The Children in Our Care and Care Leavers Strategy for 2024-26 has been developed after consulting with children in the Authority’s care and care leavers in relation to what they identify as their priorities. Four multi agency working groups sit under the Authority’s Corporate Parenting Forum arrangements, to deliver the action plan for these priorities, each chaired by a member of the Authority’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The purpose of this report is to seek Cabinet’s approval of the North Tyneside Attendance Policy (“the Policy”), attached at Appendix 1 of this report.

The Borough has an education system to be proud of. A strong performer regionally and nationally, this is a reflection of the hard work undertaken by head teachers and their teams, governing bodies, Elected Members, Authority staff and the fantastic children, young people and their families. This is reflected in the overall school attendance figures which are better than national and local averages.

The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ (which is statutory guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools and local authorities) was first issued by the Department for Education on 6 May 2022 and was last updated in August 2024. The guidance, amongst other things, makes it clear that there should be a clear School Attendance Policy which all leaders, staff, pupils and parents understand. This guidance has formed the foundation on which the Policy has been developed. The Policy provides the clear expectations, procedures and responsibilities expected of leaders, staff, pupils and parents referred to in the guidance. A multi-disciplinary attendance working group has met to create the Policy and continues to meet to monitor the Attendance Action Plan.

Whilst overall school attendance in the Borough is higher than national average, the Authority is keen to work with partners to support parents and carers to increase attendance further and to remove barriers to good attendance in schools and settings.

The purpose of this report is to seek Cabinet’s endorsement of the refreshed Children and Young People’s Plan 2024-2025 appended to the report and for the refreshed Plan to be presented to full Council on 21 November 2024 for Council’s approval.

Cabinet will recall that the refreshed Children and Young People’s plan 2024-2025 was previously endorsed by Cabinet on 16 September 20204.  Subsequent to this, a small amendment has been made, requiring Cabinet to endorse this Children and Young People’s Plan, before it is presented to full Council for Council’s approval.

The current Children and Young People’s Plan 2021–2025 was developed in 2020 and published in 2021 following approval by full Council on 18 March 2021. The Plan is set to be fully reviewed in 2025.

The Children and Young People’s Plan explains how services will work together to support and help children and young people who live and go to school in the Borough.

Local authorities are required by the Gambling Act 2005 (“the Act”) to publish a Statement of Licensing Policy and to revise the Policy at least every three years.  The Statement of Licensing Policy provides guidance as to how the Authority will exercise its functions under the Act. The Policy forms part of the Authority’s Budget and Policy Framework.

Cabinet considered the initial proposals for the draft Policy at it’s meeting on 24 June 2024. This report outlines the final proposals to Cabinet following a period of consultation. There have only been minor changes made to the Policy due to the ongoing wider joint review of the Gambling Act 2005 by the Government and the Gambling Commission with the review findings expected in 2025. This is in accordance with advice given to licensing authorities by the Gambling Commission in relation to revised Statements of Licensing Policy falling to be considered by licensing authorities this year.

The document defines the Authority’s Payment Strategy for 2024-2029, confirming  how customers can pay for Authority services or receive money from the Authority. It outlines how the Authority will respond to advancements in payment technology, using a set of key principles, targets and actions to achieve those targets.

The Authority is committed to increasing digital inclusion and removing barriers, so the Strategy is aligned to the Authority’s Customer Promise, Digital Strategy and Digital Inclusion Strategy, through a commitment to providing accessible digital services that enhance customer’s experience. The Authority also has a duty to offer value for money for all its customers, and at a time when budgets are under financial pressure, it is even more important that payment options demonstrate this.

The Strategy outlines the preferred customer payment offer, including a move away from customer payment kiosks, to easy to use computers in each of the Authority’s Community Hubs.  Therefore, whilst Cabinet is being asked to approve the overall North Tyneside Customer Payment Strategy, Members will note that this includes replacing payment kiosks with an alternative payment offer.  

The Authority undertakes a wide variety of duties and delivers a vast range of services to the people of North Tyneside via third parties.  In turn this means that the Authority continues to spend a significant proportion of its budget on goods and services.  Following approval of the Procurement Strategy this report also provides an update on social value created through the Authority’s supply chain.

In accordance with Contract Standing Order 8(5), as the procurements identified in Appendix 1 of this report will exceed individually £500,000, this report seeks Cabinet’s approval to proceed with relevant procurement exercises throughout the financial year and award contracts in accordance with UK public procurement legislation to the most advantageous tenders. This will ensure contracts are procured efficiently and ensure value for money is achieved.

This is to give further notice in accordance with paragraphs 5(4) and 5(5) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 of the intention to consider item 13 below in private.

Cabinet is requested to consider passing the following resolution:

Resolved that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test as defined in Part 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Cabinet receives and reviews corporate risks twice per year, the last review took place in May 2024.

All corporate risks are managed, reviewed and update by risk owners (both officers from the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and relevant Cabinet Members) and formally considered by the SLT in line with the Authority’s risk management approach. 

Monday 25 November at 6.00pm.