Agenda and minutes

Venue: The meeting will be held virtually and live streamed

Contact: Yvonne Harrison 

Media

Items
No. Item

CAB114/20

Introduction

Minutes:

 

Mrs Norma Redfearn, Elected Mayor, welcomed everyone to this meeting of North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet which was the first virtual Cabinet meeting held by the Authority following the recent introduction of regulations by the Government enabling local authorities to conduct their meetings remotely in the light of the current Coronavirus pandemic.

 

The Mayor informed Cabinet that a number of residents of North Tyneside had died from COVID 19.  In addition, two of the Authority’s own staff – Brian Clyde and Rachel Preston - had died, as had others who worked in North Tyneside.

 

A minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect and to show support to the families and friends of those who had died.

 

CAB115/20

To Receive any Declarations of Interest and Notification of any Dispensations Granted

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.

 

Minutes:

Councillors R Glindon and B Pickard each declared a personal registerable interest in respect of agenda item 6: North Tyneside Trading Company – Strategic Business Plan 2020-23 (CAB119/20), and item 9: Declaration of Dividend by North Tyneside Trading Company Limited (CAB122/20), as they were each a Director of North Tyneside Trading Company and its subsidiary companies.

 

 

CAB116/20

Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2020 (previously circulated).

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 February 2020 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

 

CAB117/20

Presentation on North Tyneside Council's response to the coronavirus pandemic

To receive a presentation on North Tyneside Council’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Minutes:

The Chief Executive, Paul Hanson, Head of Environment, Housing and Leisure, Phil Scott and Director of Public Health, Wendy Burke gave a presentation on the updated position of the COVID-19 virus that included the plans and actions undertaken by the Authority to support the efforts to reduce its impact on communities.

 

Resolved that Members’, Officers’, Partners’ thanks and appreciation of the efforts of everyone involved during the current crisis be recorded.

 

 

CAB118/20

Statutory consultation on changes to provision at the Melrose Centre, Longbenton High School and to Southlands School pdf icon PDF 95 KB

To consider a report on the outcome of the statutory consultation on the proposed changes to provision at the Melrose Centre, Longbenton High School and to Southlands School.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report detailing the outcome of the statutory consultation on the proposed changes to provision for children with autism at the Melrose Centre, Lonbenton High School and to Southlands School.

 

The statutory consultation had opened on 27 February 2020 and closed on 2 April 2020, avoiding the Easter school holiday. While the consultation closed after the national restrictions had been introduced in response to COVID-19, the consultation materials had been issued well in advance. Combined with the previous engagement work, the officer team were satisfied that the national restrictions had not precluded engagement from interested parties. 

 

The statutory notice at Appendix 1 to the report, had been published in the press, posted on the Local Offer website and displayed outside Longbenton High School and Southlands School. Unlike the initial (non-statutory) consultation it was not appropriate to hold consultation sessions during a statutory consultation. Respondents had been invited to offer written comments either by e-mail or by letter.

 

A letter dated 12 February 2020 at Appendix 2, had been sent to parents and carers of all children currently at the Melrose Centre; parents and carers of children in Years 7 to 10 at Southlands School; and parents and carers of children in Years 3 to 6 (Key Stage 2) at Benton Dene. This letter explained the duration of the statutory consultation, how parents could respond and informed them that the statutory notice to consult upon the change to the status of the Melrose Centre and to the types of needs of pupils at Southlands School, could be found on the Local Offer website. The letter also offered the opportunity to request a hard copy of the Statutory Notice which could be posted out to them. It also informed them that a further letter would be sent to update them when the statutory consultation period had ended. This letter dated 8 April 2020 at Appendix 3, informed parents and carers that Cabinet would consider a report recommending approval of the proposal on 26 May 2020 and that a further letter would be sent in June to inform them of Cabinet’s decision.

 

Three written responses to the statutory consultation had been received by e-mail. One from a parent, one on behalf of the governing body at Southlands School and one on behalf of the Governing Body at Longbenton High School. 

 

Comments in the parental response were set out in the report. 

 

The response on behalf of the governing body of Southlands school confirmed their ongoing support of the proposal to designate Southland as a school for children with autism and moderate learning difficulties and to see the Melrose Centre become part of the Southlands offer. Governors had qualified this support with a request that the Authority offer an undertaking that, in adopting the Melrose Centre, Southlands would not suffer a financial deficit as a result of incurring additional costs associated with the transfer, or from undertaking essential work required at Southlands School to enable the needs of young people with autism  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB118/20

CAB119/20

North Tyneside Trading Company - Strategic Business Plan 2020- 23 pdf icon PDF 79 KB

To consider a report seeking approval for the Trading Company’s Strategic Business Plan 2020-23.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report seeking approval of the North Tyneside Trading Company’s Strategic Business Plan 2020-23.

 

The Trading Company had been established as a company limited by shares, in December 2012.  It was wholly owned by the Authority and the Authority was therefore the sole shareholder of the Trading Company. 

 

The Trading Company had been created to provide services to public bodies and to other customers, as considered appropriate, enabling trading in new markets and different places.

 

All projects undertaken by the Company would aim to return a surplus or profit to the Authority and/or seek to achieve a regeneration objective in line with the Authority’s Our North Tyneside Plan and Ambition for North Tyneside.  Projects delivered would be at least cost neutral to the Authority.

 

The Trading Company had two active subsidiary companies.  These subsidiaries were wholly owned by the Trading Company.  The Trading Company and its subsidiaries were each governed by their respective Boards of Directors and were guided by their Articles of Association which regulated the affairs of each of the Companies. 

 

In accordance with best practice the Trading Company had a Strategic Business Plan, which it updated each year, to provide a sense of direction for the Company and to guide business development. 

 

The Board of Directors of the Trading Company had reviewed and refreshed the Strategic Business Plan for 2020 – 2023.  The Plan set out the Trading Company’s history; its governance arrangements; its mission/purpose and its approach to appraising business opportunities, assets, products and services and risks.

 

Since its development of 13 new build affordable homes in Camperdown, the Development Company had devised in 2017 a purchasing strategy and had since then proceeded to acquire 36 homes on the open market, therefore taking its total number of homes to 49 as at April 2020. In line with the Cabinet’s priority of delivering more affordable homes the Board had reviewed and extended their purchasing strategy with the aim of purchasing a further 51 homes to take the Company’s asset base up to 100 homes. Funding of these purchases was via a grant from the Authority of Section 106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 commuted sums available for affordable housing.

 

Following the successful completion of its first new build development of 12 bungalows at Wallington Close in 2018, Aurora Properties (Sale) Limited had now also successfully completed its second 12 home luxury development for market sale at Empress Point, Whitley Bay in 2019.

 

The Company was also well underway with its third scheme of a further 28 homes for market sale at Northumberland Square in North Shields which was due to be completed in 2020. The scheme at Northumberland Square was at the heart of the North Shields Regeneration Project, kick-starting the drive to improve the appeal of the town centre for residents and visitors.

 

Cabinet approval had also been obtained for a development of seven further homes on the site of the former Backworth Primary School. Funding for the construction of these homes was  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB119/20

CAB120/20

The findings of the Ofsted Inspection of Children's Services pdf icon PDF 120 KB

To receive a report on the positive findings of the Ofsted Inspection of the Authority’s Children’s Services, including the overall effectiveness of services being graded overall ‘Outstanding’.

 

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report on the findings of the Ofsted Inspection of the Authority’s Children ‘s Services that had taken place in March 2020.

 

The inspection had taken place between 9 - 13 March 2020. The inspection team consisted of four of Her Majesty’s Inspectors from Ofsted and two additional Inspectors for Fostering, Adoption and Residential Care and for the Virtual School respectively.

 

The inspection team had been onsite for five working days and had read case files, observed staff working with children and families and other professionals and discussed with staff and safeguarding partners the help and care given to children and young people. They had also talked directly to children, young people and their families, including the Children in Care Council and SEND Youth Forum, Foster Carers and Adopters. They had visited a range of Council venues where services for children and young people were based and delivered, including Quadrant, the Oxford Centre, Riverside Children’s Centre, Whitley Bay Customer First Centre, Balliol Wing (Adopt North East) and The Lodge (Leaving Care).

 

Ofsted had published their findings by way of Report on 15 April 2020. The Summary of findings was as follows:

 

“Senior leaders share a relentless commitment to continuous improvement. Outward looking and open to challenge, they have succeeded in creating a learning environment in which social work is thriving. Strategic partnerships are mature, well developed and highly effective. The quality of performance management information is excellent. The reach of the quality assurance framework is extensive. Using a rich combination of facts, figures and findings, senior leaders are proactive in responding to shortfalls in practice and performance. They are daring and imaginative in pushing the boundaries in order to improve the experiences and progress of children in need of help and protection, children in care and care leavers.

 

Partner agencies have enthusiastically embraced early help. Further changes to the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) have significantly increased its impact and effectiveness. The interface between children s social care and early help has been strengthened. The local authority s preferred method of social work has trans formed the way in which they, and their partners talk with children and families and to each other families and to each other about what worries them, what is working well and about what worries them, what is working well and what they need to do about it. As a result, most children get the right level of the right level of help and protection help and protection at the right time.

 

When it is no longer possible for children to live safely at home, the local authority pulls out all the stops to try to make sure that children stay connected with their friends, families and communities. Most children in care live in good-quality placements within a 20-mile radius of their family homes. The local authority is in touch with virtually all of its care leavers, the vast majority of whom are living in safe and suitable accommodation.”

 

Ofsted reported that it judged  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB120/20

CAB121/20

Exclusion Resolution

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 9 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.

 

Reasons for taking the item in private: The report contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding the information).

 

 

Minutes:

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 involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

CAB122/20

Declaration of Dividend by North Tyneside Trading Company Limited

To consider a report seeking approval for the Authority, as sole shareholder, to approve the recommendation of the Board of Directors of North Tyneside Trading Company Limited to declare the dividend in respect of the year ended March 2020.

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report seeking approval of the Authority, as sole shareholder, to approve the recommendations of the Board of Directors of the North Tyneside Trading Company Limited to declare the dividend in respect of the year ended March 2020.

 

North Tyneside Trading Company Limited, a company owned wholly by the Authority, had recommended the declaration of a dividend payment of £0.500m to the Authority as its shareholder in respect of the year to 31 March 2020.  This represented the Authority’s return on its investment in the company.  The Authority, as sole shareholder, was required to approve the recommendation to the Board of Directors of North Tyneside Trading Company Limited to declare the dividend in order that it could be paid.

 

Cabinet considered the following decision options: to accept the recommendation as set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not approve the recommendations.

 

Resolved that (1) the recommendation of the Board of Directors of North Tyneside Trading Company Limited to declare a dividend of £0.500m in respect of the year ended 31 March 2020 be approved; and

(2) the Head of Law and Governance be authorised to complete a Shareholder Written Resolution confirming to the Board of Directors of North Tyneside Trading Company Limited that the Authority agrees to the payment of the dividend specified in (1) above.

 

(Reasons for decision: Declaration of a dividend by North Tyneside Trading Company Limited is the means by which the Authority derives its return from its investment in the Company; without the dividend, the Authority would be unable to obtain any return from its investment.)

 

 

CAB123/20

Date and Time of Next Meeting

Monday 29 June 2020 at 6.00pm.

Minutes:

6.00pm on Monday 29 June 2020.