Health Improvement Committee

Tuesday, 28 January 2003 at 1.30 pm

Present:  Provost Roach, Councillors McCabe, Morrison (D), O’Rourke, Rebecchi and Robertson (A).

Chair:    Councillor McCabe presided.

In attendance:  Chief Executive, Mr G Douglas (for Director of Legal & Support Services), Director of Social Work & Housing Services and Head of Financial Services.

Apologies: Councillors Jackson, McGraw, Mitchell and Nimmo.

With the exception of the decisions marked “C” which are open for confirmation or otherwise, the following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

   79

Housing Revenue Account Budget 2003/2004

79

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services on the proposed Housing Revenue Account Budget 2003/2004.  The report advised that the estimated deficit in the Housing Revenue Account for 2003/2004, excluding any savings or bids for additional resources, was £2,640,110 which equated to an average rent increase of £6.04 per house per week on a 48 week basis.

Following discussion, Councillor McCabe moved:

(1)  that it be agreed to adopt the following development and savings options:

Option                                                                    Estimated Expenditure/Saving

Establish an Assist Team                                     

(Annual Cost £280,000)                                         £140,000 expenditure

Increase Resources for Tenant Participation        £20,000 expenditure

Additional Staff Training                                          £13,000 expenditure

Savings from Building Services                            

Investment/Falling Stock Numbers                        £500,000 saving

Staff Turnover (4%)                                                £111,000 saving

Capitalise Heat Leasing                                         £100,000 saving; and

(2)  that sufficient funds from the Housing Reserve Fund Balance be applied to the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2003/04 to achieve an average weekly rent increase of 4.0% to be implemented from 3 April 2003.

As an amendment Councillor Rebecchi moved that a further amount of £218,000 from the Housing Reserve Fund Balance be used to restrict the rent increase to around the rate of inflation.  On a vote 1 Member voted for the amendment and 4 for the motion which was declared carried.

Decided: 

C

(1)  that it be agreed to adopt the following development and savings options:

Option                                                                    Estimated Expenditure/Saving

Establish an Assist Team                                     

(Annual Cost £280,000)                                         £140,000 expenditure

Increase Resources for Tenant Participation             £20,000 expenditure

Additional Staff Training                                              £13,000 expenditure

Savings from Building Services                            

Investment/Falling Stock Numbers                           £500,000 saving

Staff Turnover (4%)                                                   £111,000 saving

Capitalise Heat Leasing                                            £100,000 saving; and

(2)  that sufficient funds from the Housing Reserve Fund Balance be applied to the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2003/04 to achieve an average weekly rent increase of 4.0% to be implemented from 3 April 2003.

C

   80

Implementation of Free Personal and Nursing Care

80

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services advising of the number of posts required to secure the service developments and infrastructure necessary to implement fully free personal and nursing care.

Decided:

(1)  that the proposals for the establishment of posts to secure the service developments and infrastructure necessary to implement fully free personal and nursing care as contained in the report be approved;

(2)  that it be noted that a report would be submitted to the Committee on future proposals for service delivery to vulnerable clients who currently benefit from sheltered housing warden support and community alarm support; and

(3)  that it be remitted to the Head of Personnel Services to set the appropriate grades and progress the establishment of the posts and to report thereon to the Corporate Business Committee for approval.

Provost Roach entered the meeting at this juncture.

   81

Social Worker Recruitment and Retention

81

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services setting out a number of proposed measures with a view to ensuring that the Council is successful in recruiting and retaining Social Work staff.

Decided:

(1)  that approval be given to the various proposals for the recruitment and retention of qualified social workers as set out in the report and its Appendix;

(2)  that approval be given to the introduction of senior practitioner status for suitably qualified and experienced Social Work staff; and

(3)  that it be remitted to the Head of Personnel Services to take forward the proposed alterations to the salaries and conditions of social workers, senior social workers and assistant service managers as detailed in the report and to report thereon to the Corporate Business Committee for approval.

   82

Supporting People/Commissioning Structure

82

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services on proposals for the structure and establishment necessary to fulfill the local authority’s responsibilities for delivering the commissioning, contracting and administration of the Supporting People function from April 2003 as required by the Scottish Executive.

Decided:

(1)  that the revised Contracting and Procurement structure set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

(2)  that it be remitted to the Head of Personnel Services to set the appropriate grades and progress the establishment of the new posts in line with the revised structure and to report thereon to the Corporate Business Committee for approval.

   83

Housing Stock - Potential Way Ahead

83

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services on proposals for future action following the tenants’ opinion survey which revealed that 80.4% of those responding wished the Council and its partners to undertake further work on the future of Council housing within Inverclyde.

Decided:

(1)  that approval be given for the establishment of a local not for profit Housing Trust which would be the organisation to which the Council’s housing stock would transfer if this was the wish of the tenants in the formal ballot;

(2)  that a report be submitted to the meeting of The Inverclyde Council on 27 February 2003 seeking nominations from 5 Elected Members to the shadow board;

(3)  that it be confirmed that the Director of Social Work & Housing Services, in conjunction with the Directors of Legal & Support Services and Finance, be authorised to bid for new housing partnership funding from Communities Scotland;

(4)  that the process of preparing for the formal ballot be overseen by a revised Housing Services Review Group and that the membership be amended to include 2 members of the local Housing Association Forum and representation from Communities Scotland and further amended as soon as possible after 1 May 2003 on the basis set out in the report;

(5)  that operational issues be delegated to the Chief Executive and Director of Social Work & Housing Services including the making of arrangements for the appointment of appropriate consultants to be funded by Communities Scotland and the secondment and redeployment of staff to assist the proposed new organisation and prepare for the formal ballot;

(6)  that the Head of Housing & Building Services be seconded to head the proposed new not for profit Housing Trust;

(7)  that it be noted that the cost of seconding staff to the new organisation would be met by the new organisation should the transfer proceed and in the event that it did not proceed, that the majority of the costs would be met by the Scottish Executive with any remaining cost to the Council being funded from the Housing Revenue Account Budget; and

(8)  that it be remitted to the Director of Social Work & Housing Services to arrange an information session for Members if so desired.

It was agreed in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the respective paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

Item                                                                                               Paragraph(s)

Housing Services - Staffing                                                          1

Demolition of Properties 60-104 and 106-150                              6 & 8

Wren Road, Greenock

Councillor O’Rourke left the meeting at this juncture.

   84

Housing Services - Staffing

84

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services on the background to the present staffing situation within Housing Services including information on the present difficulties and possible solutions.  The Committee agreed to note the information and remit it to the Director of Social Work & Housing Services to report on the numbers and gradings of a particular group of staff, all as detailed in the Appendix.

The Convener being of the opinion that the undernoted report by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services was relevant, competent and urgent moved its consideration to allow the Committee, if in agreement, to authorise the works without delay.  This was unanimously agreed in terms of the relevant Standing Order.

   85

60-104 and 106-150 Wren Road, Greenock

85

There was submitted a report dated 28 January 2003 by the Director of Social Work & Housing Services seeking authority to appoint a contractor to demolish unoccupied maisonette properties at 60-104 and 106-150 Wren Road, Greenock.

C

Decided:

(1)  that the demolition of the properties at 60-104 and 106-150 Wren Road, Greenock be added to the Capital Programme at an overall cost of approximately £140,500; and

(2)  that Demolition Recoveries Ltd be engaged to undertake the work in the sum of £104,319.60.

C