923 NURSING HOME AND RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE 923

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Social Work advising of the requirement placed on the Council as a result of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 to fund assessed elderly people in residential and nursing home care and setting out the issues facing the Council and other statutory authorities in this respect.

NOTED

924 MAINTENANCE RATES : QUARRIERS - COUNTRYVIEW AND RIVERVIEW 924

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Social Work requesting the Committee to agree maintenance rates for financial years 1996/97 and 1997/98 for "Countryview" and "Riverview", two units located within Quarriers Village, Bridge of Weir which provide residential respite care for children and adults with multiple disabilities respectively.

DECIDED:

(a) That the maintenance rates for financial year 1996/97 set out in the appendix to the report be approved and backdated to 1 February 1997, the date of opening of the two units; and

(b) That the maintenance rates for financial year 1997/98 set out in the appendix to the report be approved.

925 AUTHORISED PROVIDERS LIST - INVERHEALTH CARE SERVICES LTD 925

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Social Work seeking the Committee's approval to include Inverhealth Care Services Ltd, Block 13/14, the Residential Complex, Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust, Greenock on the Council's Authorised Providers List as a provider of home care services for elderly and disabled people.

DECIDED: That Inverhealth Care Services Ltd be included on the Authorised Providers List to provide home care services for elderly and disabled people within Inverclyde.

926 IMPACT OF ALCOHOL USE AND MISUSE ON THE POPULATION OF INVERCLYDE 926

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Social Work on the findings of the detailed study undertaken by the Alcohol Development Officer, Argyll and Clyde Health Board on the impact of alcohol use and misuse on the Inverclyde population .

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted; and

(b) That with a view to supporting and enhancing the work of the Inverclyde Substance Misuse Forum, the Convener of the Social Work and Housing Committee be appointed as Chairman and that the Forum be serviced by Officers of the Council.

927 HRA REVENUE BUDGET 1997/98 927

SUBMITTED: Report dated 15 August 1997 by the Director of Finance on the position of the HRA Revenue Budget 1997/98 as at 23 July 1997.

DECIDED:

(a) That the current position of the 1997/98 HRA Revenue Budget be noted;

(b) That it be noted that the Director of Housing and Customer Services will be submitting a report to the next meeting of the Committee detailing possible options for reducing repairs expenditure; and

928 HOUSING REPAIRS AND RENEWALS FUND 928

SUBMITTED: Report dated 14 August 1997 by the Director of Finance advising of the current balance on the Housing Repairs and Renewals Fund and setting out the likely impact if recent decisions of the Committee were to be followed in the future.

DECIDED:

(a) That the balance on the Housing Repairs and Renewals Fund of £1,657,000 as at 1 April 1997 and the projected balance of £827,000 as at 1 April 1998 be noted; and

(b) That the report be remitted to the Finance Sub-Committee for consideration.

929 HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 929

SUBMITTED: Report dated 8 August 1997 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on the technical progress of the HRA Capital Programme 1997/98.

DECIDED:

(a) That the technical progress of the HRA Capital Programme 1997/98 be noted; and

(b) That the following accumulated variation which is outwith the accepted tender amount by more than 10% be approved in terms of the relevant Financial Regulations:-

Project Effect on Expenditure

Mackie Avenue, Port Glasgow- Replacement Windows

Anticipated Final Account 17.47% less than accepted

tender £11,853 reduction

930 HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98 - FINANCIAL POSITION 930

SUBMITTED: Report dated 8 August 1997 by the Director of Finance on the financial position of the HRA Capital Programme 1997/98.

NOTED

931 PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING (NON-HRA) CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98 - FINANCIAL 931 POSITION

SUBMITTED: Report dated 8 August 1997 by the Director of Finance on the financial position of the Private Sector Housing (Non-HRA) Capital Programme 1997/98.

NOTED

932 SALE OF HOUSES : INVERCLYDE COUNCIL AND SCOTTISH HOMES 932

SUBMITTED: Report dated 11 August 1997 by the Director of Central Services giving statistics relating to the sale of Inverclyde Council and Scottish Homes houses.

NOTED

933 HOUSING AND CUSTOMER SERVICES DEPARTMENT - PERFORMANCE 933 INDICATORS - 1997/98

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Housing and Customer Services providing statistical information on the performance on his Department in undertaking various functions for the period 1 April to 30 June 1997.

NOTED

934 INVERCLYDE HOUSING PLAN 1998-2003 934

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 August 1997 by the Director of Housing and Customer Services advising of the requirement placed on the Council to develop a Housing Plan covering strategic priority issues for the period 1998-2003 for submission to the Scottish Office by June 1998 and setting out a proposed action plan in this regard.

DECIDED:

(a) That the requirement placed on the Council to develop a Housing Plan 1998-2003 for submission to the Scottish Office by June 1998 be noted;

(b) That agreement be given to the establishment of a Working Group on the basis outlined in the report to develop the Housing Plan;

(c) That it be noted that a Housing Management Plan to integrate with the Housing Plan is not required at this stage, due to recent changes in Government policy; and

(d) That permission be granted to establish a Sub-Group of the Housing Plan Working Group to develop an accommodation strategy for Inverclyde which will complement the Housing Plan.

935 ROUGH SLEEPERS INITIATIVE 935

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Housing and Customer Services on the present position regarding the bid totalling £99,814.26 made to the Scottish Office for challenge funding under the pilot Rough Sleepers Initiative.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted; and

(b) That it be noted that a report on the outcome of the bid will be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee.

936 WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME 1997/98 - ADDITIONAL AREAS 936

SUBMITTED: Report dated 11 August 1997 by the Director of Housing and Customer Services advising of an underspend in the window replacement programme of approximately £400,000 and setting out a number of further addresses for consideration, based upon date of house construction, which follow on from the projects already agreed by the Committee.

There was circulated to the Committee, a report incorporating amendments to the chronological list of properties which were recommended as further window replacement projects.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders progressively for further window replacement projects as identified at paragraph 2.3 of the amended report, to ensure full utilisation of the capital and CFCR programme allowances in the current year; and

(b) That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers and after consultation with the Convener, Vice-Convener and a Member of the Minority Groups to accept the lowest tenders received for the various works.

937 LEASING OF HEATING SYSTEMS 937

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 August 1997 by the Director of Housing and Customer Services advising that there was a sum of £68,000 allocated within the HRA Revenue Budget 1997/98 to finance the leasing of heating systems, recommending a proposed programme of works and requesting authority for the invitation of tenders for the financing and installation of an agreed number of heating systems.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be noted that it is the Council's aim to provide 325 replacement heating systems in a contract worth £520,000 which would result in an annual leasing payment of £68,000 for 10 years;

(b) That it be noted that a further sum of £130,000 is required to pay the labour costs involved in such a scheme and it be agreed that this amount be transferred from the Housing Repairs and Renewals Fund to allow the programme to commence;

(c) That it be agreed that the oldest gas heating systems be replaced first and, on this basis, the programme consist of the systems within the properties at Royal Court, Greenock, Eastern View, Gourock, Bardrainney, Port Glasgow and Bridgend, Greenock and such systems within the Coppermine Estate, Gourock as the financial position allows; and

(d) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to arrange for the invitation of combined tenders for the financing and installation of the heating systems with leasing being used as the method of payment.

938 SCOTTISH HOMES - TRANSFER OF HOUSING STOCK 938

SUBMITTED: Request received from Councillor Rebecchi that the Committee consider its policy towards the tenants of former Scottish Homes housing stock now transferred to local Housing Associations in respect of access to tenancies of Council housing stock.

DECIDED: That consideration be continued for a detailed report by the Director of Housing and Customer Services covering the issues raised by the transfer of Scottish Homes stock to other bodies but also shared with existing Housing Association tenants.

939 RESOLUTION : EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 939

On the motion of the Convener it was agreed unanimously that in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted items of business on the grounds that consideration of the items involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the respective paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act as are set opposite each item:-

Item Paragraph(s)

Temporary Decanting of McPherson Day Centre to

Ravenscraig Hospital - Site Leasing Arrangement 8 & 9

Ivybank Crescent, Port Glasgow - Improvement/

Conversion Works 4 & 6

Possible Repossession of House 2

Lynedoch ATC - Proposals for the Security of the

Building and Grounds 8 & 14

940 TEMPORARY DECANTING OF McPHERSON DAY CENTRE TO RAVENSCRAIG 940

HOSPITAL - SITE LEASING ARRANGEMENT

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Social Work seeking the Committee's approval for the Director of Legal Services, on behalf of the Council, to extend the lease of Ward A, Block 9 of the Corlic Building located within the Ravenscraig Hospital site for a further period.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Director of Legal Services to negotiate an extension to the lease with Renfrewshire Healthcare Trust in respect of the property known as Ward A, Block 9, Corlic Building within the Ravenscraig Hospital site for the period until the works to the McPherson Centre have been completed.

941 IVYBANK CRESCENT, PORT GLASGOW - IMPROVEMENT/CONVERSION WORK 941

There was submitted a report by the Director of Housing and Customer Services on the current position regarding an improvement/conversion project at Ivybank Crescent, Port Glasgow and the Committee agreed to continue consideration for a further report by the Director of Housing and Customer Services on the financial implications and courses of action open to the Council, all as detailed in the Appendix.

942 POSSIBLE REPOSSESSION OF HOUSE 942

There was submitted a report by the Director of Housing and Customer Services requesting the Committee's authority to seek vacant possession of a house on the basis of breaches of the conditions of tenancy and this was agreed, all as detailed in the Appendix.

943 LYNEDOCH ATC - PROPOSALS FOR THE SECURITY OF THE BUILDING AND 943

GROUNDS

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Property and Technical Services on proposals for improved security of the Lynedoch ATC building and grounds.

DECIDED: That the Policy and Strategy Committee be requested to approve funding for the proposed security measures currently costed at £35,000.