524 CHILD CARE SUB-COMMITTEE 524

SUBMITTED: Report dated 14 May 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services requesting the Committee to appoint Members to the Child Care Sub-Committee which (i) exercises the Council's function in respect of applications to the Sheriff for Parental Responsibilities Orders in terms of Section 86 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and (ii) hears representations from childminders and day carers in response to notification of the intention to refuse an application and to determine applications for registration or cancel registration of a childminder or day carer under Part X and Schedule 9 to the Children Act 1989.

DECIDED: That the following Members be appointed to the Child Care Sub-Committee:-

1. Councillor Morrison (D) (Vice-Convener) 5. Councillor Jackson

2. Councillor Moody 6. Councillor Nimmo

3. Councillor McCabe 7. Councillor Rebecchi

4. Councillor O'Rourke (Convener)

525 SOCIAL WORK CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 525

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on the technical progress of the Social Work Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

526 SOCIAL WORK AND PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 526

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the financial position of the Social Work and Private Sector Housing Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

527 PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL POSTS WITHIN INVERCLYDE COMMUNITY 527

DRUGS TEAM

SUBMITTED: Report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on a proposal to establish a post at resource worker grade within the Inverclyde Community Drugs Team.

DECIDED:

(a) That approval in principle be given to the establishment of an additional resource worker post within the Community Drugs Team at an approximate cost of £25,000 per annum subject to detailed examination by the Director of Personnel Services;

(b) That thereafter, it be remitted to the Director of Personnel Services to refer the proposal to the Corporate Business Committee for approval; and

(c) That it be noted that the proposal to establish this additional post reflects the Council's commitment to dealing with the increasing concerns regarding misuse of drugs within Inverclyde.

528 "MODERNISING SOCIAL WORK SERVICES IN SCOTLAND" - A WHITE PAPER 528

SUBMITTED: Report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services outlining the key issues contained in the Government's White Paper "Modernising Social Work Services in Scotland".

NOTED

529 MINOR ADAPTATIONS BUDGET 1999/2000 529

SUBMITTED: Report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services providing a prioritised list of projects to be funded from the Minor Adaptations Budget 1999/2000.

Councillor Moody declared an interest in this item and took no part in its consideration or decision.

DECIDED:

(a) That the prioritised list of adaptation projects detailed in the report and its Appendix be approved;

(b) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders for the projects identified with a view to their completion progressively throughout the financial year 1999/2000 subject to the cost limit of £200,000;

(c) That subject to approval by the Policy and Strategy Committee, authority be granted to the Director of Central Services to accept the lowest tender received in each case in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders Relating to Contracts;

(d) That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services to carry out a continuous assessment of the priorities detailed in the report and to adjust these as required in the best interest of the Council and in conformity with the Best Value Regime; and

(e) That the Head of Property Services be requested to consider undertaking any projects included in the report which relate to building maintenance provided that these are within the limit of current available funding.

530 HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 530

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on the technical progress of the HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000.

DECIDED:

(a) That the technical progress of the HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000 be noted;

(b) That the Committee approve the following expenditure reductions and increase in terms of the relevant Financial Regulations:-

Project Effect on Expenditure

Eastern View and Royal Court Gas Leasing

Reduction in number of houses included

in the project due to work being

completed as part of the ad hoc gas

installation contract £11,505 reduction

Replacement Windows - Maukinhill, Phase 2

Addition of owner-occupied properties to

contract £6,000 increase

Replacement Windows - Mansion Avenue and

Woodhall Terrace

Deletion of 12 vacant flats from project £20,244 reduction

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

Project Effect on Expenditure

Replacement Windows - Mansion Avenue and

Woodhall Terrace

Anticipated final account 13.4% less than

accepted tender £20,244 reduction

Replacement of Lift Motor and Gearbox Units -

Octavia Court, Greenock

Anticipated final account 18.1% less than

accepted tender £3,700 reduction

Demolition - Gibshill, Phase 1

Anticipated final account 67.1% greater

than accepted tender £110,060 increase

531 HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - FINANCIAL POSITION 531

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the financial position of the HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

532 HEAT LEASING PROGRAMME 1999/2000 532

SUBMITTED: Report dated 17 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services advising that the sum of £500,000 had been included in the Revenue Budget 1999/2000 for the provision, within a large number of the Council's housing stock, of new heating systems to be funded by means of leasing finance in the current and future years, detailing the addresses included in the programme together with the indicative costs and requesting authority to issue tenders for the supply/installation and lease finance for the replacement systems.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted; and

(b) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders for the supply/installation and lease finance for replacement heating systems at the various addresses outlined in the appendices to the report.

533 REWIRING PROGRAMME 1999/2000 533

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services advising that the sum of £300,000 had been allocated within the Capital Programme 1999/2000 for rewiring works and setting out proposals for the 1999/2000 programme.

DECIDED:

(a) That the electrical rewiring programme 1999/2000 be undertaken in two phases as detailed in the Appendix to the report; and

(b) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders for the works.

534 WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME 1999/2000 534

SUBMITTED: Report dated 11 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services seeking authority to invite tenders for further works as part of the Window Replacement Programme 1999/2000.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders for the projects detailed in Appendix 1 of the report; and

(b) That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in the usual manner to accept the lowest tenders in cases where the value exceeds £100,000.

535 SOCIAL WORK INFORMATION SYSTEMS 535

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on the progress made relative to the purchase of Social Work information systems which will assist in the provision of services to Social Work clients and at the same time provide suitable management information to allow services to be managed more effectively and information to be collected timeously to meet the requirements placed upon the Council by the Scottish Office. It was noted that the full cost of the Social Work information systems, which will be purchased in modules, will be approximately £300,000 to which required to be added up to £100,000 for cabling and the Committee was requested to approve a flexible approach to paying for the proposed systems involving a combination of capital funding together with any revenue savings produced by Social Work Services.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee approve the principle of flexibility in paying for the Social Work information systems and that identified savings within the Social Work budget be used for the purpose of paying for the new information systems from revenue;

(b) That it be noted that further reports including detailed costs will be submitted to the Committee in due course; and

536 BELVILLE STREET CONCIERGE RECOVERY PROGRAMME CONTRACT 1 - 536

USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 May 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure in terms of Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the issuing of an Architect's Instruction relative to the above contract in the sum of £6,720.

NOTED

537 DEMOLITION OF 101-109 PARKHILL AVENUE, PORT GLASGOW -

USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE 537

SUBMITTED: Report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure in terms of Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the Head of Property Services to negotiate with Whiteinch Demolition Ltd for the demolition of the two blocks at 101-109 Parkhill Avenue, Port Glasgow, the agreed sum being £25,000 inclusive of fees.

NOTED

538 APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRPERSON OF INVERCLYDE ADOPTION PANEL 538

SUBMITTED: Report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services recommending the re-appointment of Councillor Alex McGhee as Chairperson of Inverclyde Adoption Panel.

DECIDED:

(a) That Councillor McGhee be re-appointed as Chairperson of Inverclyde Adoption Panel; and

(b) That a Depute Chairperson be appointed from within the membership of the Adoption Panel.

539 RESOLUTION: EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 539

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 as amended, 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)

Demolition - Gibshill Area 6 & 8

Gas Maintenance - Inverclyde Council Housing Stock 6 & 8

Empty Homes Initiative - Grant Award to Inverclyde Council 8 & 9

Non-HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000 4 & 6

Demolition - 15-19 Woodhall Terrace, Port Glasgow 6 & 8

540 DEMOLITION - GIBSHILL AREA 540

SUBMITTED: Report dated 19 May 1999 by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services advising of the outcome of negotiations for the demolition of further properties in the Gibshill area which had been carried out with the contractor currently on site.

DECIDED:

(a) That authority be granted to accept the negotiated price received from Whiteinch Demolition Ltd for the demolition of 8-10 and 16-18 Mitchell Street and 12-14 Whitelees Road, Greenock in the sum of £110,000; and

(b) That for the duration of the above contract, authority be granted to the Head of Property Services to negotiate with the contractor in respect of any subsequent blocks which become available in Phase 1 of the demolition programme agreed by the Committee in November 1998 (Para 1248) subject to the condition that the rates negotiated are pro rata the existing negotiated rates or are more favourable to the Council.

541 GAS MAINTENANCE - INVERCLYDE COUNCIL HOUSING STOCK 541

There was submitted a report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on the interim arrangements put in place to negotiate with a contractor for emergency break-down and periodic maintenance of gas systems within the Council's housing stock following the receivership of the original contractor, advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure in terms of Standing Order 66(a) to extend the appointment until a new contractor is engaged following a competitive tendering exercise and seeking approval for the inclusion in the tender lists for both the gas maintenance contract and the contract for the one-off replacement of gas appliances of certain companies which are not included in the Council's List of Approved Contractors for works of this size. The Committee agreed to homologate the action taken by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services, note the use of the emergency powers procedure to extend the interim contract and approve the inclusion in the tender lists of the firms reported orally to the Committee subject to satisfactory vetting, all as detailed in the Appendix.

542 EMPTY HOMES INITIATIVE - GRANT AWARD TO INVERCLYDE COUNCIL 542

There was submitted a report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on details of the Empty Homes Initiative launched by the Government in August 1997, advising that Inverclyde Council had recently been awarded empty homes grant funding to refurbish two tenemental properties as part of a joint project for the purpose of housing young single homeless people and seeking authority for the transfer of the properties. The Committee agreed to continue consideration to allow consultations with the local residents on the proposed project and for further information on the proposals for management and support of the project, all as detailed in the Appendix.

543 PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 543

There was submitted a report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on a proposed allocation of the £400,000 private sector housing (general provision) funding agreed by the Policy and Strategy Committee in April 1999. The Committee agreed to allocate (i) £50,000 for a proposed care and repair scheme, (ii) £7,500 for a repairs grant to an owner-occupier included within Phase 2 of the refurbishment works at Peat Road, (iii) £60,000 for repairs grants to owner-occupiers included within Phase 2 of the refurbishment works at Brown Street/Baxter Street, (iv) £30,000 for disabled improvement grants, (v) £2,500 for mandatory grants and (vi) £10,000 for minor repairs grants, subject to approval by the Policy and Strategy Committee, and to continue consideration of funding for a Housing Action Area project to allow for further negotiations and a more detailed report, all as detailed in the Appendix.

544 DEMOLITION - 15-19 WOODHALL TERRACE, PORT GLASGOW

There was submitted a report by the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services on proposals for the demolition of 15-19 Woodhall Terrace, Port Glasgow and requesting the Committee to authorise negotiations with a contractor and also the invitation of tenders for the remaining blocks in Woodhall previously designated for demolition as and when these become empty. The Committee agreed to the recommendations all as detailed in the Appendix.