Agenda and minutes

Report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills detailing the proposed expansion of Great Oaks Special School, attached.

NOTE:  This report is submitted for consideration as a general exception under paragraph 15 of the Access to Information procedure Rules in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution, notice having been given to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and the public.

DECISION MADE: (CAB 16/17 18783)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills and having complied with paragraph 15 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve the expansion of Great Oaks from an Approved Pupil Number (APN) of 178 to an APN of 212.

(ii)  To authorise the Service Director, Children and Families Services, in consultation with the Service Director - Finance & Commercialisation, to take any action necessary to give effect to aforementioned expansion.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care seeking approval to engage in the DfE RAA programme, attached.

DECISION MADE: (CAB 16/17 18649)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To agree in principle that Southampton Adoption Service should  transfer to the Adoption South Central Regional Adoption Agency (ASC RAA) on 1st April 2018, subject to recommendation (v) below. 

(ii)  To agree in principle that ASC RAA will operate via a shared service model with Hampshire County Council operating as the host authority.  All four local authorities will have equal executive representation in governance arrangements to be determined and agreed. 

(iii)  To agree in principle to make a financial contribution to the operating cost of ASC RAA.  Determination of the contribution will be based on two key principles:

-  Authorities’ financial contributions to the RAA will be calculated using a ‘fair funding model’ based on the level of service provided to each, and approved by each authority.

-  Authorities’ financial contributions to the RAA in the first two years will be capped and will not exceed the agreed budget spend of 2016/17 (including fee subsidy, Adoption Support Fund or other grants).

(iv)  The set up costs for the ASC RAA will not exceed the development grant allocated by the DfE for this purpose.

(v)   A further report setting out the financial, staffing and governance implications will be brought back to Cabinet for agreement prior to entering into any final arrangements to deliver the service through an RAA.

Report of the Leader of the Council implementing a unified approach to the Council’s investment in the Voluntary Sector, attached. 

DECISION MADE: (CAB 16/17 18649)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Leisure, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve the recommendation to proceed with a procurement of an integrated AIG (Advice, Information and Guidance) service.

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Director of Quality & Integration to carry out a procurement process for the provision for AIG (Advice, Information and Guidance) services as set out in this report and to enter into contracts in accordance with the Contract Procedure Rules.

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Director of Quality & Integration following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members to decide on the final model of commissioned services for Advice, Information and Guidance (AIG) and all decision making in relation to this re-commissioning.

(iv)  To delegate to the Chief Strategy Officer, following consultation with relevant cabinet members and following an option appraisal, the authority to approve the inclusion of SID (Southampton Information Directory) in the appropriate procurement exercise.

(v)  To authorise the Director of Quality and Integration to take all necessary actions to implement the proposals contained in this report.

NOTE: Councillor Hammond declared a personal prejudicial interest and left the meeting taking no part in the decision.