Agenda and minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 14 February 2017.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 14 February 2017 together with the accompanying decision records be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

The Executive considered the reports submitted on the items listed below and the decisions taken are recorded in the decision sheets attached to these minutes and summarised below.

To inform the Members of the Executive of the response from the Executive Member for Children, Young People & Learning to the Overview and Scrutiny report on child sexual exploitation.

RESOLVED that the following recommendations of the Working Group “Safeguarding is everyone’s business:  A Review of Child Sexual Exploitation” be noted:

i)              Children and Families

Working Group Recommendation 1

Closer work with parents be undertaken to raise their awareness of CSE, to educate them to manage their children’s use of the on-line world and to maintain an open dialogue and set boundaries with their children. Also, consideration be given to having a CSE parenting worker, or some form of direct delivery parenting, to enable work to be carried out simultaneously with the child and his / her parents, such as that offered by Dr Barnardo’s.

ii)             Working Group Recommendation 2

The awareness and use of the CSE screening tool and prevention work with children and young people identified as having Level 1 vulnerabilities (see Appendix 2) be promoted across partners.

iii)            Working Group Recommendation 3 

The monitoring and management of unauthorised school absences and fixed term exclusions be strengthened, with a particular emphasis on undertaking return interviews.

iv)           Training

Working Group Recommendation 4

A fluid rolling programme of incremental and age appropriate prevention be pursued to raise awareness levels and provide children with the resilience and knowledge to identify grooming and make safe decisions around internet use and relationships. This should include the production of a suitable primary school poster. In addition to identifying and protecting victims of CSE of both genders, a stronger emphasis be placed on raising boys’ and young men’s awareness of the possible consequences for them of having sex with underage girls.

v)            Working Group Recommendation 5

All existing and new taxi drivers in Bracknell Forest receive safeguarding / CSE training during the next twelve months and training be rolled out to neighbouring authorities.

vi)           Working Group Recommendation 6

Bespoke training be provided for Attendance Officers to highlight the links between missing pupils and CSE.

vii)          Local Safeguarding Children Board

Working Group Recommendation 7

The LSCB Strategic Sub Group be requested to undertake a stocktake of all CSE school training delivered during the last two years in order to identify and remedy any gaps. A central depositary be developed to capture all the education and training sessions being delivered in schools to children, to avoid duplication and identify gaps.

viii)         Working Group Recommendation 8

The LSCB be requested to evaluate how CSE is incorporated into the Council-wide training programmes, stating who is able to access this training, ensuring outcomes are measured and changes made as a result.

ix)           Working Group Recommendation 9

The police be requested to provide an intelligence briefing to the Sexual Health Service to establish closer liaison and two way information sharing with that service.

x)            Working Group Recommendation 10

Regulatory Services continue to work with the police to rollout the Hotel Watch Scheme across the Borough.

xi)           Working Group Recommendation 11

The Designated Doctor for Safeguarding be requested to include the use of Summary Care Records in the next mandatory training session for GPs in order to identify, and improve the care  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

To seek approval to the ICT Digital and Strategy 2017-20.

RESOLVED that the ICT and Digital Strategy for the period 2017-2020 was noted and the future direction of these service areas outlined in the Director of Corporate Services report was approved.

To provide the Executive with a new Customer Contact Strategy, proposing a new direction of travel for the management of customer contact through to December 2020.

RESOLVED that;

i)              the new Customer Contact Strategy, action plans for delivery and governance arrangements be endorsed.

ii)             the delivery of the Strategy be driven through the Implementation phase of the Citizen & Customer Contact Transformation Programme.  

To update the Executive on the outcome of the Plan Phase of the Council Wide Support Services review.

RESOLVED that the Business Case be endorsed and agreed the Implementation Plan proposed for the ‘Do’ Phase of the Council Wide Support Services Review.

The purpose of this report is to seek approval of the Executive to adopt the Design Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), attached at Appendix A, as planning guidance and to agree the Consultation Statement for publication at Appendix B.

RESOLVED that;

(i)         the Design SPD be approved as a material consideration in the determination of all planning applications validated from the date of its adoption;

(ii)        the design leaflet “Extending Your Home: A Householders Guide” be revoked for all planning applications validated from the date of the adoption of the Design SPD;

(iii)       the publication of the Consultation Statement be agreed;

(iv)       the Executive Member for Planning and Transport be authorised to agree any minor changes to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Director of Environment, Culture & Communities report prior to adoption in (i) above.

To set out in summary what is being proposed with regard to the creation of a combined Berkshire Emergency Planning Service and to seek agreement as to the way forward. A similar report is being presented to all Berkshire authorities.

RESOLVED that;

(i)            the six unitary authorities in Berkshire set up a shared Emergency Planning Service governed through the Berkshire Chief Executives’ Group and West Berkshire act as Lead Authority. 

(ii)           The Shared Service will provide Emergency Planning, Business Continuity Planning and Out of Hours Coordination (where appropriate), to all six unitary authorities.

(iii)          A Joint Team of 5 FTE is established. The Team Manager will be based in the Lead Authority. Two teams of two FTE will be based in Berkshire West and Berkshire East.  It is proposed that no fixed base be established. The Team Manager will be responsible for deciding on work locations in liaison with the six unitary authorities.

(iv)         The budget for the service is set in the first year at £371k and apportioned to each unitary authority as an annual payment as follows:

Bracknell Forest -        £45k
Reading -                     £65k
RBWM   -                    £71k
Slough -                       £48k
West Berkshire -         £82k
Wokingham -               £60k   

(v)          Permanent staff would TUPE to the Lead Authority on their existing terms and conditions and will be slotted into the staffing structure set out in this report where appropriate. Vacancies will be filled through internal/external recruitment where required. 

(vi)         The Borough Solicitor, in consultation with the Borough Treasurer and Director of Environment, Culture & Communities be authorised to agree the terms of an Inter Authority Agreement between the constituent authorities formalising the arrangement.

(vii)        Subject to Executive approval in all six unitary authorities, the Service will commence on 1 October 2017.

To approve the Capital Programme for Integrated Transport for 2017/18 and its implementation as set out in the body of the report and (Annex 1).

RESOLVED that the Integrated Transport Capital Programme for 2017/18 be approved.

To seek approval for the budget for 2017-18 to be targeted at the four year indicative Highway Maintenance Works Programme as set out in Annex 1 having due regard to the priority, availability of road space and available budget.

RESOLVED that the budget for 2017-18 be targeted at the four year indicative Highway Maintenance Works Programme as set out in Annex 1 of the Director of Environment, Culture & Communities report, having due regard to the priority, availability of road space and available budget.

To consider the following motion:

Agenda items 14 and 15 are supported by annexes containing exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. If the Executive wishes to discuss the content of these annexes in detail, it may choose to move the following resolution:

That pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of item 14 and 15 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

NB: No representations were received in response to the 28 day notice of a private meeting.

RESOLVED that pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of items 14 and 15 which involve the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority).

To approve the Procurement Plan for the procurement of the works contract for the refurbishment / remodelling of Time Square.

RESOLVED that;

i)              the Procurement Plan for the procurement of the works contract for the refurbishment / remodelling of Time Square attached at exempt Annex A, be approved.

ii)             the decision to award the construction contract for the Time Square refurbishment works be delegated to the Director of Corporate Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Transformation & Finance. This is in order to be able to move quickly to commence the contract in view of the need to deliver the savings from vacating Easthampstead House as quickly as possible.

To approve implementation of the new strategy for library services and to agree the Procurement Plan to introduce new technology in all Bracknell Forest Libraries.

RESOLVED that;

i)       the implementation of the recommendations emanating from the Transformation Review of the Library Service be agreed and the anticipated saving detailed in paragraph 5.4 of the Director of Environment, Culture & Communities report be noted;

ii)      the Procurement Plan for the introduction of new technology in all Bracknell Forest Libraries to provide Self-service and Technology Assisted Opening be approved; and

iii)     subject to the successful tender falling within the approved capital budget, the Director of Environment, Culture and Communities be given delegated authority to award the contract;