Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for the Economy (Cllr Pat Hackett)

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for the Economy (Cllr Pat Hackett) on car parking charges, apprenticeships and high-speed broadband

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These questions start at 20:14 in the video above.

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for the Economy (Cllr Pat Hackett)

                               

Continues from Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services (Cllr Tony Smith).

Cllr David Elderton asked, “Firstly I’m delighted to hear the progress that’s being made with Neptune Developments, but does the Cabinet Member accept that parking charges, an increase for parking charges and the potential imposition of car parking charges in additional areas in the Borough is having an adverse effect on the viability of retailers, leisure centres and businesses particularly in Birkenhead but elsewhere this will occur particularly around the coast. If so what action does he intend to take to overcome the problem of reduced economic viability?”

Cllr Rob Gregson asked, “Following the savings achieved last year with the apprentice programme, can the Cabinet Member please give an update on the new Wirral apprentice scheme?”

Cllr Geoffrey Watt asked, “Following on from Council in July when his colleague, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation answered my question concerning the two Council’s car parks in West Kirby reported an increase in revenue but a 14% decrease in the number of different … can the Cabinet Member for the Economy tell the Council what this 14% drop equates to due to footfall and what impact this will have on local businesses?”

Cllr Paul Doughty, “Was the Cabinet Member aware of the work of the scrutiny committee where we’re doing a piece of work investigating the implications of the changes to car parking changes and also the consultative document that’s being investigated and considered by members of the general public? Was he aware of the lack of participation of the Members opposite in that?”

Cllr Chris Blakeley asked, “This is regarding Broadband UK. Is the Cabinet Member aware that BT through their next generation access programme has promised high-speed broadband to Wirral with a promise to deliver in 2012, then 2013, I understand it has been put back to 2014. How will this Broadband UK contract fit in with .. BT who will deliver this project across Wirral and Merseyside particularly Wirral in order that our businesses and our homes can compete with high-speed broadband?”

Continues at Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Cabinet Member for the Economy (Cllr Pat Hackett).

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Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services (Cllr Tony Smith)

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services (Cllr Tony Smith)

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These questions start at 11:00 in the video above.

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services (Cllr Tony Smith)

                               

Continues from Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones).

Cllr Walter Smith asked, “Educational attainment of young people has been very much in the news lately. I’d like to ask the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services a question on children’s achievements in Wirral’s schools, academies and colleges. Would the Cabinet Member update the Council on children’s attainment in the academic year 2012/13?”

Cllr Adam Sykes asked, “Does the Cabinet Member welcome the Government’s additional early years funding for two-year olds, which means that just shy of £4 million will be made available enabling forty percent of Wirral’s two-year olds to access Wirral’s outstanding childcare?”

Cllr Phillip Brightmore asked, “Could the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services update Council on Wirral’s intensive family intervention project?”

Cllr Tony Smith (Cabinet Member for Children’s and Family Services) responded, “Thank you Cllr Smith. I’m absolutely delighted Mr Mayor to bring to the full Council the achievement in Wirral’s schools and colleges for the last academic year, I think this reflects on the whole Council. As I say once again the year that has been, over the last year there have been great successes and we’ve been hearing from children in Wirral’s schools and colleges and children, parents and school staff can be truly proud of these successes.

Some of the results include and I think that you know we should be really proud of this, the key stage one the number of children achieving level two which is the accepted level for … has increased again. In most of our constituencies we are now getting well over eighty percent of children at that level. Obviously we still want to improve that and we continue to improve it with the excellent leadership of headteachers and the excellent staff that we’ve got.

At key stage two, level four achievements again are up in our schools. Again we’re getting well over eighty percent. I’d particularly like to praise the inner city schools which are achieving absolutely magnificent results when you compare them to some other authorities in the country. Again it’s the hard work of staff and parents and the excellent leadership of headteachers.

GCSEs this year we increased our percentage by one, up to sixty-six percent of children who have achieved As to Cs including maths and English. I’ve just looked back over the last ten years and in 2003 I think it was, I think it was forty-five percent of children in this authority achieved As to Cs including maths and English. So that’s a fantastic achievement by again the schools backed up by the staff in the schools. So I’d like to also say that this year in most, throughout the whole of the country there was a decline in GCSE results and we’ve actually had an increase, so again that’s very good for the authority.

A-levels, again we had almost fifty percent of our young people achieving As to Bs in their A-level results and some 97.94% of children who achieved A-levels and that included General Studies. So you know, I would like to say I praise the work of some of the schools but also say the work that’s done by the school improvement service. We do really do challenge schools, we don’t sit back, we never get complacent and I think those Members who have been on children’s services, both on the previous overview and scrutiny committees and the policy committees now, people who do challenge what is going on from the officers and that. But we have an excellent improvement service, people who collect a lot of very robust data about what is going on in schools, hence the excellent results that we get, so I praise them for their teachers and that.

The second question from Cllr Sykes, very very much welcome that additional money. I think that we do need money for the early stages of education. It’s currently absolutely crucial that our children from the ages from nought to five get the best education possible, the best support in our children’s centres, our nurseries and that and I know the staff again focus to improve the, are looking very, very carefully at the progress that is being made and we do want children to start in our primary schools at the age of five having reached what was the expected level that they should be at when they go in there, so any money in education from these lot, it doesn’t matter where it comes from.

Finally on the question about the family intervention program from Cllr Brightmore. I’d just like to perhaps update the Council on what’s happening here. I think you probably know that Louise Casey, who happens to be the National Lead for the troubled families programme came to the Authority during September. This was a return visit to the families and workers about the impact of this service on their lives and the strengths of the workers engaging with families in this way.

Now I’d just like to give some key information about the programme to date, it’s a good opportunity at full Council to reflect on this. The program’s working or has worked with approximately four hundred families identified through various projects since the scheme began. There’s a dedicated group of key workers and the charity catch 22, who work with our local authority family support services delivering intensive family support across Wirral. Using this evidence based model, families are required to be firstly assessed including a specifically developed family assessment, then seeks … a value contract. Also the leader of this programme is a lead professional who acts as a main coordinator for each family and this is the model we intend to pursue in this Authority.

The main focus of the work is to improve school attendance and I think that covers that one really, reduce youth crime and antisocial behaviour and increase the number of parents in employment and up to date progress from the report of the work of Miss Casey is that we have made good progress, two hundred and four families were achieving positive outcomes and this programme is … top preventative services, working with our partner agencies and the voluntary sector which are strong. Obviously most people are aware of troubled families and that, so this particular project even though it is a national project, we embrace it as a project that we can develop really for the Wirral and to say many future families and that. We have excellent workers working in this particular area and I hope on a future date to come back with a more comprehensive report.”

Continues at Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for the Economy (Cllr Pat Hackett).

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Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones)

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones)

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Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones)

                               

Continues from Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones).

Cllr Adrian Jones replied to the questions with these answers, “I’ll start with the last one first which was from Cllr Sykes. The short answer Cllr Sykes is yes. Are you happy with that? Now for Cllr Ellis, you’re asking me why the top ten get paid more, the short answer to that is it’s an overall saving because if you consider how the management restructure was conducted it was not a cost to the Council, it was a saving and that was absolutely the best possible way of doing it. I’d be quite happy of course to give you an official written reply, is that ok?

Cllr Blakeley, you made reference to disruption to IT services, yes I am aware of it and I must say I was very impressed with our IT staff because on the occasion of the very first, when Scottish Power cut us off on the first occasion in the middle of the night, I was contacted first thing the following morning which was now before eight o’clock and advised as to what was happening which I thought was a pretty good service. The position there of course was it was outside of our control and there was nothing that could be done about it. As to the second part of your question I’d be very happy to give you a written reply.

And now to the question from Cllr Walsh about the business process question on page fifty-one. To be honest with you that is such a big implied question that I intend to give you a written reply on that again and you’ll be able to circulate that to whoever would want to see it.

On the asset management question on page fifty-two from Cllr Mooney I’d say exactly the same thing there, that again is a question that again covers a very large area of ground and I’d be delighted to give a written reply.”

Continues at Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services (Cllr Tony Smith).

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Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones)

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones)

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These questions start at 5m34s in the video above.

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones)

                               

Continues from Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care (Cllr Chris Jones).

Cllr Joe Walsh asked, “Taking into account what the former local MP .. is Cllr Adrian Jones in a position to provide further information?

Cllr Chris Blakeley asked, “It’s regarding the disruption to IT services. Is the Cabinet Member aware that since the major outage there have been a further three periods of disruption, particularly at weekends, where local residents who wish to contact their local councillors cannot get email through? Can he tell us what action will be taken to provide a reliable and consistent service, so that we can serve the people who elected us to the Town Hall?”

Cllr Gerry Ellis asked, “My question relates to the first part of your report which is to do with human resources. You and I both have an interest in this and in your report you mention that you’re making numerous savings in the report. My question is can you explain to the Council why the top ten Chief Officers today get paid more than the top ten Chief Officers did in 2010, when ordinary council workers have had their pay frozen during that period and progression halted under this present Administration?”

Cllr Adam Sykes asked, “Can the Cabinet Member give me their assurance that they will work with Thingwall Primary School to ensure that the old Stanley School site adjacent to Thingwall Primary is put to good use after the continued effort of the Thingwall Primary to work with the Authority in providing a facility that benefits the whole of the ward?”

Cllr Bernie Mooney asked, “The asset management report page fifty-two confirms the integration will not result in any increased costs to the Council and the trade union accommodation reduces. So will the trade union still have offices?”

Continues at Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones).

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Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care (Cllr Chris Jones)

Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care (Cllr Chris Jones) Questions on zero hours contracts, day services, Moreton Day Centre and domiciliary care

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Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care (Cllr Chris Jones)

                               

Continues from Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Answers to Questions to the Leader (Cllr Phil Davies).

Cllr Stuart Kelly asked, “I liked what the Cabinet Member said in her report about the commissioning of services, but is the Cabinet Member embarrassed that Wirral was named and shamed over the summer as the council with most contracts with most care homes on Merseyside using zero hour contracts for their employees?

Is she also aware the response that was given to me when I submitted a Freedom of Information request which asked how many contractors for Wirral Council providing Council services have used zero hour contracts? The reply I received was Wirral Council does not have a policy on the use of zero hour contracts and that Wirral Council would not hold information about the resource management of our contractors as how they manage resources is a matter for the contractor. Does she still stand by that reply on behalf of the Administration and believe that resource management is not a matter for the Council when considering that we place contracts for care services for vulnerable people and when will we see a policy on the use of zero hour contracts by companies Council contracts with to provide services?”

Cllr Simon Mountney asked, “The Cabinet Member in her report details changes to residential and day services, which have been delivered on time and within Budget. Can she explain what effect the department’s failure to hit the performance indicator for permanent admissions of older people to residential & nursing care homes, as reported to Cabinet on Thursday will have on the department’s Budget and can she please give me an assurance that the same rigour and process are applied to the alleged payment of £48,000 is as being applied to the Martin Morton issue please?

Cllr Anita Leech asked, “I was delighted to hear from students and staff when I recently visited Moreton Day Centre which falls within my ward, that the much smaller group of students remaining have been able to carry out alternative and increased activity and participate in the local and vibrant community as well as the usual centre based activities and they are happy with the proposed move to other.. and I’d like to personally thank the staff of the day centre, parent and carer’s groups and the officers of the Council for the hard work they’ve put into reviewing this unfortunate closure as we’re providing what appears to be a facility that could be improved upon for the students remaining. I would however like to ask the question with regards to the hundred people who transferred from the services from Moreton. Did one to one consultation take place as was indicated to identify the needs of the individual and were their places allocated accordingly? And secondly how was the transition for the students, were there any issues?”

Cllr Phil Gilchrist asked, “Can I ask the Cabinet Member about the domiciliary contracts and the care of the elderly? What monitoring is undertaken in Wirral to ensure that Wirral isn’t subject to some of the problems identified recently nationally where mistakes were made by very limited time available for clients?”

Cllr Chris Jones responded, “Thank you very much for your questions, it’s nice to know you’ve actually looked at my report.

I suppose I can answer the two together really about the domiciliary contracts. If you had read the second page of my report, you’d see that we’re trying to support the principles of the ethical care charter, which looks after the workers as well as some looking at the people who need care. We are actively encouraging people and the firms who are going to tender to not use any zero hours contracts and we’ve asked for a report from the HR department to find out how many contractors that are generally used by the Council are using these zero hours contracts.

Stuart’s commissioning of services, we’re doing an awful lot of work with the NHS which has been a huge problem in the past I think we’re working far more closely together now around intermediate care and all the rest of it. The zero hours contract I’ve already answered Stuart. Chris Begya and Jacqui Evans’ reports are, Jacqui Evans is undertaking and is personally involved with the commissioning work and is making great inroads into that and looking at savings as well as improving quality of care for the people of the Wirral.

Anita asked about Moreton Day Centre. Everybody who attended Moreton has had a one to one .. they also had a .. visit to their new centre which we felt was really important. About seventy people have actually transferred, mainly to … which is a really popular choice mainly around .. moving anyway and to Heswall but others have gone to Pensby and Eastham as well but increasing places at Dale Farm taking extra visits to Dale Farm, and generally people have settled really well. Some of the staff have moved with the service users so .. a little bit of continuity of care for those users. Thank you Mr Mayor.”

Continues at Council (Wirral Council) 14th October 2013 Questions to the Cabinet Member for Central and Support Services (Cllr Adrian Jones).

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