Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 17 March 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

No declarations of interest were made.

To report any urgent action taken under the Constitution since the last meeting of the Executive.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair and Executive Councillors on any matters within the powers and duties of the Executive, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.  (Questions must be submitted no later than 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting on the card provided.  These are available at the meeting. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions)

Members of the public were invited to submit questions on any matters within the powers and duties of the Executive, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.

Two questions had been submitted in advance of the meeting by a member of the public who was not present at the meeting. The Chair confirmed that, in accordance with the Code of Practice, a written response would be provided.

To consider a joint report of the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance and the Environment & Economy scrutiny committees.

Digital has been identified as an important part of the Council’s Investing in Stockport Programme.  The Council’s digital efforts will allow the organisation to interact with citizens and businesses via a medium that is considered preferable by many residents, and will reduce the cost of delivering some services. As such, the Council is developing digital services that the vast majority of residents will choose to access by preference, and which others will be assisted to use, including full assistance for the most vulnerable and elderly groups.

The Scrutiny Review undertaken jointly by the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance and the Environment & Economy scrutiny committees focussed on developing a greater understanding of digital accessibility in the Borough to ensure that the Councils’ digital efforts are centred on the needs and capabilities of our customers and communities.

The Executive is invited to receive the report and request the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services to prepare a response to the recommendations contained in the report.

Officer Contact: Steve Skelton on 0161 474 3174 or email: steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

The Lead Councillor (Councillor Kate Butler) of the Scrutiny Review undertaken jointly by the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance and Environment & Economy scrutiny committees into understanding the accessibility of digital services in Stockport attended the meeting to present the final report of the Review (copies of which had been circulated) to the Executive and to answer questions from executive councillors.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services be requested to prepare a response to the “Understanding the Accessibility of Digital Services in Stockport” Scrutiny Review final report and the recommendations contained therein for consideration by the Executive at a future meeting.

(2) That the gratitude of the Executive be recorded for the excellent work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel - Understanding the Accessibility of Digital Services in Stockport and others involved in this Review.

To consider a report of the Children & Young People’s Scrutiny Committee.

In the summer of 2014, the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee considered a report in respect of the work of the Integrated Children’s Service. Subsequently the Committee received information regarding the proposals under Investing in Stockport to establish an Integrated Prevention and Safeguarding Children and Family Service that provides the highest quality support to Stockport’s most vulnerable children and families. The ambition was to redesign and align the current Children’s Social Care system with the Integrated Children’s Service under an approach to be known as ‘Stockport Family’.

A critical factor in achieving the Stockport Family changes will be the effectiveness of early identification and prevention to stop children and families’ needs escalating in the first place and that this requires joint service delivery with wider partners in the public, private and voluntary sector. Consequently a key risk to the success of the programme was partnership working, both the need to engage partners effectively and to ensure that partners fully understood their obligations and recognise the opportunities moving forward. With that in mind, the Scrutiny Committee determined that this would be an appropriate topic for which a scrutiny review panel could make a valuable contribution.

The Executive is invited to receive the report and request the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services to prepare a response to the recommendations contained in the report.

Officer contact: Stephen Fox, 0161 474 3206, Stephen.fox@stockport.gov.uk

The Lead Councillor (Councillor Paul Porgess) of the Scrutiny Review into the development of partnership working as part of the Integrated Prevention Services model attended the meeting to present the final report of the Review (copies of which had been circulated) to the Executive and to answer questions from executive councillors.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to prepare a response to the “Integrated Prevention Services – Developing Partnership Working” Scrutiny Review final report and the recommendations contained therein for consideration by the Executive at a future meeting.

(2) That the gratitude of the Executive be recorded for the excellent work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel - Integrated Prevention Services – Developing Partnership Working in Stockport and others involved in this Review.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services)

The report sets out the proposed Executive response to the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee’s review ‘The use of public buildings in the Borough and their availability for community use’. At the Executive meeting on 17 March the Lead Councillor of the Scrutiny Review attended to present the final report.

The Executive is recommended to agree the response to the recommendations arising from the scrutiny review as set out in the report.

Officer contact: Murray Carr, 0161 474 3019, murray.carr@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider a draft response to the recommendations made by the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee as part of its Review Final Report “Community Use of Public Buildings”.

RESOLVED – (1) That the response to the “Community Use of Public Buildings” Scrutiny Review Final Report be approved.

(2) That the Executive’s gratitude and appreciation be recorded for the work undertaken by the members of the scrutiny review panel and supporting staff involved in the review.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration)

An initiative known as the Rental Exchange has been developed by Big Issue Invest (the social investment arm of the well-known Big Issue Group), in association with the credit referencing agency Experian. The initiative involves Registered Providers (RPs) providing tenant rental payment records to Experian on a monthly basis so that tenants are recognised for paying rent on time, similar to how homeowners are recognised for paying their mortgage each month.

Stockport Homes has been approached by Experian to join the Rental Exchange. This report provides some background to the project and details the results of some initial ‘proof of concept’ analysis carried out by Experian to demonstrate how Council tenants would benefit if we were to start sharing their rent payment data on a regular basis. The report seeks approval from the Council Executive to participate in the project.

The Council Executive is asked to note the content of this report and approve Stockport Homes to participate in the Rental Exchange Project with the credit reference agency, Experian.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax, 0161 474 4319, andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider a proposal for Stockport Homes to enter into an arrangement with the Experian Credit Agency to provide them with rental payment records for tenants in order for them to be recognised for their payments and to improve their credit rating. The arrangement was known as the Rental Exchange and had been developed in conjunction with Big Issue Invest (the social investment arm of the Big Issue Group).

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development & Regeneration) confirmed that the report had been considered by the Adult Care Services & Housing Scrutiny Committee and that members had been broadly support of the aims of the project but had raised concerns about data privacy. The Executive Councillor confirmed that tenants would be given the option to ‘opt-out’ of the arrangement and that this would be an option whenever a new tenancy was entered into.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to Stockport Homes to participate in the Rental Exchange Project with the credit reference agency Experian.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Health & Wellbeing)

The report sets out the proposed Executive response to the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee’s review into Alcohol Misuse Services. The Executive received the final report at its meeting on 17 March 2015.

The Executive is invited to endorse the response to the Scrutiny Review of Alcohol Misuse Services.

Officer contact: Donna Sager, 0161 474 3928, donna.sager@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Health & Wellbeing) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider a draft response to the recommendations made by the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee as part of its Review Final Report “Alcohol Misuse Services in Stockport”.

RESOLVED – (1) That the response to the “Alcohol Misuse Services in Stockport” Scrutiny Review Final Report be approved.

(2) That the Executive’s gratitude and appreciation be recorded for the work undertaken by the members of the scrutiny review panel and supporting staff involved in the review.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance).

The Executive is invited to note the decisions of the Joint AGMA Executive/ GMCA Board and the GMCA Board meetings held on 27 February and 27 March 2015.

Officer contact: Jonathan Vali, 0161 474 3201, jonathan.vali@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out decisions taken by the Joint Meeting Greater Manchester Combined Authority & AGMA Executive Board and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority meetings held on 27 February and 27 March 2015.

The Leader of the Council highlighted significant decisions in relation to health budget devolution, Project Phoenix, Business Rates retention and the devolution of the Age Grant.

RESOLVED – That the report noted.

On:-

(a)  Matters (if any) referred to the Executive Meeting

(b)  Any called-in Executive Decisions

There were none to consider.