Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Adam Brown (Councillor Phil Larratt substituting) and Councillor Helen Harrison (Councillor Graham Lawman substituting) as well as Anna Earnshaw, Chief Executive (WNC) Kerry Purnell, Assistant Director of Housing & Communities (NNC).

The Chairman invited those who wished to do so to declare any interests in respect of items on the agenda.

No declarations were made.

RESOLVED that: 

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2021 be approved as a correct record.

The Chair reported that no notifications from the public to address the meeting had been made.

The Chair noted that there were no previous actions to note at this time.

The Joint Committee considered a report of the Assistant Directors of Education (WNC and NNC), which set out the re-profiling of the timeline of Safeguarding in Education disaggregation from 31 March 2022 to September 2022 in line with the academic year. The report was marked as item 6a on the agenda for the meeting.

It was confirmed that there was a plan to ensure the Service was delivered within the current budget.  The Service would make use of school effectiveness officers who went into schools anyway so the increased capacity within the service should be provided without any additional cost.

RESOLVED that:

That the Joint Committee (Shared Services) approves reprofiling the disaggregation of the Safeguarding in Education service from March 2022 to September 2022 in line with the academic year allowing further review of the impact assessment into its disaggregation.

The Joint committee considered a report of the Assistant Director of Education (WNC) which set out the re-profiling of the timeline of the Education – Sensory Impairment Service (SIS) disaggregation from April 2022 to September 2022.  The report was marked as item 6b on the agenda for the meeting.

RESOLVED that: 

That the Joint Committee (Shared Services) approves reprofiling the disaggregation of the Education Sensory Impairment Service to September 2022

The Joint Committee considered a report of the Assistant Directors, Assets &

Environment (WNC and NNC), which set out the process for disaggregation of the shared Country Parks and Outdoor Learning service. The report was marked as item 7a on the agenda for the meeting.

RESOLVED that:  That the Joint Committee (Shared Services):

(a)  approves the disaggregation of the Country Parks and Outdoor Learning service by 31March 2022;

(b)  Approves the proposed arrangements for disaggregation, budget, staffing,

contract and cost implications, as set out in section 5 and section 7; and

(c)  Grants delegated authority to the Monitoring Officers for North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council to complete the decisions and actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations and conclude the requirements for the exit plan for IAA schedule 2H2.

The Joint Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director of Safeguarding & Wellbeing (NNC) which set out the disaggregation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards service that was currently hosted by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) and provided to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). The report was marked as item 7b on the agenda for the meeting.

The Assistant Director of Safeguarding and Wellbeing (NNC) added that the consultation with staff ended that day and it would determine where the vacancies were so that they could fill them.

In answer to a query it was confirmed that although some of the work had been postponed whilst the Council had declared a critical incident situation regarding the COVID pandemic this disaggregation was not affected.  They still held weekly shared meetings to move it forward.  The Critical incident currently affected children’s and adults’ social care.  Although no staff had currently been taken off the transformation projects there was the possibility that it could happen in the future. 

RESOLVED that:  The Joint Committee (Shared Services): 

(a)  approves to disaggregate the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards service in

       its current form by April 2022;

      (b)  Approves to create one additional Team Manager post in the West (as 

            set out in section 7.1) to enable each newly disaggregated Deprivation of 

            Liberty Safeguards service to be led effectively.

(c)  Grants delegated authority to the Monitoring Officers for North and West

      Northamptonshire Councils to take any further decisions and actions   

       necessary to implement the recommendations and conclude the

       requirements of the exit plan for IAA schedule 2A4.

The Joint Committee considered a report of the Head of Programme Management & Strategic Partnerships (WNC) and Head of Transformation – Partnerships & Design

(NNC) which set out the performance measures and finance information for the

Service Plans for the Virtual Schools, Archives and Heritage and Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (NARC).  The report was marked as item 8 on the agenda for the meeting.

RESOLVED that:  the Joint Committee (Shared Services)

(a)  Approves of the performance measures and finance information for the Service Plans listed below:

·         Virtual Schools

·         Archives and Heritage

·         Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (NARC)

(b)  Approves the proposals for the addition of a Phase 4 to enable services ‘new in scope’ to have Service Plans developed; and

(c)  Approves the proposed IAA Quarterly Performance reporting timetable (as shown in Table 1 of the report).

The Chair reported that there was no other business to be transacted.

There being no urgent items or exempt items of business, the Chair thanked the members and officers for their attendance, and closed the meeting.