To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Johnson, Cannon, Rayner, and McWilliams.

To receive any declarations of interest

None received.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2022.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2022 were approved.

None

To consider the Forward Plan for the period May 2022 to August 2022.

Cabinet considered the contents of the Forward Plan for the next four months and noted the changes made since it was last published.

The Lead Member informed that she was recommending that this item be deferred as there was a misunderstanding with an important stakeholder and thus wanted to hold talks with them prior to the document being put forward for approval.  She thanked all who had worked hard on getting the plan together and mentioned that the newly created partnership board would also review the proposed plan.

Resolved unanimously:  that the item be deferred. 

Cabinet considered the report regarding the proposal to lease Shurlock Row Nature Reserve to the Waltham St Lawrence Parish Council.

The Lead Member informed that the report sought the approval to issue a lease for the 12-acre area known as Shurlock Row Nature Reserve to the Waltham St Lawrence Parish Council for a period of 99 years. The 12 acre of land had been purchased by the Council in 2009 to retain the field as a site of conservation interest.

The local Parish Council approached the parks team with ideas to enhance the field as a public asset with a small play area and car park, new pond and a conservation management plan to retain wildflower areas on the majority of the field.

Following a successful capital bid for a programme of park investment, in 2017 Council officers started working with Waltham St Lawrence Parish Council to change the use of land.  The improvements to the land had negotiated the details of the lease.

The project would increase access to open spaces in this area of the borough and to protect and maintain the special area which has a rich heritage of grasses and wildflowers. 

The council scheme of delegation requires a cabinet report to approve the granting of leases of this length.

The Lead Member for Planning, Parking, Highways and Transport seconded the report and said that this was a sensible proposal that would provide a pond, play area, parking and wildflower areas.  This would be a great benefit to the local community.

Cllr Hunt said that she was delighted to see the recommendation.  The Parish Council did have some comments that she had sent to officers.  The Lead Member said that he had seen the pictures and that any remedial work to the playground would be carried out.

Resolved unanimously:  that Cabinet notes the report and:

i) Authorises the granting of a full repairing lease of 99 years to Waltham St Lawrence Parish Council for the 12 acres of land known as Shurlock Row Nature Reserve.

Cabinet considered the report regarding the provision of domiciliary care.

The Chairman informed that the current adult social care contracts for the provision of domiciliary care to individuals living in the Borough, expire in August 2022. The report highlighted the tender process and recommendations from officers.  It also included recommendations from a member Task and Finish Group from the Adult, Children and Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

The council tendered for domiciliary care in January 2022 using a Dynamic Purchasing System; this model enables the council to approve new providers throughout the lifetime of the five-year contract, which has the option to be extended for a further two years. The contract is set at a fixed price of £19.40 per hour, pro-rated for part hours; this price was benchmarked with other local councils. The model of support within the specification focusses on reablement, using a strengths-based approach, to maximise people’s independence.

The proposal supports the objective within the Corporate Plan 2021-2026; “Thriving Communities” and the Lead Member thanked Councillor Coppinger for all his work when he was Lead Member introducing this process. 

The Chairman informed that since the report had been published one of the providers ratings had dropped bellow what was acceptable by the tender process and so they had been removed.  He also thanked members of the O&S Panel for their work and recommendations, other members who had participated and officers.

The Lead Member for Environmental Services, Parks and Countryside and Maidenhead thanked the Lead Member for his comments regarding his role in helping improve domiciliary care.  This was a very important contract that provided important care to help support independence. 

The Lead Member for Asset Management and Commercialisation, Finance, and Ascot said he welcomed the report and that al usual reports from that service always gave an insight into the work of the service area.  He approved that they only worked with qualified providers and that there was a fixed price. 

Cllr Hunt thanked officers and members who had participated in the Task and Finish Group, she welcomed that their recommendations had been included in the Cabinet report and looked forward to them being accepted.

Resolved unanimously:  that Cabinet notes the report, and:

i)               Approves the proposed contracting model to use a Dynamic Purchasing System for domiciliary care for a period of five years with an option to extend for a further two years.

ii)              Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Adults, Health and Housing to award contracts, starting on 1st August 2022, to those providers who successfully completed the tender process, using the Dynamic Purchasing System and to other providers meeting the criteria throughout the lifetime of the contract.

iii)             Notes the recommendations made by the member Task and Finish group, namely

·   That Cabinet approve the recommendations in the report to award the contracts to the providers that met the criteria of the tender.

·   That Optalis ensure at all stages – during the care planning process, the start of the care package and during  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c