Agenda item

Members of the Committee are requested to bring their copy of the agenda for the Executive meeting on 22 May 2024.

The Executive, Resources and Contracts PDS Committee will be looking at all the items on the Executive Agenda.

The Committee considered the following reports on the Part 1 agenda for the meeting of the Executive on 22 May 2024:

The report considered the 2023/24 provisional outturn at portfolio level and Council-wide as well as the potential implications for the Council’s financial position in 2024/25. The purpose of the report was to give a broad overview of the financial outturn. Details of the carry forward requests and a summary of the Council’s capital programme were considered in the report and more detailed reports would be submitted to individual PDS Committees.

The 2023/24 provisional outturn enabled the General Fund balance to remain at £20m, subject to the recommendations in the report being agreed.

The Director of Finance introduced the report highlighting that there were significant pressures within Housing and Children’s Services but that mitigations had been put in place to address any overspends in 2024/2025.  Whilst there were some underspends in the contingency there was limited flexibility.  The first budget monitoring report would focus on cost pressures and there would be a need to review growth pressures.  Going forward it would be important for PDS Committees to thoroughly scrutinise any proposals for growth, budget monitoring overspends and any mitigation that could be put in place.  In relation to lobbying government, the Director of Finance highlighted the importance of understanding the impact of any new burdens and giving due consideration to what services could not be provided if more government funding was not forthcoming.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Director of Finance confirmed that all aspects of income generation would be addressed in the October report and that  any new invest-to-save initiatives would come through the Transformation Programme.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations in the report be supported.

The report provided an update on the CRM replacement capital programme including a scheme closure report on the completed software implementation and the completed redesign of the Council’s public facing website.

The report also sought Members’ approval to progress the complementary scheme to enhance the My Account features of the website including the personalisation and single sign on initiatives outlined in the report.

The Committee requested that details of the projected number of users be circulated following the meeting.

In noting that there was no statutory requirement to spend the funds that had been allocated for the upgrade, a Member questioned whether the proposals in the report that were designed to improve the customer experience represented a good use of the underspend. In response to a question from the Chairman, the Assistant Director for Customer Services confirmed that Option 2A outlined in the report provided the technology for the single sign on whilst option 2B provided enhanced features.  In discussion, Members indicated that they were yet to be convinced that options 1 and 2 (A&B) outlined in the report would represent value for money and it was suggested that there were other system improvements that may provide better value, such as the housing bidding system.

Councillor Julie Ireland proposed that the Committee support Option 3 – do nothing and return the capital receipts - within the report.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Alexa Michael, put to the vote and CARRIED by majority.

RESOLVED: That the Executive be recommended to adopt Option 3 – do nothing and return the capital receipts - as outlined in the report.

The report outlined the proposed procurement for a Specialist Stop Smoking Service for individuals in Bromley who required support to quit smoking. Permission was sought to commence the procurement of the Service in accordance with the arrangements set out in the report to commence the Service on 1^st April 2025. Contracts with a whole life value of £1m and above require Executive approval prior to proceeding to procurement.

A small pilot project, Smokefree Bromley, was currently being delivered by Solutions4Health. This contract went live on 1st January and was due to end 31st December 2024 with an available extension period to 31st March 2025.

It was proposed this service would be funded jointly from the substantive Public Health grant plus the ring-fenced Stop Smoking Grant from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The DHSC Stop Smoking Grant was available annually until March 2029. The ring-fenced Stop Smoking grant allocation was reassessed annually in accordance with estimated smoking prevalence rates in the Borough. Therefore, authorisation was sought to design a service with a degree of flexibility to enable Chief Officer approval of subsequent variation to the scope and value of the Smoking Cessation Service contract in line with the requirements of the grant.

In opening the debate, the Chairman expressed concerns around the value for money arising from the proposals.

In response to a question concerning the age profile of smokers across the Borough, the Director of Public Health confirmed that there was a lower prevalence of smoking in young people, but instances of vaping were increasing. It was highlighted that vaping was effective as a method of encouraging adults to stop smoking. The service proposed in the report was for adults only and there was currently no service for individuals who had only ever vaped.

The Director of Public Health confirmed that the success rate for previous services had been good – around 40% - but that had been a very different service to the proposals before the Committee.

A Member highlighted the need to evaluate the cost of smoking to the social sector, not just the NHS. It was suggested that one of the most effective actions that could be taken was to discourage individuals from smoking. There needed to be a 40% success rate for the service to pay for itself.

In response to a question, the Director of Public Health confirmed that it was not possible to means test for the service, but the highest risk groups would be targeted for support.

The Director of Public Health explained that one of the conditions of the grant was that the Local Authority must “Invest in enhancing local authority commissioned stop smoking services and support, in addition to and while maintaining existing spend on these services and support from the public health grant”.  However, the Chairman suggested that there may be other priorities, for the Local Authority’s Public Health grant, such as vaccination.

The Chairman proposed that the Council proceed with the programme on the basis of utilising the additional funding from Government and review how much, if any Bromley Public Health funds, should be spent.  The amended recommendation was seconded by Councillor Tony Owen, put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED: That Executive be recommended to agree that the Council proceed with the programme on the basis of utilising the additional funding from Government and review how much, if any Bromley Public Health funds, should be spent.   

A Report to Executive on 30^th November 2022 set out the recommendation to purchase the freehold of the Direct Line site known as Churchill Court with a view to moving the Council offices off the Civic Centre site and subsequent disposal.  As part of that report, Members agreed to the provision of a new Health & Wellbeing Centre for Bromley town centre. 

On 17^th May 2023 a follow-up report was shared with the Executive which set out details of the conversion of the 1^st Floor offices within Phase Four, Churchill Court to provide a new NHS Health & Wellbeing Centre (HWBC).  Following that agreement Council officers have been working with colleagues in the NHS to design the new public facility, obtain planning consent, building control approval, agree funding and finalising the lease terms. This report, together with the accompanying Part 2 report, set out the outcomes of that exercise and sought permission to continue with the next steps.

The Part 2 report set out the outcome of the tender process and award of contract for the construction works.  It also detailed the capital project budget and terms agreed with the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the share of capital funding and lease terms.  In addition, the report updated Members on the overall project timetable.

On behalf of the Bromley Town Ward Councillors, Councillor Julie Ireland thanked the Property Team for the updates and confirmed that the local ward councillors entirely supported the recommendations.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations in the report be supported.