Solihull Council

(i) approved the virements outlined in paragraph 4.3.1 of the report to comply with accounting requirements;

(ii) approved the 2002/03 final position in General Fund Revenue Accounts shown at Appendix B and C and the Capital Accounts shown at Appendix D of the report;

(iii) approved the contributions to Reserves as outlined in paragraph 4.3.2 of the report;

(iv) approved the funding of the Social Services Children’s Service as outlined in paragraph 4.3.4 of the report;

(v) approved the carry forward of additional funds outlined in paragraph 4.5.2 of the report to be considered by the Cabinet Portfolio holder for Resources totalling £0.032m;

(vi) approved the carry forwards of overspend outlined in paragraph 4.5.2 of the report to 2003/04 budgets totalling £0.295m;

(vii) noted the total effect on the Council’s working balances; and

(viii) approved the capital rephasing proposals, outlined in paragraph 4.7.2 and paragraph 4.7.4of the report.

(i)             Noted the initial identification of the scope of the proposed Partnership in the context of current Council services as set out in the separate Appendix to this report;

(ii)            Received an oral report about proposed approaches to the transfer of staff into the Joint Venture Company;

(iii)           Noted the progress being made on contract documentation and Service Schedules;

(iv)           requested that the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive as the Council’s Shareholder Panel representatives progress the creation of a ‘Shadow’ Board of Directors, the appointment of a Management Group and the development of a proposed ‘brand’ for the Partnership – and report back to the next meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Cabinet on the progress made;

(v)           Requested that Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be asked to review - as part of their wider oversight of the Partnering process - officer and member structures that will be required to monitor contracts and manage the relationship with the Joint Venture Company;

(vi)           Agreed a target for the completion of the process in September 2003, and that a date for a Special Council meeting be sought on that basis;

(vii)          Advised the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board of the proposed timetable, asking that the Board prepare a programme to Scrutinise the process and key elements of the final decision;

(viii)         Confirmed that the Advisory Group established to support the Cabinet Member for Resources should continue throughout this next phase of work; and

Considered the approach to communications that should be adopted during this next phase of work.    

(i) noted the position regarding the High Court Case brought by a group of Teachers and Learning Support Assistants;  and

(ii) agreed a further course of action.

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