Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Wednesday 20th May 2020 10:00am

Venue: Oak Room, County Buildings, Stafford. View directions

Contact: Mike Bradbury  Email: michael.bradbury@staffordshire.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

134.

Decision notice of the meeting held on 15 April 2020 pdf icon PDF 312 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision – That the notes of the meeting held on 15 April 2020 be approved.

135.

Leader's Update

Oral report of the Leader of the Council

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision – That the oral report of the Leader of the Council giving an update on a range of issues including the immense amount of work that the council and its staff, partners and volunteers were doing to keep Staffordshire people safe and well; that, this week, the 2,000th county council food parcel was delivered to vulnerable residents who had no family locally or a support network to call on; the launch of mental health awareness week;  the support being given to schools so that they can reopen their doors to a number of pupils next month; the re-opening of the household waste and recycling centres and country parks;  and the sad news of proposed redundancies at JCB; be noted.

136.

Minutes of the meeting of the Property Sub-Committee held on 6 May 2020 pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision – That the minutes of the meeting of the Property Sub-Committee held on 6 May 2020 be received.

137.

Staffordshire County Council's Response to Coronavirus COVID-19 pdf icon PDF 344 KB

Leader of the Council and Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Philip Atkins

 

Photo of Cllr Alan White

 

“Our response to coronavirus COVID-19 is ongoing with an ever-growing focus on how we help Staffordshire, our economy and our communities to recover from the unprecedented disruption to our lives.

 

This report provides an update on our leadership role and action, and how we are working with partners to protect the most vulnerable, ease the pressure on the NHS, support the county’s care sector, promote public health, and reignite our economy

 

The Prime Minister has now set out plans for reopening our society. As a county council, we have recognised the need to restart our economy with the launch of our Back to Business campaign and we have been planning for how this council will support the county to recover for several weeks, including reopening some of our own services.

 

It is hugely important for businesses to open their doors, people to get back to work and education and communities and services to rebuild, but this has to be when it is safe to do so and at the right pace.

 

Over the coming weeks and months, we will all be treading a very fine line as we gradually reopen this county and this country. This is absolutely not a green light for everyone and everything to go back to as we were before the pandemic.”

 

Philip Atkins OBE, Leader of the Council

 

“I continue to hear about the incredible work of our staff, care workers, volunteers, friends and neighbours who are stepping up and doing their bit for people across the county. So many people are working round the clock to meet this once-in-a generation challenge and I continue to thank each and every one of them. My thoughts also go out to the many families and friends who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease often in heart-breaking circumstances.”

 

Alan White, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing

 

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the progress made to date on assessing the current Coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the Council services and finances.

 

(Note by Clerk: The Chairman of the Corporate Review Committee agreed to the decision below being exempt from call-in as any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public’s interests or the interests of any persons to whom the decision relates.)

 

Decision (a) That the progress of Staffordshire County Council’s response to coronavirus COVID-19 be noted.

 

(b) That the Council’s Thanks be formally extended to its staff, care workers and volunteers for their efforts to support the response.

 

(c) That it be agreed that the additional government grant of £15.4m be allocated to the 2020/21 revenue budget.

 

(d) That further extra funding of £4.3m from the additional grant to support care providers, as set out in Table 1 to the report, be approved.

 

(e) That authority be given to individual members of the Senior Leadership Team (in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader where practicable) to incur further expenditure from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 137.

138.

Procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) pdf icon PDF 221 KB

Cabinet Member for Commercial

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

“We know there is a global shortage of PPE and that’s why we have stepped into make sure no care provider in Staffordshire goes without the PPE it needs if it runs out.

 

Our army of carer workers are doing an amazing job in extremely difficult times and we are determined to make sure they have what they need to protect themselves. We have supplied more than 700,000 pieces of equipment to Staffordshire’s care frontline already, and we are making sure that we have sufficient stock to maintain supplies.

 

We are planning ahead to ensure we have sufficient supplies in stock until the current emergency is over.”

 

Mark Deaville, Cabinet Member for Commercial

 

Reasons for the Decision – To consider proposals to procure supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) which is a vital resource in Staffordshire’s response to the impacts and effective infection control management of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Decision – That officers be authorised to continue to procure supplies of PPE with a view to maintaining a rolling supply sufficient to last 12 weeks based on usage.

139.

Decisions taken by Cabinet Members under Delegated Powers pdf icon PDF 186 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision – That the following decisions taken by Cabinet Members under delegated powers be noted:

 

Cabinet Member

Decision

Cabinet Member for Economic Growth

In approving the making of an allocation of £500,000 from the Corporate Priorities Programme to establish a Staffordshire COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Grant Scheme to provide an immediate emergency, grant based, financial support of up to £1,000 to help the smallest and most vulnerable businesses, including micro business and sole traders, across Staffordshire in the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The Programme to act as a fund of last resort.

 

140.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions pdf icon PDF 229 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 17 June to 21 October 2020, which detailed the following issues, was approved:

 

Subject Matter

Contact

Mitigation Plans for Cannock Chase Special Area of Conservation

Name: Janene Cox

Tel: (01785) 278368

Staffordshire County Council COVID-19 Planning and Recovery

Name: Janene Cox / Andrew Donaldson

Tel: (01785) 278368/

278399

Final Financial Outturn Report for 2019/20

Name: Rachel Spain

Tel: (01785) 854455

South Staffordshire Growth Agreement - Project Update

Name: Anthony Hodge

Tel: (01785) 277204

Recommissioning of Home Care Services

Name: Helen Trousdale

Tel: (01785) 277008

Treasury Management report for the year ended 31 March 2020

Name: Rob Salmon

Tel: (01785) 276354

North Staffordshire Ministerial Direction for Nitrogen Dioxide - Project Update

Name: Clive Thomson

Tel: (01785) 276522

Refurbishment of Council Owned Older People Nursing Home

Name: Andrew Jepps

Tel: (01785) 278557

Children’s and Families (including SEND) System Transformation

Name: Janene Cox

Tel: (01785) 278368

Waste Disposal Arrangements in the North of Staffordshire from 2025

Name: Clive Thomson

Tel: (01785) 276522

Nexxus Trading Services Limited - Annual Report 2019/2020

Name: Dr Richard Harling

Tel: (01785) 278700