Agenda, decisions and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 May 2019 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 29 May 2019 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

None.

To discuss any petitions from members of the public, in accordance with Standing Order 66.

None.

To consider any reference reports from any of the Council’s three Scrutiny Committees.

The report presents an update on the recommendations arising from the Service Provision on Estates Task group which were agreed by the Housing Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: That the report, and recommendations detailed therein, of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Service Provision on Estates in Brent, be noted.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, welcomed Councillor Janice Long to the meeting as former Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Long introduced the report providing Cabinet Members with an update on the recommendations arising from the Service Provision on Estates task group which were agreed by the Housing Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Long stated that the report was presented to the Housing Scrutiny

Committee on 25 April 2019 and the recommendations for Cabinet are as outlined in the report.

Councillor Long informed Cabinet that one of the main recommendations relates to a Brent Standard. The task group recommends that the council should establish a Brent Standard so that residents know the level and quality of service they can expect from Registered Providers and Brent Housing and the council’s contractors in terms of the services featured in this report.

Councillor Long stated that the Brent Standard should be supported by a Residents’ Charter setting out how service requests can be made and detailing response times for all key services delivered. This will help ensure that Registered Providers are accountable to and subject to scrutiny from residents. Residents should be able to report on how well their landlord is fulfilling the commitments. The results should be available to the public.

Councillor Ellie Southwood, Cabinet Member for Housing and Welfare Reform, thanked Councillor Long for all her work chairing the Task Group. Furthermore, Councillor Southwood thanked the other members of the Group - Councillor Aden, Councillor Choudhary, Councillor Mitchell Murray, Councillor Stephens and Karin Jaeger (co-optee).

RESOLVED:

      i.        That the report, and recommendations detailed therein, of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Service Provision on Estates in Brent, be noted.

To present Cabinet with the recommendations from the members’ overview and scrutiny task group which was set up to review contextual safeguarding.

RESOLVED: That the report and five recommendations contained therein, of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Contextual Safeguarding, be noted.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, welcomed Councillor Orleen Hylton to the meeting. Councillor Hylton introduced the report and presented Cabinet with the recommendations from the members’ overview and scrutiny task group which was set up to review contextual safeguarding.

Councillor Hylton stated that Contextual safeguarding is a commitment in the

Borough Plan 2019-2023, and safeguarding was felt to be a highly relevant area for a scrutiny review in terms of corporate priorities as well as meeting concerns of the borough’s residents.

Councillor Muhammed Butt thanked the other members of the Task Group -

Councillor Patterson and Councillor Donnelly-Jackson and Councillor Hylton for chairing the group.

Councillor Tom Miller, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, thanked Councillor Hylton for her presentation and welcomed in particular recommendations 1 and 4. It was agreed to share the report with key strategic partners across the Borough and to submit the report to a future meeting of the Safer Brent Partnership for discussion.

RESOLVED:

      i.        That the report and five recommendations contained therein, of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Contextual Safeguarding, be noted.

This report provides a summary of the informal consultation undertaken between 20 March 2019 and 7 May 2019 on a change in the age range of Roe Green Infant School and the closure of primary provision on the Roe Green Strathcona site from September 2020. It recommends a move to formal consultation, through publication of a statutory notice, on a change in the age range of Roe Green Infant School from 3-11 to 3-7, a reduction in the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) from 150 to 120 and a phased closure of provision on the Roe Green Strathcona site.

RESOLVED: That a period of formal consultation be approved, through publication of a statutory notice, on proposals to:

§  change the age range of Roe Green Infant School from 3-11 to 3-7

§  reduce the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) from 150 to 120 for September 2020

§  implement a phased closure of the provision on the Roe Green Infant School Strathcona site.

CouncillorMuhammed Butt,LeaderoftheCouncil,introducedtheitembyinformingthe meetingthat he had received a number of requests to speak on item 7.

CouncillorMuhammed ButtwelcomedLizMcLaren, DeputyHead,tothemeeting. MsMcLaren raisedconcerns abouttheconsultation process.Shestated thatthereport containeda numberofinaccuraciesandthatsome figureswereinconsistent.Shequestionedwhethera newprimaryschool inWembleywasjustifiablegiventhepotentialclosure of RoeGreen Infant School.

CouncillorMuhammed ButtwelcomedMs GloriaAmadi,ChairofGovernors,tothemeeting. MsAmadistated thatthephasedclosure oftheschool wasnottheanswer.Resultsintheschool, shestated, hadbeenconsistently good.Shestated thata phasedclosure wouldaffectstaff andpupilmorale andthatmany staffmembers would leave.

A parent of a pupil atthe school,Ms Sylvia Webster, stated that the schoolprovidedanexcellenteducationandsetting forlearningforallthechildren andthatchildren’s needs should determine whether aschool remainsopen or not.

Ms NicoleLobo,RoeGreenExecutiveHead,reminded membersoftheCabinetthattheschool hadopenedinitiallyattherequest ofBrentCouncil.SheinformedCabinetthatresults hadbeengoodandthatOfstedhadrated theschool tobeOutstanding.

LesleyGoldbourne,speaking onbehalfofNEUmembers, statedthattheNEUwasdealingwithemploymentissuesrelated tothepotentialclosure. Shestated thatifformalconsultation resultsinclosure oftheschool, redundancieswillbeinevitable.SheaskedthattheCabinettakesnoteoftheconsultation responsesandconsiders alternative solutions.

CouncillorIhteshamAfzal,PrestonWard,recognised thedifficultpositionthattheCouncilisinandthefinancialboundariesthattheCouncilisoperatingin.Hestated that the Council cannot be seento limit ambition and options for children.

CouncillorAnitaThakkar,PrestonWard,askedtheCabinethowstaffing issueswillbeaddressed.Sheaskedwhatmeasures wouldbeinplacetosupport parentsandchildren if the closure goes ahead.

CouncillorMuhammed Butt,LeaderoftheCouncil,thankedallthespeakers fortheir contributions.

CouncillorAmerAgha,CabinetMembers forSchools,EmploymentandSkills,introducedthereport providingCabinetwitha summaryoftheinformalconsultation undertakenbetween20March 2019and7 May2019ona changeintheagerange ofRoeGreenInfantSchoolandtheclosure ofprimaryprovisionontheRoeGreenStrathconasite from September 2020.

Hestated thatthereport recommendsa movetoformalconsultation, throughpublicationofa statutorynotice,ona changeintheagerange ofRoeGreenInfantSchoolfrom3-11to3-7,a reductionintheschool’s PublishedAdmissionNumber(PAN) from150to120anda phasedclosure ofprovisionontheRoeGreenStrathconasite.

CouncillorAghastated that,inresponse toconcerns raisedduringinformalconsultation andtominimise theimpactonchildren attendingtheStrathconasite, a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The report presents the proposed partnership safeguarding oversight arrangements for Brent’s children and young people. It summarises the national context and the proposed model to be implemented by 29 September 2019.

RESOLVED: that the partnership safeguarding oversight arrangements as detailed in the report from the Strategic Director, Children and young People, be agreed.

CouncillorMiliPatel,CabinetMember forChildren'sSafeguarding,EarlyHelpandSocialCare,introducedthereport presentingtheproposedpartnershipsafeguarding oversight arrangements for Brent’s childrenand young people.

CouncillorM Patelstated thatthepapersummarises thenationalcontext andtheproposed model to be implemented by 29 September 2019.

RESOLVED:

      i.        That the partnership safeguarding oversight arrangements as detailed in the report from the Strategic Director, Children and young People, be agreed.

The report recommends changes to the scheme for allocation of social housing following formal consultation with members, residents, interested organisations and council departments. 

RESOLVED:

     i)        That the following amendments to the Allocations Scheme, as detailed in the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing, be approved:

                a)        Amendment 3 - Local Lettings Policy – New Accommodation on their current estate as set out in paragraphs 5.29 to 5.37 of the report.

                b)        Amendment 4 - Local Lettings Policy – Regeneration Areas as set out in paragraphs 5.38 to 5.44 below;

                c)        Amendment 5 - Revising Quotas as set out in paragraphs 5.45 to 5.53

                d)        Amendment 7 - Give appropriate priority for social housing to victims of domestic abuse who are currently living in a refuge or other form of temporary accommodation as set out in paragraphs 5.63 to 5.65;

                e)        Amendment 8 - Policy for Displaced Tenants and Leaseholders in Regeneration Schemes as set out in paragraphs 5.66. to 5.69

                 f)        Appendix 5 to the report to be added as an appendix to the Council’s Allocations Scheme.

    ii)        That the following amendment not be approved but be reviewed in six months to enable officers to research further into how this proposal would work in practice and examine intended and possible unintended consequences:

                   a)         Amendment 1: Allow for the future introduction of a new nominations agreement with Registered Providers with reasonable rents as set out in paragraphs 5.2 to 5.17 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing

   iii)        That the following amendment not be approved but reviewed in two years to understand the impact of the wider activity to increase the supply of other forms of affordable housing:

                a)        Amendment 2 - Allowing households currently in Band D to retain the waiting time they accrued when in a higher band if they become homeless and are placed in TA as set out in paragraphs 5.18 to 5.28 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing;

   iv)        That the following amendment not be approved:

                b)        Amendment 6 -Prioritise Unaffordability as set out in paragraphs 5.54 to 5.61 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing;

    v)        That, having given due regard to the content of the Equalities Impact Assessments in Appendix 4 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing, these be noted.

   vi)            That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing to implement the proposed changes to the Council’s Allocation Scheme as set out in resolution i) above.

CouncillorEllieSouthwood,CabinetMember forHousingandWelfareReform,introducedthereport statingthatthecouncil isstatutorily obligedtohavea schemefor allocating the limited amount of social housing that wehave access to.

CouncillorSouthwoodstated thatthisreport recommendschanges tothatscheme followingformalconsultation withmembers, residentsandinterestedorganisationsand council departments.

CouncillorSouthwoodnotedthatitisimportanttonotethatchanges totheallocationsscheme donothingtoincreasethesupply ofaffordablehousingso theintentionhereissimply tomake surewearemaking bestpossibleuseofwhatwedo have

RESOLVED:

      i.        That the following amendments to the Allocations Scheme, as detailed in the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing, be approved:

                a)        Amendment 3 - Local Lettings Policy – New Accommodation on their current estate as set out in paragraphs 5.29 to 5.37 of the report.

                b)        Amendment 4 - Local Lettings Policy – Regeneration Areas as set out in paragraphs 5.38 to 5.44 below;

                c)        Amendment 5 - Revising Quotas as set out in paragraphs 5.45 to 5.53

                d)        Amendment 7 - Give appropriate priority for social housing to victims of domestic abuse who are currently living in a refuge or other form of temporary accommodation as set out in paragraphs 5.63 to 5.65;

                e)        Amendment 8 - Policy for Displaced Tenants and Leaseholders in Regeneration Schemes as set out in paragraphs 5.66. to 5.69

                 f)        Appendix 5 to the report to be added as an appendix to the Council’s Allocations Scheme.

    ii.        That the following amendment not be approved but be reviewed in six months to enable officers to research further into how this proposal would work in practice and examine intended and possible unintended consequences:

                   a)         Amendment 1: Allow for the future introduction of a new nominations agreement with Registered Providers with reasonable rents as set out in paragraphs 5.2 to 5.17 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing

   iii.        That the following amendment not be approved but reviewed in two years to understand the impact of the wider activity to increase the supply of other forms of affordable housing:

                a)        Amendment 2 - Allowing households currently in Band D to retain the waiting time they accrued when in a higher band if they become homeless and are placed in TA as set out in paragraphs 5.18 to 5.28 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing;

   iv.        That the following amendment not be approved:

                b)        Amendment 6 -Prioritise Unaffordability as set out in paragraphs 5.54 to 5.61 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing;

    v.        That, having given due regard to the content of the Equalities Impact Assessments in Appendix 4 of the report from the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing, these be noted.

    vi.            That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director Community Wellbeing to implement the proposed changes to the Council’s Allocation Scheme as set out in resolution i) above.

The reports presents proposals for a Brent Community Lottery.

RESOLVED:

     i)        That a local authority run Lottery called the Brent Community Lottery based on the preferred option be established;

    ii)        That the criteria for registering organisations as beneficiaries as detailed in the report from the Assistant Chief Executive be approved;

   iii)        That it be noted that the purpose of the lottery is to raise funds for Brent’s Voluntary and Community Sector (VSC).

   iv)        That the requirement of Contract Standing Orders to seek quotes be waived and Gatherwell Ltd. be appointed by way of a direct award as an external lottery manager (ELM) to run the lottery on behalf of the council for a period of 5 years, subject to annual review.

    v)        That authority be delegated to the Assistant Chief Executive following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Culture & Leisure (given their remit in relation to Voluntary Sector Liaison and Development), to agree the policies and procedures necessary and/or desirable to fulfil the conditions for obtaining a licence from the Gambling Commission and the process for the allocation of the lottery central fund income.

   vi)        That two senior managers – (Assistant Chief Executive and the Head of Strategy and Partnerships) be nominated to hold the Gambling Commission licence on behalf of the local authority.

  vii)        That it be noted that the set up costs would be taken from the Strategy and Partnerships approved budget for 2019/20.

CouncillorKrupeshHirani,CabinetMember forPublicHealth,Culture& Leisure,introducedthereport settingoutplanstointroducea CommunityLotteryinBrenttoraise funds to support local Good Causes in the Borough.

CouncillorHirani statedthat it also seeksto further our commitmentto work with theVoluntaryandCommunitySectortosupport ittoaccessalternativesources offunding.Thisapproachiscentral totheachievementoftheoverallvision fortheborough as set out in the Borough Plan 2019 – 2023.

CouncillorMili Patel,CabinetMember forChildren'sSafeguarding,EarlyHelpandSocial Care, asked that safeguarding be included in the annual review.

RESOLVED:

      i.        That a local authority run Lottery called the Brent Community Lottery based on the preferred option be established;

    ii.        That the criteria for registering organisations as beneficiaries as detailed in the report from the Assistant Chief Executive be approved;

   iii.        That it be noted that the purpose of the lottery is to raise funds for Brent’s Voluntary and Community Sector (VSC).

   iv.        That the requirement of Contract Standing Orders to seek quotes be waived and Gatherwell Ltd. be appointed by way of a direct award as an external lottery manager (ELM) to run the lottery on behalf of the council for a period of 5 years, subject to annual review.

    v.        That authority be delegated to the Assistant Chief Executive following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Culture & Leisure (given their remit in relation to Voluntary Sector Liaison and Development), to agree the policies and procedures necessary and/or desirable to fulfil the conditions for obtaining a licence from the Gambling Commission and the process for the allocation of the lottery central fund income.

   vi.        That two senior managers – (Assistant Chief Executive and the Head of Strategy and Partnerships) be nominated to hold the Gambling Commission licence on behalf of the local authority.

  vii.        That it be noted that the set up costs would be taken from the Strategy and Partnerships approved budget for 2019/20.

The report and the performance scorecard (Appendix A) set out the position on the Council’s performance in the fourth quarter of 2018/19.

RESOLVED: that the performance information contained in this report be noted.

CouncillorMargaret McLennan,DeputyLeaderoftheCouncil,introducedthereport andtheperformancescorecard (AppendixA)setting outthepositionontheCouncil’s performance in the fourth quarter of 2018/19.

Thecontent andformatofthereport andscorecard isfocussedonthefivethemedBrent2020priorities;EmploymentandSkills,Regeneration;BusinessandHousingGrowth;DemandManagement; RaisingIncomeandthenontheBoroughPlanpriorities.Thisreport willalsopresent2018/19measures underthethemesagreed inthenewBoroughPlanearlierthisyear. ThisprovidesCabinetwitha ‘closurereport’ andcorporate overviewofCouncilperformanceundertheoldBoroughPlan2015 – 2019.

CouncillorMcLennan statedthatthereport andscorecard alsosummarises Councilperformanceindicatively under the newBoroughPlan prioritiesfor 2019-2023.(Building aBetterBrent).Itisanindicativesummary atthispointintimeasa newsuite ofmeasures forquarterlyperformancereporting for2019/20isbeingfinalisedas part of the annual service planning process

RESOLVED:

      i.        That the performance information contained in this report be noted.

No items identified in advance of the meeting.

The press and public were not excluded from the meeting.

The press and public were not excluded from the meeting.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of Executive and Member Services or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

There was no urgent business.

There was no urgent business.