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Council Minutes 5th November 2003

Meeting of the Council of the City of Sheffield held in the Council Chamber within the Town Hall, Sheffield, on Wednesday, 5th November, 2003 pursuant to notice duly given and Summonses duly served.

PRESENT

THE LORD MAYOR (Councillor Diane Leek)

THE DEPUTY LORD MAYOR (Councillor Mike Pye)

1 Beauchief Ward	11 Firth Park Ward	20 Nether Shire Ward
Mike Davis	AlanLaw	Jane Bird
Andrew Sangar	Joan Barton	Doreen Newton
		Peter Rippon

2 Birley Ward	12 Hallam Ward	21 Netherthorpe Ward
Angela Smith	John Knight	Sylvia Anginotti
Bryan Lodge	John Hesketh	Steve Ayris
		Brian Holmes

3 Brightside Ward	13 Handsworth Ward	22 Norton Ward
Peter Price	Mick Rooney	Garry Weatherall
Alf Meade	Ray Satur	Beverley Wright
John Webster	Marjorie Barker

4 Broomhill Ward	14 Heeley Ward	23 Owlerton Ward
Alan Whitehouse	Tessa Hainey	Mark Wilde
Paul Scriven	Ian Richardson	Chris Weldon
Janice Sidebottom	Terry Fox	James Hanson

5 Burngreave Ward	15 Hillsborough Ward	24 Park Ward
Ibrar Hussain	Janet Bragg	John Robson
Steve Jones	Robert MacDonald	Julie Dore
Jackie Drayton	Peter MacLoughlin

6 Castle Ward	16 Intake Ward	25 Sharrow Ward
Jan Wilson	Martin Lawton	Jean Cromar
Mike King		Mohammad Nazir
Pat Midgley		Basheer Khan

7 Chapel Green Ward	17 Manor Ward	26 South Wortley Ward
Kathleen Chadwick	Harry Harpham	Vic Bowden
Graham Oxley	Jan Fiore	Arthur Dunworth
	Gill Furniss	David Baker

8 Darnall Ward	18 Mosborough Ward	27 Southey Green Ward
Mary Lea	Chris Rosling-Josephs	Tim Rippon
Terry Barrow	Barbara Belcher	Tony Damms
Mohammad Altaf	Sam Wall	Steve Wilson

9 Dore Ward	19 Nether Edge Ward	28 Stocksbridge Ward
Colin Ross	Andrew White	Maureen Brelsford
Keith Hill	Ali Qadar	Martin Davis
Anne Smith

10 Ecclesall Ward		29 Walkley Ward
Roger Davison		Jonathan Harston
Sylvia Dunkley		Veronica Hardstaff

1.	DEATHS OF FORMER COUNCILLORS PETER JACKSON AND TED LAMB
	The Lord Mayor (Councillor Diane Leek) referred in sympathetic terms to the recent deaths of former Councillors Peter Jackson and Ted Lamb and after tributes were paid to their past services to the City Council, members observed a minute's silence in their memory.

2.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
	Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Kate Dawson, Pat Fox, Peter Moore, Elizabeth Taylor and Pat White.

3.	MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
	RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Pat Midgley, seconded by Councillor John Webster, that the minutes of the meeting of the City Council held on 1st October, 2003, be approved as a correct record.

4.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	Petitions
	The Council considered petitions (a) containing 140 signatures of members of the Student Council of St. Mary's RC Primary School, calling on the Council to improve the road safety arrangements at Packhorse Lane, High Green and, after hearing representations made by Hannah McShane and Calum Holden, representatives of the Student Council, referred the petition for consideration by the North and West Planning and Highways Area Board and Councillor Tim Rippon, the Cabinet Member for Community Safety;
	(b) containing 313 signatures from the ethnic minority community of Firvale and the surrounding areas, fully supporting the continuity of the Pakistan Community Association and Advice Centre as it is the only centre in the City of Sheffield which meets their needs and after hearing representation made by Mr. Mazafar Khan on behalf of the petitioners, referred the petition for consideration by Councillor Jan Wilson the Leader of the City Council;
	(c) containing 637 signatures asking for a multi-play unit for the playground in Meersbrook Park and a new safe surface under the existing swings, as stipulated by European Standards and calling on the Council to help them to find the money required for these improvements and referred the petition for consideration by Councillor Gill Furniss, the Cabinet Member for Development, Environment and Leisure; and
	(d) containing 63 signatures, expressing concern regarding the excessive speed of traffic and unreasonable parking of vehicles along Carr Road and other areas in Deepcar and referred the petition for consideration by the North and West Planning and Highways Area Board.

	Public Question re: Proposed Redevelopment of Dial House Club
	Mr. Brian Merrill referred to proposals for the redevelopment of the site of the Dial House Club and expressed concern at the consequent withdrawal of the Club's amenities to the local community and enquired if any measures could be taken to ensure that the proposed redevelopment did not proceed.

	In response, Councillor Jan Wilson, the Leader of the City Council indicated that this matter would be the responsibility of the relevant Planning and Highways Area Board but she nevertheless recognised the concerns expressed by Mr. Merrill on behalf of the local community and indicated that she would be willing to discuss this matter with him.

	Public Question re: Secrecy and Suppression of Information
	Mr. Martin Brighton referred to directives made by political leaders in writing, at meetings of the Cabinet, and the City Council, and in the press that there was no secrecy, and suppression of information and that all questions would be answered with the principles of openness and transparency being applied and he enquired what it said of the City Council and its Members when allegedly, Council officers flagrantly flaunted these principles and ignored their orders and what it also said about those Members who not only allowed this situation but supported the officers concerned.
	&, nbsp; He indicated that in his view the authority of the Council Chamber came into question when Members in their various leadership roles were frustrated and countermanded by officers and believed that a critical outsider would see an ineffective, undemocratic, dysfunctional leadership structure if not duplicity in allowing the situation to continue.
	He went on to ask if, under the circumstances described, did the Council Chamber care as to how it was perceived.
	He believed that all of the above references had relevance to recent activities in the South of Sheffield.
	In response, Councillor Jan Wilson the Leader of the City Council, indicated that the questions put by Mr. Brighton had also been put on previous occasions in a different form and the fact that Mr. Brighton regularly attended meetings of the Cabinet and the City Council and was given the opportunity to repeat his questions evidenced the commitment of the City Council to openness and transparency.

	Public Question re: Closure of Respite Unit at Grenoside Grange
	Dr. Trevor Bagshaw drew the attention of Members to a recent action taken by the Sheffield Care Trust, Older Adults Mental Care Group which had devastated sufferers of Alzheimer's disease and their carers in the North of Sheffield. He indicated that a letter from Lewis Atkinson, published in "The Star" on the 4th November, set out details and recorded that without prior consultation the Respite Unit at Grenoside Grange (the former Grenoside Hospital) was closed with immediate effect. Staffing difficulties were given as the reason but the carers believed that funding was an issue and that the much valued and much needed facility would not re-open.
	Dr. Bagshaw asked therefore (a) if the Cabinet Member who had responsibility for the Council's partnership and joint working with the Health Authorities would seek clarification of this matter, (b) if that Cabinet Member would impress on the Sheffield Care Trust the importance of the respite service for both sufferers and carers and (c) would he find out if, and when this respite service would be restored and would the Cabinet Member write to him with his findings as a matter of great urgency.


	In response, Councillor Mick Rooney, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Social Services and Health indicated that the decision to close the Respite Unit at Grenoside Grange had not been taken lightly. He understood that letters had been sent to all members of staff of the Unit explaining the decision and that meetings had been held to discuss the measures. He also agreed that the circumstances in which the action had been taken was not ideal but that there had been a crisis of staffing leading to a health and safety risk and therefore a decision to close the Unit had been taken earlier than had been considered ideal. Councillor Rooney also expressed the view that the decision had been taken on financial grounds because of the funding problems being experienced by the Sheffield Care Trust.
	In conclusion Councillor Rooney understood that the closure was seen only as a temporary measure to the beginning of the next financial year and that in the longer term a Working Group would be established comprising all interested parties to consider the future of the Unit.
	Councillor Rooney also indicated that he would be happy to discuss this matter further with Dr. Bagshaw.

5.	KIER SHEFFIELD LLP - PROGRESS REPORT
	Phil Taylor, Head of Finance, Neighbourhoods, introduced a presentation by Kier Sheffield Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) on the progress that had been made by the new Partnership. He outlined the background to the Partnership and stated that the contract between the City Council and the Kier Group to deal with housing and other Council building repairs that had previously been carried out by Construction and Building Services was for 10 years and was worth £60m per annum. He indicated that the contract was probably the largest of its kind that any local authority had entered into and that significant service and cost improvements would accrue to the City Council over time.
	Phil Taylor went on to stress that the contract had not been entered into by the Council to solve problems with the Service but to build on the successes that had already been achieved and maximise the benefits for both the Council and its tenants. He also stated that Councillor Chris Weldon, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods was the Member with responsibility for this arrangement and that Joanne Roney, Executive Director, Neighbourhoods was a member of the Kier Sheffield LLP Board. Officers of Kier linked into Area Housing Meetings, tenants and residents associations and had also conducted workshops on service issues.
	Phil Taylor then went on to introduce David Sheridan, Managing Director, Kier Sheffield LLP who continued the presentation by stating that a key objective for the Council had been a seamless transfer with 1,300 Council employees being transferred on 1st April, 2003. There had initially been some apprehension on the part of the employees but trust had been built up and customers, tenants and the Council could be assured that the Service would be maintained and improved for the benefit of all.
	David Sheridan went on to state that comparators on the new organisation's performance against the former Construction and Building Services showed that the key performance indicators in relation to urgent responsive repairs, non-urgent repairs, vacant repairs within a target turnaround time and appointments made and kept showed that service levels had been maintained and slightly improved during the transitional phase of the Partnership. He also stated that Officers of the City Council and Kier representatives were working together to set realistic and challenging targets, with an incentive scheme as designed to deliver benefits to the tenants and building users of the City Council.
	A new Information Technology system had been installed by Kier which included and hand held technology and the workforce had been re-organised and re-trained and the words "Working in Partnership with Sheffield City Council" would be added to the vehicle fleet's logo before the end of the financial year.
	Mr. Sheridan stressed that when Kier had taken over the service there had been more than 6,000 suppliers but the aim was to reduce this to around 200 and to use local companies whenever possible.
	Mr. Sheridan believed that measures of success for Kier would be improved customer satisfaction, the more efficient use of resources which would lead to greater reinvestment in the Service, acknowledgement as the "Best In Class" Service and the presence of a well-motivated workforce.
	In conclusion Mr. Sheridan referred to the role played by Kier in the local inclusion and training agenda. He indicated that the Partnership was part of the JobMatch Initiative and had a commitment to employment and training with the recruitment of 34 trainees this year. There was also customer inclusion in developments through workshop and partnering events with the establishment of an effective partnership with the trade unions and wider community initiatives aimed at meeting the different needs of the areas of the City.
	At the conclusion of the presentation members of the City Council asked questions in relation to the operation of Kier.
	Councillor Andrew Sangar enquired as to the level of IT investment by the Company, the number of apprenticeships established by the Company and the setting of targets for the first time completion of works and in response Mr. Sheridan emphasised that Kier was investing in new IT equipment; that, so far as apprenticeships were concerned the Partnership would have its full quota in place by March, 2004 and that they were seeking to improve the skills of the existing workforce which, combined with the introduction of new technology would improve their targets for first time completions.
	Councillor Steve Ayris asked as to what extent was "skilling" an issue when the Partnership had been first established and what progress had been made and Mr. Sheridan indicated that "skilling" was seen as an industry wide issue but that the Partnership had inherited from the City Council a highly skilled workforce which had been subsequently re-organised.
	Councillor Alf Meade asked questions with regard to the Partnership's approach to public relations and in response Mr. Sheridan indicated that, in his view, the PR approach of the private sector was somewhat better than that of the public sector although the Partnerships had good working relationships with the City Council's Communications Service.
	Councillor Robert MacDonald enquired as to whether there were any such other Partnerships in the country and if there were how did Sheffield's compare. In response Mr. Sheridan indicated that he was aware of only one other such partnership in the country and he was of the opinion that the Sheffield Partnership was far more successful with a very professional process being adopted which led to Kier's view that they were very much part of a team.
	Councillor Jean Cromar enquired as to the Partnership's connections with the Tenants and Residents Associations and with Housing Officers and in response Mr. Sheridan indicated that a communications framework had been established with Housing Officers involving regular meetings with also a number of dedicated officers working in this area.
	Councillor Jan Wilson enquired what measures had been taken to ensure that the Partnership took on as much work as possible, whether or not it was an aspiration for the Call Centre to have one contact number for enquires and what was the view of the Trade Unions on the operation of the Partnership. In response Mr. Sheridan indicated that the Partnership had a close working relationship with both Housing Services and Construction and Building Services and were also working with local companies in the City to accommodate expansions in the market. He indicated that the Partnership was also working closely with the City Council to move to one number for repairs and that, in his opinion, this work was in advance of the City Council's call centre operation. Turning to Councillor Wilson's final question, the opinion was expressed by a Trade Union representative present that the work of the Partnership exceeded their expectations.
	Councillor Jan Fiore asked what was the industry's view of the Partnership and also what examples could Mr. Sheridan give of "greener" practices. In response Mr. Sheridan indicated that, in his view the industry in general were envious of the arrangements which were seen as a long term Partnership and he went on to refer to a package of measures which Kier were taking with regard to environmental sustainability.
	Councillor Terry Fox enquired as to the commitment of Kier to health and safety issues, particularly in the light of the changes in practices which meant that part of the workforce would be operating from home rather than from depots which, could have an impact on recording practices. Mr. Sheridan responded by indicating that Kier had a strong Health and Safety Policy. He added that a full evaluation of risk policies had been undertaken and the Company had made a large investment in this area.
	Councillor John Robson enquired as to the turnaround rate for urgent responses and also the call-out time for non-urgent repairs and in response Mr. Sheridan indicated that the turnaround time for urgent repairs was within one hour and for non-urgent repairs between three and 10 days depending upon their seriousness.
	Councillor Mohammad Nazir asked about the Partnership's equal opportunities policy and whether it subscribed to the Council's policy in this area to which Mr. Sheridan answered that the Partnership had an effective equal opportunities policy.
	Councillor Peter MacLoughlin enquired as to problems which appeared to have arisen when the Partnership had undertaken a change in its computer systems and which appeared to have led to the loss of a large number of calls.
	In response Mr. Sheridan indicated that he was not aware of the loss of substantial numbers of calls and, in fact, Kier had taken steps to avoid this situation.

	Councillor MacLoughlin also enquired as to whether projections would be made with regard to staffing levels in the light of proposals for housing demolition and stock transfer and in response Mr. Sheridan indicated that the Partnership had to be flexible to reflect changes in the housing situation in the City. Discussions on this matter were continuing with the Neighbourhoods Directorate.
	In response to a further question from Councillor MacLoughlin with regard to the relationship of Kier with Tenants Management Organisations, Mr. Sheridan indicated that Partnership had close links with these Organisations.
	Councillor MacLoughlin then went on to enquire as to the levels of staff recruitment and retention and in response Mr. Sheridan indicated that there was a need to restructure recruitment and retention in the Partnership. There was a plan for a 3% turnover of front line services but it was recognised that the Partnership had inherited good employees. He was also of the opinion that the local depots did not reach the standards required by Kier and a wide scale refurbishment programme was being undertaken. This view was confirmed by trade union representatives who indicated that the improvements have led to improved morale within the workforce.
	In response to a question from Councillor Veronica Hardstaff as to whether or not the Partnership was satisfied that its IT system ensured that repairs were done when they were required Mr. Sheridan indicated that he was satisfied with the performance of the systems and in response to a further question from Councillor Hardstaff he indicated that although the Partnership was satisfied that the service met minimum requirements it was not satisfied with its overall level of performance and work was in progress to improve the situation.
	Councillor Paul Scriven asked if the Partnership had achieved economies of scale in their procurement practices, if unit costs had been reduced and what was the level of the "goodwill" payment.
	In response Mr. Sheridan indicated that there had been a substantial reduction in suppliers and that the Partnership was now actively working with Sheffield companies in the area of procurement. Turning to unit costs he indicated that these were now being reduced particularly through better working practices reducing wastage and damage in storekeeping arrangements and in response to Councillor Scriven's final question he indicated that the "goodwill" payment was in the sum of £5.4m.
	In response to a question from Councillor Pat Midgley regarding the Partnerships training programmes links with the City's college, Mr. Sheridan indicated that the Partnership worked closely with Sheffield College in this area, particularly with the recruitment of trainees and the introduction of modern apprenticeships.
	Councillor Jackie Drayton asked if training existed for staff to enable them to deal with cultural differences in a sensitive manner and what were the recycling policies of the Partnership. In response Mr. Sheridan indicated that the Partnerhsip's training programme sought to cover all its activites and that with regard to Councillor Drayton's second question, although the Partnership was aware of environmental issues particularly through recycling, the implementation of widespread policies had to be cost effective but he nevertheless agreed to speak to various groups in the City on this matter.
	Members of the City Council went on to comment upon the presentation and offered their congratulations to Mr. Sheridan in particular and Kier in general for the work being undertaken by them and looked forward to the future with confidence.
	In conclusion the Lord Mayor, Councillor Diane Leek, thanked Mr. Sheridan and his colleagues for their presentation and expressed particular pleasure at the Partnership's training and recycling activities.

6.	REPRESENTATIONS
	RESOLVED: That, on the motion of Councillor Pat Midgley, seconded by Councillor John Webster, that approval be given to the following changes in the Membership of Boards Etc. and the appointment of representatives to serve on other bodies:-

	Strategic Planning and Performance Management Scrutiny Board	-	Councillors Julie Dore and Terry Fox to replace Councillors Marjorie Barker and John Robson

	Education Scrutiny Board	-	Councillor Terry Barrow to replace Councillor Barbara Belcher

	Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board	-	Councillors Terry Barrow, Jackie Drayton and Jonathon Harston to replace Councillors Steve Ayris, Marjorie Barker and Doreen Newton