Agenda and minutes

Apologies for Absence were received from Councillors K S Athwal and C Renwick.

None received.

Minority Group Leaders in attendance at the meeting are able to ask questions on agenda items. Any questions should be provided in writing no later than 12 noon on the day before the meeting.

The following questions had been submitted in advance of the meeting by Councillor E Fordham, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group which were responded to accordingly by Councillor N Hoy during her presentation of the report.

AGENDA ITEM 6 – Outcome of the Consultation on the Future of Direct Care Homes for Older People.

1.    Does the Portfolio Holder understand and appreciate how many members of the Council and indeed most of the public regard the decision to press ahead with closure plans as flying in the face of the consultation responses that have been received?

2.    Will the Portfolio Holder give a statement of reassurance regarding the strategic direction of travel and what today’s decision means for the remaining Care Homes not in this current closure plan?

To confirm the non-exempt minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 7 April 2022.

RESOLVED:

To approve as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 7 April 2022.

The Leader advised that Cabinet would be considering the Homes for Older People report as the first report due to the level of public interest.

The Director of Legal and Democratic Services reported on the latest position regarding the petitions that had been received.

Members of the Cabinet were already aware that an e-petition had been submitted, however it was confirmed that a paper petition had been handed to Councillor Hoy that morning and information relating to this needed to be taken into account when making the decision.

The paper petition indicated 3919 signatures and an earlier e-petition had 2001 signatures giving a total of 5920. As Cabinet was aware, the trigger for a full council debate requires 7500 signatures, and this therefore fell below that threshold.

In the limited time available, officers had reviewed the paper petition and identified no concerns in relation to the numbers. However, it was clear that 3 of the pages did not have the same heading as the e-petition and therefore these pages (which totalled 30 signatures) should be treated as a separate petition. This petition stated: Derbyshire County Council has torn up its promise ‘that no care home would be closed without another to replace it’. They are ‘consulting’ yet again, on plans that could mean the closure of all seven care homes. Elderly and vulnerable people are at risk again. We say:

·        Keep our council care homes

·        Keep our skilled workforce of carers

·        Don’t close homes – renovate them

·        Listen to the residents and their families

Councillor N Hoy then introduced the report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, informing Cabinet of the response to the consultation on the future provision of accommodation for older people, including the possible closure of the following seven homes:

-      Ladycross House (Sandiacre);

-      Beechcroft (West Hallam);

-      East Clune (Clowne);

-      Holmlea (Tibshelf);

-      The Spinney (Brimington);

-      Goyt Valley House (New Mills); and

-      Gernon Manor (Bakewell).

Councillor Hoy also reported on the outcome of the Equality Impact Analysis and referred to the proposed recommendations identified in relation to the preferred course of action and next steps.

Councillor Hoy responded to the questions Councillor Fordham had submitted prior to the meeting and confirmed that any decision which affected people's lives in Derbyshire was a difficult one to make and all responses and views received had been taken into consideration during the consultation process.

RESOLVED:

1)   That following consideration of the full report on the consultation responses received at Appendix 2 to the report; the detailed analysis of the feedback at Appendix 3 and the response to that feedback on a thematic basis and with respect to each individual home and the content of the Equality Impact Assessment, Cabinet approves the permanent closure of The Spinney, East Clune, Holmlea, Ladycross House, Goyt Valley House, Gernon Manor and Beechcroft subject to:

(a) the current residents of the home being supported to find suitable, local and reasonable alternative accommodation or any alternative accommodation of their choice based on individual preferences and circumstances; and

(b) before proceeding with the permanent closure of any of the homes, the Council shall ensure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102/22

Councillor S Spencer introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, that sought approval of a Programme of funding of £1.140m for the implementation of Phase 2 of the Modern Was of Working initiative.

During his introduction, Councillor Spencer confirmed that the Council was committed to the County Hall site at Matlock and had no plans to sell it or move staff away from it.

RESOLVED:

To approve Programme funding of £1.140m for Modern Ways of Working, Phase 2.

Councillor S Spencer introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting that, presented the Executive’s Forward Plan for the period 1 June – 30 September 2022.

RESOLVED:

To note the contents of the Forward Plan.

To move “That under Regulation 4 (2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England)  Regulations 2012, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that in view of the nature of the items of business, that if members of the public were present, exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 would be disclosed to them.”

RESOLVED:

That under Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that in view of the nature of the items of business, that if members of the public were present, exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 would be disclosed to them.

To confirm, as a correct record the exempt minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 7 April 2022.

RESOLVED:

To approve as a correct record, the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 7 April 2022.

Councillor N Hoy introduced a report, which had been circulated prior to the meeting, that sought Cabinet’s approval to award a contract for the provision of catering at Thomas Fields, Buxton and Lacemaker Court, Long Eaton, under Protocol 8 of the Council’s Financial Regulations.

RESOLVED:

To approve the recommendation in the not for publication report.

Councillor C Hart introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting that sought approval to accept the recent award from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to support the provision of accommodation-based support for victims of domestic abuse and their families and to approve the allocation of funding for the delivery of key accommodation and support services for the period 2022/23 and 2023/24.

RESOLVED:

To approve the recommendations in the not for publication report.

Councillor S Spencer introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, that sought approval for the procurement of up skips for use at the Household Waste Recycling Centres across the County.

RESOLVED:

To approve the recommendation in the not for publication report.

Councillor S Spencer introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, that asked Cabinet to note the urgent decision taken by the Executive Director for Place in relation to the creation of a new reserve to support the future Highways Model Development Control Interface.

RESOLVED:

To note the information in the not for publication report.

Councillor S Spencer introduced a report, that had been circulated prior to the meeting, which asked Cabinet to note the urgent decision taken by the Executive Director for Place in relation to the approval of the invitation for tenders for study assistance with the analysis of short-term bus network requirements for Derbyshire.

RESOLVED:

To note the information in the not for publication report.