Decisions

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2017/2018. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Mrs Callow and P Callow of Norbreck Ward have requested £1,550 as funding to Norbreck Primary Academy for the School Choir to travel to London in March to perform at the Royal Albert Hall for the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition.

Councillors Benson and Mitchell of Layton Ward have requested £278.16 as funding to the Highways Department for the purchase and installation of direction signs for Layton Community House.

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

To confirm the selection of a Franchisor in respect of branded restaurant in respect of proposed Council-owned Hotel.

To agree to the selection of “Marco’s New York Italian” as the Brand from the franchisor Black and White Hospitality Limited Brand, and to progress the Heads of Terms and enter into contract accordingly.

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2017/2018. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Ryan and Wright of Greenlands Ward have requested:

(i)£5,000 as funding together with Warbreck Ward to Highways and Traffic Management Services for the provision of a new central pedestrian refuge on Devonshire Road outside Ingthorpe Park.

(ii)£750 as funding to Springfield Methodist Church towards the running costs and the purchase of sundries for the Outreach Group and coffee mornings.

Councillors Cross and Rowson of Ingthorpe Ward have requested £15,000 as funding to Highways and Traffic Management Services for 3 bus shelters on Kincraig Road and Ashfield Road.

Councillors Benson and Mitchell of Layton Ward have requested £1,809.67 as funding to the Places Department for CCTV Line Rental at Roundabout Talbot Road/Layton Road for period December 2017 to December 2018.

Councillors Roberts and Stansfield of Stanley Ward have requested £271.44 as funding to Community and Environmental Services for the purchase and installation of a new waste bin at the bus stop on Common Edge Road.

Councillors Collett and Matthews of Tyldesley Ward have requested £1,000 as funding to St John Vianney Catholic Primary School to provide new books for the school library.

Councillors D Scott and M Scott of Warbreck Ward have requested:

(i)£20,000 as funding together with Greenlands Ward to Highways and Traffic Management Services for the provision of a new central pedestrian refuge on Devonshire Road outside Ingthorpe Park.

(ii)£370.46 as funding to UR Potential to purchase hand tools and equipment to support the general tidying of Flagstaff Gardens.

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

To present the local authority’s schools funding formula for 2018/19.

The Cabinet Member agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To approve the local authority’s schools funding formula for 2018/19 as set out in Appendix A, Local Authority Proforma 2018/19, containing the proposals developed in consultation with schools including the following aspects:

-        Adopt the National Funding Formula values.

-        Set a minimum funding guarantee of 0.5%.

-        Transfer 0.5% of the total Schools Block funding to the High Needs Block.

-        Set the mobility factor unit value at £624.

Set the capping and scaling levels at 0.97% and 100% respectively in order to facilitate moving to the national funding formula and ensure that the formula is affordable overall.

The Committee noted that there were no applications to speak by members of the public on this occasion.

The Committee agreed that the minutes of the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 15 November 2017 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

The Committee noted the date and time of the next meeting as Wednesday 14 March 2018 commencing at 6pm in Committee Room A, Blackpool Town Hall.

Members were advised that the Work Programme was as presented with a potential further mental health update (with all key services) at the March or May 2018 meeting and the Homelessness Action Plan being considered at the May 2018 meeting unless the Tourism, Economy and Resources Committee considered the item instead.

Members were informed that the Action Tracker, of recommendations previously made by the Committee, had been updated to only show amber and new actions (from the last meeting). They were requested to agree, as complete, those amber actions where other progress / events had taken place superseding the value of further action.

The Committee agreed:

1.      To approve the Scrutiny Workplan 2017-2018, subject to the addition of a mental health update (with all key services) at either the March or May 2018 meetings and the Homelessness Action Plan at the May 2018 meeting unless the Tourism, Economy and Resources Committee considered the item.

2.      To note the ‘Implementation of Recommendations’ table and agree that ‘amber’ actions superseded by other progress / events could be considered as ‘complete’.

Members were informed that the Homelessness Strategy was on the Forward Plan. Assurance had been given by the Head of Housing that relevant cross-cutting issues such as mental health and substance abuse were incorporated into current work as the Strategy was developed. The new Strategy needed to incorporate Government legislation, coming into force in April 2018, extending the range of people who would be supported through statutory duties to be found appropriate accommodation. Currently the duty applied to families but was being extended to single people which would put pressure on resources. The Strategy had been developed through consulting key stakeholders and would go through a public consultation exercise before being considered for approval by the Executive in April 2018.

It had been proposed that the Committee would be able to influence work going forward through reviewing the Action Plan at its May 2018 meeting, Members were also informed that Homelessness technically came within the remit of the Tourism, Economy and Resources Committee but had been ‘inherited’ by Adult Social Care and Health through previous consideration.

The Committee agreed that the Tourism, Economy and Resources Committee should be requested to consider the Homelessness Action Plan or the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee would consider the item at its May 2018 meeting.

Mr David Bonson, Chief Operating Officer, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group presented the Clinical Commissioning Group’s mid-year performance for 2017-2018 (April 2017 - Septmeber2017). Mr Roy Fisher, Chair, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group and Ms Kate Newton, Performance and Quality Manager, Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit were also in attendance.

Mr Bonson explained that there were ongoing urgent care and winter pressure issues. These included: a shortage of beds; people waiting inappropriately on trolleys; Accident and Emergency waiting times; ambulance response times; and cancer assessments and treatment time. He added that pressures from earlier in the year and the previous winter were still having a consequential effect throughout the year. These were accumulating in current winter pressures. issues such as flu (38 cases) required isolation reducing space and bed capacity although residents and staff were encouraged to have flu jabs.

Mr Bonson reported various plans were in place with frequent high-level partnership meetings including across Lancashire and South Cumbria. The Chair queried how effective the plans were given the previous year’s winter pressures and current pressures. Assurance was given that lessons were learnt and implemented each year but increasing demand on services created tougher challenges. A ‘whole system’ response and planning was required, e.g. involving North West Ambulance Service and Adult Social Care.

Mr Bonson reported that actions included creating physical facilities (to reduce Accident and Emergency pressures) using GP primary care screening, a dedicated mental health area, a discharge lounge (with social workers) and joined-up staff in the same place.

The Chair referred to local press articles. He acknowledged that figures might not mirror those held by the Clinical Commissioning Group but sought assurance of appropriate action. He cited that Accident and Emergency performance relating to waits being no more than 4 hours had been stated as just over 40% but needed to be 95% (the Government had temporarily relaxed this to 90%).

Mr Bonson explained that the 40% represented cases that genuinely required Accident and Emergency against an overall performance of 84%.  He added that new primary care screening had been developed to re-route people not requiring Accident and Emergency.

Members requested that both targets were shown next time with clear explanations. They also suggested that the screening for genuine Accident and Emergency need should be more effective at source, i.e. avoid emergency ambulances.

The Chair referred to press reports that 1 in 7 trolley waits nationally were from Blackpool. Mr Bonson acknowledged the issue but added that the figure represented a small number of exceptional days. Usually more patients were discharged in the run-up to Christmas which had not happened leading to a shortage of beds thereby placing additional pressure on use of trolleys. Members also noted that trolley delays still involved paperwork (getting prescriptions from on-site chemists). This had been mentioned at the last performance report.  Mr Bonson acknowledged bed numbers had reduced over time and delays were a challenge for patient/bed flow (and could involve Adult Social Care pressures).

Members queried the effectiveness of awareness campaigns (to avoid unnecessary trips to Accident and Emergency) and the community based neighbourhood hubs which aimed to reduce Accident and Emergency pressures. They were informed that all these initiatives were helping including the four hubs but this was taking time and service demand was still increasing. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals had not turned any patients away but other neighbouring hospitals had had to. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals also dealt with a high numbers of people visiting Blackpool (costs could be claimed back but not for emergencies) creating additional demand pressures.

The Clinical Commissioning Group representatives added that patient / bed flow (and involving Adult Social Care) needed to be effective. There was no national target for bed numbers / resident population but benchmarking with comparable areas could be undertaken. They believed that there was no known research on inequalities and bed shortages. The King’s Fund was suggested as a source of potential research information.

Members were informed that new national standards and targets were due on ambulance response times. December 2017 figures for the North West Ambulance Service would be provided by the Committee’s next meeting on 14 March 2018.

A public attendee referred to the NHS’ non-emergency 111 service sending out an ambulance unnecessarily. Mr Bonson explained that, as breathing difficulties were involved in this case, the checklist algorithm chose what was deemed to be the most appropriate response.

Members queried the level of financial sanction (maximum of just over £3m) that could be imposed upon Blackpool Teaching Hospitals for missed targets. The Clinical Commissioning Group had agreed with Blackpool Teaching Hospitals to not simply to move money around the health sector with fines but instead to work with them to ensure quality performance.

Some Members reported good personal experiences and thanked the Hospital and staff in working through winter pressures. The feedback was welcomed by the Clinical Commissioning Group who added that patients also seemed to acknowledge the pressures.

The Committee agreed:

1.   That both Accident and Emergency targets, with clear explanations, should be shown in future performance reports.

2.   That December 2017 performance figures for the North West Ambulance Service would be provided by the Committee’s next meeting on 14 March 2018.

Ms Zohra Dempsey, Public Health Practitioner, Blackpool Council presented a progress report on the Public Mental Health Action Plan 2016-2019. She had first presented the Plan to Members at their meeting on 5 July 2017. The Plan focused on using medical practice to promote awareness of issues and good mental health, prevent poor health and suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination and effective care and treatment leading to better quality of life.

A sub-regional plan known as the ‘Suicide Prevention Logic Model’ had been developed by the Lancashire and South Cumbria Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. The focus of the meeting update was on suicide prevention work. This was a significant issue which the Committee had previously highlighted.

Representatives and members of mental health and carers’ support organisations were present from Rethink (national mental health support charity); Blackpool Young Boys and Girls Club (local mental health resilience support); and UR Potential (mental health resilience support for young people).

All three organisations had attended the meeting in July 2017 and had maintained interest in the mental health agenda. The Chairman welcomed input from them during the meeting.

Suicide reduction targets

Members noted that Government had a target to reduce suicides by 10% by 2020. Based on the Blackpool rolling average of 19 suicides per year (2014-2016), this target equated to a reduction down to 17 suicides per year locally. The Chairman referred to Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust which had set an aspirational target of ‘zero’ suicides and were pioneering nationally on zero suicide work. He also queried accountability for meeting suicide prevention targets.

Ms Dempsey explained that the 10% target had been set by NHS England. The ‘zero’ target was a topical discussion and the viability of this depended on local environments. The Chairman contented that Merseyside and Cheshire contained some deprived areas which arguably mirrored Blackpool issues.

A ‘zero’ suicide target was supported by the representative from Blackpool Young Boys and Girls Club. Members discussed the merits of a ‘zero’ suicide target and recommended that a ‘zero’ suicide target should be adopted. Ms Dempsey agreed that the proposed target would be raised at the Suicide Prevention Oversight Group for Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Suicide profiling

Members noted that there had been 57 deaths in Blackpool during 2014-2016 and that there needed to be effective identification of people who committed suicide. They queried what the demographic breakdown of local suicides was in order to identify focus and better plan actions, in particular the high-risk groups of males aged 25-50 (about 70% of local suicides were males).

Ms Dempsey explained that precise profiling of people committing suicide was complex with challenging issues such as substance misuse involved. She confirmed that all suicides were recorded as such when the Coroner reached a verdict of suicide. She clarified that deaths other than suicides, e.g. caused through non-intended overdoses, were not recorded under the suicide count.

In response to Members’ noting the large number of young male suicides, and the ‘Men in Sheds’ initiative not necessarily being appropriate for them, Ms Dempsey explained that there was a range of work being pursued. This included removing stigma of mental health especially for young people, recognising people’s issues such as substance misuse and any other warning signs so that effective support including sign-posting to services could be provided. Head Start helped provide emotional resilience support to young people and there were also awareness-raising campaigns such as ‘Time to Talk’.

She added that a public health outcomes framework existed to help deliver best outcomes including interventions to support young males and other people. Public Health did produce a suicide audit and written demographic profiling information would be provided.

Some Members queried how many suicides involved people new to Blackpool or visiting. They were informed that most suicides were local people and 70% were males but this could be checked if required. Some Members noted that it was more appropriate to focus on suicide prevention rather than developing statistics of limited or dubious value.

Suicide prevention planning

Members found the Logic Model complex to follow. Ms Dempsey acknowledged this and offered to provide a simple summary.

Self-harm / early help

Members were informed that Personal, Health, Social and Economic (PHSE) education was taught at secondary schools and rolled out to primary schools as appropriate. They queried the level of existing school nurses involvement and their level of mental health expertise. They were informed that skilled school nurses still existed. Members would also be looking at the new health visitor service at a future meeting.

Members suggested people performing the role of social workers (not necessarily with that title) placed in schools would be useful and proposed forwarding a request for clarification to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health. Public attendees supported the idea of social work type support and noted that this happened in secondary schools but believed not in primary schools. They added that this would help with children needing someone to talk or short opportunities away from the ‘crowd. ’Members recognised that there needed to be a variety of options, e.g. schools could make referrals to the ‘Den’ hub for young people. Members hoped that funding for the Den would continue.

Members noted that Better Start existed for 0-5 year olds and Head Start for 10-15 year olds but there was a gap. Blackpool Boys and Girls Club provided support including youth workers for the gap group. The Club relayed that children did not feel that they were listened to.

Members referred to the need for early help including identifying people at risk of suicide or having suicidal thoughts. They noted that self-harm, for which Blackpool had the highest rates nationally, could be linked to a range of social issues including poverty and poor housing. They were particularly concerned that self-harm started as early as infant or junior age and Accident and Emergency (A&E) admissions of that age group had increased significantly. With reference to early help, Members noted that self-harm could result in suicide. Public attendees felt it was important to provide a person with a ‘friendly face’ who could listen and discuss issues.

One of the public attendees queried the absence of a self-harm reduction target given that Blackpool had the highest national rates and also noted that the figures only included those admitted to Accident and Emergency / hospital, i.e. real figures were likely to be even higher. Ms Dempsey confirmed that there was no target but that focus was on building and promoting emotional health and wellbeing support including resilience. She added that data needed to cover all sources including ‘walk-in’ centre. An intelligence officer bid had been put in for the Lancashire and South Cumbria mental health work.

Ms Dempsey acknowledged that there were a significant number of people who self-harmed and attempted/committed suicide. Funding had been secured for developing ‘Core 24’ (mental health crisis support, including for self-harm, available at all times) at Accident and Emergency. This was challenged by public attendees. One attendee felt there was limited support for self-help and support was not easy to find or access, and gave the experience of a relative ringing the crisis line, getting no immediate response or call back. Families and UR Potential provided some support but poor overall support available from services was poor. The relative had been supported by their family but this was an alert of potential system failures.

Public attendees queried the suitability of Core 24 being within Accident and Emergency in view of general pressures plus being a prominent populated place.  Ms Dempsey understood that people with mental health issues would be supported away from the main Accident and Emergency activity. There would be no beds but chairs instead. A public attendee noted that first contact at Accident and Emergency needed to be good. There was still an involved registration process but a separate reception area could help. Public attendees queried whether four chairs was sufficient capacity and that people would have to wait. Confirmation was not available on the capacity issue. Ms Dempsey added that recruiting staff would take some time and would probably involve Lancashire Care Foundation Trust staff.

Suicide prevention actions / support options and thresholds

Public attendees referred to gaps in services. Services existed at Accident and Emergency (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services / Child and Adolescent Self-Harm Emergency Response) but for different age groups so were not for all young people resulting in delays. Professionals (police and health) were known to argue in front of young people over responsibilities. Public attendees felt that restricted services, delays and arguments were putting young people off. Professionals seemed content to refer people to charitable support but not take ownership (‘right people in right place providing the right support’). Public attendees re-iterated the need to be able to speak to someone (not necessarily a psychiatrist) at any time (24 hours).

Members referred to accessing services which might only be available at ‘crisis’ point [not for early help] and that ‘wrong’ answers might lead to the wrong service. They referred to the NHS 111 helpline. People were asked if they had any ‘suicidal thoughts’. Members were concerned that this question could put people off as people could be wary of admitting they were thinking of suicide.

A public attendee, representing Rethink, who supported people in crisis, felt that the support / intervention threshold was too high, i.e. serious injury was required before support. There needed to be a range of support options covering various groups, peer support networks were effective encouraging people to talk. Research was required identifying the most appropriate and effective support options. Members suggested looking at the Fylde and Wyre Butterfly Phoenix Project (now ceased) for any best practice lessons.

Public Health would look into the range of support options. Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group were understood to be ‘mapping’ services so would be asked to attend the Committee’s meeting in either March or May 2018. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals’ Families and Mental Health services would be invited to the same meeting to discuss accessing services.

Mental Health / Suicide Prevention best practice including raising awareness

The Chairman cited a US scheme which had promoted real development and participation activities for people (building and growing green spaces) and that the scheme had been proactive in supporting people and raising mental health awareness.  He enquired if this approach could be considered including ‘door-to-door’ awareness. Ms Dempsey referred to ‘middle tier’ awareness-raising through GPs and other routes (not specific services) and agreed that ‘door-to-door’ community knocking and other options for awareness-raising would be considered.

Public attendees referred to the need to support people by allowing them to benefit from the right environments, e.g. communities not Accident and Emergency.

The Chairman referred to Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s website as a highly effective, site with lots of easy-to-use info but the Council’s site was non-existent. Ms Dempsey agreed that this could be considered but various ‘crisis’ support existed. Public attendees challenged that support was easy to find or easy to use.

The Committee agreed:

1.   To recommend that a ‘zero’ suicide target should be adopted within Blackpool; and that Ms Dempsey would raise the proposed target at the Suicide Prevention Oversight Group for Lancashire and South Cumbria providing a written response by the Committee’s next meeting on 14 March 2018.

2.      That Ms Dempsey would provide written demographic profiles of local suicides by the Committee’s next meeting on 14 March 2018.

3.      That Ms Dempsey would provide a simple written summary of the Suicide Prevention Logic Model by the Committee’s next meeting on 14 March 2018.

4.   That Ms Dempsey would consider targeted community options for support and mental health awareness-raising and report back on progress.

5.   That the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health be asked to  clarify current support offered in schools,  such as social worker support (not necessarily with that title),which would be useful help for  young people.

6.   That the Committee would receive an update on school nurses as well as the new health visitors’ service as part of the Public Health Overview Report at the March 2018 meeting.

7.   To invite Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group to the Committee’s meeting in either March or May 2018 to discuss its ‘mapping’ of mental health and community services work with particular reference to good access and the range of support options available. Public Health and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals’ Families and Mental Health Services would also be invited.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To approve the revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Convictions Policy, including the proposed amendments, as outlined in Appendix 8 (a).

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To approve and adopt the Masterplan (as set out at Appendix 7a to the Executive report) as the strategic framework for project delivery and for use as part of the planning process.

2. To delegate to the Director of Place the authority to make minor amendments as necessary, after consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, that may result from the adoption and approval process with partner organisations.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.  

2. To support the recommendation of the Director of Resources that £2,505,000 is vired from Education Basic Needs Funding and added to the Children’s Services budget non-recurrently, this would have the effect of improving the forecast level of Working Balances from £1,828,000 to £4,333,000.

3. To continue to lobby Government (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education in particular) along with other local authorities facing similar pressures, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for more funding to cope with the mounting demand and new burdens presenting in Children’s Services.

4. To require the respective directors and Director of Resources to continue to closely monitor and manage service financial and operational performances, specifically Children’s Services, Strategic Leisure Assets and Parking Services.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council:

1. To adopt all the Elements of the Treasury Management Strategy 2018/19 and to approve the Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2018/19 to 2020/21 which are set out in Annex B to this report.

2. To approve the Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2018/19 to 20

20/21 which are set out in Annex C to this report.

3. To approve the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2018/19, which will ensure a prudent Minimum Revenue Provision charge in the annual statement of accounts. The policy is set out within Annex D to this report.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council that:

1. A rent reduction of a minimum of 1% is implemented for all Housing Revenue account properties in 2018/19.

2. The minimum level of Housing Revenue Account balances remain protected at £1 million, as previously agreed.

3. That de-pooled services (as detailed in Appendix C) and that other service charges (as detailed in Appendices D and E) are charged as outlined.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to Council:

1.      To approve of the Capital Programme for 2018/19 as set out at Appendices A and B, including the in year contingency of £1,076,000.

2.      To adopt the Single Capital Pot approach as outlined in Section 4 with a top slice of 12.5% to allow for investment in key priority areas and overspends that are not otherwise fundable (reference paragraph 4.2).

3.      To agree that Executive approvals will continue to be required for all Prudential borrowing schemes (reference paragraph 3.1)

4.      To approve the Capital Prudential Indicators as identified in Appendix C.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To recommend to Council an increase in income of £150,000 from car parking and the Council’s wholly owned Companies as part of its budget savings proposals (ref. paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2 and  line 2.22 of Appendix 2)

(Councillor Smith having declared a prejudicial interest left the room during consideration of this decision.)

2. To recommend to Council the level of net expenditure for the draft General Fund Revenue Budget 2018/19 of £124,365,000 (ref. paragraph 6.2).

3. To recommend to Council a level of budget savings of £5.35m, (ref. paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2 and Appendix 2)

4. To recommend to Council that the Chief Executive be authorised to take any necessary steps to ensure all staffing savings are achieved (ref. paragraph 8.1).

5. To recommend to Council that the target level of working balances remains at £6m (ref. paragraph 10.4).

6. To recommend a detailed review of earmarked reserves takes place at Provisional Outturn 2017/18 to reprioritise and unearmark funds to replenish working balances to their target level in 2018/19 should this be necessary (ref. paragraph 10.4).

7. To note the report of the Budget Scrutiny Review Panel as attached at Appendix 3.

8. To note that the Tourism, Economy and Resources Scrutiny Committee will be formally consulting the Trade Unions and Business Ratepayers on the proposals on the morning of 9February 2018.

9. To consider any further facts and information which subsequently come to light and report the details to the meeting of the Executive on 19February 2018.

To consider and approve the adoption of the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for signage across the borough under the formally approved delegation of authority for this item.

To note that no objections have been received and to adopt the Signage Supplementary Planning Document under the formally approved delegation of authority for this item.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.

To consider the Council Tax base for 2018/2019 as outlined in the report attached at Appendix A.

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2017/2018. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Blackburn and G Coleman of Brunswick Ward have requested £4,500 as funding to the Blackpool Boys and Girls Club to provide healthy food to be distributed as Club Sessions to help raise awareness about healthy eating, choosing healthy options and combatting obesity.

The Deputy Leader of the Council agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To authorise the request, as submitted.

To approve the appointment of I Care (GB) Ltd as the contractor for the provision of background care and support within Elk and Tulloch extra care housing schemes, following completion of an OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) tendering exercise

To approve the appointment of I Care (GB) Ltd of Kincraig Road, Blackpool, FY2 0PJ as the contractor for the provision of background care and support within extra care housing schemes. The contract is for a period of 2 years with the option to extend for a further 3 years subject to budget and satisfactory review.

The Council as a Billing Authority is required under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to complete a National Non-Domestic Rate Return 1 (NNDR 1) each year. This provides an authority’s calculation of its non-domestic rate income for the following financial year and the sums due to Central Government and relevant precepting authorities. This information for 2018/19 must be notified to the Secretary of State and to relevant preceptors by 31st January 2018. The return is attached at Appendix A.

To formally approve the National Non-Domestic Rate Return 1 for 2018/19 as attached at Appendix A.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.