Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Moira McLaughlin and Tony Cottier.

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Members were asked to consider whether they had any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.

The following declarations were made:

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 29 July 2021

Resolved – That the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 29 July 2021 be agreed.

The Chair confirmed that no public questions, requests to make a statement or petitions had been received.

Julie Webster, Director of Public Health introduced the report which provided an update on funding received from national government by Wirral Council for Drug Treatment and Recovery services. Members were reminded that in January 2021 the Government announced an additional £148m funding package to reduce drug-related crime and health harms. Wirral were 1 of 3 authorities in the Liverpool City Region to receive funding, which was outlined in a report that came to Committee in June 2021. The Committee was advised that since that report, further funding allocations had been received to achieve reductions in drug related deaths, offending and illicit drug use, which the report before members detailed.

The Chair advised the Committee that Appendix 1 was confidential by virtue of instruction from Government that the information contained within it cannot be publicly released, and Appendix 2 was exempt by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. Therefore, should members wish to discuss the appendices as part of the deliberation of the item, the Committee would need to move to exclude the press and public from the meeting.

On a motion by the Chair, seconded by Councillor Kate Cannon, it was –

Resolved – That

1)  under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The public Interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

2)  The planned proposals for spending the £2.8million ADDER/Accelerator Programme grant funding as set out within the report and in more detail in Appendix 2 be agreed.

3)  the £651,991 in-patient drug detox grant funding allocated on behalf of the 9 Cheshire and Merseyside councils and the £111,364 share for Wirral Council be accepted.

4)  the funding of £140,000 per annum for two years granted to Wirral Council to deliver the national Individual Placement Support (IPS) into employment scheme be accepted.

Julie Webster, Director of Public Health introduced the report which sought agreement to progress Public Health’s proposed commissioning intentions for information and advice services. It was reported that the service was originally commissioned in 2016 and was due to end on 31 March 2022. Since the service was commissioned, members were advised that there had been several, significant national policy changes such as Universal Credit which had resulted in increased and unprecedented demand for the service, with approximately 60,000 residents accessing the service per year resulting in the service performing at 180% over capacity. There had also been a 40% increase in more complex casework.

Members sought assurances over the guarantee of the funding from Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group due to period of reorganisation with the proposed introduction of the Integrated Care System. A further discussion was had around the increase to the contract value from £946,499 per annum to £1,166,499 per annum, which members were informed was to recognise the increase in numbers and complexity of cases the service was dealing with, alongside the issues relating to Covid-19 which were still present.

Resolved – That

1)  The Director of Public Health be authorised to re-commission the Wirral Information and Advice service totalling up to £2,332,898 (£1,166,449 per annum) for an initial one-year contract (1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023) with the option of a one-year extension.

2)  Delegated authority be given to the Director of Public Health to award the tender to the successful bidder following the tender process.