The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Shareholder Board.

The Chair confirmed that apologies had been received from Councillor Jeff Green and that Councillor Mary Jordan was deputising.

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.

No such declarations were made.

There were no questions, statements or petitions from the public or Members.

The Head of Legal Services introduced a report that noted that Wirral Council had conducted a Value for Money Review of the services provided by Wirral Evolutions Limited (the ‘Company’) and the review was presented to the Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on 3 March 2022.

The Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee approved the transition of the services supplied by the Company to the Council by 30 September 2022 and recommended to the Shareholder Board that the Director of Law and Governance be authorised to progress the necessary steps to transfer the Company’s undertaking to the Council, including the cancellation of the current contract with the Company and to consider all appropriate options for the future deployment or disposal of the Company.

The Chair noted that the report stated in paragraph 8.1; that “The directors and senior employees of the Company had an opportunity to comment on the content of this report prior to publication”. A written copy of the report was not available to the Company before publication as time and circumstances did not permit, however the content of the report had been discussed with the Company prior to publication and changes to the report were made as a consequence of representations from the Managing Director.

On a motion by the Chair, seconded by Councillor Yvonne Nolan it was –

Resolved – That:

(1)    The decision of the Adult Social Care and Health Committee in relation to the matter of the Wirral Evolutions Limited Value Review Report as summarised at paragraph 3.2 of the report be noted; and

(2)  The Director of Law and Governance be authorised to progress the necessary steps to transfer the Company’s undertaking to the Council, including the cancellation of the current contract with the Company and to consider all appropriate options for the future deployment or disposal of the Company.

The Head of Legal Services introduced a report that sought approval to waive the requirement under the Shareholders Agreement for Edsential CIC (‘the Company’) to deliver a Business Plan for 2021 – 2022 due to service delivery being substantially altered by the lockdown imposed by Government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This made the following the Draft Annual Business Plan for 2021 – 2022 impracticable. The report also sought approval of the Annual Business Plan for 2022 – 2023, as required by the Shareholders Agreement.

The Chair of Edsential CIC, Mark Parkinson and the Company’s Managing Director, Ian McGrady attended the meeting and spoke to the Annual Business Plan for 2022 – 2023.

During the course of the debate on this item, Councillor Yvonne Nolan indicated that she would like to ask a question on the information held within the exempt Appendix 1 to this report, and on a motion by the Chair, seconded by Councilor Yvonne Nolan, it was then –

Resolved – That, 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.

Members asked questions of the representatives of the Company and discussed the facilities available to Wirral children and to children with special needs.

On a motion by the Chair and seconded by Councillor Mary Jordan, it was –

Resolved – That:

(1)  The obligation of Edsentials CIC under the Shareholders Agreement to submit an Annual Business Plan for 2021-2022 be waived; and

(2)  The Annual Business Plan for 2022-2023 presented by Edsential CIC in accordance with the requirements of the Shareholders Agreement be approved.

(3)  The exempt appendices to the Edsential CIC Annual Business Plans for 2021-22 and 2022-23 report, be noted.