To receive the minutes of the meetings held on 22 September and 28 October 2008.

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management presented the minutes of the meetings held on 22 September and 28 October 2008.

Councillor Elderton referred to minute 32 (28 October 2008) (Projected Budget 2009/2011) and requested the Committee’s approval to a change of wording to the final paragraph of the pre-amble, as follows –

·  After “…reservations in relation to”, insert the words “the achievement of these aspirations due to…”

The Chair referred to minute 17(2) (22 September 2008) (Transforming Adult Social Services – Achieving a Stabilised and Sustainable Budget), which requested the attendance at this Committee of the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion and the Director of Adult Social Services, in order to outline progress and address concerns expressed by the Committee in relation to the budget shortfall. The Chair had sought to secure a date on which both the Director and the Cabinet Member were able to attend and he had received assurance from the Director of Adult Social Services that he was able to field a full team for a special meeting that had been proposed for 22 December. The Chair recognised that the date proposed would cause difficulty for some members, but he had taken the view that the matter could not wait until the next scheduled meeting of the Committee in January 2009.

Councillor George commented that he had not been consulted on the proposed date of the special meeting and registered his protest at the meeting taking place on a date that would effectively preclude members of the Labour Group from attending.

For clarification, in relation to the aims of the meeting, the Chair proposed that it be called to –

·  Give continuing consideration to the procedures necessary to ensure that the Department of Adult Social Services remain on target for, or within the projected overspend of £3.5m reported to this Committee.

·  To satisfy members that the currently available accounting resources are able to give a clear picture of commitments facing the service and that the profile and pattern of expenditure over a financial year is such to enable the department to budget accordingly.

·  To consider further the circumstances in which the original over commitment arose to the extent of £9.5m and to establish whether commissioning and procurement procedures were properly followed, and to seek and receive detailed explanations.

The Chair referred also to minute 27 (22 September 2008) (Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2008) and was pleased to report that Mark Goulding, a Group Accountant in Treasury Management had been presented with the award ‘Investment Officer of the Year’.

Resolved –

(1) That, subject to the following amendment, the minutes of the meetings held on 22 September and 28 October 2008 be approved –

·  Minute 32 (28 October 2008) (Projected Budget 2009/2011)

In the final paragraph of the pre-amble after “…reservations in relation to”, the words “the achievement of these aspirations due to…”be inserted.

(2) That the Director of Adult Social Services and the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion be requested to attend the meeting of the Committee to be held on 22 December 2008 in order to address concerns expressed by the Committee in relation to the Adult Social Services budget shortfall.

(3) That the congratulations and thanks of the Committee be accorded to Mark Goulding for his achievement in being named Investment Officer of the Year at the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2008, in recognition of work undertaken in Treasury Management on behalf of Wirral.