The purpose of the report is to seek approval from the Director of Care and Health in respect of the following Lots for the Award of the Early Intervention and Prevention and Carers (Adult and Young Carers) in Wirral following a procurement exercise:

Lot 1 – Early Intervention and Prevention and Carers (Adults and Young Carers)

Lot 2 – Daytime Support and Opportunities for older people with dementia, frailty, and people with early onset dementia

Lot 3 – Sensory Services

Provider information can be found in Appendix 1 please note this information is commercially sensitive and is restricted by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

This matter affects all wards within the Borough as the services cover all residents in Wirral.

This is a key decision.

The Director of Care of Health approved the award of the contract for a 3 year term for:

(a) Lot 1 – Early Intervention and Prevention and Carers (Adults and Young Carers)

(b) Lot 2 – Daytime Support and Opportunities for older people with dementia, frailty, and people with early onset dementia; and

(c)  Lot 3 – Sensory Services

to the highest scoring tenderer (as outlined in the exempt Appendix 1) within the approved budget and in accordance with the Most Economically Advantageous Tender criteria.

The report presents the proposed Change Programme required to support the implementation of the Wirral Plan by ensuring the Council’s operating model is as effective and efficient as possible. This will lead to the optimisation of Council resources in relation to delivering the Wirral Plan priorities and outcomes.

The programme takes account of the linked to exceptional financial support External Assurance Review (EAR) recommendations published on the 2^nd November 2021. The Change Programme has been put forward as part of the Council’s evidence to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC formerly MHCLG) that the Council has the capability to implement a programme of change to deliver the required savings to achieve financial sustainability.

The EAR reports and recommendations provide a clear steer to the Council and officers have acknowledged this in the design of programmes presented in this report. The overall goals of the Change Programme are to:

·  Support the delivery of the Wirral Plan, approved by Council 1 September 2021, by helping improve outcomes for residents.

·  Support the delivery of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy by ensuring the Council’s operating model provides best value in prioritising our services and investment around the greatest need.

Resolved – That,

(1)  the Chief Executive be requested to progress and implement the Change Programme and required service reviews to deliver a new operating model;

(2)  it be agreed that oversight of the Programme be through P&R Finance Sub-Committee who will review emerging business cases and receive regular updates on progress.

The Council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) sets out the financial implications of the Council’s Corporate Plan and how this can be funded over the period of five years. Each year, the Council is required by law to approve a balanced budget, where gross expenditure is matched by available resources. The MTFS sets out the guiding principles and considerations to deliver a balanced budget.

The report provides the Committee with the proposed MTFS 2022/23 to 2026/27, which provides a robust, consistent, and sustainable approach to establishing and maintaining a stable and prudent financial basis on which the Council’s services are to be delivered.

The MTFS is one of the key strategies of the Council and the five-year strategy sets out the Council’s commitment to providing services that meet the needs of people locally and that represent good value for money.

The MTFS identifies a structural deficit for the five-year period covered. Upon the budget balancing for 2022/23 this structural deficit is removed based on latest estimates.

Contained within the MTFS are indicative figures for financial years 2022/23 to 2026/27; these figures will change in line with a number of factors, including confirmation of the government’s forthcoming funding settlement for 2022/23 (which is expected in December), which in turn will inform the budget proposals made by Policy and Resources Committee for consideration by full Council in February 2022.

Resolved – That the Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2022/23 to 2026/27, be approved.

Report to formally accept approximately £350,000 in funding allocated to Wirral Council, from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. This represents Wirral’s portion of a £1.5m grant to support the promotion of tourism across the city region. The grant will be spent on improvements to the visitwirral.com website and on advertising campaigns, to increase visits to Wirral. Following the Covid pandemic, it is part of a series of measures to support the recovery of businesses in the visitor economy sector.

Resolved – That,

(1)  this Committee notes that the funding is subject to receiving and entering into a formal Grant Funding Agreement, which details the terms and conditions of the award;

(2)  the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to approve the Grant Funding Agreement, thereby accepting the funds.

Resolved – That,

(1)  the content of the report and the announcement from Government regarding the Town Deal funding award in relation to Birkenhead, be noted;

(2)  the re-profiling of the funding allocation for projects as set out in paragraph 3.8 of the report, be noted;

(3)  the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to accept the offer and funding from DLUHC, via a grant made under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003;

(4)  the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to progress delivery of the Town Deal Programme, in line with the Section 31 Grant and the Town Investment Plan, and to implement a change control process (if required);

(5)  the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to allocate the Town Deal predevelopment funding of £1,250,000 (5% of the total award) on receipt;

(6)  the Director of Resources, as S151 Officer, be authorised to review and approve business cases, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration and Place, and submit the results to DLUHC in order to release the remaining funds; and

(7)  the Director of Law and Governance be authorised, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration and Place and the Director of Resources, to enter into any necessary agreements or other legal documentation to implement the above recommendations.

The purpose of this report is to seek approval to the granting of a retrospective rent free period to the Wallasey Cricket Club, together with approval for the variation of the lease terms to accommodate the subletting of part for the resident childcare day facility operator.

The rent free period will aid with improving the condition of one of the Council’s assets, which is utilised by a “not for profit” community sports club.

That the Club be granted a retrospective rent-free period on the terms set out with this report and the lease be varied to accommodate the existing occupiers.

This report seeks approval for the publication of an update to Wirral Council’s Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy 2021 which has been prepared as part of the suite of Local Plan evidence documents. 

Wirral Council’s existing Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy was last published in 2016.  Sport England consider such strategies, which are prepared in line with a nationally approved methodology, to be out-of-date when the data on which they are based is more than three-years old.  The 2021 update, attached to this report as Appendices 1 and 2, has been prepared in consultation with local partners and governing bodies for sport and has been endorsed by Sport England.

That the Director of Regeneration and Place approves the publication of the updated Wirral Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy 2021.

This report seeks agreement from the Children, Young People and Education Committee to award and conclude a commission for early help services for children and families. The aim of these services will be to deliver a variety of supportive experiences which Wirral families have told us would help them to thrive.

Resolved – That

(1)  delegated authority be given to the Director of Children’s Services to award the tender to the successful group of bidders following conclusion of the tender process up to a value of £705,000 per annum for 5 years (a total contract value of £3,525,000) with the option to extend for a further 2 periods of 2 years each.

(2)  delegated authority be given to the Director of Law and Governance to negotiate and conclude the contract for the new service in consultation with the Director of Children’s Services.

Resolved – That

(1)  The Director of Care and Health be authorised to proceed with the renewal of contracts for AccessAble and Payroll and Managed Accounts Service.

(2)  A further report be received following the completion of the Direct Payments review in March 2022.

Resolved - That,

the Liscard Neighbourhood Framework: An Integrated Masterplan, as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, be approved as the Council’s regeneration strategy for Liscard.

Resolved – That

the Wirral Economic Strategy 2021 - 2026, as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, be approved.

This report seeks approval to accept the offer £1,460,900 of grant funding fromthe Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and to enter into aGrant Funding Agreement with the LCRCA to enable the transfer of funds to theCouncil. Thegrant isto facilitatethe implementationof essentialpre-development worksin support of the aim and objectives of the Birkenhead 2040 Framework, specificallyin relationto theBirkenhead CentralGateway transportand publicrealm works.

That the Director of Regeneration andPlace:

(1)  Accepts the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority offer of grant aid inthe sum of up to a maximum of £1,460,900 to be secured by way of aGrant Funding Agreement on terms outlined in paragraphs 3.2 to 3.5 of thereport.

(2)  Approves the commencement of the necessarypre-development work outlined in paragraph 3.1 of the report.