Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support on proposals for the future delivery model of property consultancy, facilities management, catering and cleaning services, attached.

The Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee had at its meeting on 23 September 2021 received a Report on the same (minute 8 referred) and subsequently RESOLVED that the Report and actions taken be commended to Cabinet, subject to an additional part of the Report detailing the composition of the Liaison Board and required skills of the Board Directors, and how recruitment will be undertaken.

RESOLVED that the establishment of a Joint Venture service model to contract for the provision of property consultancy, facilities management, cleaning and catering services be agreed, and that the Joint Venture (between Devon County Council and Norse Group) be awarded a service contract starting 1 April 2022, for an initial 5 year period plus DCC extension options of 3+2 years.

(Councillors Biederman, Brazil, Dewhirst and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support on proposals for the future delivery model of property consultancy, facilities management, catering and cleaning services, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Council’s Joint Venture (JV) partnerships for Property Consultancy, Facilities Management (FM) Catering and Cleaning ran until March 2022.

The Cabinet noted that a comprehensive delivery model appraisal process had been undertaken and a Management Board convened to consider the most appropriate future delivery model for these services. This led to recommendations as to the best future delivery model to fulfil the Council’s requirements, and detailed contractual proposals had been negotiated for the prospective future service.

Workgroups for the review process had been formed which had included wide research and broad consultation including Member focus sessions which led to a choice of two service model options:

·         Option A: Integrated service model which drew together the Council’s two Joint Ventures with Norse Group, into one Property Services and Facilities Management solution (including catering and cleaning for schools and others).

·         Option B: A disaggregated model with individual services competed from multiple different providers each individually commissioned and managed.

The Management Board (comprised of the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support, County Solicitor, County Treasurer and Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure and Waste, with the Digital Transformation Portfolio Holder and other workgroup leads) reviewed the options and recommended that option A became the preferred model, creating one partnership vehicle enabling complementary services to be brought together under a single remit and build on expertise developed to date.

The Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee had at its meeting on 23 September 2021 received a Report on the same (minute 8 referred) and had RESOLVED that the Report and actions taken be commended to Cabinet, subject to an additional part of the Report detailing the composition of the Liaison Board and required skills of the Board Directors, and how recruitment would be undertaken.

In response, the Report (para 3.15) outlined that the process for appointment of Councillors to the Joint Venture Board would be in line with the Council’s Constitution and the usual process for appointments to outside bodies.

In addition, the Report included some of the skills and traits required of the Officers and Members of the Board, which would assist in the appointment process and also a visual at Appendix one which illustrated how the Governance and Performance Management fitted together.

The Head of Service’s Report incorporated an Impact Assessment. This highlighted that the Service should largely be seamless and for service users, staff and communities it would very substantively continue as ‘business as usual’ but with the benefits of integration and improved multi-disciplinary working. There were no foreseeable diversity or equality impacts.

The matter having been debated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57