Michele Lucas the Learning and Skills Manager explained that Inspire was an opportunity to both protect and provide a range of youth and community based opportunities for young people by removing the current services from Local Authority control and placing them into a staff mutual (charitable trust). It was explained that the report recognised the need to make further savings in council expenditure and provide opportunities to ensure that Thurrock’s young people could access the regeneration opportunities that are planned over the next ten years as the Council move from implementation into delivery.

The Learning and Skills Manager informed the Committee of the following points:

•           The Cabinet Office was very interested in Thurrock

•           The Business Plan was created with the help and guidance of Cabinet Officers

•           Thurrock Council liaised with Kensington and Chelsea who ran a similar project called ‘EPIC’.

The Youth Cabinet Representatives told members that Inspire would be beneficial to many young people; they had also created a Twitter page advertising the great things that Inspire could offer to the community.

Councillor Kerin congratulated the officers on their good work and questioned if there was a sufficient plan in place to assist the Grangewaters handover. The Learning and Skills Manager ensured members that there was a risks and opportunity section incorporated in the business plan and that Thurrock Council would always be the parenting body of the project. The Director of Children’s Services added that detailed arrangements were still to come from Lawyers and the Finance department.

Councillor Gupta queried if the Inspire project had received any funding from the Cabinet Office, it was confirmed that funding was received for training, planning and also through the development of the business plan.

A concern was raised regarding the staffs negative views from the consultation; the Learning and Skills Manager explained that the consultation was carried out initially, and since then a meeting was held for all staff members which gave them a greater understanding. Members were insured that staff members now had positive views on inspire.

The Church of England representative questioned whether staff would receive the same job benefits once the handover was complete, it was confirmed that existing staff would receive the same benefits, however new employees would not receive a local government pension scheme.

The chair raised a concern regarding the governance and oversight of the project and requested that a report was brought back to the Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee with further detail regarding the trustee.

Councillor Gamester questioned whether the Council would accept lower costing contracts from external companies. The Children’s Services Director confirmed that there would be no competition from external companies until the contract expired which would be in four to five years.

Resolved:

1.         That the Committee supports the development of a staff mutual (charitable trust) to deliver youth & community related activities across Thurrock Council.

2.         The Committee recommend to full Cabinet the ‘spinning out’ of youth & community related services from April 2016 or as soon after as due diligence is undertaken

3.         That the Committee supports the recommendation of a four year contract with a break clause in year three for renegotiation.

4.         The Committee recommend the funding model which will see a 5% reduction from year two of the contract until the fifth year recognising the need to reduce the overall budget by 20%, subject to budget constraints

5.         The Committee support the inclusion of Grangewaters Outdoor Education Centre into the staff mutual.

6.         An elected member and The Section 151 Officer will form part of the trustee.

7.         The Inspire report to return back to the Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee before final sign off at Cabinet.