“This Council notes that the Cabinet has agreed to include the current
catering and cleaning services provided by Food with Thought and QCS within the
scope of a Total Facilities Management Service Contract.
Given that:
1. These services are paid for from the schools Delegated Budgets.
2. Schools have indicated that they support the current
service provided by Food with Thought,
3. Food With Thought is forecasting a trading surplus
4. There has been a 5.75% rise in the take up of meals.
5. Currently any profit generated is reinvested in the service
Inclusion of this service in a much larger contract will jeopardise
all of this and the other work which has been done this includes, training staff,
communicating with parents, the provision of an excellent menu leaflet which
goes out and is published in the Oxford Mail and much more.
It is difficult to understand how a commercial organisation and possibly
one where share holders or financial holding companies require a
profit could provide such a service to our schools and to the children of
this county. This Council, therefore, calls on the Cabinet to
reconsider its position and to open a dialogue with the schools as to how best these
services can be provided.”
Minutes:
Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Stevens seconded the following motion:
“This Council notes that the Cabinet has
agreed to include the current catering and cleaning services provided by Food
with Thought and QCS within the scope of a Total Facilities Management Service
Contract.
Given that:
1. These services are paid for from
the schools Delegated Budgets.
2. Schools have indicated that
they support the current service provided by Food with Thought,
3. Food With Thought is forecasting a
trading surplus
4. There has been a 5.75% rise in the
take up of meals.
5. Currently any profit generated is
reinvested in the service
Inclusion of this service in a much
larger contract will jeopardise all of this and the other work which has been
done this includes, training staff, communicating with parents, the provision
of an excellent menu leaflet which goes out and is published in the Oxford Mail
and much more.
It is difficult to understand how a
commercial organisation and possibly one where share holders or financial
holding companies require a profit could provide such a service to our
schools and to the children of this county. This Council,
therefore, calls on the Cabinet to reconsider its position and to open a
dialogue with the schools as to how best these services can be provided.”
Councillor Fooks moved and Councillor Patrick seconded the following amendment to the motion shown in bold italics and strikethrough:
“This Council notes that the Cabinet has
agreed to include the current catering and cleaning services provided by Food
with Thought and QCS within the scope of a Total Facilities Management Service
Contract.
Given that:
1.
These services are paid for from the schools Delegated Budgets.
2.
Schools have indicated that they support the current service provided by Food
with Thought,
3.
Food With Thought is forecasting a trading surplus
4.
There has been a 5.75% rise in the take up of meals.
5.
Currently any profit generated is reinvested in the service
Inclusion of this service in a much larger
contract will jeopardise all of this and the other work which has been done
this includes, training staff, communicating with parents, the provision of an
excellent menu leaflet which goes out and is published in the Oxford Mail and
much more. Council believes that it is not proven that having a bigger contract
will reduce risk to the County Council or save money, but that it would
jeopardise the good work currently done by Food with Thought. In particular, it
is not clear that including Food with Thought in the proposed contract would
improve meal take-up or maintain the current high quality of provision
It is difficult to understand how a
commercial organisation and possibly one where share holders or financial
holding companies require a profit could provide such a service to our schools
and to the children of this county. This
Council, therefore, calls on the Cabinet to reconsider its position and to open
a dialogue with the schools as to how best these services Food
with Thought can be provided.”
Following debate the amendment was lost by 9
votes to 51 with 4 abstentions.
Following debate the substantive motion was
lost by 18 votes to 46 with 1 abstention.
N.B. Councillor Carter asked that his
abstention from both the above votes be recorded.