Agenda and minutes
PDF 183 KBVenue: County Hall, New Road, Oxford
Contact: Julie Dean Tel: (01865) 815322; E-Mail: julie.dean@oxfordshire.gov.uk
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Exempt Item In the event that any Member or officer wishes to discuss the information set out in Annex 1 to Item 4, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care will be invited to resolve to exclude the public for the consideration of that Annex by passing a resolution in relation to that item in the following terms:
"that the public be excluded during the consideration of Annex 1 since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda".
NOTE: The report does not contain exempt information and is available to the public. The exempt information is contained in the confidential annex.
THE RELEVANT ANNEX TO THE ITEM NAMED HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE IT. Minutes: The Cabinet Member then RESOLVED: to exclude the public during the consideration of Annex 1 since it was likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of ‘exempt’ information as described in Part 1 of Schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972. The information contained in Annex 1 was exempt in that it fell within the following prescribed category: 5 Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings. It was considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would be to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to carry out its duties as a public authority and would distort the proper process of negotiations between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.
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Healthwatch Oxfordshire Forward Plan Ref: 2013/112 Contact: Alison Partridge, Public Engagement Manager Tel: (01865) 328548
Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CMDASC4).
The information contained in Annex 1 is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:
5 - Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings
It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would be to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to carry out its duties as a public authority and would distort the proper process of negotiations between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, all (top tier) Local Authorities were responsible for commissioning a Local Healthwatch by April 2013. The new organisation was established to be the independent 'consumer champion' for people of all ages using health and social care services. It replaced the Local Involvement Network (LINKs), and has a number of extended and statutory functions, as well as a seat on the Health and Wellbeing Board.
The report sets out the current process of inviting individuals and organisations to bid to deliver Healthwatch Oxfordshire from April 2014 and following a shortlisting process and interview process on 12 December 2013 A preferred provider will be recommended for approval to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social care on 17 December 2013 (Annex 2 to follow).
The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care is RECOMMENDED to accept the preferred provider as recommended and presented by the Director of Social and Community Services for the award of the grant for Healthwatch, following the interviews on 12th December 2013. Additional documents:
Minutes: Councillor Heathcoat expressed her satisfaction to the responses given to her questions in relation to the report which were: - that although there would not be a more formal contractual leverage contained within the Grant-in-Aid process, it would still allow quarterly meetings and a monitoring process; - that the end of the 3 year contract period it would be possible to procure an additional 2 year period, plus an option to extend; and - that Surrey County Council was the lead commissioner for 5 – 10 local authorities for the Complaints Advocacy Service from April 2013
It was RESOLVED to accept the preferred provider, EASI Healthwatch, for the award of the grant for Healthwatch Oxfordshire following the interviews which took place on 12 December 2013. |