Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

(a)  To agree the minutes of the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment meeting held on 24 August, 2015.

(b)  Matters Arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 August, 2015, were signed as a true record.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

Further to Minute 6/15, the Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place which provided an analysis of the options to continue delivering supported employment provision, (TESS), for people with learning disabilities, autism, physical/sensory impairments and people with severe and enduring mental ill health, following a reduction in Council resources

The report outlined the following four options and the Cabinet Member received a detailed presentation from officers at the meeting regarding those options:-

1)  In partnership with others develop a sustainable model for supported

employment delivery in Coventry.

2)  Externalise the service through a form of Social Enterprise

3)  Merge the service with another local authority delivering supported

 employment provision

4)  Close the service on 31 December, 2015

The report proposed alternative delivery models, recommended efficiencies within the service and outlined further activity required to secure the future of supported employment provision in Coventry.

The Cabinet Member questioned the officers on the four options, recognising the importance and benefits of reducing the gap between the employment rate of disabled and non-disable people.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment:-

(1)  Recognises and endorses the work undertaken to analyse options, reduce the costs of the service and propose a sustainable future for supported employment in the City.

(2)  Endorses the recommendation for the service to continue to operate within the City Council and to seek funding from the Clinical Commissioning Group and from within the Council to support this option (Option 1 in the report)

(3)  Notes that externalising the service is not an option at this time due to reasons of service structure, additional costs and long term viability and requests that, should the formation of a Social Enterprise be an option in the future, then the research work carried out in this regard be shared with any appropriate organisation.

(4)  Notes that merging the service with another supported employment deliverer is a feasible way forward but the current timescales prevent this being an immediate option.

(5)  Requests that the City council fund the service between Janaury to March 2016 to allow for the outcome of funding discussions and applications to be known, and to consult as appropriate on a detailed delivery model.

(6)  Requests that a further report outlining progress on this issue be submitted to the cabinet Member meeting scheduled for 18 January, 2016.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member noted a report of the Executive Director of Resources that identified those issues which the Cabinet Member had requested further reports on.

There were no other items of urgent public business.