Agenda item

With reference to Article 2 of the minute of meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 6 July 2023, the Council had before it a report by the Interim Director of Children and Families which provided an options appraisal on all potential working arrangements with our ALEOs and an accompanying Outline Business Case and draft Project Plan.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)          note the process undertaken in order to determine advantageous working  arrangements in collaboration with ALEOs; and note the closer working relationships evident across ALEOs and Aberdeen Sports Village Joint Venture and the potential to realise shared objectives in the longer term by maintaining regular joint working;

(b)          note the exempt Options Appraisal documentation in Appendices B to F;

(c)          in relation to Aberdeen Heat and Power Company Limited, Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen Performing Arts, agree to maintain current working arrangements;

(d)          in relation to Bon Accord Care (i.e. Bon Accord Care Ltd, and Bon Accord Support Services Ltd), note that the Options Appraisal process highlighted potential benefits in bringing the associated services in-house  and  integrating them into the Council structure;  and instruct the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services,  following consultation with the Managing Director of Bon Accord Care,  to outline the benefits of this potential option and provide indicative delivery milestones within an Outline Business Case for consideration by Council in December 2023; and

(e)          in relation to Aberdeen Sports Village Ltd (ASV), instruct the Council’s Chief Officer - Finance, following consultation with the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services, to explore the potential for the Council and the University of Aberdeen to amend the shareholder agreement and ownership and report back to Council in February 2024 to align with Council budget setting process.

The Interim Director of Children and Families advised that in light of the report not being considered at the meeting on 11 October 2023, the date for reporting back in recommendation (d) had been amended to February 2024.

Councillor Allard moved, seconded by the Depute Provost:-

That the Council approve the recommendations subject to amending the reporting date in recommendation (d) to February 2024.

Councillor Malik moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Watson:-

            That the Council -

(1)      note the report and note the recommendations contained within the Prevention and Early Intervention report submitted at the March 2023 budget;

(2)      agree ALEOs play a significant role noting recommendation B within the Prevention and Early Intervention report agreed at the March 2023 budget which already commits the Council to work with Tier 1 ALEOs to prepare a statement of tiered resources;

(3)      agree that nothing should be on or off the table until elected members have seen sight of the statement of tiered resources and how that fits into the approach taken by the Council to embed Prevention and Early Intervention into the Commissioning cycle and shape budget decisions to positively deliver on outcomes for Aberdeen;

(4)      agree any decision taken day would put the ‘cart before the horse’ and could undermine the decision taken at the budget meeting in March 2023 as there may be positive and/or negative matters not yet considered as to how our ALEOs fit into the approach taken by the Council to embed Prevention and Early Intervention into the Commissioning cycle; and

(5)      agree that ‘without prejudice’ to the Council’s March 2023 decision on Prevention and Early intervention, due consideration should be given to bringing as many services in-house and integrating them into the Council structure. Noting 6.3 of the Prevention and Early intervention report confirms it is the Council’s intention to make tiered analysis of resource allocation an integral part of our budget cycle.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (29)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Boulton, Bouse, Brooks, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Farquhar, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McLeod, McRae, Massey, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment  (11)  -  Councillors Ali, Bonsell, Crockett, Graham, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.