Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: George Hatton Hall, Dukinfield Town Hall, King Street, Dukinfield, SK16 4LA

Contact: Ian Cockill, Senior Governance Officer 

Items
No. Item

22.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 198 KB

To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 September, 2021.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2021 be approved as a correct record.

23.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members to give notice of any interest and the nature of that interest relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the adopted Code(s) of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest regarding the business listed on the agenda for the meeting.

24.

QUARTER 3 5-STAR PERFORMANCE 2021/22 AND NEW MEASURES FOR 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 247 KB

For decision.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Assistant Director submitted a report informing Members of the 2021/22 Quarter 3 key performance measures of STAR Procurement and seeking to agree key performance measures for 2022/23.

 

Further to the report’s analysis, Members were informed that categorisation of spend would be reported to the four Councils.

 

        RESOLVED –

 

(1)       That the content of the report and performance to the end of Quarter 3 be noted.

 

(2)       That the Joint Committee continues to use the key performance measures for 2022/23.

25.

STAR PROCUREMENT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT UPDATE pdf icon PDF 316 KB

For discussion.

Minutes:

The Assistant Director submitted a report updating the Joint Committee on the continuous improvements made against the STAR Business Plan 2021-24.

 

Attention was drawn to the fact that during the last quarter year there has been a high turnover of staff, including senior posts within the STAR team and it was acknowledged that recruitment and retention was becoming more challenging across the region. Regarding the long-term, the Joint Committee was encouraged by the efforts and success of its apprenticeship schemes and the rewarding experience it was providing to trainees.

 

        RESOLVED: That the continuous improvements made against STAR Business Plan 2021-24 and future plans be noted.

26.

STAR PROCUREMENT STRATEGIC RISK REGISTER pdf icon PDF 493 KB

For noting.

Minutes:

The Assistant Director (Development) submitted a report presenting the updated STAR Risk Register.

 

In response to a query regarding the addition of a new risk (24) “Increased income generation activity leading to non-compliance with relevant legislation”, the Assistant Director advised that legal advice on the issue would be sought as part of the wider STAR review.

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)    That the report be noted.

 

(2)    That a service review of trading and income generation activity be welcomed to ensure that this risk is mitigated and managed.

27.

CONTRACT PROCEDURE RULES

For noting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Trafford Council’s Head of Governance submitted a report providing details of a review of the current Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) and proposing the adoption of a new set of CPRs by each of the STAR Authorities.

 

The Joint Committee received a presentation of the main proposals and the Head of Governance agreed to circulate the presentation slides electronically to Members following the meeting to assist with their consideration by the authorities.

 

Members acknowledged that the review had been a major piece of work and queried whether future reviews could be anticipated. The Director of STAR advised that the CPRs would continue to be reviewed and would be submitted to the Joint Committee as and when any major changes were required.

 

RESOLVED: That the content of the report be noted and the new CPRs be recommended to each of the STAR Joint Committee Council’s for adoption.

28.

STAR PROCUREMENT SUPPORTING THE REAL LIVING WAGE ACCREDITATION pdf icon PDF 273 KB

For decision.

Minutes:

The Joint Committee received a report of the STAR Director providing an update on the STAR Real Living Wage (RLW) Accreditation and Procurement support.

 

Members acknowledged the financial implications of accreditation and sought assurance that the increase rates would be passed on to contracted staff.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)       That the STAR support and audit approach in seeking confirmation from

        current contractors as to their RLW status to support the RLW Accreditation application, be approved.

 

(2)       That approval be given, as part of new procurement activity to secure commitment to paying the RLW in STAR contracts.

 

(3)       That STAR seeks support of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter of current contractors and as part of new procurement activity.

 

(4)       That the Joint Committee supports the ambition within the four partner organisations to progress to RLW Accreditation.

 

(5)       That an update on the workings of the scheme be submitted to the Joint Committee in due course.

29.

DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING

To note that the next meeting will take place on Wednesday 15 June 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Trafford Town Hall.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the next meeting of the Joint Committee was scheduled to be held at 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday, 15 June 2022, at Trafford Town Hall.

30.

EXCLUSION RESOLUTION

Motion (Which may be amended as Members think fit):

 

That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining items on the agenda, because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within one or more descriptive category or categories of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, and specified on the agenda item or report relating to each such item respectively.

Minutes:

RESOLVED - That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining items on the agenda, because of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within category 3 of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, and specified on the agenda item or report relating to each such item

respectively.

31.

SOCIAL VALUE PORTAL RE-ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND

For decision.

Minutes:

The STAR Director submitted a report updating the Joint Committee on the re-engagement of Social Value Portal and the additionality of a Community Impact Fund.

 

A discussion was had on the application fee, the length of contract and accessibility for local businesses. It was recognised that the portal and impact fund would need to be aligned with each of the member authorities’ corporate priorities and that there was an opportunity for shared learning.

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)       That the Joint Committee note the re-engagement.

 

(2)       That the added social value offer of a Community Impact Fund be supported.

 

(3)       That the options for distribution be approved and delegated to STAR Board and Director of STAR Procurement, as set out in the report.

32.

STAR PROCUREMENT BUDGET POSITION QUARTER 3 2021/22

For discussion.

Minutes:

The Assistant Director submitted a report providing an update on the STAR Procurement budget position at Quarter 3 of 2021/22.

 

The Joint Committee was advised that the use of reserves was less than planned and consequently increased provision from reserves for voluntary redundancy costs had been identified.

 

RESOLVED: That STAR Procurement’s budget position at Quarter 3 of 2021/22 be noted.

33.

URGENT BUSINESS (IF ANY)

Any other item or items which by reason of special circumstances (to be specified), the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered at this meeting as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

(Note: The Chair allowed consideration of the following matter as an item of urgent business to update the Joint Committee on evolving actions arising from the situation in Ukraine. The matter was deemed to be confidential by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006)

 

Impact of Russian Sanctions on STAR Procurement

 

The STAR Director informed the Joint Committee of the implications of the United Kingdom’s trade sanctions with Russia and advised that all options were being explored with necessary advice being taken.

 

Legal and financial advice was being shared across the Councils, with concerns of the risks of withdrawing from contracts and the potential increased costs for alternative contracts. National guidance from the Cabinet Office on the legal position of withdrawing from contracts was awaited.

 

RESOLVED: That the oral update be noted.

34.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Minutes:

The Chair acknowledged that it was the last meeting of the Municipal Year and wished those Members standing for election in May 2022 well. Councillor McGee also conveyed good luck to next year’s Chair of the Joint Committee.