Councillor Rofique U. Ahmed declared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that:

·                    The report contained recommendations relating to the Ocean Estate and referred to the Ocean New Deal for Communities (Ocean NDC) and Councillor Ahmed was a resident in the Ocean NDC area and a representative of the Authority on the Ocean Regeneration Trust.

·                    The report contained recommendations relating to the Authority’s youth service provision in Local Area Partnership 2 area and Councillor Ahmed was a member of the LAP 2 Steering Group.

Councillor A. Asad declared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that the report contained recommendations relating to the Authority’s youth service provision in Local Area Partnership 4 area, Bishop Challoner School was a youth service provider in LAP 4, and Councillor Asad currently received remuneration from Bishop Challoner School in relation to its Youth Service provision.

Councillor M Francisdeclared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that the report referred to Old Ford Housing Association and Councillor Francis was an independent member of the governing body of Old Ford Housing Association.

Councillor L Rahman declared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that the report contained recommendations relating to the Spitalfields and Banglatown area and Councillor Rahman was a Ward member for Spitalfields and Banglatown.

Special circumstances and reasons for urgency Agreed.

Resolved:

1.      That the allocation of additional funding for the youth service, set out in the body of the report, be agreed in principle and that it be noted that a further report setting out the detailed allocations of additional funding, including specified outputs and expected outcomes, will be submitted for Cabinet consideration in October 2008;

2.      That the options for the Osmani Centre be noted; and it be agreed that a detailed options appraisal is commissioned at a cost of not more than £139,000, to be funded from Local Public Services Agreement Reward Grant as set out at paragraph 6.8.4 of the report (CAB 038/089);

3.      That up to £3.3million from the Local Priorities Programme be earmarked for works to the Osmani Centre subject to the outcome of the options appraisal, referred to at resolution 2. above, and further consideration of this matter by Cabinet in late 2008;

4.      That the priority to go forward as an application to the Department of Children Schools and Families (DCSF) myplace fund for building a world class facility accessible to all young people in the borough should be on the Haileybury/Dame Colet House site;

5.      That it be noted that a successful myplace application could require that the Haileybury Centre and the adjoining Dame Colet House be removed from its “surplus” status and from inclusion in the Ocean New Deal for Communities plans for site clearance and revert to educational use; and

6.      That the issues surrounding the possible re-tendering of the youth service contracts for Local Area Partnerships (LAP s) 1,2 and 3 be noted; and it also be noted that further consideration of this matter will be included in the report submitted to Cabinet in October 2008.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN’S SERVICES (K. COLLINS)

Service Head, Youth and Community Learning,Children’s Services (M. Durkin)

Councillor Rofique U. Ahmed declared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that:

·                    The report contained recommendations relating to the Ocean Estate and referred to the Ocean New Deal for Communities (Ocean NDC) and Councillor Ahmed was a resident in the Ocean NDC area and a representative of the Authority on the Ocean Regeneration Trust.

·                    The report contained recommendations relating to the Authority’s youth service provision in Local Area Partnership 1 area and Councillor Ahmed was a member of the LAP 1 Steering Group.

Councillor A. Asad declared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that the report contained recommendations relating to the Authority’s youth service provision in Local Area Partnership 4 area, Bishop Challoner School was a youth service provider in LAP 4, and Councillor Asad currently received remuneration from Bishop Challoner School in relation to its Youth Service provision.

Councillor M Francisdeclared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that the report referred to Old Ford Housing Association and Councillor Francis was an independent member of the governing body of Old Ford Housing Association.

Councillor L Rahman declared a personal interest in Agenda item 7.1 “Resourcing Tower Hamlets Youth Service”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that the report contained recommendations relating to the Spitalfields and Banglatown area and Councillor Rahman was a Ward member for Spitalfields and Banglatown.

The Chair informed members of the Cabinet that the special circumstances and reasons for urgency associated with the proposals were detailed on the front page of the report. The Cabinet subsequently agreed the special circumstances and reasons for urgency as set out on the front page of the report and also set out below:

·                    The report was unavailable for public inspection within the standard timescales set out in the Authority’s Constitution, because of the detailed discussions that needed to take place with third sector organisations in respect of the ‘myplace’ application process and for each organisation to determine whether they wished to submit an expression of interest. The deadline for applying for ‘myplace’ funding is the 30 September so it is essential that Cabinet consider this matter no later than the 10^th September 2008.

Mr Collins, Corporate Director Children’s Services, at the request of the Chair in introducing the report:

·                    Summarised the salient points contained therein and in particular-

o                    Commented that at its previous meeting the Cabinet had selected a preferred bidder to take forward the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Wave 5 Programme with its large scale investment in the Authority’s School Estate. That the Authority’s young people had in the Summer achieved the best ever A level and GCSE results in Tower Hamlets, including English and Mathematics. The report before the Cabinet proposed further investment in the young people of Tower Hamlets with a view to preparing them for adult life and enabling them to reach their full potential, including further improvement in academic achievement.

o                    Informed the Cabinet that the report addressed the four main elements of the Government “Aiming High Strategy” published earlier in the year: Positive Activities for Young People, Empowerment of Young People, Quality Assurance and Access to attractive Facilities.

o                    Outlined the transformational nature of the proposals set out in the report including:

¨             Investment in the physical infrastructure for youth service provision at the Osmani Youth Centre and prioritising the building of a top quality youth facility on the Haileybury Centre/ Dame Colet site as the Authority’s bid for Government ‘myplace’ funding. Acknowledging that still more was required to improve youth provision infrastructure and indicating the Authority’s intention that these proposals be aligned with the future build of youth facilities under the BSF programme, and also the regeneration activities of the Development and Renewal Directorate with a view to bringing forward schemes through those delivery vehicles.  The development of St Paul’s Way School would for example deliver significantly improved youth and community facilities.

¨             In principle agreement for an uplift in the Authority’s revenue funding of youth provision, to meet the demands created by new infrastructure, and increase the Authority’s reach to young people and in particular target young people in need or with disabilities.

o                   Highlighted that in relation to the retendering of Youth Service Contracts for Local Area Partnerships 1,2 and 3, Officers were continuing to examine a number of issues and seeking guidance from Members; these contracts would only be commissioned once he, as the Chief Officer responsible for the Client side, was confident that the appropriate standard of youth service provision could be delivered by the Contractor side.

·                    Advised that the recommendation contained at paragraph 2.3 of the report contained a typographical error: the further report to Cabinet would take place at the end of the year once the options appraisal had been undertaken and detailed estimates for the required work drawn up.

·                    Addressed the matters raised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, held on 9^th September 2008, in relation to the report; as set out in the tabled sheet of questions and comments presented by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier in the proceedings.

Councillor Hawkins, Lead Member Children’s Services:

·                    Welcomed the proposals set out in the report as the embodiment of the aspirations of the Authority and the Administration in relation to the improvement of opportunities and outcomes for the children and young people of Tower Hamlets. 

·                    Considered that the proposals should be seen in the context of the large and growing young population, the high levels of deprivation and need, but also the ambitious aspirations of the Authority to provide opportunities for these young people to demonstrate their enterprise and fulfil their potential. The latter demonstrated in huge levels of investment in secondary schools through the BSF programme and also the best ever academic results for Tower Hamlets in the Summer.

·                    Commented that the package of proposals aimed to comprehensively improve youth services across the Borough, linked to meeting local need, and also to link agreed capital investment with bids for further funding.  The proposed investment was nothing less than that deserved by the young people of Tower Hamlets and aimed to maximise their opportunities.

·                    The Osmani Centre was well used and loved, but in poor condition. The investment proposed here would result in a fantastic centre for young people, but also much improved community resources.

·                    The Haileybury area was one of great need and the proposals would result in a hub of hubs, and a youth focus at the heart of the Borough, linking provision at nearby schools and enabling partnership with Third Sector organisations such as Barnardo’s, thereby linking youth provision with the wider community.

·                    Commented that there had been several good potential bids for ‘myplace’ funding, and although it was considered the Haileybury/ Dame Colet bid should be prioritised, because it was best placed to secure funding from Governement, the Administration hoped that there would be other opportunities to take some of these other schemes forward.

·                    Informed the Cabinet that a further report in relation to the future revenue funding of Youth Services would be presented to them in October 2008, and would propose further investment in the young people of Tower Hamlets.

·                    Concluded that together the proposals for the funding of the Youth Service would transform the reach and quality of the Council’s offer to its young people and reflected the Administration’s commitment to deliver excellent youth services across the Borough.

A detailed discussion followed, during which the proposals were broadly welcomed; in particular those relating to investment in the Osmani Youth Centre and progression of a ‘myplace’ bid for the Haileybury/ Dame Colet Sceme, and which focused on the following:

·                    The good work and positive activities provided at the Osmani Centre were noted, particularly in the context of the growing young population in the Spitalfields area.  It was also noted that youth provision at the centre would also improve the offer to young people in the wider Bethnal Green, Whitechapel and Weavers area.

·                    Previous Government commitment to more than one ‘myplace’ facility in each Borough and consideration that the Authority should both endeavour to hold the Government to its commitment. It should also prepare a second bid for ‘myplace’ funding so that Tower Hamlets was in a good position to benefit, should the opportunity arise.  The potential of the Parnell Road Centre in Bow was noted in this context. The limited nature of funding available under a second round of bidding for ‘myplace’ funding was also noted.

·                    The need for renewed focus on the needs of the Ocean Estate and the importance of the success of the ‘myplace’ funding bid for the Haileybury/ Dame Colet site to the future success of the Ocean Regeneration Trust was noted.

·                    The central location within the Borough of the proposed hub for youth provision at the Haileybury/ Dame Colet site, together with the indicated intention that this provision be accessible to all young people within the Borough was noted.

·                    Consideration that other schemes, such as that for the Malmesbury Estate and that of Poplar HARCA/ Langdon Park School which had formed the basis of possible ‘my place’ had been of high quality and great merit and should if possible be taken forward another way. The potential for progression through the BSF programme or a further ‘myplace’ bid was noted.

·                    Consideration that a cash injection for LAP based youth provision had been needed for some time and the prospect of this would improve the outcomes for young people and improve the Authority’s position as a performing Council still further.

Mr Collins, Corporate Director Children’s Services, at the request of the Chair, responded to requests for clarification/ assurance, in relation to a number of matters including:-

·                    With reference to Section 15.1 “Risk Management Implications”, final bullet, which advised that the ‘my place’ bid may not be successful given oversubscription to the national scheme and likelihood that assessment would be very competitive: what implications this had for other schemes, such as that from Langdon Park, were the first ‘myplace’ bid successful and also what options would be available to the Council if the Haileybury/ Dame Colet bid were not successful.

·                    Whether previous reports to Cabinet, which appeared to highlight that per capita spend was greatest in the West of the Borough, where it was now proposed that further funds be invested, had been taken into consideration in developing the proposals.

·                    Why Officers were proposing investing in a part of the Borough which had already received support of several million pounds for youth facilities such as the Davenant Centre and Atlee Centre and other significant resources earmarked for the Osmani Centre. 

·                    In the context that Government wanted centres of excellence but that Tower Hamlets was comprised of “villages” and it had been previously recognised that young people in Tower Hamlets liked to stay on their own patch and not travel far for leisure services. Also that Officers highlighted in the report at least 8 other youth centres that needed investment to deliver quality services: had Officers considered drawing up an alternative proposal to invest smaller amounts into each of those centres, should the two centres of excellence not prove viable.

·                    Had Officers considered the equalities impact and the impact on social cohesion in the Borough to invest several million pounds on two centres that were used almost exclusively by the Bangladeshi population in the borough and no significant resources in youth provision for white, Somali and black young people in Tower Hamlets. Why was there no ethnic breakdown of the users of youth service provision in the report, nor any equality impact assessment.

·                    How would the suggested investment of funds into the youth service affect the Council’s current Capital Programme plans.

·                    Whether there was a variance in the quality and take up of services and activities provided by the Osmani Centre.

A short dialogue ensued, following the clarification/ assurance given in relation to the points set out above, which included the following points:-

·                    Insufficient investment had been made in youth services under the previous administration.

·                    The premise that young people would not travel for leisure services and preferred to stay in their own village was unsubstantiated.

·                    Councillors, and Lead Members in particular, were charged with delivering the best services for the whole community and there should be a move away from the thinking of catering for specific elements within that community, as this contributed to the continuation of social division.

·                    Government sponsorship of centres of excellence should not be seen as a development which Tower Hamlets was being forced to adapt to, but rather as an opportunity, to secure huge inward investment in its youth service provision, to be grasped and to be proud of. Continued localised provision or provision for certain groups would underpin existing inequalities and contribute to social division.

The Chair in Moving the recommendations as set out in the report, taking account of the advice of the Corporate Director Children’s Services, summarised that:

·                    Thirty five per cent of the population within the Borough was under the age of 25 years and the proposals contained in the report were an apposite demonstration of the commitment of his administration to that segment of the local community.

·                    The assumption that young people would not travel from different areas to a centre of excellence was not a sound basis for a strategic approach to youth provision.

·                    The proposals within the report were not aimed at providing services in geographical areas, but building opportunities for all the adults of tomorrow by securing welcome inward investment.

and it was:

Resolved:

1.      That the allocation of additional funding for the youth service, set out in the body of the report, be agreed in principle and that it be noted that a further report setting out the detailed allocations of additional funding, including specified outputs and expected outcomes, will be submitted for Cabinet consideration in October 2008;

2.      That the options for the Osmani Centre be noted; and it be agreed that a detailed options appraisal is commissioned at a cost of not more than £139,000, to be funded from Local Public Services Agreement Reward Grant as set out at paragraph 6.8.4 of the report (CAB 038/089);

3.      That up to £3.3million from the Local Priorities Programme be earmarked for works to the Osmani Centre subject to the outcome of the options appraisal, referred to at resolution 2. above, and further consideration of this matter by Cabinet in late 2008;

4.      That the priority to go forward as an application to the Department of Children Schools and Families (DCSF) myplace fund for building a world class facility accessible to all young people in the borough should be on the Haileybury/Dame Colet House site;

5.      That it be noted that a successful myplace application could require that the Haileybury Centre and the adjoining Dame Colet House be removed from its “surplus” status and from inclusion in the Ocean New Deal for Communities plans for site clearance and revert to educational use; and

6.      That the issues surrounding the possible re-tendering of the youth service contracts for Local Area Partnerships (LAP s) 1,2 and 3 be noted; and it also be noted that further consideration of this matter will be included in the report submitted to Cabinet in October 2008.