Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on progress, following the Executive meeting on 9^th February 2017 and the decision to approve the creation of a shared Health & Safety Service.  Both North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council have agreed to create a shared organisation for the delivery of health and safety services to the two councils under a shared service agreement.

Resolved:      (a)       That progress on the establishment of the shared Health & Safety Service be noted.

                        (b)       That Option A, a mechanism of sharing any additional income/losses generated by the shared service based on the percentage of investment into the service, be approved.

                        (c)        That, subject to legal advice from both councils, the final legal agreement be taken to a public meeting for publication in the public domain.

Reason:         To ensure that the Executive Member and residents are assured that future Health & Safety services are resilient and related financial agreements are robust and transparent.

The Executive Member considered a report which provided an update on progress in relation to the creation of a shared organisation for the delivery of health and safety services to North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council under a shared service agreement.

The Assistant Director, Customer and Digital Services, and the Shared Head of Health and Safety presented the report which they confirmed was a final report and not a final draft report as stated in the agenda papers. They explained the arrangements which were currently being put in place in relation to staff TUPE transfer, shared service arrangements, arrangements for support services and governance arrangements. They advised that the arrangements would be subject to regular monitoring by a client officer group comprising nominated chief officers from each council and that bi-annual updates relating to performance of the shared service would be provided to the Executive Member for Environment. Officers responded to questions raised by the Executive Member during discussion.

Officers advised that the final legal agreement had been drafted and was currently being reviewed. The Executive Member requested that the final legal agreement be taken to a public meeting for publication in the public domain and officers agreed to seek legal advice from both councils in relation to this.

As delegated by the Executive, the Executive Member considered three options set out in the report at paragraphs 7 and 13 for how any income generated by the organisation could be shared between the two councils. Officers advised that their recommended option, at least for the first year, was option a), a mechanism of sharing any additional income generated by the shared service based on the percentage of investment into the service.

The Executive Member agreed that the proposed arrangements provided the opportunity to maintain continuity of service for what was a crucial service for both councils. He agreed that option a) was the most suitable but asked that the resolution referred to “losses” as well as “income”. It was acknowledged that the income sharing agreement could be reviewed in the future and changed if it appeared that the mechanism was not working properly for one or both councils.

Resolved:  (a)     That progress on the establishment of the shared Health & Safety Service be noted.

                   (b)     That Option A, a mechanism of sharing any additional income/losses generated by the shared service based on the percentage of investment into the service, be approved.

                   (c)     That, subject to legal advice from both councils, the final legal agreement be taken to a public meeting for publication in the public domain.

Reason:     To ensure that the Executive Member and residents are assured that future Health & Safety services are resilient and related financial agreements are robust and transparent.