Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Area Leader – South East Leeds

Presentation 5 Minutes/Discussion 5 Minutes – Executive Function

Presenting Officer: Aretha Hanson

The report of the Area Leader – South East Leeds, reminded Members of the garden maintenance scheme delivered by Morley Elderly Action.  The previously agreed 3 year scheme had finished in 2011/12 and an evaluation report had been presented to the Area Committee in October 2012.  Subsequent to this, the Area Leader was requested to investigate alternative schemes for comparability and provide the Area Committee with options for consideration for the following financial year.  The report contained details of gardening schemes provided elsewhere along with different service delivery options from Morley Elderly Action.

Aretha Hanson, Area Management Officer presented the report.

In response to Members comments and questions, the following issues were discussed:

·  Further to comments on the Swarcliffe Gardening Scheme which was funded by the East Outer Area Committee, it was reported that it had been very difficult to provide comparative information, particularly on value for money, due to the differing nature of the schemes but the report aimed to give a broader view on other schemes.

·  Morley Elderly Action would have a reduced management fee from the previous scheme which would allow more funds to be available to provide for gardening services.

Members’ attention was brought to the options for service delivery as provided by Morley Elderly Action.  A proposal was made to take Option One for a period of three years which would retain the current client subsidy and deliver a total of 4,375 hours gardening.  Six Members voted in favour of this option.  A further proposal was made to take Option Three for one year.  This would provide a free hour to new and existing customers, retain the current client subsidy and deliver a total of 3,062 hours gardening.  Six Members voted in favour of this option, including the Chair with the casting vote.  At this stage of the meeting further information was provided by Morley Elderly Action which included the following:

·  Option three and other options that included free hours or a change in the client subsidy would make it difficult to take on new clients due to the reduced hours of provision and funding would be likely to run out in September.

·  Options that reduced the gardening hours would mean that services would not be available to all that requested them and would result in the introduction of a waiting list.

Further issues discussed included the following:

·  The management fee covered stationery, postage and other running costs.

·  Concern that options which reduced the payments to gardeners would not be feasible.

·  Breakdown of funding allocated would be £11,000 to Morley Elderly Action Staff costs, £4,000 for the management fee and £17,000 thousand for gardening services.  There would be no additional cost than in previous years.

·  3,900 hours of gardening provision had been carried out in the previous year.

Having considered all of the information detailed within the submitted report, together with the further detail that had been provided during the course of the meeting, a proposal was made to take Option One as detailed within the report for a period of three years which would retain the current client subsidy and deliver a total of 4,375 hours gardening. 

RESOLVED – That Option One as outlined in Appendix 2 of the report be approved for a period of three years, subject to the Area Committee being allocated the necessary funding in future years.