CQ223 - 11 from Councillor Donna Gray

CSCS

How many jobs (full and part-time persons - voluntary severance, retirement etc. included) in total will have been lost from the payroll of Croydon Council at the 31st March 2011 since the 31st March 2010 and how many of those were jobs (persons) lost from the department for Health and Adult Social Care?

The information requested is shown in the table below.

Reason For Leaving 2010/11 DASH Council-wide Full- Part- time time Full-time Part-time Redundancies Redundancy 7 4 30 48 Redundancy - Compulsory 1 2 Redundancy - Voluntary 8 3 80 50 Retirement - Redundancy 4 0 Retirement - 85 year Retirements rule 1 0 1 Retirement - Age 10 9 32 27 Retirement - Early 5 0 Retirement - Ill Health 2 3 Total 25 17 154 131

CQ227 - 11 from Councillor Gerry Ryan

CSCS

Can the Cabinet Member give full details including costs and terms of all known voluntary and compulsory redundancies in the next 18 months?

It is not possible to provide accurate details of the number of redundancies over the next 18 months. The consultation process associated with redundancy exercises often leads to the initial proposals changing, sometimes to the extent that redundancies are avoided all together. The Council is currently consulting staff and the trade unions over a number of reorganisation proposals in which some 197 redundancies are being contemplated for the period April and November 2011.

Redundancy costs are determined by employees’ individual circumstances including their age, length of service, earning and whether or not they are in the pension scheme. As mentioned above, the proposals are the subject of ongoing consultation and individuals to be made redundant have yet to be identified. Until this has happened it is not possible to provide details of the redundancy costs.

CQ242 - 11 from Councillor John Wentworth

CSCS

Would the Cabinet Member responsible for Arts and Culture please give details of the budget allocated to Club Soda (club for people with learning disabilities) 2010/11 and 2011/12 and where will this club be ‘housed’ after the David Lean Theatre is closed?

The budget for the arts participation programme at the Clocktower, including the renowned Club Soda, was £25,000 in 2010/11 and is retained at that level in 2011/12. Staff have successfully secured around £60,000 additional funding annually for the past two years and will continue with fundraising efforts to support this programme of work.

Following the closure of Clocktower Arts and the David Lean Cinema in April 2011, arrangements are yet to be finalised for the future housing of Club Soda. Initially, its weekly workshops and termly performances will continue to take place at the Clocktower while alternative provision is investigated.

CQ243 - 11 from Councillor Carole Bonner

CSCS

Will the Cabinet Member confirm the plans for New Addington Library over the short, medium and long term? Will she further advise whether the proposal to move the library from its present location into the CALAT Centre is being actively pursued and if that is the case will she confirm when details will be available to library staff and local Councillors of the space that will be available so that any necessary representations can be made in good time?

I am happy to confirm that the plans for the relocation of New Addington Library to the CALAT building are proceeding. These are at an early stage therefore it is not possible at this point to provide a timescale for the programme.

I would like to reassure Councillor Bonner that full consultation will take place with the community of New Addington, local Councillors and the library staff on the proposals and time for this consultation will be built in to the project plan when it is developed.

CQ244 - 11 from Councillor Maggie Mansell

CSCS

Please advise what criteria will be used to decide the fate of district libraries. What do communities have to do before July?

A ‘Libraries Proposals’ report will be presented to Cabinet on 11 July 2011 where a decision will be made. The proposals and decision will be based upon the quantitative and qualitative findings of the consultation, the subsequent options analysis and the Council’s current financial position.

CQ245 - 11 from Councillor Wayne Lawlor

CSCS

In reply to CQ168-11, the Cabinet Member has not given any financial information, which had been requested. To be considering the use of volunteer staff, I would hope that she has some idea of the cost implications, even if it is just a projection. She mentions following ‘best practice’ on the ‘greater use’ of volunteers. Can she name the organisations that she refers to that ‘specialise in volunteer recruitment’? To the best of my knowledge, we do not have volunteers staffing our libraries, particularly given child protection issues, so could she explain what she means when she says following ‘best practice’ in this area?

I cannot provide financial information on the costs of using volunteers at this point in time. Should a recommendation to use volunteers be proposed a detailed cost benefit analysis will form part of the recommendation.

Many organisations are involved in the recruitment of volunteers. For example borough based volunteer bureau which exist across London and other umbrella volunteer organisations such as Volunteering England, VInspired and the WRVS.

Through their extensive experience these organisations have developed best practice models on the recruitment, training and management of volunteers and on running volunteer programmes.

CQ246 - 11 from Councillor Wayne Lawlor

CSCS

In reply to CQ200-11, I thank the Cabinet Member for her reply, but would ask that she clarifies the cost of officers’ time, and gives a financial cost for the 200 hours that she mentions, as well as a full breakdown as to where the 200 hours comes from ie departments and grades of officers.

The 200 hours work was undertaken by the Community Services Department by officers at Grade 11. The cost of this was £5400

CQ251 - 11 from Councillor Humayun Kabir

CSCS

The decision taken to cut the Clocktower arts participation activities for young people, people with learning disabilities, refugees and schools resulted in a reprieve for Club Soda (club for people with learning disabilities) but would the Cabinet Member give details of what help, if any, has been given to the two valued groups which were cut, Ignite (club run by and for young people) and Perpanata (theatre group for young refugees)?

The Council is proposing to retain staffing from the Arts Team to deliver Club Soda. Where possible, this staff role will continue to deliver arts participation work with young people. The proposal is currently subject to formal staff and union consultation, with the aim of a final decision in June 2011. However, given restrictions on capacity and budget, it is not proposed that the Perpanata Theatre for young refugees is retained.

CQ290 - 11 from Councillor Timothy Godfrey

CSCS

Currently The London Living Wage is £7.85 per hour. Does the Council have a policy on the London Living Wage? If so, does this policy apply to all employees of contractors?

The Council does not have a policy to apply the London Living Wage, either to directly employed staff or contractors. The lowest spinal point in Croydon’s pay and grading structure is £14,814 p.a. which equates to an hourly rate of £7.96. The Council’s pay records do not show any Council employee, with the exception of apprentices, receiving a pay lower than the London Living Wage. All employees receive pay in excess of the national minimum wage.

CQ291 - 11 from Councillor Timothy Godfrey

CSCS

What are the confirmed staffing arrangements (FTE by service) for the Croydon Clocktower (arts programme), Croydon Museum and Local Studies library?

Staffing arrangements for the retained services in Arts & Heritage are not yet confirmed. Formal consultation with staff and trade unions began on 10 March and runs for 90 days. It is envisaged that around 6.5 full-time equivalent posts will be retained, but this number and specific posts are subject to the consultation.

CQ292 - 11 from Councillor Timothy Godfrey

CSCS

The Council will be handed monies back by London Councils’ Grants Committee this year, including monies that had been contracted to support the Warehouse Theatre till 31 October 2012. Will the Council be honouring this contracted support? What support is the Council considering giving to the Warehouse Theatre?

Following judicial review, heard in the High Court, London Councils withdrew the previous notification to all currently funded organisations of the decisions on their future funding and gave a commitment to continue commissions pending their reconsideration (unless those commissions were due to expire or London Councils considered that the service was not being delivered in line with the specification or if an organisation wished to terminate the commission early).

It is anticipated that London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee will reconsider its decisions on the categorisation and future funding of grant-supported activities at its meeting on 10 May 2011, in doing so it will reflect the agreed principles and priorities for the Grants Scheme.