Issue - meetings

That:

1)        the Merger Model be approved as a template to use in developing the Business Case for the merger with The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) which will lead to Optalis Ltd. delivering all of the Royal Borough’s Adult Social Care Services;

2)        authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive to oversee the detailed business case development and ensure that Wokingham Borough Council’s interests as shareholder are safeguarded;

3)        in the event the business case is acceptable to all parties (WBC, RBWM, Optalis Ltd) to approve commencement of implementation of the business case to enable a ‘go-live’ target for the merged company of April 2017;

4)        the Leader and Chief Executive report back to Executive in January and March, updating on progress, and before then in the event matters arise in the business case requiring Executive attention.

(Councillor Anthony Pollock declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item)

The Executive considered a report setting out a proposal to expand Optalis, including a merger with The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), which could lead to Optalis delivering all of RBWM’s Adult Social Care Services.

Following a query by the Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing the Leader of Council confirmed that he and the Chief Executive would only sign-off the proposal once they were completely satisfied with the business case from both sides.

Councillor Haitham Taylor asked if consideration had been given to widening the membership of the proposed Company Board to include stakeholders eg service users and social workers.  Councillor McGhee-Sumer confirmed that although there was a proposed composition of the Board the intention was to get the Board set up and then give further consideration to the membership of it.

RESOLVED that:

1)        the Merger Model be approved as a template to use in developing the Business Case for the merger with The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) which will lead to Optalis Ltd. delivering all of the Royal Borough’s Adult Social Care Services;

2)        authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive to oversee the detailed business case development and ensure that Wokingham Borough Council’s interests as shareholder are safeguarded;

3)        in the event the business case is acceptable to all parties (WBC, RBWM, Optalis Ltd) to approve commencement of implementation of the business case to enable a ‘go-live’ target for the merged company of April 2017;

4)        the Leader and Chief Executive report back to Executive in January and March, updating on progress, and before then in the event matters arise in the business case requiring Executive attention.