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a) to note the completion of the
Careline/Helpline transfer on 7 August 2025 and the implementation
therefore of the Cabinet’s 21 February 2025 resolution in
respect of the future of the Council’s Careline
service;
b) to note that on 24 September 2025 the Corporate Director –
Operations and Delivery, in accordance with the Property Dealing
Procedure, agreed and entered into a Licence agreement with Amphora
Trading Limited for the use of accommodation at Barnes House on the
terms set out in the Licence Agreement (as attached at Appendix 1
to the report);
c) to agree additional time to 31 October 2025 for the finalisation
of the three remaining legal agreements relating the
Careline/Helpline transfer comprising the Service Transfer
Agreement, Services Agreement and Data Sharing Agreement and for
the Corporate Director – Planning and Community to use best
endeavours to conclude this matter as early as possible within the
additional agreed time; and
d) to agree final factual adjustments to the ‘Breakdown of
projected budgetary implications’ to mainly reflect known
costs in respect of CCTV monitoring infrastructure/ licenses and
external legal fees (as detailed in this report) and for the
Corporate Director – Planning and Community to proceed to
administer and monitor that expenditure (set out in Appendix 1 to
the report) as necessary.

Reasons for the decision

To record (through parts a) and b) of the
decision) implementation of the Cabinet’s 21 February 2025
decision in respect of the future of the Careline service and the
entering into of a licence agreement with Amphora for the use of
Barnes House, but to grant (under part c) of the decision)
additional time for the finalisation of the three remaining legal
agreements for the Careline/Helpline transfer – having not
been possible to finalise those agreements within the original
six-week period post-transfer agreed by the Portfolio Holder for
Partnerships under part d) of her 23 July 2025 resolution.
The proposed additional period to 31 October 2025 represents a
timescale within which it is considered likely that the agreements
will be finalised and within which the interim technical
arrangements described in this report are expected to have come to
an end.
Part e) of the Portfolio Holder’s 23 July resolution was to
agree to expenditure from the agreed £0.746 one-off
implementation budget and authorise the Corporate Director –
Planning and Community to administer and monitor that expenditure
as necessary. Part d) of this decision is to seek agreement for a
final adjusted position on projected expenditure that responds to
the known costs around CCTV monitoring infrastructure and legal
support.

Alternative options considered

Recommendations a) and b) of the report
provide a factual update in respect of the Careline/Helpline
transfer completing on 7 August 2025 and the Barmes House licence
agreement being formally entered into on 24 September 2025; for
which there are no alternative options for consideration.
Part c) grants an additional period of six-weeks for the
finalisation of the three relevant legal agreements to 31 October
2025. This represents a period of time within which it is
considered likely that the agreements will be finalised and within
which the interim technical arrangements described in the report
are expected to have come to an end. The alternative of a longer
timescale is not considered necessary given the nature of the
outstanding matters which are of a minor legal and technical nature
and which, at the time of writing, are understood to have been
addressed in principle. A shorter timescale would increase the risk
that a further extension of time might be required if, for whatever
reason, those matters have still not been finalised and
resolved.
Part c) relates to factual adjustments to the projected breakdown
of expenditure mainly to reflect known costs in relation to CCTV
monitoring infrastructure/licenses and external legal fees. To not
make these adjustments would leave the Council with an inaccurate
picture in respect of the projected budgetary position and one that
does not reflect up to date information.