Slm Contract Review: Report of the Chairman of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee

AGENDA ITEM 7

BOROUGH OF POOLE

CABINET

14 APRIL 2009

SLM CONTRACT REVIEW: REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

1. PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To report the conclusions and recommendations of the SLM Contract Review Working Party.

2. DECISIONS REQUIRED.

2.1 That Cabinet be requested to adopt the recommendations of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee as follows:-

(i) The input by all those involved in the SLM Contract Review process be acknowledged with thanks.

(ii) After scrutinising the SLM Partnership it is noted that the objectives of the Council have been achieved in that substantial improvements to the three Leisure Centres, costing around £1.3Million have been successfully completed in accordance with the Contract between SLM and the Council and it is hoped that these and further ongoing improvements will see the three Leisure Centres going from strength to strength for the benefit of Members, Users and User Groups and Ashdown Technical College and Rossmore Community College.

(iii) It is noted that other issues were looked at as part of the Review. The following should be pursued:-

(i) the public changing rooms and showers at the Dolphin Pool need to be upgraded to a standard similar to the Members Changing Rooms to further encourage use;

(ii) the Working Party noted that there were issues between SLM and Rossmore Community College and Ashdown Technical College on the use of certain facilities and that vandalism continues to be a problem. Urgent steps need to be made to ensure better relationships and clarity of roles especially with regard to who deals with litter problems at both Ashdown and Rossmore Leisure Centre (outside space). The Joint Use Agreements between all Parties need to be updated so that they are fit for purpose as a result of the SLM Contract;

(iii) Officers and SLM be asked to give consideration to the improvements of the outside space at Dolphin Pool to make this space more welcoming and to encourage usage of the Dolphin Pool with its high standard of facilities and that consideration should be given to “branding” at Ashdown Leisure Centre which requires street recognition in view of its secluded location;

(iv) SLM and Officers be mindful of the aspirations of User Groups particularly with regard to the Outdoor facilities at Ashdown Leisure Centre (Hockey and Track);

(v) Officers and SLM be asked to seriously consider the needs of people with disabilities who may wish to use the facilities at the three Leisure Centres and that more information and courses are widely publicised in the Community;

(vi) The Headteacher of Ashdown Technical College be asked to urgently take steps to ensure the immediate and continued access by people with disabilities to the Leisure Centre through the school building, especially near the lift;

(vii) The Working Party noted the success of the Access to Leisure and Learning Scheme and the recent improvements to the Scheme agreed by Cabinet and it is hoped that this will see a further increase in usage at the three Leisure Centres;

(viii) Officers and SLM be asked to give consideration to additional ways of promoting the three Leisure Centres with special emphasis to providing courses/facilities for Older People and that the Older People’s Strategy Group, Community Lunches and Poole News be used to promote and encourage use of the Centres by Older People; and

(ix) SLM be encouraged to continue to improve on-line booking systems and that SMART cards and other technologies be introduced to make this process easier in the future and to include publicising the benefits of becoming a Member.

3. BACKGROUND/INFORMATION

3.1 I chaired the Meeting of the Environment and Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 26th February 2009 (Minutes available on the Borough of Poole website) which considered the Recommendations of the SLM Contract Review Working Party which had been set up to carry out a Scrutiny of the Contract.

3.2 It was agreed by the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee that the Scrutiny should address whether the Contract process had met the Council’s original objectives and to make any appropriate Recommendations arising from the Review of the Contract.

3.3 The Working Party comprised three Members – Councillor Chandler (Chairman), Councillors Mrs Lavender and Mrs Moore which met on a number of occasions and decided that the Review should be conducted by:-

· Visiting the three Leisure Centres

· Consulting with User Groups

· Enlisting the help of Poole Youth Forum to obtain their perspective on the improvements

· receiving evidence from:-

(i) the Head of Leisure Services

(ii) the Portfolio Holder for Strengthening our Communities

(iii) The Management of SLM

(iv) Headteachers of Rossmore Community College and Ashdown Technical College

(v) The Chairman of Ashdown Community Use Management Committee and Rossmore Community Use Management Committee

(vi) recently undertaken 2008 survey information by Poole Opinion Panel

(vii) The 2006 Best Value Performance Indicator Survey results

(viii) Access to Leisure and Learning Survey information

3.4 At the end of the review, the Working Party felt that the objectives of the Council had been met as tangible and well supported improvements amounting to £1.3M which had been carried out to the three Leisure Centres namely:-

· Dolphin Pool

- Major improvements to the fitness suite with state of the art equipment

- New studio on the first floor

- Extensive refurbishment of members’ changing rooms bringing them up to the standards of a Private Club

- Structural works to the Pool and Diving Boards

- Refurbishment of the Foyer

· Ashdown Leisure Centre

- Refurbishment of the Foyer

- Creation of new studio on the ground floor

- New Fitness suite created on first floor with state of the art equipment

- High specification changing facilities for Members

· Rossmore Leisure Centre

- Refurbishment to Foyer and Fitness Suite

- New floor to Sports Hall

- Work currently being carried out in Parallel Bar to create a new Studio

- Ongoing replacement of Trampoline equipment (£20,000 per annum)

3.5 The Review found that the Partnership working had removed the need for large Capital Investments and the risk of not making that Investment was service failure and the prospect of Leisure Centres closing due to declining customer use and income. The Council’s financial liability had been limited by transferring a large part of the property maintenance risk to SLM (estimated to be £3M). Liability was now largely limited to the Service Contract payments made to SLM (£450,000 for 2008/09).

3.6 Members of the SLM Contract Review Working Party had found the process to be an interesting and worthwhile Scrutiny and I would like to thank Members of the Working Party for their valuable input throughout.

3.7 For ease of reference all reports submitted to the Meeting may be found on the Borough of Poole website.

3.8 I would urge Cabinet to accept the Recommendations of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee set out above.

Councillor John Rampton

Chairman of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee

BOROUGH OF POOLE

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

26TH FEBRUARY 2009

SLM CONTRACT REVIEW

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To report the conclusions and recommendations of the SLM Contract Review Working Party.

2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 The input by all those involved in the SLM Contract Review process be acknowledged with thanks.

2.2 The SLM Contract Review Working Party, after scrutinising the SLM Partnership is of the opinion that the objectives of the Council have been achieved in that substantial improvements to the three Leisure Centres, costing around £1.3Million have been successfully completed in accordance with the contract between SLM and the Council and it is hoped that these and further ongoing improvements will see the three Leisure Centres going from strength to strength for the benefit of Members, Users and User Groups and Ashdown Technical College and Rossmore Community College.

2.3 As part of the Review, the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee asked the Working Party to look at other issues and after considering these, the following are recommended:-

(i) the public changing rooms and showers at the Dolphin Pool need to be upgraded to a standard similar to the Members Changing Rooms to further encourage use;

(ii) the Working Party has noted that there are issues between SLM and Rossmore Community College and Ashdown Technical College on the use of certain facilities and that vandalism continues to be a problem. Urgent steps need to be made to ensure better relationships and clarity of roles especially with regard to who deals with litter problems at both Ashdown and Rossmore Leisure Centre (outside space). The Joint Use Agreements between all Parties need to be updated so that they are fit for purpose as a result of the SLM Contract;

(iv) SLM and Officers be mindful of the aspirations of User Groups particularly with regard to the Outdoor facilities at Ashdown Leisure Centre (Hockey and Track);

(vii) The Working Party has noted the success of the Access to Leisure and Learning Scheme and the recent improvements to the Scheme agreed by Cabinet and it is hoped that this will see a further increase in usage at the three Leisure Centres;

3.0 BACKGROUND/INFORMATION

3.1 The Council entered into a 10 year contract with Sports and Leisure Management Limited (SLM) in 2006 for the Management and Improvement of the 3 Leisure Centres at Dolphin Pool, Rossmore and Ashdown. The overall aim of working with an external Partner was to “improve Poole’s Leisure Centres”. Since then £1.3M has been invested in the Centres.

3.2 The main objective of the Partnership working with SLM was “to improve Poole’s Leisure Centres”. It was also to:-

· Save, improve and develop Poole’s Leisure Centres

· More people using Poole’s Leisure Centres more often

· Draw on the expertise of the private sector

· Developing constrains and minimise financial risk

· Expand the range of activities on offer

3.3 At the Environment and Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17th July 2008 it was agreed to establish a Working Party to carry out a Scrutiny of the SLM Contract reporting back to the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee in due course. It was agreed that the Scrutiny should address whether the Contract process had met the Council’s original objectives and to make any appropriate Recommendations arising from the Review of the Contract.

3.4 The Working Party comprised 3 Members – Councillor Chandler (Chairman), Councillors Mrs Lavender and Mrs Moore which met on a number of occasions and decided that the Review should be conducted by:-

· Visiting the three Leisure Centres

· Consulting with User Groups

· Enlisting the help of Poole Youth Forum to obtain their perspective on the improvements

· receiving evidence from:-

(ix) the Head of Leisure Services

(x) the Portfolio Holder for Strengthening our Communities

(xi) Management of SLM

(xii) Headteachers of Rossmore Community College and Ashdown Technical College

(xiii) the Chairman of Ashdown Community Use Management Committee and Rossmore Community Use Management Committee

(xiv) recently undertaken 2008 survey by Poole Opinion Panel

(xv) the 2006 Best Value Performance Indicator Survey results

(xvi) Access to Leisure and learning survey information

4. ISSUES IDENTIFIED

4.1 During consideration of the SLM Contract Review the Working Party became aware of various issues, which, whilst not connected to whether the Council’s objectives had been met, were relevant to the continuation of the success achieved by the Partnership working and could, if taken on board, improve the Leisure Centres further for both users and visitors and could increase the number of people using the facilities.

4.2 It also became clear during the process that in addition to the above, there were issues between Ashdown Technical College and Rossmore Community College and SLM which were having an effect on both relationships and the success or otherwise of the Leisure Centres and the use of the facilities by the Colleges.

4.3 The main issues which were identified by the Working Party were:-

· Could the changing rooms be upgraded?

· Were the working arrangements between Ashdown Technical College and Rossmore Community College fit for purpose today?

· User Group aspirations – had these been met through the Partnership working?

· Would Access to Leisure and Learning encourage more use?

· The Dolphin and Ashdown outside space was not very welcoming

· Non-use by Older People

· 52% of those respondents to Poole Opinion Panel who never visited were “not interested” – how could this be turned round?

· Had the financial risk for the Council been minimised?

· Value for money – had the £1.3M been well spent?

· How could visitor numbers be increased?

· Did SLM do enough for wheelchair users or people with sight/hearing problems and what facilities were available and were they publicised?