Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Corporate Technology & Innovation Programme – Digitisation of Cremation & Burial Records & Plans - RELEASE NO: 1
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II Ext: 0693 DDI: 01895 250693 CMD No: 754 To: COUNCILLOR MARTIN GODDARD CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE COUNCILLOR EDDIE LAVERY CABINET MEMBER FOR RESIDENTS’ SERVICES COUNCILLOR DOUGLAS MILLS CABINET MEMBER FOR CORPORATE SERVICES c.c. All Members of th e Residents’ Services Select Committee Harjeet Sohal – Central Services Directorate c.c. Dan Kennedy – Corporate Director for Central Services Date: 30 March 2023 Non-Key Decision request Form D CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (MARCH 2023) DEPARTMENT: CENTRAL SERVICES SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Corporate Technology & Innovation Programme RELEASE NO: 1 – Digitisation of Cremation, Burial Records & Plans Dear Cabinet Member Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply. You should take a decision on or after Tuesday 11 April 2023 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied, and return it to me when you have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Steve Clarke Democratic Services Officer Title of Report: Corporate Technology & Innovation Programme - RELEASE NO: 1 - Digitisation of Cremation, Burial Records & Plans Decision made: Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report) Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report) Signed ……………………………………………………… Date……………………. Cabinet Member for Finance / Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services / Cabinet Member for Corporate Services Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 1 Part 1 - Public CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (MARCH 2023) DEPARTMENT: CENTRAL SERVICES SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Corporate Technology & Innovation Programme RELEASE NO: 1 – Digitisation of Cremation, Burial Records & Plans Cabinet Members Councillor Martin Goddard Councillor Douglas Mills Councillor Eddie Lavery Cabinet Portfolios Cabinet Member for Finance Member for Corporate Services Member for Residents’ Services Officer Contact Harjeet Sohal – Central Services Directorate Papers with report Appendix A with capital release requests for approval HEADLINES Summary To seek Cabinet Member approval for the release of capital funds for digitisation of cremation and burial records and plans on BACAS (Burial and Cremation Administration System) from Clear Skies Software Ltd. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents. This report supports our commitments to residents of: A Digital-Enabled, Modern, Well-Run Council. Financial Cost This report seeks the release of £ 41k from the 2023/24 Corporate Technology & Innovation budget for the Digitisation of Cremation and Burial Records and Plans on BACAS. The works will commence upon release of the funds and are due for completion by December 2023. Relevant Select Committee Residents’ Services Relevant Ward(s) All Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 2 Part 1 - Public RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet Member for Financ e, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services: 1. Agree to awarding the contract to Clear Skies for the Digitisation of the maps and plans for Bereavement Service at the cost of £35,770; and, 2. A gree to the capital release request of £41,136 from the 202 3/24 Corporate Technology & Innovation programme budget for the Digitisation of Cremation and Burial Records and Plans on BACAS (Burial and Cremation Administration System) - Appendix A Reasons for recommendation The Bereavement Team is based at the Breakspear Office in Ruislip , they use the Burial and Cremation Administration System (BACAS) to manage booking of cremations and burials for the following Hillingdon cemeteries: 1. Northwood 2. Hillingdon/Uxbridge 3. Cherry Lane 4. Harmondsworth 5. West Drayton. Current grave records are more th an one hundred years old, and plans are managed using cardboard and paper, making it extremely difficult to find a location of a grave, especially when families are trying to locate or trace a grave of their ancestors. The Bereavement Team also have 180 burial record books which go back almost one hundred years. T hese record books have entries of everyone buried in the above- named cemeteries. Using Burial Registers was a statutory requirement at one stage, however with the digital technology evolving this is now less perceived by the Ministry of Justice . Not everyone that is registered on the Burial register has an account on BACAS , therefore it is crucial that these records are scanned and stored electronically, making it secure and reliable. The service is seeking to digitise the grave maps by creating digital maps and linking th ese to individual BACAS records and scanning of the 180 burial record books so that all the information can be held electronically. Alternative options considered Do Nothing This option is not recommended as the Cemeteries records will continue to exist in physical paper format, which could impose future threats on files being lost in an event of fire, flood or due to Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 3 Part 1 - Public decomposition. The Cemeteries maps would also continue to exist on scraps of cardboard, with no digital maps in place - making it difficult to identify grave locations. Tender for a new Bereavement Management System Tendering for a new Cemeteries Management solution, will replace the current Bereavement software, however, additional factors will need to be considered, such as data migration costs, process mapping costs, Project Manager costs and the cost of training staff and Funeral Directors on the new system. Additionally, a portal will also have to be procured in order for the Funeral Directors to make Cremation bookings. This option would require significant funding to replace the incumbent solution. Indicative costs to implement a solution from an alternative specialist supplier in Cemeteries management were acquired from the Digital Marketplace, however the costs were significantly more than the current supplier - Clear Skies offering. Select Committee comments None at this stage. SUPPORTING INFORMATION The recommended contract will innovate, automate and transform service s offered by the Bereavement Team by enabling them to store information electronically and allowing Residents and other members of the public to download maps and connect to GPS systems that the public can access and use to find the location of a grave/memorial. Awarding the contract to Clear Skies for the Digitisation of the maps and plans would benefit the Bereavement Service as follows: • Staff will have easy access to grave locations within the BACAS solution with dedicated functionality for this. • The grave number and details of the first person buried in a grave would be accessible from the map. • The mapping system can highlight any graves that have met certain criteria/alerts (such as unpurchased graves and graves that have failed a risk assessment). • Ability to download the maps and connect to GPS systems that the public can access and use to find the location of a grave/memorial. • Save time looking up information in physical registers and improved access to records for cemetery staff, by having a searchable digital version. Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 4 Part 1 - Public • Maps can be produced to display the location of all graves or memorials within a cemetery and be displayed at the entrances to each (and throughout the grounds of larger cemeteries). Breakdown of cost: Details One-off Capital Costs Revenue Costs Mapping Cost based on Ordinance Survey data £20,325 - Mapping Software Licence £2,200 - Scanning of maps £900 - Project Management £2,000 - Site Visits – to take reference positions and section outlines £600 per day – estimated 5 days £3,000 Additional Ongoing Support – Bundled with Clear Skies Support £500 per annum* Scanning of 180 Burial Records £7,272 - Collection & Delivery of Records £73 TOTAL £35,770 £500 The capital budget cost plan is provided below: Description Amount Implementation 35,770 Internal Fees 3,577 Contingency 1,789 Total £41,136 Financial Implications Corporate Technology & Innovation Programme 2023 /24 Budget £ 1,540k, Previously Released Nil, Capital Release Requested £41k – Appendix A The 2023/24 Capital Programme, approved by Cabinet and Council in February 2023, included a budget of £1,540k for the Corporate Technology & Innovation budget funded from Council resources. Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 5 Part 1 - Public The report seeks the capital release of £41k from the Corporate Technology & Innovation budget for the digitisation of the cremation and burial records & plans. The cost plan is based on tendered costs and includes internal fees and contingency of 10% and 5% respectively of tendered costs. The project will incur annual recurring revenue costs of £500 which includes ongoing support. The remaining £1,499k of the Corporate Technology & Innovation 2023/24 budget is subject to the capital release process. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon residents, service users and communities The proposed configuration work will enable the business area to store digitised maps on the BACAS system and link the graves to the records within BACAS. Doing so, will future proof the Service Area, as well as preserving the records held for anyone buried in Hillingdon. It will also remove manual handling of Cemeteries maps and allow the public /residents to easily find the graves of their loved ones, using the static maps that would be placed at each Cemetery and the digitised maps that they can download or connect to via GPS. Additionally, as the Cemeteries are large and have very old records, finding ancestral records can be an arduous process when trawling through paper records, once the burial books are scanned, staff will be able to search for records electronically and provide information to residents efficiently as and when required. Consultation carried out or required Consultation not required. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate finance concurs with the financial implications above, noting that the cremations and burials system will be funded from the 2023 /24 Corporate Technology and Innovation budget, financed by Council resources. Legal The Borough Solicitor confirms that the Council is responsible for carrying out this function pursuant to Section 214 of the Local Government Act 1972. Thus there are no legal impediments to the capital release being authorised, although any contract that is entered into must comply with the Council's Procurement and Contract Standing Orders. Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 6 Part 1 - Public Capital Release Protocol The release of all capital funds, and certain revenue funds, held by the Council is to be made by a formal democratic decision. No expenditure can be placed or committed by officers until this formal approval is given by Democratic Services. Release of funds must be for identified projects only and strictly not for the general release of funds for projects to be identified at a later date. No block releases of capital or funding will be allowed, except if authorised by the Leader of the Council in advance to Corporate Finance. The release of funds will only be made if previous Council, Cabinet or Cabinet Member agreement has been given to the project and only if there is an approved budget. BACKGROUND PAPERS NIL. Capital Release Report – 30 March 2023 Page 7 Part 1 - Public APPENDIX A - CAPITAL RELEASE REQUESTS FOR APPROVAL Corporate Technology & Innovation Programme 2023/24 Digitisation of Burial & Cremation of Records & Plans (CR1) Location Project / Expenditure Title Information Funds Release Sought £000’s Approve Hold More Information Required Boroughw ide Implementati on of electronic system Digitisation of Burial & Cremation of Records & Plans 41 Total seeking release 41 Previously released 0 Budget 1,540 Remaining budget 1,499
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Executive Decision Notice – 12 April 2023 Page 1
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision
CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (MARCH 2023)
DEPARTMENT: CENTRAL SERVICES
SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Corporate Technology &
Innovation Programme
RELEASE NO: 1 – Digitisation of Cremation, Burial Records
& Plans
Reference No. 754
Date of decision Wednesday 12 April 2023
Call-in expiry date Wednesday 19 April 2023
Relevant Select
Committee
Residents’ Services Select Committee
Relevant Wards All
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Councillor Martin Goddard – Cabinet Member for Finance
Councillor Douglas Mills – Cabinet Member for Corporate
Services
Councillor Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member f or Residents ’
Services
Approved
That the Cabinet Member for Financ e, Cabinet Member for
Corporate Services and the Cabinet Member for Residents’
Services:
1. Agreed to awarding the contract to Clear Skies for the
Digitisation of the maps and plans for Bereavement
Service at the cost of £35,770; and,
2. A greed to the capital release request of £41,136 from
the 2023/24 Corporate Technology & Innovation
programme budget for the Digitisation of Cremation
and Burial Records and Plans on BACAS (Burial and
Cremation Administration System).
Reason for decision The service is seeking to digitise the grave maps by creating
digital maps and linking these to individual BACAS records and
scanning of the 180 burial record books so that all the
information can be held electronically.
Executive Decision Notice – 12 April 2023 Page 2
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
To do nothing – this was not recommended as the Cemeteries
records will continue to exist in physical paper format, which
could impose future threats on files being lost in an event of fire,
flood or due to decomposition.
To t ender for a new Bereavement Management System -
Indicative costs to implement a solution from an alternative
specialist supplier in Cemeteries management were acquired
from the Digital Marketplace, however the costs were
significantly more than the current suppliers offering.
Classification Part I – Public
Link to associated
report
Report
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Harjeet Sohal – Central Services Directorate
Any interest declared
by the Cabinet
Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice
only from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Wednesday 19 April 2023
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise
the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold.
Councillor scrutiny
call-in of this
decision
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice
may request to call -in this decision. The request must be before
the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above.
Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call -in App (link below) on
their devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be
sought from Democratic Services if required:
Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure)
Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The
Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and
Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive
decision, including links to the reports where applicable.
Executive Decision Notice – 12 April 2023 Page 3
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
If you would like more information on this decision, please contact
Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email:
democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk.
Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people including
Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers, Group
Secretariats and the P ublic. Copies are also placed on the
Council’s website.
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