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Agenda item
Update on 2014/15 Work Programme and Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2015/16 Municipal Year
- Meeting of Annual Joint Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Services, Thursday, 18th June, 2015 6.00 pm (Item 8.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 8.
Minutes:
The Senior Corporate and Democratic Services officer presented an update report on the 2014/15 Overview and Scrutiny work programme, highlighting that Members had completed all three of the areas of work they had identified as high priorities at the 2014 annual meeting.
The Chairs and Vice Chairs had met to consider their recommendations on priorities for the 2015/16 Overview and Scrutiny work programme, they were mindful of areas of work Overview and Scrutiny members had suggested over the past year.
The committee’s views were sought on all the future work programme ideas. Members remained as one joint committee to consider the topics put forward for consideration. Senior officers aided the committee in their discussion on the suggested areas of work.
The Chairs and Vice Chairs had identified three areas of work around improving health outcomes for the people of the town, the council’s organisational transformation and the role of Overview and Scrutiny.
As part of the work on organisational transformation, the Chairs and Vice Chairs recommended a review of digital inclusion. Members noted that this review would complement work already being undertaken by council officers. The review would seek to explore how the digital by design project could support the council’s customer first approach. Members would also seek to promote digital inclusion, particularly amongst potentially vulnerable groups, as an increasing number of council services were made available online.
The Chairs and Vice Chairs also proposed a review of community safety. The review would examine the role of the council and its partner agencies in ensuring community safety. It would also be necessary for members to consider the impact of reductions to the budgets of key agencies on this activity. The committee suggested that members of the review team should also look at earlier initiatives to address community safety issues, such as the reduce the strength campaign.
Members noted that it would be necessary to refine their areas of interest in respect of improving healthcare outcomes for the people of the town, as this was a potentially broad and complex subject. The Chairs and Vice Chairs recommended that members receive an update on local healthcare provision for a professional in this field, before deciding how they would like to progress this area of work.
The Chairs and Vice Chairs recommended that a task and finish group be formed to carry out the review of the Overview and Scrutiny function. The findings of the task and finish group would then be reported to Scrutiny Steering Group, before being considered at the relevant council committees as necessary.
Members noted the outstanding scrutiny commitments from previous work programmes, a programme of activities for each quarter had been produced showing how these commitments could be met alongside the 2015/16 work programme ideas.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that the annual meeting, having considered the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs, agree the Overview and Scrutiny work programme for 2015/16 municipal year
The reason for this decision was:
It is the responsibility of Members serving on the two Overview and Scrutiny committees, Resources and Services, to set their own work programme for each municipal year at the Annual Joint meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny committees, whilst taking into account the advice of officers present.
Supporting documents:
- Update on 2014-15 Work Programme and Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2015-16 Municipal Year, item 8. PDF 118 KB
- Appendix A - O&S Proposed 2015-16 work programme - key themes, item 8. PDF 202 KB
- Appendix B - Proposed work activities 2015-16 per quarter, item 8. PDF 181 KB
- Appendix C - Work programme update 2014-15, item 8. PDF 42 KB
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