-
Agenda item
Update on 2013/14 Work Programme and Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2014/15 Municipal Year
- Meeting of Annual Joint Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Resources, Thursday, 19th June, 2014 6.00 pm (Item 7.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 7.
Minutes:
The Senior Corporate and Democratic Services Officer, presented an update report on the 2013-14 work programme, highlighting that members had completed both of the detailed reviews they had identified as high priorities at the 2013 annual meeting. A management response to the scrutiny review of changes to the welfare system was due to be considered by Cabinet at its meeting in July. Members had also formulated and published an Overview and Scrutiny Charter, which set out the key principles and objectives of the Overview and Scrutiny function.
The Chair gave thanks to all those involved in the 2013-14 work programme, including members and officers.
The Chair presented the recommendations of the Chairs and Vice Chairs, and introduced the topics which had been identified as a high priority for the 2014-15 work programmes. The recommendations included proposed topics for updates within the quarterly committee meetings schedule.
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 reviews.
Councillor Batsford proposed an additional review to consider the role of academies as education providers in the town. The review would seek to develop a framework to enable the Council to engage with the academies proactively. Members were mindful that the review would require a significant contribution from key partners, including the education authority and senior staff at the academies.
Members discussed the proposal for a review of the Council’s organisational transformation in some detail. Whilst Members agreed that this area is a key priority, they accepted that a full review of this subject would have significant resource implications. Members agreed that it would be preferable to receive an update from the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council and that the Scrutiny Steering Group would work up questions for them based on the review suggestion put forward by Councillors Davies and Webb. Members would then undertake further monitoring of the ongoing organisational changes, particularly those brought about by the pending refurbishment of Aquila House, through their quarterly committee cycle and consider the outcomes of their findings at the end of the municipal year.
The committee agreed that the title of the proposed review of privatised contracts should be amended to outsourced services, to better reflect the purpose and objectives of the review.
After discussion, members decided on conducting reviews collectively, allowing members from both Resources and Services Committees to sit on any review.
The committee decided on the following issues for their 2014-15 work programme:
SCRUTINY REVIEWS
TOPIC
LEAD OFFICER
TIMESCALE
MEMBERSHIP
REPORTS TO
1.
Outsourced contracts
TBC
TBC
TBC
Resources
2.
Engaging with academies
TBC
TBC
TBC
Services
COMMITMENTS FROM 2013-14 WORK PROGRAMME
TOPIC
REASON
PROPOSER
REPORTS TO
1.
Scrutiny Review of Hastings Castle Future Management Options
Members suggested that the review team is reconvened in autumn 2014, to review the summer season.
Members of the Scrutiny Review of Hastings Castle Future Management Options.
Services
2.
Scrutiny Review of Bathing Water Quality
Members of the review team may wish to meet later in 2014, to review the bathing water samples taken over the summer season, and to monitor efforts to improve bathing water quality.
Members of the Scrutiny Review of Bathing Water Quality.
Services
Discussion took place regarding the suggested programme of updates within the quarterly meetings schedule for 2014/15. Members agreed that, as the review of access to Hastings, which had been identified by the Chairs and Vice Chairs as a high priority, had not been taken up as part of the work programme an update should be forwarded to a quarterly committee meeting instead. The update could include and overview of potential improvements to transport links and other forms of communication, including broadband. The committee accepted the Chairs and Vice Chairs suggested topics for further updates and referred this matter to Scrutiny Steering Group for consideration.
The remainder of the suggestions for both committees, as detailed in the report, were noted but not taken forward for inclusion in the 2014-15 work programme. However, members would be able to take these suggestions forward for the 2015-16 work programme if they so wished, with the exception of those ideas withdrawn at the meeting.
RESOLVED that:
1) the Annual Meeting consider the recommendations of the Chairs and Vice Chairs of O&S and agree the O&S work programme for 2014-15 Municipal Year.
Supporting documents:
- Update on 2013/14 Work Programme and Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2014-15 Municipal Year, item 7. PDF 85 KB
- Appendix A - Update on 2013/14 Work Programme, item 7. PDF 16 KB
- Appendix B - Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme Ideas for 2014/15 Municipal Year, item 7. PDF 36 KB
-
My council
Contact
Got a question about democratic services?
Content
The content on this page is the responsibility of our Democratic Services team.