Agenda and minutes
PDF 157 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Monkton Park, Chippenham
Contact: Sharon Smith
| No. | Item |
|---|---|
|
Apologies Minutes: Apologies were received from Cllr Christopher Newbury. |
|
|
Minutes of the Previous Meeting To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 6 September 2012. Supporting documents: Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 September were approved and signed with the following amendment:
Item 21 – Future Call-In Procedures
Additional Resolution:
That the decision of the Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee in relation to the call in procedure be considered by the Constitution Focus Group. |
|
|
Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee. Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
|
|
Chairman's Announcements Minutes: There were no Chairman’s Announcements. |
|
|
Public Participation The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.
Statements
If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named above for any further clarification.
Questions
To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named above no later than 5pm on Thursday 11 October 2012. Please contact the officer named on the first page of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.
Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website. Minutes: There was no public participation. |
|
|
Job Creation and Economic Development Job creation and economic development has been identified as a major priority for the Council. A report is now attached which provides further information on the work being undertaken by the Economy and Regeneration Service. The Committee is asked to consider the report and take a view on whether further scrutiny is required. Supporting documents: Minutes: The Cabinet member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning was in attendance to present the report on Job Creation and Economic Development which provided details on the work being undertaken by the Economy and Regeneration Service, including the broad range of initiatives and projects underway.
These initiatives included the planned creation of 1,000 apprenticeship opportunities by July 2013. This figure did not include those on work experience.
A decision on government grant funding of £9.4m would be made by the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). It was noted that bids received to date included work at Bowerhill, Union Square Swindon and Castledown, with a further bid for Porton expected. The outcome of the submitted bids was expected at the end of the year.
In noting the bids made, smaller developments would have the ability to apply for grants via other funding routes.
In questioning the number of apprenticeship placements for projects funded by the authority, it was confirmed that the Council now asked that all major contracts incorporate appropriate provision. Further work was underway to develop the strategy.
The Committee were complimentary of the report provided. In particular the regeneration work underway at Lyneham was recognised as being of importance to the economy of North Wiltshire. The benefit of area board involvement was also discussed with a request that they be encouraged to consider how they could further support activity along with trade associations within their respective areas.
In thanking both officers and attending Cabinet members it was resolved as follows:
Resolved:
1) That the Committee welcomed the positive and encouraging report about broad ranging activities the Council was involved in to support economic development and job creation;
2) That Area Boards be encouraged to consider what steps they can take to support such activity; and
3) That a further report on progress would be presented to the Committee in April 2013. |
|
|
Information Services Technology Plan - Cloud The Committee, at its previous meeting held in September, agreed that Cllr Nigel Carter would meet with the Cabinet member for Resources and relevant officers to review the Information Services Technology Plan with a view to identifying areas for potential future scrutiny.
As a result of this meeting the following areas were identified for further scrutiny consideration:
Cloud Sharepoint SAP
A report on Sharepoint and SAP will be presented to the Committee at its next meeting in December. A report on Cloud has been prepared and is now attached for the Committees consideration. Supporting documents: Minutes: The Committee at its meeting held on 6 September considered an update to the ICT Technology Plan and resolved that, as lead member of the former ICT Task Group, Cllr Nigel Carter would meet with the Cabinet member for Resources and relevant officers to further review and identify areas for potential scrutiny involvement.
During the meeting three areas of interest were identified for the Committees consideration, namely SAP, Sharepoint and Cloud. A report on the first two areas would be presented to the Committee at its meeting in December.
The Cabinet member for Resources and ICT Programme Manager were in attendance to present the report on Cloud and to answer any questions arising.
In presenting the report the Cabinet member confirmed that an already good working relationship between Wiltshire Council and Microsoft was being further developed to ensure a strong strategic partnership was in place to deliver cloud services and other key solutions.
The partnership approach would include the formation of a joint co-located team to leverage Microsoft Office 365 technical expertise and Wiltshire Council infrastructure knowledge. Following deployment of Office 365 to a pilot group the full roll-out was now underway with approximately two thirds of users now migrated. Full migration was expected by December 2012.
In noting that a cloud project had been initiated to introduce a hosted web based portal and Smartphone app to allow reporting of issues from members of the public, a presentation on the scope to cover Streetscene issues such as Street Litter and Fly Tipping was given.
The presentation included details on how the application would look from a front end perspective as well as details on accessibility of the data, including statistical information, from a storage point of view.
The Committee welcomed the information provided but raised concern on security of the app. Clarification was provided that any problems were being identified and would be addressed prior to full launch.
Although there was still a requirement for the Council to run its own servers at present, it was acknowledged that the number of servers required had been reduced and would continue to do so, with a project saving of £1.3m to date. A further increase in savings was expected next year.
In noting that the supplier of the hosted solution was My Council Services, the question on why this particular provider had been used was raised. Although other reporting applications with a range of attributes had been considered, (including Fix my Streets and Love Clean Streets) My Council Services had been identified as the most appropriate supplier.
Although the implementation of the app was likely to result in a reduction of telephone reports, this option of reporting would still be available for those members of the public wishing to use this service. Members were also mindful of the heightened public expectations that would result from instant reporting and the need for services to respond accordingly.
The Committee also discussed the benefits of a council telephone directory app which was currently available via ... view the full minutes text for item 31. |
|
|
Procurement Service update As part of new working arrangements the Management Committee, in disbanding the previous Procurement and Commissioning Task Group, recognised that further overview of the Procurement Strategy was required and agreed to take a full report on the work of the new Procurement Board in implementing the Strategy at the Committee’s meeting in December 2012.
Prior to consideration of the Strategy paper, an initial update on the formation of the Board and work undertaken to date was requested and is attached for the Committee’s consideration. Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Committee identified the Procurement Strategy as an area of work that would require further overview following a review of priorities. Although a full report on the work of the new Procurement Board in implementing the Strategy would be presented at the Committee’s meeting in December, an initial update on the formation of the Board and work undertaken to date was presented for the Committee’s consideration.
The Cabinet member introduced the Interim Head of Procurement to present the report. In doing so clarification was made that the Procurement team continued to develop category strategies which included a move away from the service reactive approach currently undertaken. Centralisation would be required with a realignment of category codes within the SAP3 project update.
The Procurement and Commissioning Board had been established to ensure the best commercial options were achieved this included consideration of outline business cases and Opportunity Assessment reports. Core membership of the Board included the Director of Finance, Corporate Director, Cabinet Member for Resources, Head of Procurement, Service Director for Law and Governance, Service Director for HR and Organisational Development and Trade Union representative.
The issue of double-accounting was being addressed and a pathway agreed with a revision of contract provision rules. This included managing contract performance of contract service managers via monthly reporting to Corporate Finance.
Upon further questioning the Cabinet member for Resources was unable to provide clarity on the likely proportion of double-accounting taking place. However he was encouraged by the work being undertaken by officers within the procurement unit to address the issue and thanked the Committee for its support in helping to bed-in the new rules and procedures.
The Chairman thanked the Cabinet member and attending officers for the report and reminded the Committee that a further Procurement report would be presented to the Committee at its next meeting in December 2012.
Resolved:
1) To thank the Cabinet member and officers for the update report; and
2) That the Committee would receive a full report on the work of the new Procurement Board in implementing the Procurement Strategy in December 2012. |
|
|
Task Group Update 1) Written updates on Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee Task Group activity are attached.
2) A list of current Select Committee Task Groups is attached. The Chairman of each Committee will be given the opportunity to provide brief updates in relation to activity undertaken. Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Committee noted the written updates on Task Group activity as circulated with the agenda and the following additional information:
Budget Task Group
Clarification was provided that the Group was in the process of arranging a date for its next meeting.
Campus and Operational Delivery Programme (CAOD) Task Group
The Group met on 11 October to consider proposals for the second tranche of campus developments covering Calne, Cricklade, Pewsey and Tisbury. In conclusion members were satisfied with the process that had been followed, including the make-up and method of calculating the financial figures for the proposed campus projects. This would be presented to Cabinet at its meeting to be held on 23 October.
The Group agreed that future meeting dates would now take place on an ad hoc basis as and when required.
Traded Services Task Group
The Group has yet to arrange its next meeting but the Chairman and Scrutiny Officer would be meeting with the Service Director to discuss content.
Member Support in the Locality Task Group
Cllr Jonathon Seed confirmed that the Group had met on 15 October where discussion included a recommendation for the Monitoring Officer to ‘dismiss’ complaints rather than ‘take no further action’ in relation to the new Standards Framework.
The Group also felt that greater clarity was needed on the rules surrounding voting where councillors may have a dual-hatted role, (i.e. as town councillor and member of a charity board for example) and that greater clarity to town and parish councils would be of benefit in relation to members allowances and declarations of interest.
The attending Monitoring Officer confirmed that these issues would to be discussed at the Standards Committee on 24 October and that draft guidance would be prepared and circulated to town and parish councils. |
|
|
Scrutiny Representation on Project Boards and Groups A verbal update on activity will be provided for the following Boards:
Staffing Management Executive Board -Cllr Ricky Rogers Wiltshire Online Project Board - Cllr George Jeans Constitution Focus Group (yet to hold its first meeting) – Cllr Jonathon Seed. Minutes: Verbal updates on Project Board activity were provided by the respective scrutiny representatives as detailed below:
Staffing Management Executive Board
Cllr Ricky Rogers confirmed that on 17 September 2012 CLT had agreed to cease work on the current review of administration support roles and replace with new project to introduce a ‘Customer & Business Support Job Family Project’ in order to create a more flexible workforce. This new family was expected to be complete by December 2013.
Communication and engagement with managers and staff would be undertaken to gather information and comments regarding the introduction of the job family.
Wiltshire Online Project Board
Cllr George Jeans confirmed that the contract following the local ‘Call-Off’ tendering exercise had not yet been awarded but was expected shortly. The aim of the contract remained with Wiltshire having internet access to a minimum specification of 2mb by 2015, with an 85% coverage across the region for superfast broadband of 25mb.
Constitution Focus Group
Cllr Seed confirmed that the Group had not yet met since his appointment as scrutiny representative. |
|
|
Health Scrutiny Workshop - 3 October 2012 The Health and Social Care Act 2012 legislates for significant health reforms, the majority of which come into force in April 2013. At a local level, these include the establishment of a Health and Wellbeing Board, a Clinical Commissioning Group and Local Healthwatch.
The Council has agreed that it will continue to exercise its health scrutiny function through the Health Select Committee (HSC), and the HSC believed that the time was right to learn more about the potential impacts of the reforms, with specific reference to health scrutiny. To that end the Committee organised an afternoon workshop, held on 3 October in Chippenham.
The main aims of the workshop were to give Members the opportunity to hear from senior representatives from across the health and social care arena about their priorities and challenges, to allow Members to raise issues of interest with them and to identify possible topics for inclusion on the work programme of the HSC.
The HSC was pleased that representatives from all sectors attended the workshop in recognition of the increased responsibilities on the Council and the importance of this area of work, these included the PCT, the three Acute Trusts, Public Health, Community Health, Adult Social Care and the Care Quality Commission.
The workshop generated a great deal of discussion and the HSC was encouraged by the way all attendees engaged with the process and by the open and honest nature of the discussions. The HSC believes that the workshop marks the beginning of the development of relationships with the new bodies, as well as with established partners, and is keen to continue to build on this encouraging start.
The information generated by the workshop is currently being collated and a full report will be presented at the meeting of the HSC on 15 November.
Following further consideration post the workshop, the Chairman is proposing to seek endorsement from the O & S Management Committee for the formation of a task group to consider the effective development of the Clinical Commissioning Group. Endorsement at this stage will allow some early scoping and discussion on potential membership ahead of the next meeting of the Health Select Committee.
The integration of Public Health into the Council has also been identified as an early priority and it is likely that further priorities will be identified following detailed consideration of the report from the workshop. Minutes: The Health Select Committee held a workshop on 3 October 2012 to give members the opportunity to hear from senior representatives from across the health and social care arena on priorities and challenges faced with an expected outcome to identify topics of potential inclusion on the future work programme.
The Chairman of the Health Select Committee confirmed that the event had been well attended by both members of the Committee and health partners alike. A full report with actions would be presented to the Health Select Committee at its next meeting for endorsement.
However in the meantime the Chairman of the Health Select Committee sought endorsement to establish a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Task Group to enable early appointment and scoping to take place. This would be presented to the Health Select Committee at its next meeting for endorsement.
Resolved:
To note the successful event and endorse the establishment of a CCG Task Group. |
|
|
Forward Work Programme The Committee is asked to consider the single work programme and give direction on future overview and scrutiny activity. Supporting documents: Minutes: The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme and additional information provided as detailed below:
The Dementia Task Group had now completed its work and the Task Group disbanded with its final report being considered by the Health Select Committee on 15 November.
The Member Support in the Locality Task Group would now meet only as and when required.
Further invitations would be circulated for membership of the Joint Air Quality Task Group to members of the Health Select Committee. Once membership had been agreed the first meeting would be arranged. |
|
|
Task Group Protocol Refresh The Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Task Group Protocol is a document setting out some general principles of how Scrutiny Task Groups should operate. It covers the roles of members and officers, the use of evidence, access to documents and the treatment of witnesses. The Protocol is noted at the first meeting of every Task Group in order that these principles are adopted at the start of every review.
Two recent Task Group reviews in the Children’s Services Select Committee arena have highlighted issues that are not addressed within the current Protocol. These issues mainly relate to working with outside agencies, including:
· clarifying the differing roles of Scrutiny, the Executive and the Council, at the beginning of the process; · clarifying whether the outside agency will have the opportunity to view or influence the final report; · clarifying arrangements for circulating/publishing the final report; also · providing guidance on the checking of evidence prior to publication of the final report.
As well as these omissions, the current Protocol was drafted pre-unitary and no longer truly reflects the corporate style. It is therefore proposed that officers refresh the Protocol in consultation with members and bring the revised version to the December meeting of the O&S Management Committee for adoption. Minutes: A review of the Task Group protocol was requested noting that the current version had been in existence since pre-unitary.
Although the protocol did not form part of the Council’s Constitution, following debate it was agreed that the Constitution Focus Group would be requested to consider the protocol at its next meeting.
Resolved:
That officers refresh the Task Group protocol in consultation with members and the Constitution Focus Group and that a revised version be considered by the Committee at its next meeting in December. |
|
|
Urgent Items Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency. Minutes: There were no urgent items for consideration. |
|
|
Date of next meeting 13 December 2012. Minutes: 13 December 2012 |
|
|
Exclusion of the Press and Public To consider passing the following resolution:
To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 17 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public. Minutes: The Committee agreed in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 41 because it was likely that if members of the public were present there would be a disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information to the public. |
|
|
Agency and Temporary Staff Under previous working arrangements, scrutiny was invited to appoint a representative to the Project Board overseeing the original procurement exercise. Cllr Jonathon Seed undertook this role and reported regularly to Committee on progress. In noting the significant improvements made in the centralisation of consultancy and agency employees, at conclusion of the exercise the Committee agreed to receive future updates by exception.
In being made aware that a report in relation to the award of the new contract is to be considered by Cabinet on 23 October 2012C Cllr Seed has asked the Committee to consider the Opportunity Assessment report attached and provide comment as appropriate. Minutes: The Cabinet member for Resources and Interim Head of Procurement were in attendance to present a confidential report and to answer any questions arising.
Members were guided through the report which included details on future arrangements under consideration for agency and temporary staff, details of which would be presented to Cabinet in November.
The Chairman concluded discussion by thanking the Cabinet member and officers for the update and congratulated the Department on the work undertaken to date to review future contractual arrangements for agency and temporary staff.
Resolved:
1) That the Committee supported the proposed recommendation to move forward to the procurement stage on the proposed service model; and
2) That further updates are presented to the Committee at appropriate stages. |