Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Carlton Brand, Service Director Resources.

Apologies were received from Cllrs Nigel Carter, Christopher Devine, Nick Fogg, Charles Howard, Mark Packard and Jonathon Seed.

Cllr Peter Colmer substituted for Cllr Mark Packard.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management and Resources Select Committee held on 26 May 2011.

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved and signed as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

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 (acting on behalf of the Director of Resources) no later than 5pm on Thursday 7 July 2011.  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.

There was no public participation.

As discussed at the last meeting, the Chief Executive has responded to an invitation and will be attending to present details on the realignment of services intended to better deliver the Business Plan. The restructure was communicated to councillors in a special Elected Wire on 8 June 2011 – copy attached for ease of reference. As a consequence, the Chief Executive will be assuming direct responsibility for Finance (including procurement) and Legal and Democratic Services (including scrutiny).

Scrutiny members will be aware that details on the corporate Business Plan implementation programme are awaited. However the 12 main projects forming the programme are known and are shown in the attached list. The detail will be reported to the select committees following approval by CLT and Cabinet Liaison. This will then enable discussions to take place between directors, executive members and leading scrutiny members on revised scrutiny forward work plans to ensure a focus on priorities and best use of resources.

It is also hoped that discussions will include the way in which the executive would wish to engage with scrutiny for mutual benefit. The draft executive/scrutiny relationship protocol approved by the OS Liaison Board (and discussed at the Standards Committee’s Constitution Focus Group) back in March is awaiting adoption. It is hoped that this will define future positive engagement.

The need for a major review of overview and scrutiny arrangements was highlighted at the last meeting. The outcome of discussions on the above will influence the review which will be initiated in the form of a discussion paper to the next Liaison Board on 28 July. Contributions from all interested parties will be encouraged to ensure future arrangements are supported and fit for purpose.

The Committee is asked to note the views of the Chief Executive in respect of the service realignment, corporate implementation programme and review of overview and scrutiny arrangements.

The Chief Executive was in attendance to update the Committee on the recent realignment of services and associated matters.

Confirmation was provided that a review of the management structures throughout the organisation had been conducted to ensure the authority was fit to deliver the business and financial plans.

A copy of the revised structure in relation to the Chief Executive’s area was circulated for Committee members’ consideration where the following was highlighted:

·         The realignment incorporated the preference for the Director of Finance, Section 151 Officer and Governance Officer to report directly to the Chief Executive to ensure the authority remained fit for purpose whilst the significant changes taking place over the life of the business plan were underway.

·         The Corporate Director for Community Services would take responsibility for housing to ensure symmetry of housing services with adult social care.

·         The Service Director for Policy, Performance and Partnerships would now report directly to the Corporate Director for Children & Education and form part of an expanded Corporate Leadership Team.

·         The Neighbourhood and Planning directorate had been renamed Operations as this provided better clarity on the Corporate Director’s responsibility.

·         The Resources directorate had been renamed Transformation and Resources.  As a result the Transformation Programme Director would report directly to the Corporate Director within this directorate. 

In addition clarification was provided that the contract for the Chief Finance Officer, had been revised and extended to March 2012 to ensure continuity of service during the budget setting process in February 2012.

The realignment of service as detailed had been agreed at the Officer Appointments Committee which took place on the morning of 14 July.  Acknowledgement was given to the Service Director for HR and Organisational Development who had worked tirelessly to ensure as smooth as possible process had been undertaken whilst adhering to the legal requirements to inform those posts affected which had been the case throughout all of the harmonisation and review period.

Members expressed concern as to whether the realigned service was resilient as further resources had been removed from the authority and this could impact on the services provided.  The Chief Executive clarified that for the most part, the service delivery should remain as already set but that reviews would continue during the next 2 to 3 years to ensure the service provision remained fit for purpose as further details emerged in relation to central government plans, including the Localism Bill and Health and Social Care Bill.

A Transformation Programme Working Committee, chaired by the Corporate Director Transformation & Resources, would manage the 8 identified transformation programmes within the Corporate Programme.  The finalised programmes would include measurements to monitor their effectiveness.

In terms of Public Health and Protection, a joint strategy meeting with hospital providers and GPs was to take place which would include discussion on Health and Wellbeing Boards.  Although delays had occurred due to the listening exercise undertaken by central government, budgets continued to be developed until further clarity on the Bills became available.

A management programme outlining the principal purposes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 174.

The Committee has received several updates on the People Strategy 2008-2012 which was developed and implemented to support the transition to Wiltshire Council in 2009.

With this in mind an update report is now provided by the Service Director, HR and Organisational Development which provides details on a proposed revised Strategy which will set out the Council’s aims and objectives for reshaping and developing its workforce through to 2015.

The Committee is asked to note its content and comment as appropriate.

Following the in-depth audit inspection of the Councils benefit service the Committee is asked at the request of the Chairman to consider the attached report which provides details of the Audit Commission’s key findings and recommendations and improvement plan which outlines the actions to be taken to address the recommendations made.

The Committee is asked to consider the content of the report and respond accordingly.

A report outlining the Audit Commission’s findings following an in depth inspection of the Council’s benefit service together with the Council’s Implementation Service Plan were provided for consideration.

The Head of Revenue and Benefits was in attendance to present the report and answer questions arising.

Members were also asked to note that the Revenue and Benefits Project Board update to be provided under Item 182 which would also be given by the scrutiny representative within this item.

Clarification was provided that the Audit Commission had undertaken a review on a number of unitary authorities all of which had reached a similar scoring.   Four key recommendations were made within the review and these had been incorporated within the Council’s ensuing Service Plan.

Other key areas for further development identified by the audit commission included customer satisfaction where confirmation was provided that there were plans for a survey to be issued to a number of customers within the next 4 weeks.

The issue of overpayments was also being addressed although it was recognised that caseloads had an impact on the ability to address this area with an increase of approximately 200 cases within the last month alone.  However the Committee were asked to note that the rate of recovery of overpayments had increased in line with this.  Members of the Committee also noted the importance of a more joined up approach between revenue and benefits teams and those working within the housing sector to address issues.

The impact that proposed Welfare Reforms could have on the way in which revenue and benefits were run and the difficulties this could cause for local authorities was also noted and further guidance was awaited from central government in this area.

In addition to the report provided, the scrutiny representative on the Revenue and Benefits Project Board confirmed that several meetings had taken place in relation to implementation of the new software platform for the revenue and benefits system.  The Head of Revenue and Benefits confirmed that a meeting was to be held on 17 August following which further clarity on its implementation would be available although the system was still currently expected to go live by the middle of December.

Resolved:

1)            To note the update provided; and

2)            That an update on the implementation of the new Revenue and Benefits System is provided to the scrutiny representative of the Revenue and Benefits Project Board following the meeting to be held on 17 August 2011 and that the scrutiny representative update the Committee accordingly.

3)            The Chairman and Scrutiny Manager to consider how a ‘more joined up approach’ between Revenue and Benefits and Housing could be best achieved in order to deal with the issues of concern that members had raised.

The Committee is asked to consider the report provided which was submitted to Cabinet on 14 June 2011 and comment as appropriate.

The final revenue outturn report 2010/11 as submitted to Cabinet on 14 June 2011 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The Chief Accountant, in attendance to present the report, confirmed that taking into consideration the current economic situation, the underspend achieved was positive with the Council achieving a significant improvement since the forecast made in month 10.  A final audit was to be undertaken by KPMG with the findings submitted to the Audit Committee in September.

Members of the Committee noted that the Community Services budget had accrued an overspend of approximately £4.5 million despite the fact that the budget for the current year being increased by about that amount.  This would need to be carefully monitored throughout the year.

Ensuing discussion included concern over the length of time taken to receive budgetary figures.  With this in mind a request was made that a timetable be provided to allow scrutiny to consider the process currently in place.

Clarification was requested on the specific areas that had resulted in additional developer income received. 

Members requested details of the specific areas that had resulted in additional developer income and details on the financial pressures in relation to the interim staffing measures.  The Chief Accountant confirmed that these would be provided following the meeting.

Members also noted within the Housing Revenue Account an underspend of approximately £1m which they were informed was largely due to the removal of staff and areas of service provision.  Concern was expressed as to the impact this would have on the quality of the service.

Resolved:

1)            To thank the Chief Accountant for the report;

2)            That a timetable be provided to allow scrutiny to monitor the process currently in place in relation to financial reporting;

3)            That further clarity would be provided on the areas of additional revenue within developer income; and

4)            That further details on the financial pressures in relation to the interim staffing measures be provided.

The Committee is asked to consider the report provided which was submitted to Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee on 14 June 2011 and comment as appropriate.

The Councillor Development Group, chaired by Allison Bucknell, is currently re-drafting the Councillor’s Handbook and has requested that the Member Support in the Locality Task Group meet to consider the draft version, once ready, and make suggestions for improvement.

The Member Support in the Locality Task Group was established in March 2010 to consider the Council’s councillor support arrangements and submitted its final report to the Committee in September 2010. The Councillor Development Group feel that the experience of the Task Group members make them a good choice for considering and improving the new Councillor Handbook. The Task Group members were: Cllrs Desna Allen, Richard Britton, Jeff Ody, Jonathon Seed (Chairman), Bridget Wayman, Ian West and Fred Westmoreland.

The Councillor’s Handbook is currently being reviewed by various departments and will be ready for the Task Group to consider in late-July at the earliest.

Proposal:

That the Member Support in the Locality Task Group meet to consider the draft version of the Councillor’s Handbook and refer any suggestions for improvement back to the Councillor Development Group.

As provided in the Agenda item, the Councillor Development Group was re-drafting the Councillors’ Handbook and requested that the Member Support in the Locality Task Group consider the draft version once available for comment.

The lead member of the Task Group provided confirmation that he was happy to continue in his role and would arrange for the Task Group to scrutinise the Handbook once available referring any suggestions back to the Councillor Development Group directly.

Resolved:

That the Member Support in the Locality Task Group would meet to consider the draft version of the Councillors’ Handbook once available and refer any suggestions for improvement back to the Councillor Development Group.  These should also be reported back to this Committee.

The Committee is asked to note the update on Task Group activity attached.

As the Committee has scrutiny representation on several Project Boards this item has been included to allow members to provide an update where appropriate.

Project Boards with scrutiny representation include:

Staffing Management Executive Board – Cllr Ricky Rogers

Revenue and Benefits Project Board – Cllr Pip Ridout

Staffing Management Executive Board

The scrutiny representative confirmed that details of proposed revisions to terms and conditions had been relayed to staff.

The Service Director for HR and Organisation Development was praised for the communications undertaken to ensure staff were kept fully updated.

Revenue and Benefits Project Board

This update was provided within Item 176 above.

15 September 2011.

15 September 2011.