Agenda item

As part of the areas of good practice the committee approved at its last meeting (8 June 2021), the committee is invited to establish its Working Group to consider annual reports as explained in the extract below.

11. Linked to efficient use of time at meetings the committee also explored the idea of reports such as annual updates being reviewed by a small group of committee members ahead of the committee meeting, with the working group’s findings being reported to the committee (akin to a rapid scrutiny exercise but without involvement from service officers). Questions could also be submitted in advance by all committee members for the working group to explore.

12. If there was no opportunity for a working group to be set up or meet ahead of the committee meeting, then members of the committee could be invited to submit questions in advance. Officers could then provide answers either in writing or at the meeting.

The Committee is also invited to consider the attached proposed areas of work and to indicate which they would like to see as priorities for the committee for 2021-2022; including the best way to receive the Corporate Parenting Panel annual report (September).

The Chairman invited members to make suggestions about what they believed should be on the Forward Work Programme.

Building upon the discussion of areas of good practice at the previous meeting, the Chairman outlined changes to the Committee’s working model aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring that each agenda item was given sufficient time to allow for proper scrutiny.  It was suggested that a standing working group should be set up to consider the regular reports that are presented to the Committee. The report summary would then be presented to the full Committee in order to reduce the need for lengthy discussion and allow more time to scrutinise other important items.

During the discussion members welcomed the idea of a working group and stated that they would appreciate more information about the dates of when reports were expected to be published. Greater clarity was also sought about the composition of the Working Group. The Chairman explained that as some reports did not always get published at the same time each year but that it was important to keep track to ensure that they were not missed. He stated that there would be roughly between three and five standing members of the Working Group and that the agendas for the Working Group’s meetings would be circulated to all members. He also stressed that all members would be welcome to attend meetings of the Working Group and examine the full reports. Questions could also be submitted in advance by all committee members for the Working Group to explore.

The conversation then turned towards the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report. The Senior Scrutiny Officer reported that it would not be possible for the full Committee to consider the final report before it went to Full Council. The Chairman suggested that a draft form of the report came to the Committee at their next meeting on 7 September. Feedback could then be passed on to the Corporate Parenting Panel for consideration ahead of them signing off their final report. As the Committee would not them meet again before the final report was presented to Full Council, he suggested that he and the Vice-Chairman, or the Working Group, if it had been set up, could review the final report ahead of Full Council. During the discussion no objections were raised to the process outlined by the Chairman.

Resolved:

1) To establish a standing task group to consider the regular reports that are presented to the Committee.

2) For a summary of the findings of the task group to be brought to the full Committee.

3) For the agendas of the task group’s meetings to be circulated to all members to allow them the opportunity to attend their meetings.

4) For the Committee to consider the Draft Report of the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report so that their recommendations could be presented to the Corporate Parenting Panel ahead of their meeting on 28 September 2021.

5) To delegate authority to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, or the Standing Task  Group, if it had been set up, to scrutinise the final Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report before it was presented to Full Council on 19 October 2021.