Agenda, decisions and minutes
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PDF 460 KBVenue: Committee Room 1, Town Hall, Chorley
Contact: Gordon Bankes
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Apologies for absence Minutes: An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of Councillor Mrs Marie Gray. |
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Declarations of any interests Members of the Committee are reminded of their responsibilities to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, the council’s Constitution and the Members Code of Conduct. If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, then the individual member should not participate in the discussion on the matter and must withdraw from the room and not seek to influence a decision on the matter. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest by any of the Committee Members on any of the agenda items on the agenda. |
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Public Questions Members of the public who have requested the opportunity to ask a question(s) on an item on the agenda will be asked to put their question(s) to the Committee. Each member of the public will be allowed to ask one question within his or her allocated 3 minutes
Minutes: No members of the public had requested the opportunity to raise question(s) on any of the agenda items. |
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To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 12th February 2008 (enclosed) Minutes: RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 12 February 2008 were confirmed as a correct record for signature by the Chair. |
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Executive Cabinet - 27 March 2008 To consider any reports on the agenda for the Executive Cabinet meeting to be held on 27 March 2008
Members of the Committee are requested to notify the Democratic Services Section by 10.00am Thursday 20 March 2008 to ensure the attendance of the appropriate Executive Member. Minutes: To inform members on the proposal to merge Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire Community Safety Partnerships into a Lancashire South Strategic Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. Recommendations 1. Cabinet is recommended to: *agree to pursue this concept *delegate authority to the Executive Member for Streetscene, Neighbourhoods and Environment to agree the establishment and implementation of a strategic Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.
Reasons 4. Southern Division of the Lancashire Constabulary incorporates all three District Councils and a strategic CDRP would sit perfectly within this structure in terms of joint Council and Police Operations.
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5. At present, the Crime Disorder and Reduction Partnerships function on a very much parochial basis, with little regard to displacement caused by more effective crime reduction techniques elsewhere. There is a need to ensure ‘crime fighting/reduction’ tactics are appropriately spread across all areas so that some locations do not become ‘soft options’ for criminals.
6. The funding system is changing for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in Lancashire, whereby there is a reduced level of funding provided for local arrangements and Lancashire County Council maintains a greater funding resource centrally. More strategic and joined up activities will be more effective and which will release a greater opportunity to benefit from this revised funding arrangement.
7. The 2008/09 revenue budget for the Chorley Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership has been subject to a 25% reduction, with no capital provision as yet identified. Therefore, Chorley must increase its chance of funding by ensuring that ‘partnership’ applications are more forthcoming than previously necessary.
8. The Strategic Assessment will incorporate matters pertaining to Chorley but which will take a long term view on issues that will affect the area in the future, particularly cross border crime and travelling criminals
9. There are currently two posts – Domestic Violence and Alcohol - that are jointly funded between South Ribble and Chorley. This system works well across both areas and effectively reduces the cost of employing two extra staff to perform the role in each area, the shared responsibility and workload enjoys sound working practices and systems.
10. Through one strategic partnership, the current meeting structure will be reduced without the need to lose local accountability and focus. At present the same meetings are repeated across the whole of the Southern Division. In essence, more time would be spent ‘in the field’ rather than conducting the same conversations across each Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.
Options 11. To maintain the existing Chorley Community Safety Partnership arrangement is an option. However, the benefits provided for via a strategic partnership arrangement are significant, not least of all in respect to future funding resources and funding opportunities, the planning and execution of joint operations and operated on a strategic standpoint and the sharing of best practice. |
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Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Decision: That the following recommendations to be submitted to the Executive Cabinet meeting to be held on 27 March 2008.
1) That implementation be delayed by 6 weeks, to allow for greater consultation. 2) That the proposal be brought back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its 19 May 2008 meeting. 3) That the suggested pilot runs for a period of 12 months. 4) That success criteria be developed against which the project can be measured. 5) That an interim review be done 6 months after the implementation of the pilot. Minutes: The Committee received a report of the Corporate Director (Neighbourhoods) informing members on the proposal to merge Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire Community Safety Partnerships into a Lancashire South Strategic Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.
The report indicated that the current three year Community Safety Strategy for Chorley would be coming to an end on 31 March 2008. There had been a requirement from 2007 for each Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership to produce a Strategic Assessment. Chorley along with the local authorities of South Ribble and West Lancashire had undertaken a joint Strategic Assessment under the agreement and guidance of the three Chief Executives and Chief Superintendents.
The principle of merging the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to form larger strategic partnerships was supported by the Home Office in order to further reduce crime and disorder and in tackling the misuse of drugs. Other beneficial factors included the pooling of resources to increase capacity, the co-ordination of displacement and the ability to focus resources on front line action.
Attached to the report was a document prepared by Chief Inspector Debbie Howard proposing the merging of the three Crime Reduction Partnerships to form a larger Strategic Partnership for Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancs. This would result in a more streamlined process for meetings with each area maintaining a platform for local issues.
A number of Members expressed their concern at the speed of implementing the new structure. This was a significant change to the existing structure and it was considered that greater consultation was necessary.
RESOLVED – That the following recommendations be submitted to the Executive Cabinet meeting to be held on 27 March 2008.
1) That implementation of the proposals be delayed by 6 weeks, to allow for greater consultation. 2) That the proposal be brought back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its 19 May 2008 meeting. 3) That the suggested pilot runs for a period of 12 months. 4) That success criteria be developed against which the project can be measured. 5) That an interim review be done 6 months after the implementation of the pilot. |
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Capital Programme, 2008/09 - Monitoring Report of Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation) (to follow) Additional documents: Decision: Noted Minutes: 1. This report updates the 2007/08 capital programme approved by Council on 26 February 2008, indicating additional slippage of expenditure to and from 2008/09, and other budget changes.
Recommendations 2. Executive Cabinet are asked to approve the slippage to/from 2008/09 and other budget changes set out in Appendix A to the report.
Reasons 3. To ensure that the 2007/08 capital programme is up to date and represents a realistic estimate of the outturn for the financial year.
Options 4. A major recommended change to the programme in 2007/08 is the capitalisation of interest in respect of the land assembly required for the Gillibrand Link Road, for which the Council has received the necessary capitalisation direction. This interest would otherwise be charged to the revenue budget, which would reduce revenue balances available for use in future years. |
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Scrutiny Inquiries - Efficiency Gains and Absence Management To consider the enclosed final reports of the Corporate and Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel on their inquiries into the following topics:
a) Efficiency Gains b) Absence Management Additional documents:
Decision: 1) That the following recommendation of the Efficiency Gains inquiry be forwarded to the Executive Cabinet for approval.
Objective One – To assess the performance of the council in achieving the efficiency targets set by the government
The sub-group found that the council has achieved the targets set by the government a year in advance and therefore have made no recommendations in this area.
Objective Two – To ensure that efficiency gains do not adversely affect our customers
1. To ensure that cost reduction/efficiency gains do not adversely affect front line services robust service performance monitoring arrangements identified continue to be strictly followed, including the retention of a number of performance indicators as set out in the report.
Objective Three – To identify the Council’s future plans to tackle the efficiency agenda
2. A strategy be prepared setting out how the Council intends to meet the challenging target to reduce the operating costs of the Contact Centre by 25% by 2011.
3. A corporate plan setting out our strategic approach be prepared by Officers, indicating how the gains demanded through Comprehensive Spending Review 07 will be delivered.
4. A strategic approach be taken to service procurement through partnership, collaboration and shared services.
5. The programme of business process re-engineering (commenced through integration of waste management public contact and the Customer Relationship Management) be continued, to maximise efficiency gains.
6. To continue to develop the transactional functionality of the Council’s website as part of channel optimisation.
7. To increase the information relating to efficiency gains presented to the Executive Cabinet.
8. To recognise the driver to thin client technology and focus on new ways of working (for example reducing inkjet printers by encouraging two sided copying).
9. To add the transformation agenda to the remit of the member development steering group.
10. To implement a sustainable procurement policy and action plan to ensure the council’s commitment to the environment, equality and diversity issues.
11. To suggest a future scrutiny inquiry topic of the provision of information and communication technology for members and staff.
12. To investigate the extent to which Members might be included in the health and well-being initiatives provided for council staff.
2) That the following recommendations of the Absent Management Inquiry be forwarded to the Executive Cabinet for approval.
1. Employees should speak to their manager (or a nominated officer if their manager is not available) when phoning in sick rather than a colleague. In addition to the Manager being aware immediately of the absence and reasons it also gives the opportunity to discuss any diary appointments or outstanding workload that the Manager can redistribute.
2. To enable managers to check the absence employees diary and activate an “out of office” message on e-mails, informing senders that the person is unavailable and who to contact if the message is urgent. This will ensure that all e-mails are responded to.
3. To set an annual target of 8.5 working days lost due to sickness for internal Council use. ... view the full decision text for item 20. Minutes: The Chair welcomed the final reports from the Corporate and Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel on its inquiries into Efficiency Gains and Absence Management.
The Chair of the Corporate and Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel introduced the reports outlining the objectives and the outcomes of both inquiries.
Members discussed the reports and the recommendations made, noting that they expressed a wish to amend recommendation 12 of the Efficiency Gains inquiry.
RESOLVED – 1) That the following recommendations of the Efficiency Gains inquiry be forwarded to the Executive Cabinet for approval.
Objective One – To assess the performance of the council in achieving the efficiency targets set by the government
The sub-group found that the council has achieved the targets set by the government a year in advance and therefore have made no recommendations in this area.
Objective Two – To ensure that efficiency gains do not adversely affect our customers
1. To ensure that cost reduction/efficiency gains do not adversely affect front line services robust service performance monitoring arrangements identified continue to be strictly followed, including the retention of a number of performance indicators as set out in the report.
Objective Three – To identify the Council’s future plans to tackle the efficiency agenda
2. A strategy be prepared setting out how the Council intends to meet the challenging target to reduce the operating costs of the Contact Centre by 25% by 2011.
3. A corporate plan setting out our strategic approach be prepared by Officers, indicating how the gains demanded through Comprehensive Spending Review 07 will be delivered.
4. A strategic approach be taken to service procurement through partnership, collaboration and shared services.
5. The programme of business process re-engineering (commenced through integration of waste management public contact and the Customer Relationship Management) be continued, to maximise efficiency gains.
6. To continue to develop the transactional functionality of the Council’s website as part of channel optimisation.
7. To increase the information relating to efficiency gains presented to the Executive Cabinet.
8. To recognise the drive to thin client technology and focus on new ways of working (for example reducing inkjet printers by encouraging two sided copying).
9. To add the transformation agenda to the remit of the member development steering group.
10. To implement a sustainable procurement policy and action plan to ensure the council’s commitment to the environment, equality and diversity issues.
11. To suggest a future scrutiny inquiry topic of the provision of information and communication technology for members and staff.
12. To investigate the extent to which Members might be included in the health and well-being initiatives provided for council staff.
2) That the following recommendations of the Absent Management Inquiry be forwarded to the Executive Cabinet for approval.
1. Employees should speak to their manager (or a nominated officer if their manager is not available) when phoning in sick rather than a colleague. In addition to the Manager being aware immediately of the absence and reasons it also gives the opportunity to discuss any diary ... view the full minutes text for item 20. |
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Review of the Council's Scrutiny Process Report of Corporate Director of Governance (enclosed) Decision: Noted Minutes: 1. To report back on the review of the Council’s overview and scrutiny function which has taken place over the last 12 months.
Recommendations 2. That any comments on the suggested new structure for overview and scrutiny be fed back to both the Executive Cabinet on 27th March and the full Council Meeting on 22nd April 2007.
Reasons 3. To address concerns that the current structure is not as effective as it could be and to increase Member engagement with the scrutiny process by promoting scrutiny reviews undertaken by small task and finish groups.
4. Further to political groups considering the proposals, to allow the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to comment on the suggested new way of working.
Options 5. The proposals are as a result of consultation with Members, which started approximately 12 months ago. |
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Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2008/09 Report of Corporate Director of Governance (enclosed) Decision: That the following scrutiny inquiries be undertaken during 2008/09 by the Overview and Scrutiny Task and Finish Groups. ? To examine the contract and other issues relating to the service provided by Chorley Community Housing (CCH). ? Streetscene Issues 2) That the second meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the 2008/09 Municipal Year considers a third topic for an inquiry. Minutes: 1. To seek approval to the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2008/09, which identifies the proposed areas of work to be undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Task and Finish Groups.
Recommendations 2. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is recommended to: 1) To consider the topics suggested for a scrutiny inquiry and to choose an initial three topics for the 2008/09 Municipal Year.
Reasons 3. To ensure that the Overview and Scrutiny work programme is linked to the outcomes, measures and targets in the Corporate Strategy. This will ensure that the scrutiny topics relate to the Council's providers and can provide added value to the delivery of services by the Council.
Options 4. None. |
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Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2007/08 Decision: The Committee received the updated Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year.
The programme included the scrutiny inquiries and the planned monitoring of the past inquiry recommendations as well as the work undertaken by the Committee and Panels.
RESOLVED – That the work programme be noted. Minutes: The Committee received the updated Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year.
The programme included the scrutiny inquiries and the planned monitoring of the past inquiry recommendations as well as the work undertaken by the Committee and Panels.
RESOLVED – That the work programme be noted. |
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To consider the Councils Forward Plan for the four month period 1 March 2008 to 30 June 2008. (enclosed).
Will Members please note that the Committee has already requested to examine with the appropriate Director the under mentioned reports prior to any decisions being taken by the Executive.
Decision: The Committee received the Council’s Forward Plan setting out details of the key executive decision expected to be taken between 1 March 2008 and 30 June 2008.
The Committee had previously indicated its wish to have the opportunity of considering and commenting on the Pay and Workforce Strategy in advance of its consideration by the Executive Cabinet.
RESOLVED – That the Forward Plan be noted. Minutes: The Committee received the Council’s Forward Plan setting out details of the key executive decisions expected to be taken between 1 March 2008 and 30 June 2008.
The Committee had previously indicated its wish to have the opportunity of considering and commenting on the Pay and Workforce Strategy in advance of its consideration by the Executive Cabinet.
RESOLVED – That the Forward Plan be noted. |