Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 2 Town Hall. View directions

Contact: J Bayley  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

10.

Apologies and named substitutes

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor A. Fry.

11.

Declarations of interest and of Party Whip

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests, and any Party Whip.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest nor any party whip.

12.

Minutes of the Meeting held on the 30 May 2018 pdf icon PDF 213 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair alerted the Committee to an urgent request that he had received following the last Committee meeting to give permission for the Town Centre Regeneration item to be considered at the July Executive. After consideration he had declined this request recognising the importance of the item and the need to give time for proper scrutiny.

 

The Chair also made the suggestion that going forward the use of PowerPoint should be banned at Committee meetings to ensure that presenters engage better with the Committee.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)    the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on the Thursday 31st May 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair; and

2)    the use of PowerPoint be prevented at future Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings.

13.

Redditch Partnership - Monitoring Update Report pdf icon PDF 196 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Redditch Partnership Manager presented a report on the Redditch Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). This update was provided to the Committee on an annual basis in response to a recommendation from a 2010 Task and Finish Group considering the Redditch Partnership. In the course of the presentation it was highlighted that;

 

·         The SCS set the priorities for the Redditch Partnership.

·         There were four priorities – health inequalities; educational attainment, school readiness and raising expectations of young people; the economy of Redditch with a focus on providing a larger and more diverse job offer and; lead on transformational change of services for citizens of Redditch.

·         There should be good information flow between the local level groups and the County level groups.

·         The Redditch Partnership Group had in collaboration with the Connecting Families Team agreed to focus on Mental Health. It would be challenging to focus on all priorities and the Group had been encouraged to focus on one.

·         Mental health data would be considered and key partners would be asked about communication and barriers to getting things done. The focus would be on preventative work.

·         The Redditch theme groups considered each area, with each meeting providing the opportunity for focussed presentations. At the last Economic Development Theme Group meeting for example information had been shared about the work of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.

·         Redditch Community Wellbeing Trust worked with public health to refresh the Redditch Health profile. There was a focus on an asset based approach and building on what was positive.

·         In 2017 the assets in Redditch to improve community wellbeing, for example the voluntary groups and parks, had been mapped. This was a useful process and could be used to benchmark the current position and feed into the mental health work being undertaken by the Redditch Partnership Executive Group and Connecting Families; and taken into account when recommissioning services.

·         A Wellbeing Newsletter was produced and shared with all Councillors providing an update on projects and services. A directory of services across Bromsgrove and Redditch called the Knowledge Bank was also available with a searchable directory on the Council’s webpages. Partners were encouraged to update their details regularly.

 

Members’ queried which Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) the Council worked with and it was confirmed that the Council’s Leader and the Chief Executive had links with both the Great Birmingham and Solihull LEP and the Worcestershire LEP.

 

The Committee requested a copy of the Redditch Assets Report and it was explained that this was available on the Worcestershire County Council webpages.

 

It was queried if the work of the Mental Health Task Group would be considered by the Redditch Partnership Executive Group. The Redditch Partnership Manager confirmed that the findings had already been considered and she would bring anything further that may be of relevance to the Group’s attention.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)    the progress update on the Redditch Community Strategy and the work of the Redditch Partnership be noted; and

2)    the Redditch Assets Report be circulated to Committee Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Redi Centre Lease Arrangement - Pre Decision Scrutiny TO FOLLOW pdf icon PDF 302 KB

Minutes:

The Executive Director of Finance and Resources discussed the report detailing the proposal to grant a twelve year lease to Redditch Youth and Community Enterprise (RYCE) for the use of the REDI Centre.

 

In the course of the presentation it was highlighted that;

 

·         The item would be discussed at the Executive Committee on the 10th July 2018.

·         RYCE currently used the REDI Centre and had done so since January 2014 under a meanwhile lease arrangement whereby no rent was paid.

·         As detailed at 3.2 – 3.7 of the report RYCE had successfully secured grant funding for feasibility and design reports for the building to ensure that it was fit for purpose for the future.

·         A final Stage 3 bid had been presented to the Big Lottery to provide £465k, £350k of which would be for capital works. Part of the condition of any grant allocation will be that the lease arrangement in place had to be ten years or over following the completion of the building work so a lease of twelve years was being proposed.

·         The improvements would help ensure better access for all, in particular disabled people and also enable additional community services to be based there.

·         It was proposed that the rent would be £7k for the lease period.

·         All the arrangements would be subject to further discussion with the Big Lottery.

·         The Council had to consider Best Value and the report included consideration of the financial value and community value. The social value included over 1,200 attendances each month.

·         Risks included that the RYCE income appeared ambitious but RYCE had confirmed that it could achieve an income of £30-40K per year.

·         There were a lot of legal considerations to take into account due to the involvement of the Big Lottery and this would limit what the building could be used for over the next twelve years.

 

In response to Members’ queries the Executive Director of Finance and Resources confirmed that;

 

·         In relation to the risks associated with the grant and the dependence on RYCE diversifying income streams, the Council would be meeting with RYCE quarterly going forward to ensure that they could meet the Big Lottery expectations.

·         Regarding the impact on other organisations in the vicinity no challenge had been presented as yet. The potential risk referred to was that hirers could move to the centre from elsewhere.

 

A representative from RYCE explained that the improvements would provide for a Changing Place in Redditch. For there to be a Changing Place there had to be a number of things in place, for example a shower hoist, a moveable wash basin and a privacy area. A Changing Place contractor would be involved. The funding would also provide the opportunity to put in place new lifts and three new toilets capable of taking a wheelchair and improvements to the grounds. The focus was on improving access for disabled people.

 

The Chair referred to the good work of RYCE and proposed that the Committee recommend that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Final report of the Support for Care Leavers Short Sharp Review Task Group TO FOLLOW

Minutes:

RESOLVED that

 

this item be deferred to the next meeting.

16.

Task Group Reviews - Draft Scoping Document TO FOLLOW pdf icon PDF 134 KB

a)    Anti-social behaviour – Councillor  M. Rouse

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Rouse introduced the scoping document. He highlighted that he was aware of anti-social behaviour (ASB) issues in Church Hill Ward and across Redditch which had been embodied by young people climbing up the side of a bus following the England football match. The issue had also been discussed at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Work Programme event. He suggested that the Group could consider the definition of ASB. He referred to ASB in Church Hill Ward being committed by sixteen and seventeen year old young people but that eleven and twelve year old children who were innocently playing on their bikes were being mistaken for taking part in ASB too. It would be useful to consider where intervention was working to reduce ASB, how ASB was being monitored in the Borough and what could be learnt. The review would be timely as ASB could increase during the summer school holidays.

 

A Member referred to a previous Task Group on the matter which was undertaken in 2006.

 

Members commented that;

·         The incident with people climbing onto a bus involved adults and not children or young people.

·         The Police had visited the families of children and young people in Church Hill when matters had arisen.

·         The situation in Matchborough had been addressed locally.

·         It was important to narrow down the scope of the work.

·         It would be helpful to focus on something specific and undertake a Short, Sharp Review.

·         ASB had an impact on the town and anything that the Council could do to improve the situation was worth considering.

 

Councillor Rouse suggested that it was important to consider the issue as a whole as ASB could be generational.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)    A Short Sharp Review be undertaken to consider the issue of ASB.

 

2)    Councillor Rouse to Chair the Review.

 

3)    Members to notify their Group Leader if they want to serve on the review.

17.

Recommendations Tracker pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Democratic Services Manager introduced the report and highlighted where the recommendations had been completed. A number of recommendations remained in progress and some had been abandoned.

 

Members’ expressed disappointment that the recommendation to employ an apprentice to support the works of the Grants Officer had been abandoned and the Deputy Chief Executive gave reassurance that providing apprentice opportunities and work experience opportunities was something that was corporately supported, although the individual needs of the service also had to be considered, and in this case it had been felt that a different approach was required with a full time member of staff being recruited.

 

Members referred to young people having access to work experience at the Council and having the opportunity to see all Council departments. Reference was made to some of the apprentices currently employed by the Council.

 

RESOLVED that

 

the report be noted and that completed recommendations be removed from the tracker.

18.

Considering the outcomes of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme Event held on the 25 June 2018 pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee Chair thanked all those who had contributed to the Work Programme event.

 

The Senior Democratic Services Officer referred to the report which detailed the potential items for scrutiny going forward and a number of matters which could form the basis of a question to residents in the Community Panel Survey later in 2018.

 

The Committee Chair suggested that the following items should be included in the Committee Work Programme for scrutiny;

-       Town centre regeneration and improvements.

-       Homeless policy and the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act

-       The lack of sexual health services in Redditch

 

Committee Members agreed with these items and also referred to the need to incorporate;

-       The Housing Attitudes Survey

-       The Council’s website

-       Public transport

 

The Senior Democratic Services Officer commented that an item on homelessness would be shared at the 6 December 2018 Committee meeting as previously requested by the Committee.

 

Members’ suggested the following additional items also be included in the scrutiny work programme;

-       The management of waste in relation to housing of multiple occupation.

-       How businesses in Redditch could benefit from the HS2 development.

 

It was commented by Members’ that the previous Leader had undertaken some work with businesses regarding what they could offer in terms of HS2 and officers suggested that there could be an opportunity to discuss the matter with North Worcestershire Economic Development Unit.

 

Members’ felt that the additional items suggested at the Work Programming event should be included in the Work Programme for consideration at a later date. The Senior Democratic Services Support Officer confirmed that the Work Programme would be amended to include both the items prioritised by the Committee and the remaining items would be recorded for potential scrutiny at a later date.

 

Members’ referred to the issue of looked after children and Council tax and it was confirmed that this would be discussed when the final report of the Support for Care Leavers Short Sharp Review was presented to the Committee.

 

RESOLVED that;

 

1)    The Committee note;

a)    the issues raised as potential items for scrutiny, including pre-scrutiny in 2018/19

b)   the subjects raised as potential items for scrutiny in 2019/20 which will form the basis of a question to residents in the Community Panel Survey later in 2018.

2)    That the items suggested by Members during the discussion be incorporated into the Committee Work Programme and the remaining items be included for future consideration.

19.

Scrutiny of the Executive Committee's Work Programme - Selecting Items for Scrutiny pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Minutes:

The Senior Democratic Services Officer highlighted to Members the recent amendments made to the Executive Committee’s Work Programme.

 

In response to Members’ queries it was confirmed that items on the Leisure Services Business Plan, the Town Centre Regeneration and the HRA Gas Maintenance Service Delivery Options would be included on the Committee’s Work Programme. Issues in relation to finance were likely to be considered by the Budget Scrutiny Working Group.

 

RESOLVED that

 

the Committee Work Programme be updated to reflect the suggestions made by the Committee.

20.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme pdf icon PDF 174 KB

Minutes:

The Senior Democratic Services Officer informed the Committee that as requested at the previous meeting an item on homelessness would be presented at the December Committee meeting. In addition permission had been sought and approved by the Chairman to bring forward the Emergency Planning Annual Update to the 18th October 2018 meeting.

 

RESOLVED that

 

the above amendments to the Work Programme be approved.

21.

Task Groups, Short Sharp Reviews and Working Groups - Update Reports

a)        Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor J. Wheeler

 

b)        Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor J. Wheeler

Minutes:

A.   Budget Scrutiny Working Group

 

Councillor J. Wheeler confirmed that the Budget Scrutiny Working Group would be meeting during the following week and she would provide an update at the next Committee meeting.

 

B.   Performance Scrutiny Work Programme

 

Councillor J. Wheeler explained that the Performance Scrutiny Working Group would be meeting on the 12th July 2018 and she would provide an update at the next Committee meeting.

 

 

22.

External Scrutiny Bodies - Update Reports

 

a)        Councillor Rouse – Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

 

b)        Councillor Chalk - West Midlands Combined authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

 

c)         Councillor Rouse - Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC)

Minutes:

a)    Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP (GBSLEP) Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Councillor Rouse had attended a meeting of the GBSLEP Overview and Scrutiny Committee. This meeting had focussed on the governance and accountability arrangements.

 

b)    West Midlands Combined authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Councillor Chalk had not yet attended the West Midlands Combined authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee but would be discussing the role with the Senior Democratic Services Officer as well as the Chairman of the WMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a later date.

 

c)    Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC)

 

Councillor Rouse had attended the HOSC that day. There had been consideration of the winter pressures on hospitals and patient flow in and out of hospital. There had been an ambulance divert pilot where by ten patients a day had been diverted to the Alexandra Hospital. The pilot was due to end at the end of July and would be reviewed to determine the approach going forward.