Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

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.

There were no declarations of interest nor of party whip.

To invite members of the public who have registered in advance of the meeting to speak to the Committee.

There were no public speakers registered to speak at this meeting.

The Assistant Director Community and Housing Services briefly presented the report on the Motion on Notice – Referral to Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as follows:-

“That the Council asks Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust to reconsider the proposed closure of Hillcrest Ward in Redditch and the consequential transfer of all adult mental health inpatient treatment to the Elgar Unit at the Worcester Royal Acute Hospital site.”

As detailed in the report, the Motion on Notice was considered at the Council meeting held on 29th July 2024.  In making this referral to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Council had noted that the subject of Adult Mental Health Acute Inpatient and Rehabilitation Redesign had been discussed at the meeting of the Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) held on 8th July 2024. Councillor D. Munro, the Council’s representative on HOSC had attended the meeting.

When this Motion was discussed at the Council meeting, the following was added to the start of the Motion:-

“Council asks the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the proposals for Reconfiguration of Adult Mental Health Inpatient and Rehabilitation services.”

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Munro explained that he had proposed the Motion on Notice, following his attendance at the Worcestershire HOSC meeting held on 8^th May 2024, whereby discussions as detailed in the preamble above had taken place.

Councillor Munro stated that questions needed to be asked as to what was happening / going to happen.  Had the decision already been made to close Hill Crest Ward, which was another erosion of services in the Borough.  The nearest adult mental health services would be in Worcester or Hereford. A recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) review of mental health services was quite damaging.  The Council had no statutory powers to compel health bodies to attend meetings in order to provide evidence or to consider any recommendations the Council may make.  However, questions needed to be asked and residents of Redditch needed to be reassured that the Council would be asking questions, as follows:- 

·       Suitability of the building.  Were there structural issues with the building?

·       Was only the secure acute inpatient services closing?

·       Would outpatient services be retained at Hill Crest Ward?

·       Would Community Mental Health Services continue?

·       What acute adult mental health services would be provided for the residents of Redditch, who used or needed to access services?.

·       Were there staffing issues at Hill Crest Ward?

·       How would future Adult Mental Health Inpatient and Rehabilitation Services look / be funded for Redditch?

·       Where would the nearest secure facility be located for anyone sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983?

Whilst Members acknowledged that service delivery and organisational arrangements for the NHS Acute Health Trusts were out of the Council’s remit, Members agreed that questions should be asked; and that further information was needed. Members were of the opinion that no real consultation had taken place and people should be held accountable for reducing / cutting services in the Borough without any  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

“That, under S.100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter(s) on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs (to be specified) of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act”.

These paragraphs are as follows:

Subject to the “public interest” test, information relating to:

·         Para 1 – any individual;

·         Para 2 – the identity of any individual;

·         Para 3 – financial or business affairs;

·         Para 4 – labour relations matters;

·         Para 5 – legal professional privilege;

·         Para 6 –  a notice, order or direction;

·         Para 7 – the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime;

                     and may need to be considered as ‘exempt’.

RESOLVED that

Under S100 A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said act, as amended.

Minute Item No. 35 – Pre-Decision Scrutiny – Redditch Shopmobility Future Operating Model.

The Shopmobility Future Options report will be published in a suppementary pack for this meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Assistant Director Community and Housing Services presented the report and in doing so informed the Committee that the Redditch Shopmobility Service customer visits had declined since Covid-19 and had never fully returned to the 15,000 customer visits each year that the service used to have; the customer visits now were approximately 3,000 per year.

Members’ attention was drawn to the 5 possible future operating models for the service, that Officers had considered; with a 6^th option of no longer providing the service, as detailed on pages 8 and 9 of the additional papers 1 agenda pack.

The Vice-Chair commented that the opportunity to move the control of the service to Kingfisher Shopping Centre had been considered quite a while ago, why was this not Option 1 now?

The Assistant Director Community and Housing Services referred to Option 4 – The service was to transition to Kingfisher Shopping Centre and the one-off cost implications, of £54,000, to transfer the service. To move the service to a retail unit provided the opportunity to promote and expand the service. The other risk associated would be that the Council would lose control of the service and that Kingfisher Shopping Centre could decide that they did not want the service.

The Vice-Chair queried as to where was the public consultation, and that only 83 people had completed the survey, this was not a public consultation.  With regards to the survey, 69% of respondents said maybe or no, when asked’ If the location of Redditch Shopmobility was to move to be within the Kingfisher Centre, would this help make the service more accessible?’.

The Assistant Director Community and Housing Services informed Members that an Equality Impact Assessment had been carried out.

The Portfolio Holder for Community Services and Regulatory Services stated that the survey undertaken was one of things that Officers were looking at. The current service was not being properly promoted.  It would have been nice to have had a larger survey, however, the survey did show that customers needed this service. If the service were moved to a retail unit within the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, this would provide Officers with an opportunity to promote and expand service.

The Assistant Director Community and Housing Services added to move to a site within the Kingfisher Shopping Centre would provide the opportunity to promote the service, review hours and staffing/opening times; with further opportunity to promote an assisted shopping service and delivering scooters to customers waiting in the Kingfisher car park or bus station. Staff occasionally took scooters out to customers, but this was not possible on a regular basis at the current site in Car Park 3; due to the Council’s Lone Working Policy, which meant that for health and safety reasons, two members of staff were required for every shift at the current site. 

Members referred to the cost implications, as detailed in the report, of moving the service to a retail unit within the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, as follows: -

·       The first-year  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 29^th July 2024 have been attached. 

The next edition of the Executive Committee’s Work Programme is due to be published after the publication of the agenda for this meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  Copies of this plan will therefore be published in a supplementary pack for this meeting.

The Executive Committee Minutes from the meeting held on 29^th July 2024, were submitted for information only.

The Executive Committee Work Programme from 1 October 2024 to 31 January 2025, was submitted for Members’ consideration.

It was noted that the DRAFT Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report would be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.

Officers confirmed that there would be an All-Member Briefing on the Food Waste Business Case and Associated Waste Related Issues.

The Chair queried if the HRA Rent Setting 2025/26 would be going to a Budget Scrutiny Meeting, if so, there was no need for the Committee to pre-scrutinise this item.

RESOLVED that the following items be presented to future meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for pre-scrutiny: -

• Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy
• Carbon Reduction Strategy and Implementation Plan Annual Review
• Independent Remuneration Panel Recommendations
• Shareholders’ Committee Annual Report

The Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme was submitted for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED that

the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme be updated to include the items, as agreed by Members (and detailed at Minute No. 36), from the Executive Work Programme 1 October 2024 to 31 January 2025, for pre-scrutiny.

a)          Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

b)          Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

c)           Fly Tipping and Bulky Waste Task Group – Chair, Councillor Dormer

d)          Post-16 Education Task Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

Updates on Task Groups and Working Groups were provided as follows:

a)    Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

Councillor Dormer reported that he had attended the Group meeting held on Friday 30^th August. Councillor Warhurst had submitted his apologies.

b)    Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

The next meeting was still to be scheduled. The Democratic Services Officer agreed to scope a future meeting date.

c)     Fly Tipping and Bulky Waste Task Group – Chair, Councillor Dormer

The Democratic Services Officer to review progress to date and agree a future meeting date with the Chair and Members of the Task Group.

d)    Post-16 Education Task Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

The date of the first meeting to be arranged once the terms of reference for this Task Group had been approved by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor C. Davies asked if asked if any work / research had been carried out prior to agreeing to a Speeding and Road Safety Task Group.  The Democratic Services Officer agreed to look into this.

RESOLVED that

the Task Groups, Short Sharp Reviews and Working Groups Update Reports be noted.

a)          West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Council representative, Councillor Kane;

b)          West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Munro; and

c)           Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) – Council representative, Councillor Munro.

Updates on the meetings of External Scrutiny Bodies were provided by the representatives as follows:

a)    West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Council Representative, Councillor Kane

Councillor Kane reported that a meeting had taken place (that morning) 2^nd September and that she had drafted a brief report.  At the suggestion of the Chair, Councillor Kane agreed to email out the brief update to all Members of the Committee and the Democratic Services Officer, for noting.

b)    West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny – Council Representative, Councillor Munro

Councillor Munro reported that there was nothing to report that was of relevance to the Borough.

c)     Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) – Council Representative, Councillor Munro.

Councillor Munro reported that he attended the last meeting of this body (8^th July) and as a result of the discussions held with regards to the Adult Mental Health Acute Inpatient and Rehabilitation Redesign, specifically the proposed closure of Hillcrest Mental Health Unit; that he had asked for Council to consider a Motion on Notice, as referred to at Agenda Item No. 4 (Minute No. 33).  Councillor Munro further informed the Committee that the next meeting of Worcestershire HOSC was scheduled for 9th September.

RESOLVED that

the External Scrutiny Bodies updates be noted.