To consider two scoping documents submitted for Members’ consideration:
a) Landscaping Review – Proposed by Councillor Gay Hopkins; and
b) Voluntary Sector Review – Proposed by Councillor Pat Witherspoon.
(No reports attached)
Minutes:
The Committee had received scoping documents containing the draft terms of reference for two proposed reviews. The following points were raised during consideration of these items:
a) Landscaping Review – Proposed by Councillor Gay Hopkins
Councillor Hopkins advised the Committee that she had been intending to present the proposed terms of reference for a review of the Council’s Landscaping Services. However, she had recently received information from Officers pertaining to the proposed review which required further discussion. For this reason she requested that consideration of the proposal should be deferred until the following meeting of the Committee.
b) Voluntary Sector Review - Proposed by Councillor Witherspoon
Councillor Witherspoon presented the terms of reference for the proposed review of the Voluntary Sector for Members’ consideration. She explained that, whilst a Task Group would receive an overview of the Council’s grants process, the focus of the review would be on the support provided by the Council and partner organisations to local voluntary and community sector groups and the additional support that might be required by those groups.
During discussion of this item a couple of amendments were suggested to the terms of reference for the review. In the first place, it was noted that, as the Council’s Concessionary Rents Policy had only recently been approved by the Council, it might be premature to review the impact of the policy on local Voluntary Sector organisations. Instead, Members agreed that it might be more appropriate at this time for a Task Group to receive an overview of the policy in order to appreciate the implications of this procedure for the sector.
The most suitable approach to consulting with representatives of the Voluntary Sector was also debated. Members recognised that, due to the focus of the review, it would be appropriate for Members to engage with representatives of the Voluntary Sector as part of the review. However, Officers suggested that it might be more appropriate to engage representatives of the sector through a variety of consultation methods rather than just by interview as had been proposed in the terms of reference.
Members noted that nominations to the Task Group would be confirmed at the following meeting of the Committee. Whilst all interested Members were encouraged to express an interest in the review the Chair noted that members of the Grants Panel were being advised that it would not be appropriate for them to serve on this review due to the potential for a conflict of interest to arise.
Members concluded this item by noting that three Task Group exercises had been approved for the year: the Abbey Stadium Task Group; the Joint Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Task Group and the Voluntary Sector Task Group. Officers were scheduled to provide support to all three of these reviews and would only have capacity left to support one further Task Group alongside the main Committee. Members concluded that for the rest of the year the Committee would therefore need to ensure that appropriate work was prioritised in order to make the best use of available resources.
RESOLVED that
1) the terms of reference for the proposed review of the Council’s Landscaping Services be considered at the meeting of the Committee on 10th September 2013;
2) subject to the amendments detailed in the preamble above, the terms of reference for the proposed Task Group review of the Voluntary Sector be approved;
3) Councillor Witherspoon be appointed to Chair the Voluntary Sector Task Group; and
4) further nominations to the Voluntary Sector Task Group be confirmed at the following meeting of the Committee.