Issue - meetings

The Select Committee is asked to review and approve the Forward Work Programme and provide comment as required.

Declarations of interest:

None

Witnesses:

Andrew Baird, Democratic Services Officer

Key points raised during the discussions:

1. Members enquired about what opportunities the Select Committee would be given to scrutinise relevant aspects of the Council’s Transformation Programme. Officers advised that scrutiny of the business cases that underpinned the Transformation Programme was held by the Corporate Overview Select Committee but that responsibility for scrutinising the Programme had been delegated to individual Select Committees. Specific approaches to how scrutiny of the Transformation Programme would be conducted was still being worked out by officers but Members were advised that they would be given more detail on this was forthcoming.

2. The conversation turned to an item that had previously been considered by the Adults and Health Select Committee regarding the amount of Adult Social Care debt that was owed to the Council. Officers stated that the Council’s approach to recouping Adult Social Care debt had been considered by select committees on numerous occasions in the past but that little tangible benefit had been derived from this scrutiny. Given the need for the Select Committee to prioritise the areas that it scrutinise the Committee was asked to consider carefully whether Adult Social Care debt should be included on its Forward Work Programme. Members responded by highlighting that the Council was owed over £16 million in unpaid care fees which was significant given the financial challenges confronting the Council and it was agreed that an item on Adult Social Care debt would be included on the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for its meeting on 13 February 2019.

3. Members enquired as to whether the Committee would be given the opportunity to scrutinise the budgets of the services within its remit. Officers stated that responsibility for scrutinising budgets remained the responsibility of the Corporate Overview Select Committee and that it was not known whether any aspect of budget scrutiny would be delegated down to individual Select Committees.

Actions/ further information to be provided:

1. An item on Adult Social Care debt to be added to the Adults and Lifelong Learning Select Committee Forward Work Programme for its meeting on 13 February 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the Adults and Lifelong Select Committee reviewed items that it is due to consider at future meetings.