Agenda and minutes
PDF 181 KBVenue: Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN
Contact: Victoria White or Rianna Hanford
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Robert Evans. |
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 16 OCTOBER 2015
To agree the minutes as a true record of the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
Notes: · In line with the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, declarations may relate to the interest of the member, or the member’s spouse or civil partner, or a person with whom the member is living as husband or wife, or a person with whom the member is living as if they were civil partners and the member is aware they have the interest. · Members need only disclose interests not currently listed on the Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. · Members must notify the Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting so they may be added to the Register. · Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.
Additional documents: Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
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QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
To receive any questions or petitions.
Notes: 1. The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (Friday 13 November). 2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (Thursday 12 November). 3. The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.
Additional documents: Minutes: There were no questions or petitions. |
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RESPONSES FROM THE CABINET TO ISSUES REFERRED BY THE SCRUTINY BOARD
There are no responses to report. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no responses to report. |
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RECOMMENDATION TRACKER AND FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME
The Board is asked to monitor progress on the implementation of recommendations from previous meetings, and to review its Forward Work Programme. Additional documents: Minutes: The Board noted that all actions and recommendations on the Recommendation Tracker remained outstanding.
The Board was informed that two pieces of scrutiny work were to be completed around the Library service; the first as an overview of the Surrey Library Service and the second looking at the changing role of the Library Service in relation to new demands and pressures facing a modern library service.
The Chairman suggested that a workshop for the Board to look at 2016/17 budgets would be arranged for January 2016.
The Board was informed that a formal response to the “Enabling Closer Working Between the Emergency Services” consultation was submitted to Cabinet for response. The response outlined that the Board agreed with and supports collaboration between the emergency services, but had reservations about the possible governance structure proposed in the consultation.
Actions:
Surrey Libraries and 2016/17 Budgets were added to the Forward Work Programme.
Alan Young arrived at 10.41am David Hodge arrived at 10.42am
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CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE IN HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT
To provide an update to the Resident Experience Board on the customer service within, and resident satisfaction relating to Surrey Highways & Transport and the work being undertaken to improve customer service through the Customer Service Excellence Standard. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of Interest:
None.
Witnesses:
David Hodge, Leader of the Council Mark Irons, Head of Customer Services Mike Dawson, Customer Service and Improvement Manager, Environment and Infrastructure John Furey – Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding Richard Walsh, Cabinet Member for Localities and Community Wellbeing Richard Wilson – Chairman of Member Reference Group on Customer Service Excellence Mr Thompson, Surrey Resident Mr David Innocent, Surrey Resident Mr Roger Spolton, Surrey Resident Mr John Hoskins, Surrey Resident Ms Marianne Meinke, Surrey Resident Mr Ross Daniell, Surrey Resident
Key Points Raised During the Discussion:
1.
Officers introduced
the Customer Service Excellence and the importance held for it by
the Council.
2. Officers outlined the process for achieving the Customer Service Excellence Award and that each improvement framework is based upon a review of the service in question, and the Award is retained after addressing areas of improvement after independent annual review.
3. Officers informed Members that, as well as Surrey Highways, Business Operations, Finance, Customer Services and the Community Partnership Team had achieved the Customer Service Excellence Award and that other Surrey services are working towards accreditation.
4.
The Board was informed
by Highways Officers that despite retaining the Customer Service
Excellence Award for another year, Highways viewed customer service
as part of it’s ongoing improvement scheme and
thanked the Customer Service Member Reference Group for its
support.
5.
Officers reported to
the Board of the introduction of a new works management system
which is now linked in to the main contractor database. The new
software improves links within the County Contact Centre and that
new features allow residents and customers to view photographs and
responses to reported road faults and enquiries. The Customer
Service Excellence annual review found this as an item of best
practice.
6. When addressing improvements from customer insight, Officers reported of the introduction of the Highways Customer Panel, a survey of which was tabled in the report, though no improvements had been drafted from the results from the panel as it was in it’s infancy.
7.
Members raised queries
over the timeline for Highways enquires and complaints. Officers
clarified that reports to Highways are inspected within five days,
after which a decision is taken dependent on the severity of the
enquiry judged by an assessment of risk to the public. |
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Lunch 13.05pm - 13.40pm Additional documents: |
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MAGNA CARTA 800th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION DEBRIEF
The purpose of this report is to debrief the Resident Experience Board on the programme of events and activities supported by Surrey County Council to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta in Runnymede. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of Interest:
None.
Witnesses:
Helyn Clack, Cabinet Member (formally responsible for the Magna Carta programme) Peter Milton, Head of Cultural Services Graham Cook, Project Manager for the 15 June 2015 event Richard Walsh, Cabinet Member
Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
Officers tabled a
presentation to debrief the Board on the events and activities
celebrating the Magna Carta
800th Anniversary. a. Images of the main anniversary event as well as events leading up to and after 15 June 2015. b. Information on the background and preliminary work at the beginning of the planning process for the event, negotiations and collaborative work with The National Trust, who manage the Magna Carta site. c. A brief overview of the Magna Carta app, created and supported by Royal Holloway. d. The Magna Carta garden exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show, since relocated at the Runnymede Hotel. e. The Magna Carta banner project and the county flag project undertaken by Surrey schools. f. Events, displays of the Salisbury Magna Carta facsimile and David Starkey author talk and book launch event at Guildford Cathedral. g. Events held by the Surrey Ethnic Minorities Forum, promoting the importance of Magna Carta. h. Artwork and plaque unveilings at the Magna Carta site. i. Details of the visits from members of the Royal household at the 15 June 2015 event.
2. Officers reported that an initial bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund by the local stakeholder partnership for improvements to Runnymede Meadows had been unsuccessful, but that a second bid of £2m was being prepared for submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund South East Committee for the improvement of access to the site.
3. Members questioned whether there remained any ongoing costs after the Magna Carta event. Officers informed Members that an archiving process would be undertaken to ensure that a record of the anniversary events will be available for future generations. Officers reported ongoing investigations into obtaining a facsimile of the Surrey copy of the Magna Carta dating from 1297, which is owned by the Australian Parliament, for the use of display and exhibiting in the county. Under the terms of The Juror’s loan agreement the National Trust are responsible for the maintenance of the artwork.
4. Members sought clarification of the infrastructure costs outlined in the report and Officers informed Members that the infrastructure costs were for the installation and packing up of stages, portable track ways, towers, audiovisual equipment hire and seating.
5. Members expressed their thanks to the Officers and all Officers involved in the Magna Carta anniversary events, and for ensuring the event came within budget.
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WELFARE REFORM TASK GROUP VERBAL UPDATE
Update from the Board’s representative on the Welfare Reform Task Group about the current work of the group. Additional documents: Minutes: Barbara Thomson reported that the Welfare Reform Task Group had nothing to report and that work was continuing and an update will follow.
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PERFORMANCE AND FINANCE SUB-GROUP VERBAL UPDATE
Update from the Performance and Finance Sub-Group on its recent work. Additional documents: Minutes: Rachael Lake gave the Board an update from the recent meeting of the Performance and Finance sub-group, at which the sub-group discussed: 1. Socrata, a public online performance analysis tool currently being rolled out across all Surrey services
2. A recommendation from the Council Overview Board to consider the scrutiny of Local Committee Budgets
3. An audit report on Surrey Arts
4. An update on the Fire Transformation Grant.
Recommendations:
1. The Board is impressed with the Socrata tool and feel it is highly valuable in terms of reassuring residents of the service that Surrey provides them. The Board requests that the officers consider a search function for the website and to ensure that relevant information is presented on the pages.
2. The Board would like to see every department that collates performance data included on Socrata by the end of 2015.
3.
The
Performance and Finance Sub-Group has given consideration to the
request from the Council Overview Board that Local Committee
budgets be scrutinised by the Resident
Experience Board. The Sub-Group does not feel that they can add
value to this process and notes that scrutiny arrangements for some
of the issues raised are already in place.
4. The Board is satisfied with the progress made by Surrey Arts on the actions in the Management Action Plan, and recommends that Internal Audit conducts a follow-up review in April 2016.
5. That Surrey Arts considers the use of volunteers and looking at its business model.
6. The Board is satisfied with the progress made by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service on the actions in the Management Action Plan, and recommends that Internal Audit conducts a follow-up review in the summer of 2016. Actions: · Officers to send recommendation 1 and 2 to Tim Yarnell. · Colin Kemp to report back to Eber Kington at next Council Overview Board meeting. · Officers to send recommendation 3 to Cabinet. · Officers to send recommendation 4 to Internal Audit and Surrey Arts.
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
The next meeting of the Board will be held at 10.30am on Wednesday 13 January 2016. Additional documents: Minutes: The next full public meeting will be held at 10.30am on 13 January 2016 at the Ashcombe Suite, County Hall. |