Agenda and minutes
PDF 257 KBVenue: Committee Room C, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN. View directions
Contact: Ross Pike or Emma O'Donnell
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Minutes: There were no apologies or substitutions.
With the Committee’s agreement, the Chairman recommended that Item 2, minutes of the previous meeting, be taken at the end of the meeting when a Member of the Committee’s predecessor, Council Overview Board, would be present. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter (i) Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or (ii) Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting NOTES:
Minutes: There were no declarations of interest made. |
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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 (Thursday 6 July 2017). 2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (Wednesday 5 July 2017). 3. The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received. Minutes: There were no questions or petitions. |
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RESPONSES FROM THE CABINET TO ISSUES REFERRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
The Committee is asked to note the Cabinet response to recommendations made by the Council Overview Board on 1 March 2017. Minutes: The Committee noted the Cabinet response. |
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REVIEW OF SELECT COMMITTEE PROPOSED FORWARD WORK PROGRAMMES
The Committee is asked to review and agree the Forward Work Programmes for each of the Select Committees. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Mark Brett-Warburton, Chairman of the Children & Education Select Committee Ken Gulati, Chairman of the Adults & Health Select Committee Rachael I. Lake, Chairman of the Communities Select Committee.
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Chairman began by explaining to the Committee that the process of reviewing the proposed forward work programmes of each individual select committee was to ensure that items scheduled for scrutiny reflected the council’s priorities, were value for money, avoided duplication of work and were cross-cutting across the council. Members also noted that it was important to ensure Select Committees were not putting Democratic Service resources under strain by undertaking too many Member Reference Groups or Task & Finish Groups.
2. Members acknowledged the need for scrutiny involvement in policy development as well as subsequent scrutiny of performance post-implementation of decisions. It was noted that timing of items being considered was crucial in order for the scrutiny function to help influence the 2018/19 budget.
3. The Chairman invited each of the Select Committee Chairmen present to talk through their proposed forward work programme with the Committee.
Tim Evans entered the meeting at 10:10am
Adults & Health Select Committee (AHSC)
4. The Select Committee Chairman explained that the item for Housing Related Support was on the agenda for the committee’s 14 July 2017 meeting to enable pre-decision scrutiny as this was on the Cabinet Forward Plan for 26 September 2017.
Hazel Watson, Robert Evans and Nick Harrison entered the meeting at 10:13am
5. It was explained that the item relating to the Acute Mental Health Ward relocation was a continuation of work from the Committee’s predecessor- the Wellbeing & Health Scrutiny Board- and that it was important to assess the impact on patients and their families following the substantial changes to the services implemented in early 2017.
6. Members noted that the Suicide Prevention Framework review was scheduled for scrutiny following a request from the Chair of the House of Commons’ Health Select Committee.
7. The Select Committee Chairman explained that the other items on the AHSC forward work programme (listed at Annexe 1) would be scheduled dependent on service developments, whilst an item on Sexual Health Service provision was not currently on the forward work programme as it was subject to legal questions.
8. Members commented that it was important not to simply review Cabinet decisions as this would be a duplication of what the Cabinet Member has already undertaken, but instead, to add value, it would be useful to hear from service users as witnesses in order to understand their experiences and how the savings being achieved were impacting on service delivery.
9. The Chairman informed the Committee that transition between children’s and adult social care had been identified as an important area for scrutiny at the first Select Committee’s Chairman’s Group meeting. Whilst it did not appear on AHSC’s proposed forward work programme at Annexe 1, it was suggested that this was a cross-cutting issue and as such, that OBSC should ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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BUDGET SUB-GROUP TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Committee is asked to review and agree the Budget Sub-Group’s Terms of Reference, making any amendments as necessary. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Nick Harrison, Chair of the Overview & Budget Scrutiny Committee’s Budget Sub-Group Ayesha Azad, Tim Evans and David Harmer- Members of the Budget Sub-Group
Key Points raised during the discussion:
1. The Chair of the OBSC Budget Sub-Group explained to the Committee that there had yet to be confirmation of what the budget planning process for next year’s budget would look like and this would be communicated when the process had been agreed.
2. The Committee reviewed and agreed the Terms of Reference of the Sub-Group with one suggested minor amendment to remove the word core so to read ‘The membership to be as follows:’
3. The Chairman confirmed that the OBSC Budget Sub-Group would be a standing item on OBSC agendas to allow for the Sub-Group to report back their findings to the Committee.
Charlotte Morley left the meeting at 12:45pm.
4. With regards to risk management, the Chair of the OBSC Budget Sub-Group proposed that individual select committees should review their relevant Directorate’s Risk Register on a six monthly basis, whilst OBSC should review the Leadership Risk Register. This was agreed by the committee.
Recommendations:
· That individual Select Committees review Directorate Risk Registers under their remits on a six monthly basis.
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 27 MARCH 2017
To agree the minutes as a true record of the meeting. Minutes: The minutes of the last meeting of the Committee’s predecessor, Council Overview Board, on 27 March were agreed as a true record by Hazel Watson as she was in attendance at that meeting. |
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Committee will be held at 10:00am on Thursday 14 September 2017. Minutes: The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Thursday 14 September 2017 at 10:00am. |