Agenda item

To review the Committee’s recommendations tracker.

Declarations of interest:

None

Witnesses:

Denise Le Gal, Cabinet Member for Business Services and Resident Experience

Linda Kemeny, Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement

David John, Audit Performance Manager

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    A11/16 – Babcock 4s – Cabinet Members were invited to the meeting to explain where the Council stood with Babcock 4s in terms of the future, bearing in mind that the Council were using their services less and less.  

2.    The Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement explained that this was still in transition.  There was some concern with schools that did not wish to become academies.  Babcock 4s contract was due to end in 2019 but the content of that contract was negotiated every year.  It was confirmed that the use of Babcock was reducing and was to stop altogether from August 2017.  The School Improvement Programme had been reconstructed to the autumn of 2017 and budget was going into vulnerable schools or those with most need of improvement.  Discussion had been had with Babcock to identify those schools that needed improvement. She also explained that in future most grant funding from the Department for Education (DfE) would be on a bidding system whereby funds would need to be bid for.  The DfE wanted all schools to be self led where councils did not organise school improvement.  (A11/16)

3.    When asked if the Audit & Governance Committee should continue to engage with Babcock in the way that it did the Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement explained that Babcock would be offering wider services, in competition with others.  The schools service was being renewed and streamlined which would have an impact on schools going forward.  There was no clear pathway how statutory services would be funded in future. 

4.    There was general discussion with the Cabinet Members around the increased roles and responsibilities of school governors and that there may be problems with recruitment in the future and there may also be a problem with having the correct skills mix in a set of governors. (A11/16)

5.    The Cabinet Members advised the Committee that there should be a clearer picture in six months time if they wished to revisit the question on their engagement with Babcock 4s. (A11/16)

6.    Tracker A4/17 – It was noted that a response had not yet been received, from the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding, in regards to the Chairman’s letter concerning the Lot 5 contract.  One Member did point out that problems were not only due to the contractor but the Council were also at fault for having an incomplete drainage system online.

7.    Tracker A3/17 – Health & Safety - The Audit Performance Manager reported that systems had been revised and tested and all agency staff can access.  Therefore, everyone who works for the Council would be trained as appropriate.

8.    Tracker A2/17 – cyber security – The Audit Performance Manager reported that the Council’s system was of a higher specification than the new one but that the Council would still buy into it to widen functionality.

Action/Further information to note:

Committee Manager to expedite a response from the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding – Tracker A4/17.

Delete tracker items as they were completed: A3/17, A2/17 and A14/16.

Resolved:

That the committee notes the report.