Agenda item

To consider a report on current scrutiny priorities based on information provided by all O&S bodies across the BCP area - circulated at 8.

The Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Specialist introduced a report which  gave an overview of the current and recent scrutiny priorities across the BCP area. The Committee had requested each of the O&S bodies of the preceding authorities to provide a report on activity within their own area of work. These reports were set out in Appendices 1a – 1j.

The O&S Specialist explained that the Committee’s role was to co-ordinate the information provided by the O&S bodies and pass this to the new BCP O&S function to inform its work programming and training plan. There was an opportunity for Members to comment on what they considered to be immediate priorities for the new O&S function. The O&S Specialist highlighted a number of issues for the Committee’s consideration, including its own ‘long list’ of items, and the specific list of reports and associated timescales for children’s and adult services. There were a number of recurring themes which featured in different appendices and Members may wish to consider whether these should be prioritised. The Committee was referred in particular to the statutory crime and disorder scrutiny function, the budget/Medium Term Financial Plan (including training needs), corporate asset investment and management, and housing related strategies. Members might also wish to consider recommending a risk focussed approach to setting future scrutiny priorities, in light of the Committee’s successful use of this tool in agreeing its own programme of work.

Members highlighted the following points for further  consideration during a comprehensive discussion on the report:

• The future of adult social care funding would continue to be a key issue for scrutiny.
• An early piece of work for BCP Council which was not included on the priority list was the proposed review of governance arrangements for the virtual school. It was noted that the revised arrangements had to be implemented by Autumn 2019.
• The importance of support for carers - but in particular the support services provided for young carers and the opportunities to bring together examples of best practice under the new BCP Council.
• The need to maintain awareness of the changing landscape for health services (CSR) and its impact on children and young people, especially in mental health provision.
• The need to ensure that items currently dealt with through different mechanisms in preceding authorities (e.g. corporate governance) were assigned to the most  appropriate function in the BCP Council. Members understanding of the different roles played by O&S and Audit, and the need to avoid duplication of work across these bodies was raised.
• The role of the Council in supporting foster carers to navigate HMRC’s Making Tax Digital programme.
• The new O&S function may wish to prioritise scrutiny items which could achieve ‘quick wins’ and give local residents a degree of confidence in BCP Council, such as the items already suggested in the headline reports on customer services and the formation of one Local Plan.
• An alternative view was that priority should be given to high risk areas, whether or not they covered popular/high profile subjects or elicited quick wins.
• A member highlighted a current adult safeguarding working party underway in the Borough of Poole which may need to continue in the new BCP authority.
• Members talked about achieving equity of services across BCP as soon as possible. The Chief Executive agreed that providing equitable services was a priority, as was the need to focus on particular areas (e.g. regeneration), alongside the retention of the unique nature of different parts of the BCP area. This would all form part of the BCP Corporate Strategy and would require a balance to be achieved.
• The new Council was an opportunity for Members to move forward and embrace a new ethos, particularly as there was likely to be a significant number of new  Members elected onto the Council. Member training would have an important role in advocating a unified approach to new ways of working for existing and newly elected Members.
• There was support for continuing the role of Member Champions, and a recognition of their value in representing issues like dementia and children’s services.
• A review of youth services across BCP to ensure a unified approach was supported.
• Scrutiny of IT should be undertaken through the lens of Phase 3 transformation, to consider the use of technology to support changes in service delivery and ways of working. The Programme Dirctor commented that he hoped that this would be one of the more significant elements of the future BCP scrutiny work programme.

The Monitoring Officer provided some further information on the proposed induction and training programme for Members. She explained that the programme of essential training requirements and schedule of dates was included in the candidate information packs for the local elections, to ensure that all prospective candidates were aware of expectations at an early stage. It was envisaged that a more rigorous approach would be taken to developing and monitoring individual Member training plans. The O&S Specialist talked about the role of the new O&S Board in overseeing O&S training to ensure it was adequate. This would provide an additional mechanism for strengthening the O&S function.

Members also discussed the merits of going paperless and how this would be a culture change for some people. It was noted that some people were unable to operate electronically for a variety of genuine reasons and this would need to be taken into account.

The O&S Specalist confirmed that the points raised by Members in their discussion would be recorded in the minutes and passed onto the new O&S function for consideration.

DECISION MADE:

         That Appendix 1 of the report be approved for submission to the new BCP O&S function together with the comments made by the Committee as set out in the minutes.