Agenda item

To review the Committee’s work programme, the draft Executive forward plan, and the recommendations and actions tracker.

The Members considered the Committee’s work programme and the Vice-Chair drew attention to the list of suggested future items.  It was noted that in February 2022 Members had suggested that the possibility of receiving the report on the overview of complaints twice a year and the Vice-Chair asked for an update.  Officers undertook to bring a report to the next meeting of the Committee.

Reference was made to the scrutiny of definitions of statutory and non-statutory services, noting that the Local Government Association had published a document which outlined statutory services at different tiers of local government.  The Strategic Director of Corporate Resources undertook to ensure that a copy of the document would be brought to the Committee at a future meeting for discussion, before being circulated to all Councillors for information.

A discussion was held on Officers sufficiently following up actions from Committee and responsibility being held by the appropriate Strategic Director.

It was noted that a report on Member development had been requested in February 2024.  The Committee was advised that an annual report on Member learning and development was presented at Council each year.  In this case, however, the Vice-Chair advised that the point had arisen during discussion of treasury management during which it was apparent that not all the Members had been able to understand the jargon used.  An update at the next meeting was requested.

[Post meeting note: the report on Member training was raised for the 2023/24 Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme but removed due to workload. It was to consider the member development programme with a view to seek Members’ views on the existing schedule of training. Separately, a point was raised on providing a plan for training to Members on financial management and terminology. Both of these points were raised at the February 2024 meeting. The training on financial management was provided by Officers at the start of the 2024/25 Municipal Year.]

The importance of identifying those items for consideration by the Committee, and indeed other scrutiny committees, in the subsequent Municipal Year was highlighted, with the list to be discussed at the last meeting of the current Municipal Year.  This would ensure the continuity of the Committee’s workload, the Scrutiny Officer to include on the work programme/

A periodic review of the Council’s risk register was raised and it was noted that it did not appear on the work programme for consideration.  The Committee was advised that a paper reviewing the risk register was prepared by Officers every six months and could be brought to the Committee at regular intervals.  It was agreed that the matter would be added to the work programme by the Scrutiny Officer.

In regard to the action tracker, the Vice-Chair noted that the report did not include the next action date and when each action was expected to be closed.  It was further suggested that the actions should be linked to the relevant service, noting that one of the Officers named would be leaving the Authority shortly.  The Committee supported the proposal to include updates, responsible party, and details of timescale in future versions of the action tracker. This would be actioned by the Scrutiny Officer.

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Work Programme be noted; and

          (ii)   the following proposals be taken forward:

o      a report on the overview of complaints be brought to the next meeting of the Committee;

o      the Local Government Association’s publication on statutory services be brought to a future meeting of the Committee;

o      an update on a request to ensure greater awareness amongst Councillors of treasury management jargon be brought to the next meeting;

o      a list of those items to be considered by the Committee in the subsequent Municipal Year be prepared for the last meeting of the current Municipal Year;

o      the sixth monthly review of the Council’s risk register prepared by Officers be brought to future meetings of the Committee and be added to the work programme; and

o      future versions of the action tracker be revised to include updates, responsible party, and details of timescale.