Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Fourth Floor, Easthampstead House, Bracknell. View directions
Contact: Ron Schrieber 01344 352060
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Minutes and Matters Arising PDF 68 KB To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission held on 13 September 2012. Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission held on 13 September 2012 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. |
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Declarations of Interest and Party Whip Members are requested to declare any Personal Interests including the existence and nature of the Party Whip. Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Disclosable Pecuniary Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days Minutes: Councillor Mrs Birch declared a personal interest as the spouse of the Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing.
Councillor Leake declared a personal interest, as a Binfield Parish Councillor, in the Executive decision relating to Binfield Nursery (see Minute 35 below). |
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Public Participation To receive submissions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance in accordance with the Council’s Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny. Minutes: There were no items submitted under the Public Participation Scheme. |
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Economic and Skills Development To receive an update from Mr David Cook, Chairman, and Victor Nicholls, Assistant Chief Executive, on the work of the Economic and Skills Development Partnership. Minutes: David Cook, Chairman of the Economic and Skills Development Partnership (ESDP) and Victor Nicholls, Assistant Chief Executive, gave a presentation on the work of the Partnership. The Chairman commented that the Executive Member, Councillor Brunel-Walker, had been invited to the meeting but had been unable to attend due to work commitments abroad.
They reported that the Partnership had increased its business representation and had identified five priority areas:
Mr Cook reported that, since becoming Chairman, he had tried to bring business process to Partnership meetings. Each Sub-Group had a Chair who reported back on progress to the Partnership with the work being done outside of the meetings.
Arising from Members’ questions and comments, the following points were noted:
With regard to future action it was agreed that the Partnership and the Local Authority should do all they could to generate confidence and positively market the ... view the full minutes text for item 31. |
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Customer Contact Channel Strategy To receive an update on progress in delivering the Council’s Customer Contact Channel Strategy. Bobby Mulheir, Chief Officer: Customer Services will be present. Minutes: The Chief Officer: Customer Services gave a presentation on the Customer Contact Channel Strategy which had been approved by the Executive in May. She also tabled a summary of work completed, in progress and to begin in order to implement the Action Plan.
She reported that the overarching aims of the Strategy were:
· To review inbound customer contact and to develop and implement a channel strategy so that customers are encouraged, where appropriate, to make maximum use of online services. · To realise the potential of outbound proactive communication to promote services, maximise income and reduce inbound “avoidable” contact. · To take advantage of existing and emerging technologies to support customer service delivery. · To provide quality customer services which are cost efficient and value for money.
Arising from Members’ questions and comments, the following points were noted:
Members congratulated the Web Team on the new website layout.
Members were invited to visit the Customer Contact Centre to find out more about the inquiries received and the service provided.
The Commission thanked the Chief Officer: Customer Services for her presentation. |
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Community Right to Challenge PDF 23 KB To receive an update on the steps being taken by the Council to respond to the Community Right to Challenge. Simon Heard, Assistant Borough Solicitor will be present. Minutes: The Commission considered a report on the steps being taken to respond to the requirements of the Community Right to Challenge, discussed some implications for the Council’s procurement timetables and proposed a means of complying with those requirements while affording relevant bodies a proper opportunity to make Expressions of Interest in running services for the Council.
The Assistant Borough Solicitor reported that it was proposed to set out a timetable of the windows in which the Council would be prepared to consider expressions of interest and to align the window with planned procurements for the following year for services which were not currently outsourced or provided externally. It was anticipated that there would be a three month window commencing on 1st January and ending on 31st March each year. It was also intended to publish the timetable of future contact renewals on the web site giving a similar window for a period of three months, ending one year before the renewal date of the contract to be renewed. This was to give sufficient time for all the procedural requirements of procurement to be undertaken, in the knowledge that a local community or voluntary organisation may wish to bid for a service.
Arising from Members’ questions and comments, the following points were noted:
The Commission agreed to the proposed approach and timetable of the windows in which the Council would be prepared to consider expressions of interest, and asked for a progress report at a future meeting. |
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Quarterly Service Reports (QSR) 2012/13 PDF 149 KB To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the QSRs for the second quarter of 2012/13 (July to September) relating to
· The Chief Executive’s Office · The Corporate Services Department
Please bring the previously circulated Quarterly ServiceReports to the meeting. Copies are available on request and attached to this agenda if viewed online.
The Chairman has asked that any detailed questions arising from the Quarterly Service Reports should be referred to either the Assistant Chief Executive or Director of Corporate Services in advance and only raised in the meeting if you consider the issue requires wider discussion. Additional documents: Minutes: The Commission noted the Quarterly Service Reports for the Chief Executive’s Office and Corporate Services for the second quarter, July to September, 2012/13
Arising from Members’ questions and comments, the following points were noted:
a) Chief Executive’s Office
It was agreed that the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley should be invited to a future Commission meeting.
b) Corporate Services
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Executive Key and Non-Key Decisions PDF 21 KB
To consider scheduled Executive Key and Non-Key Decisions relating to corporate issues. Additional documents: Minutes: The Commission considered scheduled Executive decisions relating to corporate issues and the following points were noted:
Councillor Leake declared a personal interest, as a Binfield Parish Councillor, in the Executive decision relating to Binfield Nursery. |
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Work Programme Update PDF 63 KB To note the progress against the Overview and Scrutiny work programme for 2012-13.
To receive verbal updates from Overview and Scrutiny Panel Chairmen on each panel’s progress against the work programme, drawing attention to any new major issues or changes needed to the programme:
· Adult Social Care and Housing: Councillor Turrell · Children, Young People and Learning: Councillor Mrs Birch · Environment, Culture and Communities: Councillor Finnie · Health: Councillor Virgo Minutes: The Commission received a report setting out a summary of progress made against the work programme for 2012/13 together with verbal updates from Panel Chairmen.
It was agreed to circulate the Community Infrastructure Levy project timetable to Members.
Adult Social Care and Housing
Health In the Chairman’s absence, the Head of Overview and Scrutiny responded to Members’ questions as follows:
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