Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

22.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Simm.

23.

Declarations of interest

Minutes:

None.

24.

Chair's Announcements

Minutes:

None.

25.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 154 KB

 

Recommendation: That the minutes of the meeting held on 05 June 2018 be APPROVED as a true and accurate record.

 

Minutes:

The Committee resolved to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 05 June 2018 as a true and accurate record subject to some minor typographical amendments.

 

26.

Work Plan and Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 77 KB

The Scrutiny Committee operates within a work plan which is agreed at the start of the Council year. The Work Plan is reviewed at each meeting so that it can be adjusted to reflect the wishes of the Committee and take account of any changes to the latest Forward Plan (which outlines decisions to be taken by the City Executive Board or Council). The Committee is asked to review and note its work plan for the 2018/19 council year.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Officer spoke to this item. He reassured the Committee that the published Work Plan was a work in progress and did not yet reflect all those items which had been agreed.

 

In discussion it was agreed that, in the absence of City Executive Board (CEB) items in August which warranted the Committee’s attention, the provisional date for a Scrutiny Committee on 30 July was not needed. The meeting on 30 July is therefore cancelled.

 

In relation to CEB’s Forward Plan, an item on Blackbird Leys Development (to go to CEB on 18 September) had been added since publication of the Committee papers. The Scrutiny Officer would ascertain if there was likely to be sufficient substance in the item to warrant the Committee’s attention.

 

27.

Scrutiny Review Groups 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 166 KB

On 5 June 2018, the Scrutiny Committee agreed that further scoping was needed to understand the rationale and timeliness of three separate review group proposals; Local Connection (Homelessness), Tourism Management, and Air Quality. The Chairs of each review group will present their proposal. The Committee is recommended to:

 

a)  Note that following discussion with the lead member and officers, that the timeliness of a review into Air Quality matters should be reviewed in 2019

b)  Agree the priority order of the Local Connection (Homelessness) and Tourism Management review groups

c)  Agree the membership of the Local Connection (Homelessness) and Tourism Management review groups

d)  Approve the scoping documents for the Local Connection (Homelessness) and Tourism Management review groups (to be circulated separately).

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Officer explained that he had worked with the Chair and Councillor Bely-Summers as Chairs of the Tourism Management and No Local Connection (Homelessness) review groups respectively, to work up the scoping documents for both review groups. The suggestion for a review group on Air Quality was not being pursued for the moment because of officer concerns about capacity. This would be revisited again as a review topic following the conclusion of the other identified review groups.

 

In discussion about the scoping document for the No Local Connection Review Group it was agreed that there should be clarity throughout that it will be focused on the needs of those without a local connection.

 

The Committee agreed the following:

 

1.    that the No Local Connection review would be undertaken first, followed by Tourism Management;

 

2.    to approve the draft scoping documents;

 

3.    that the review on Air Quality should be revisited in 2019; and

 

4.    that membership of  the review groups should be as follows:

 

No Local Connection (Homelessness): Cllrs Nadine Bely-Summers (Chair), Richard Howlett, Shaista Aziz, Paul Harris, Tom Landell-Mills and Craig Simmons.

Tourism Management: Cllrs Andrew Gant (Chair), James Fry, Pat Kennedy, Alex Donnelly, Paul Harris and Dick Wolff.

 

28.

Q 4 performance pdf icon PDF 245 KB

The Scrutiny Committee has a role in monitoring Council performance.  Quarterly reports are provided on a set of selected corporate and service performance indicators.

 

This item provides an opportunity for the Committee to note and comment on Council performance at the end of quarter 4  of 2017/18.

 

Minutes:

The Committee made a number of observations about the Q4 performance, including the following:

 

·         The absence of key data in relation to Fusion Lifestyle was a concern given a previous understanding that it would be provided. These data should be provided for Q1.

·         Recruitment/staff retention is an issue for some parts of the service, more detailed data about turnover etc. would be helpful.

·         The introduction of Universal Credit appeared to have had consequences for some indicators and some targets should perhaps, as a result, be re-calibrated

·         The percentage of planning appeals allowed on minor developments would be useful (not just for major developments).

·         Customer satisfaction “at first point of contact” was generally good but the low rate of satisfaction in relation to engagement via the Internet was of concern.

·         Customer satisfaction with reference to different areas of service would be worthy of consideration.

·         The shortfall in collection of Council Tax and Business rates was of concern and was scheduled to be looked at by the Finance Panel.

·         There was a question about the value of the indicator for the number of training places and jobs created as a result of Council investment and leadership.

·         Where targets were almost universally met, repeated Scrutiny consideration of them added little value and they should be removed from future reports.

 

There was particular concern about the data in relation to “Days lost to sickness”. It was agreed that a report on the matter should be requested and an officer invited to allow more detailed consideration by the Committee.

 

As a subset of this indicator, the significance of stress, depression, anxiety and mental health were noted. It was agreed that this was a matter that might be referred to the Members’ Mental Health Challenge Panel with a request that it report back to the Committee in due course.  The Scrutiny Officer would explore this suggestion, and invite the relevant people to report back to the Committee.

 

29.

Annual Scrutiny Report pdf icon PDF 264 KB

The Scrutiny Committee’s Annual Report for 2017/18 will be presented to Council on 23 July. This is an opportunity for the Committee to approve the draft content of the report, subject to any changes agreed. The report will undergo a graphic design process before submission to Full Council and publication.

Minutes:

The draft Annual Scrutiny Report was agreed subject to some minor suggestions.

 

30.

Report back on recommendations pdf icon PDF 72 KB

This item is for the Committee to note and comment on recent executive responses to Scrutiny recommendations.  Since the last meeting of the Committee the City Executive Board has responded to the Committee’s recommendations on: Fusion Lifestyle’s Annual Service Plan; Safeguarding Annual Report; and the Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement. The Board’s responses are attached.

 

Contact Officer: Stefan Robinson, Scrutiny Officer, srobinson@oxford.gov.uk 01865 252191

 

 

Minutes:

The Chair was pleased to report that the majority of the Committee’s recommendations had been agreed. 

 

In relation to the recommendations about Fusion Lifestyle’s targets there was some concern at CEB’s partial acceptance of the recommendations. The Committee was at liberty to refer the matter back to the Board but, for the time being, it was agreed that it would be best to wait until the arrival of Q1 data to see the extent to which the data requested had been incorporated and what performance trends were emerging.

 

31.

Dates of future meetings

Meetings for 2018 are scheduled as followed:

 

Scrutiny Committee

 

 

  • 30 July (provisional)
  • 06 September
  • 08 October
  • 06 November
  • 04 December

 

 

Standing Panels

·         Housing Standing Panel: 05 July, 11 October, 12 November

·         Finance Standing Panel: 04 July, 10 September, 06 December

·         Companies Panel   26 July, 11 September, 25 October, 12 December, 03 January 2019

 

All meetings start at 6.00 pm

 

 

 

Minutes:

Meetings for 2018 are scheduled as followed:

 

Scrutiny Committee

 

 

  • 30 July (CANCELLED)
  • 06 September
  • 08 October
  • 06 November
  • 04 December

 

 

Standing Panels

·         Housing Standing Panel: 05 July, 11 October, 12 November

·         Finance Standing Panel: 04 July, 10 September, 06 December

·         Companies Panel   26 July, 11 September, 25 October, 12 December, 03 January 2019

 

All meetings start at 6.00 pm