Private Sector Housing Policy (post-consultation)

Cllr Henwood, Chair of the Scrutiny Housing Panel presented the report and noted the Board’s positive responses to the recommendations. He had reservations about the consultation process and suggested that future consultation be advertised in places with a higher footfall eg Templar Square shopping centre, events and community centres.

Fusion Lifestyle’s 2016/17 Annual Service Plan

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report and thanked the Board for their responses. All recommendation had been agreed except recommendation 7.

Grant Allocations – Monitoring Report

The Scrutiny Officer explained that the Committee had looked at the overarching view of the monitoring report rather than the grants themselves.  He appreciated the positive responses to the Committee’s two recommendations.

Cllr Simm, Board Member for Culture and Communities explained the increasing importance of measuring social value (recommendation 1). She explained that there were tools available but they required the co-operation of organisations and users of the services. She said she would look into how the Council could measure social value with the community grant recipients; however she did not want officers to spend too much time measuring social value when they could be spending time improving it.

In regards to linking the grants programme with service delivery, Cllr Simm explained she would look into what good practice existed and would duplicate them if appropriate.

Review of the Lord Mayor’s Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

Cllr Henwood, thanked the Board for the accepted recommendation. He stated he’d like to review the scheme after the pilot year.

Cllr Rowley, Board member for Housing agreed that the scrutiny recommendation was very sensible.  A report reviewing the scheme will come back to CEB in a year.

Report of the Equality and Diversity Review Group

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report and explained that this review was unique as it had a wholly internal focus.

The report was made up of two parts:

1. Analysis of  council workforce with minority groups underrepresented  in council workforce

2. Ideas to reduce barriers to minority groups.

He explained that further information had been received regarding recommendation 15 and he wished to withdraw it so the Scrutiny Committee could re-consider it. The Board agreed that the Scrutiny Committee would review the new information and the recommendation would return to the Board at a later date.

Cllr Brown, Board member for Customer Services and Corporate Services thanked the review group for their work. She said workplace diversity was monitored regularly and she was constantly looking for ways to improve it.

Apprentices

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report and outlined the recommendations.

Cllr Brown, Board member for Customer Services and Corporate Services outlined the Human Resources risks of council not getting mitigation of the apprenticeship levy right.  She was seeking assurances before increasing apprenticeship numbers.

Cllr Kennedy explained that the Council’s apprentice wage rates were about mid-range compared to other councils.  Good work was being done to advertise the scheme with local businesses and with schools.

Cllr Price mentioned the need to look into the effect of increasing apprenticeship numbers due to the government’s apprenticeship levy. As only training costs can be charged against the levy not wages.