Agenda and minutes

The Committee was advised that Councillor Nash had recently been appointed as a Member of the Committee in place of Councillor Amos. On behalf of the Committee Councillor Chittock extended a welcome to her.

The Head of Democratic Services and Elections advised that the position of Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the reminder of the current municipal year would be an item on the agenda for the next meeting of the Committee (as Councillor Amos had held that position until he ceased to be a Committee Member).

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

An apology for absence was submitted by Councillor Chapman BEM (no substitution).

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Monday 10 January 2022.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Monday 10 January 2022 be approved as a correct record.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Personal Interest, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest by Councillors in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.

Subject to providing two working days’ notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the District of Tendring and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

On this occasion no Councillor had submitted notice of a question.

Pursuant to the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 13, the Committee will review any new and/or amended published forthcoming decisions relevant to its terms of reference and decide whether it wishes to enquire into any such decision before it is taken.

Matters may only be raised on those forthcoming decisions at Committee meetings where the Member has notified the Committee Services Manager in writing (or by personal email) of the question they wish to ask, no later than Midday, two working days before the day of the meeting.

The Committee NOTED the contents of the report.

To present to the Committee the updated Recommendations Monitoring Report, outlining any recommendations the Committee have sent to Cabinet. The Committee is requested to consider the report and determine whether any further action is required on the recommendations submitted.

The Committee NOTED the contents of the report.

To present to the Committee a draft detailed Work Programme 2021/22, to consider the detail and ordering of the Work Programme.

The head of Democratic Services and Elections drew the Committees attention to the work programmer and particularly to the item on Jaywick that was set to be considered by the Committee on 14 March 2022. He advised that the Cabinet is highlight priorities for 2022/23 included the development of a “Place Plan” for Jaywick.

As such he invited the Committee to reschedule its holistic enquiry from 14 March 2022 until later in 2022/23 and the enquiry could look at the process of the developing plan.

The Committee also heard how the scope of this enquiry should look at the impact of the rent cap affecting those in the area. In addition representatives from “Inclusion Ventures”, “Jaywick Sands Revival”, “The Community Land Trust” and the “Jaywick Resource Centres” should be invited to submit information to the enquiry.

In the event that the Committee agreed to reschedule the Jaywick enquiry the item relating to “Children not in Mainstream School” is in the work programme, could be rescheduled for the meeting on 14 March 2022. Relevant Officers from Essex County Council had confirmed they could attend this meeting to support that enquiry.

The Committee RESOLVED to NOTE the report and otherwise reschedule the holistic enquiry of “Children not in Mainstream Schools” as outlined above.

[Note: Subsequent to the meeting, the Committees meeting on 14 March 2022 was rescheduled to 21 March 2022]

In accordance with its work programme, the Committee will enquire into the work of the Anchor Institutions and consider opportunities for taking that work (and lessons from it) to be applied locally to maximum effect.  The enquiry forms part of this Committee’s work within the Corporate Plan Themes of “Community Leadership Through Partnerships” and “Joined up public services for the benefit of our residents and businesses.”

The report attached is intended to assist the Committee’s enquiry and provides an introduction to the work of Anchor Institutions and an update of the work being undertaken across Essex.

Further to the decision of Council on 13 July 2021 (Minute 53 refers), the Committee undertook an enquiry into the Anchor Institution and considered opportunities for taking that work (and lessons from it) to be applied locally to maximum effect.

As part of the Committee’s enquiry, the Committee was provided with a written report from the Assistant Director of Partnerships that referenced:

What was an Anchor organisation.

Members heard that through their day to day practices, Anchor institutions  were usually large organisations which were local to place that had the leverage to maximize social value through their role as workforce developers, employers and procurers, their core business (health and education for instance) and linkages to the place they operate. They were large, typically non-profit organisations like hospitals, local councils, and universities . They had:

•       ‘Sticky capital’ (i.e. were unlikely to move given their connection to the local population)

•       Significant influence on the health and wellbeing of a local community through their sizeable assets. 

The Essex Anchor Network

It was reported to the Committee that the Essex Anchor network included approximately 20 anchor organisations from across Greater Essex that held meetings on a six weekly basis. The meetings were an opportunity to share best practice, link up the organisations and monitor progress. The current priorities were joining up to support recruitment initiatives such as virtual job fairs and an analysis of financial spend was currently being undertaken to identify where efficiencies could be made.

Ian Davidson was the Chairman of the Essex Anchors work and Ed Garrett Chief Executive of the ICB was Vice Chairman.

As part of the enquiry, the Committee heard presentations from two external partners.

Will Herbert, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Essex County Council

Laura Taylor Green, Head of Wellbeing and Public Health, Essex County Council

The presentations provided the Committee with an overview and update on the work of Anchors across Essex.

After some discussion the Committee thanked the guest speakers and NOTED the contents of the report.

In accordance with its work programme, the Committee will enquire into District wide health levels and Health inequalities due to socioeconomic factors.  The enquiry forms part of this Committee’s work within the Corporate Plan Themes of “Community Leadership Through Partnerships” and “Joined up public services for the benefit of our residents and businesses.”

The report attached is intended to assist the Committee’s enquiry and provides an update on key work undertaken by the Council.

Further to the decision of Council on 13 July 2021 (Minute 53 refers), the Committee undertook an enquiry into “District wide health levels and Health inequalities due so socioeconomic factors”.

As part of the Committee’s enquiry, the Committee was provided with a written report from the Assistant Director of Partnerships. The report referenced how the Council undertook wider work around health inequality for example in relation to provision of housing and maintaining housing standards, payment of benefits, provision of green space etc.

Members were advised that the North East Essex Health and Well-being Alliance (The Alliance) which brought partners together to address health issues and included (amongst other organisations) the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and East Suffolk & North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT). Through the Alliance, significant funding had been provided by the CCG and ESNEFT to the Council to undertake work around health inequality. In 2021 the CCG provided £200,000 for addressing health inequalities. In addition to this, ESNEFT provided a further £200,000. A spending plan had been developed for the funding which had been agreed by the partners who provided the funding.

Members also heard how the funding was proposed to be used to address health inequalities around housing and mental health. This would fund extra staff and some funding for external agencies who may have been best placed to deliver improvements in appropriate areas (for example the Family Solutions team).

Will Herbert and Laura Taylor Green both officers for Essex County Council and who had made presentations of the Anchors Scheme (minutes 42 above refers) remained and spoke to the Committee on this matter also.

The Committee thanked the guest speakers and officers for their work and NOTED the contents of the report.