“Thank you very much for granting me the privilege of speaking before your agenda. As many of you know, we're currently in the midst of a by-election tonight. I'll be heading straight off to handle postal votes before participating in the count. I appreciate your indulgence in allowing me to speak first.

Tonight, I'd like to discuss the broader concept of partnership in anticipation of your later discussion. For many councils, partnership is important, but for us, dealing with challenges like poor health, low education achievement, and economic drivers makes it even more crucial.

Our work as a district council becomes vital, and our investments must align with addressing these challenges. Whether we are the deliverer, facilitator, or influencer, our efforts make a significant difference in the lives of our residents.

I want to set the stage for a discussion on the importance of our investments, whether they are our own or from external sources. Ensuring these investments deliver positive outcomes is a key aspect of our work.

One example of our impact is the 4.7% improvement in the health index for our district, compared to the England average of 0.8%. This demonstrates that our efforts, far from being mere ‘fluffy stuff,’ genuinely achieve positive results.

Reducing ambulance journey times and supporting diagnostic hospitals are among our collaborative efforts, benefiting both residents and regional services. Our partnership with the ICB, the new health structure, has been recognized as one of the best in the country through an LGA peer review.

In conclusion, our unique challenges make partnership work even more crucial. The recent visit from the director and their team highlighted that our focus on partnership delivery is equally, if not more, important than physical asset projects. Let's continue working collaboratively and focus on the outcomes we can achieve collectively”.

The Chief Executive excused himself from the remainder of the meeting as he had to attend the Count centre for a by-election in the District, the Chairman thanked him for speaking and said that any questions to him  would be submitted to him in writing.

him in writing.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests of Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Codling (with no substitution).

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 Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

On this occasion no Councillor submitted notice of a question.

To enable the Committee to scrutinise the Council’s grant funding with its external partners and submit any comments as appropriate to the Cabinet.

At Cabinet’s meeting on 10 November 2023, (minute 48 referred) the Leader of the Council had confirmed that external funding matters within the Cabinet’s initial Budget proposals for 2024/25 would be scrutinised by the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee had before  it in attendance the Leader of the Council, supported by the Assistant Director of Finance and IT, plus the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships, supported by the Assistant Director of Partnerships and the Head of Health and Community.

Members were provided with a report (agenda item 5, appendix A) that was to be submitted to Cabinet on 16 February 2024. This report was to meet the recommendation within the Cabinet report in respect of the creation of a subsidy scheme for the purposes of direct grant funding for Citizens Advice Tendring which had been submitted  to Cabinet on 21 July 2023. One of the recommendations arising from that July meeting was that a review of grant funding across the Council be  carried out and a report following  that review considering the options available during 2023/24 then be presented to Cabinet in readiness for 2024/25.

Members heard that the Council allocated a significant amount of funding across the voluntary and community sector, either from external provision such as from Government, for example, the Shared Prosperity Fund, and from internal resources such as for the Tendring Community Fund. At the time of the meeting funding was allocated individually by services within the criteria of any funding received but could potentially be subject to a more joined up approach. The existing governance across services included, in many cases, the criteria for applying, an application form and approval routes, which included Member sign off. Consideration could be given to developing governance criteria to help ensure funding allocation was based on a sound process, was transparent and allowed for decision making at an appropriate level. Although specific aims could be set for allocating funding, for example, in line with the Corporate Plan, care needed to be taken to ensure sufficient flexibility that allowed for funding to be allocated in relation to need. A general policy could also be considered which set the giving of grants in context, for example, by highlighting the underpinning principles, eligibility etc. Within the allocation of funding reference needed to be made to the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to ensure all allocations were legally compliant.

A series of written questions had been previously compiled by the Committee and put to the Portfolio Holders.  The Portfolio Holders’ responses had been provided in writing and circulated to the Committee prior to the commencement of the meeting.  The Minutes of this meeting record those questions and responses below. Further supplementary questions were asked of Cabinet Members and responses provided and they are also recorded below.

Councillor Doyle, with the aim of transparency, informed the meeting that she worked with a local hospice and also worked with the Compassionate Communities organisation.

The Committee is asked to consider and comment upon, as appropriate, the initial proposals for the highlight priorities for 2024/25 submitted to it by the Cabinet.

The Committee heard that, at Cabinet’s meeting held on 15 December 2023 (Minute 62 referred), Cabinet had considered a report of the Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance, which had reminded Members that the Council’s strategic direction was set out in its Corporate Plan which was a fundamental element of the Council’s Policy Framework.  The Corporate Plan (‘Our Vision’) had been adopted unanimously by Council on 28 November 2023 (Minute 76 referred) and covered the period 2024-28. Key elements of delivering against the adopted Corporate Plan would be through annual highlight priority actions approved by the Cabinet. The 2024/25 initial proposals for highlight priorities had been set out at Appendix B to the Portfolio Holder’s report. Through that report, Cabinet had been invited to adopt those initial proposals for consultation purposes before finalising its highlight priorities for 2024/25; which would involve consideration of the outcome of the consultation undertaken.

It was reported to Members that recognising the rationale for the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations was to set out openly for all concerned the initial proposals for highlight priorities for 2024/25 and that this supported the openness agenda of the Council and provided an opportunity for engagement with the public, businesses and partners on those initial proposals.  Through consultation it was hoped that the views received could help shape the priorities that would finally be adopted (within the reality of the Council’s budgetary position). Cabinet had therefore -

“RESOLVED that Cabinet resolves that -

(a)    the initial highlight priorities for 2024/25, as set out at Appendix B to report A.2, be approved for consultation;

(b)    all Councillors, other partners and the public be invited to consider the initial priorities referred to in (a) above; and

(c)    the outcome of the consultation referred to in (b) above be reported to Cabinet on 15 March 2024 in order that Cabinet can formally adopt its finalised highlight priority actions for 2024/25.”

A copy of the published Leader of the Council’s report (and its appendices) to the Cabinet meeting held on 15 December 2023 were attached to Officer’s covering report.

A series of written questions had been previously compiled by the Committee and put to the Portfolio Holders.  The Portfolio Holders’ responses had been provided in writing and circulated to the Committee prior to the commencement of the meeting.  The Minutes of this meeting record those questions and responses below. Further supplementary questions were asked of Cabinet Members and responses provided and they are also recorded below.