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.

Councillor Barrett, Vice-Chairman of the Committee gave his apologies with no substitution.

To confirm and sign as correct records, the minutes of the meetings of the Committee, held on 14 and 28 January 2025.

It was moved by Councillor Doyle, seconded by Councillor Griffiths and RESOLVED that the Minutes from the meetings of the Committee held on 14 January 2025 and 28 January 2025 be approved as correct records and be signed by the Chairman.

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 had submitted notice of a question pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 38.

To enable the Committee to consider the recommendations made to it as set out in the final  report  from  the  Council’s  Crime  and  Disorder  (Familial  Violence/Abuse)  Task  and Finish Group.

The Committee heard the Final Report of the Council’s Crime and Disorder Task and Finish Group (Familial Violence/Abuse) to consider the recommendations made to it as set out in the report.

The Task and Finish Group, had concluded the elements of its enquiry into Crime and Disorder, having focussed its attention on the issue of familial violence/abuse.  There had been four meetings of the Task and Finish Group between November 2024 and April 2025.  The Task and Finish Group’s report was set out at Appendix A.

It was moved by Councillor Doyle, seconded by Councillor Davidson and RESOLVED:-

That the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommends the following actions for adoption by Cabinet, on the basis that the actions seek to take forward priorities from the Crime & Disorder Reduction Strategy (being presented to Council on 20 May 2025), and noting that most of the actions will be directed to the Council’s community safety partners:-

(1)    That the Council’s Community Safety Team undertake analysis of data from the National Centre for Domestic Abuse in relational to familial abuse in order to conclude whether that data provides the basis for a broader consideration of these matters by the Task and Finish Group.

(2)   To encourage the Community Safety Partnership to advocate and champion local support services for survivors of domestic abuse in the district.

(3)   To utilise the County Wide Strategy Workshop to ensure that the importance of tackling Domestic Abuse is addressed by the proposed Mayoral Combined County Authority for Greater Essex from its creation and the intended new unitary councils across Essex from 1 April 2028;

(4)   That the Council’s Community Safety Team ensure training about types of domestic abuse and how to signpost individuals to domestic abuse support services are available to Reception and Admin staff across the Council;

(5)   To advocate and champion local refuge services for domestic abuse survivors and their children; and ensure that all available materials are reviewed and the updated materials are then made available to District Councillors and to Town and Parish Councils for their use.

(6)   To encourage the Community Safety Partnership to urge school and academy leaders to take up the ‘Healthy Relationships’ sessions provide by the Police and Fire Joint Education Team; and

(7)   To encourage the leaders of Secondary schools and academies Tendring to participate in the Stronger together Teenage Show 2025 (funded by Tendring District Council (see https://youtu.be/aAZ73nXbY_c) seeking to combat violence against women and girls and challenge toxic teenage cultures;

(8)   To engage with other Local Authorities in relation to domestic abuse    priorities in line with local government reorganisation proposals for Greater Essex and sharing best practice.

The Committee noted that it might be beneficial for the Familial Violence Task and Finish Group to continue its work into 2025/26 in order, amongst other things, to consider the analysis of data from the National Centre for Domestic Abuse and to receive updates on the actions set out in the recommendations to Cabinet.

To enable the Committee to consider the Council’s draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy, as outlined in the appendix to the Portfolio Holder report submitted to Cabinet on 21 February 2025.

The Committee consider the Council’s draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy, as outlined in the appendix to the Portfolio Holder report submitted to Cabinet on 21 February 2025.

In accordance with Article 6.02 of the Constitution,

the Committee looked at the Council’s draft Health and Wellbeing Strategy which had been approved for consultation purposes at the formal meeting of the Cabinet held on 21 February 2025. At that meeting (Minute 134 refers), it was:-

“RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)   approves the Health and Wellbeing Draft Strategy for public consultation;

(b)   agrees that Officers, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships, initiate a minimum eight-week consultation process and seek stakeholder comment on the Health and Wellbeing Draft Strategy; and

(c)   agrees that following that consultation the final Health and Wellbeing Strategy be presented to Cabinet for its approval and adoption.”

As a stakeholder, this Committee was now being consulted for its comments.

The report provides the Committee with an update on its approved Work Programme for 2024/25 (including progress with enquiries set out in its Work Programme), feedback to the Committee on the decisions in respect of previous recommendations from the Committee in respects of enquiries undertaken and a list of forthcoming decisions for which public notice has been given.

The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director (Corporate Policy & Support) which provided an update on its approved Work Programme for 2024/25 (including progress with enquiries set out in its Work Programme), feedback to the Committee on the decisions in respect of previous recommendations from the Committee in respects of enquiries undertaken and a list of forthcoming decisions for which public notice had been given.

Members were reminded that the Council had commissioned the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) to undertake an ‘Overview & Scrutiny Development Review’ in 2021 as a way of further improving that function at the Council.  Two relevant recommendations arising from that review had been:

“Further strengthening the annual process for developing work programmes for each O&S committee - Engaging Members, Officers, partners and the public to prioritise the topics for review. This could include a selection criteria to identify appropriate topics for the work programme. Currently the work programme is also the last item on the agenda at O&S meetings, we would recommend bringing it to the beginning, so it can be given greater priority and benefit from more considered discussion, rather than being subject to the inevitable end of meeting fatigue.

Reviewing how the recommendations are made and how impact is measured – This could include putting the ‘recommendations monitoring report’ at the beginning of agendas to orientate O&S towards outcomes-focused meetings, alongside an emphasis on finding strong recommendations from questioning to present to Cabinet (or partners) as improvement or challenge proposals.”

The inclusion of the matters set out in the “purpose of this report” section above sought further re-enforcement of the inter-relationship of the matters referred to.  As such, it had been designed to further support consideration of work programming of the Committee and contribute to addressing progress with the Corporate Plan.

The detailed matters relating to the following matters had been set out in the relevant Appendix identified:

(1) Work Programme for 2024/25 approved by Full Council on 6 August 2024 – Appendix A;

(2) feedback to the Committee on the decisions in respect of previous recommendations from the Committee in respects of enquiries undertaken –Appendix B; and

(3) a list of forthcoming decisions for which notice had been given since publication of the agenda for the Committee’s last meeting –Appendix C

In considering work programming matters, the Committee was further reminded of the other recommendations from the CfGS review undertaken in 2021:

“Considering greater use of task and finish groups – This more informal type of O&S can allow improved cross-party working and detailed investigation of a single issue focussed on producing substantive recommendations.

Improved agenda planning and management - Committees should focus on one or two substantive items per agenda to allow for cross-cutting themes to be properly identified and explored, and different insights brought to bear on critical issues.

Considering how to engage the public in the work of O&S - This could include O&S going on more site  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.