Agenda item

The Council will consider the proposed work programmes for the two overview and scrutiny committees (i.e. the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee) for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year and will note the work carried out by those committees during 2022/2023.

 

(THIS REPORT IS “TO FOLLOW”)

Council considered the respective proposed work programmes for the Community Leadership and the Resources & Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees for the remainder of 2023/24.  Council also received the proposed ‘Annual Report 2022/23’ for overview and scrutiny work undertaken through those Committees.

 

Members were aware that, under the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (O&SPR), the Constitution stated, in relation to the Work Programme (O&SPR 7), that:

 

“Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will submit a work programme for the year ahead and a review of the previous year’s activities to the Council for approval.  In addition, it will be responsible for coordinating and prioritising its work programme on an ongoing basis.”

 

In submitting their proposed work programmes for 2023/24, the Overview and Scrutiny Committees had taken into account:-

 

·      the General Role and Principles of undertaking its functions, as set out in Part 2, Article 6

·      the planned work on the preparation of elements of the Budget and Policy Framework, as set out in the Council’s Business Plan;

·      the need for statutory timetables to be met;

·      the expressed wishes of members of the committee;

·      requests from the Cabinet to carry out reviews and/or suggestions from the liaison meetings held under the Cabinet & Overview and Scrutiny Protocol; and

·      requests from Members and/or Group Leaders in accordance with O&SPR 8.

 

In addition, under Article 6.02 of the Constitution the separate Overview & Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) performed the role of overview and scrutiny in relation to:-

 

Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

“To perform the role of Overview and Scrutiny and its functions in relation to:-

 

·      Community Leadership developing the external focus of overview and scrutiny on “district-wide” issues’ (and where appropriate sub regional, regional and national issues), in particular through collaborative work with local partner authorities, providers, stakeholders and members of the public.

·      Approval of discrete researched and evidenced reviews on the effectiveness of partnership operating in the area with particular focus on:

 

o  Community Safety

o  Health and Well-being

o  Economy, Skills and Educational Attainment

 

·      Community engagement, development and empowerment

·      Leisure and Tourism (except matters relating to budgets)

·      Housing Strategy and Homeless Service (except the Housing Revenue Account)

·      Emergency Planning

 

The Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee will also act as the Council’s designated “crime and disorder committee” for the purposes of Section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 and will have the power –

 

(a)   to review or scrutinise decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities[*] of their crime and disorder function;

(b)   to make reports or recommendations to the local authority with respect to the discharge of those functions.

 

*   “The responsible authorities” means the bodies and persons who are responsible authorities within the meaning given by section 5 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c.37) (authorities responsible for crime and disorder strategies) in relation to the local authority’s area.

 

In fulfilling that function the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee will have the power (whether by virtue of section 9F(2) or 21(2) of the Local Government Act 2000 or regulations made under section 9JA(2) or 32(3) of that Act or otherwise) to make a report or recommendation to the local authority with respect to any matter which is a local crime and disorder matter in relation to a member of the authority.

 

The crime and disorder committee shall meet to review or scrutinise decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities of their crime and disorder function as the committee considers appropriate but no less than once in every twelve month period.”

 

Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

“To perform the role of Overview and Scrutiny and its functions in relation to the effective use of the Council’s resources including approval of discrete researched and evidenced reviews on the effectiveness of:

 

Financial Forecast Budget setting and monitoring (including General Fund & Housing Revenue Account)

Service Delivery and Performance (where not delegated to the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

Procurement and Contract Management

Transformation and Digital Strategies

Customer Service and Standards”

 

In considering the Work Programme of enquiries to submit for approval to Council, the separate Overview and Scrutiny Committees had had regard to the Corporate Plan 2020-24 and the themes of that Corporate Plan.  Those themes were:

 

•    Delivering High Quality Services;

•    Building Sustainable Communities;

•    Strong Finances and Governance;

•    A Growing and Inclusive Economy; and

•    Community Leadership through Partnerships.

 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committees had each formally reviewed the work carried out in 2022/23 and had considered items for inclusion in their respective proposed Work Programmes for 2023/24 as follows:

 

Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 3 July 2023; and

Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 27 June 2023.

 

Those formal approvals had followed informal development of concepts by Members of the two Committees.  All Councillors on Tendring District Council had been provided with the opportunity to contribute proposals for Work Programme items for 2023/24.

 

Both Committees had received a report on a meeting between the Chairmen of those Committees, the Leader of the Council, the Deputy Leader, the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Democratic Services & Elections held on 20 June 2023.  A number of suggested possible enquiries had been identified at that meeting.

 

Having considered all of the above, the two Overview and Scrutiny Committees had then determined their proposed Work Programmes for 2023/24 and those were now submitted for approval by Council along with a review of the scrutiny function at the Council in 2022/23 as performed through the two Committees.  This had been developed in dialogue with the Chairmen of the two Committees and a draft had been submitted at the Committee meetings already referenced above. 

 

Appendix Ai to report A.3 set out the proposed work programme for the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Appendix Aii set out the proposed work programme for the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Appendix B set out the review of the scrutiny function in 2022/23.  All were submitted for consideration by Council. 

 

It was also reported that both of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees had approved arrangements for the appointment of relevant Task and Finish groups to take forward enquiries to be confirmed prior to the next respective Committee meetings.

 

It was moved by Councillor Steady, seconded by Councillor P B Honeywood and:-

 

RESOLVED that Council –

 

(a)    approves the proposed work programmes for the Community Leadership and the Resources & Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees for the 2023/24 Municipal Year, as set out in Appendices Ai and Aii respectively; and

 

(b)    notes the work carried out by those Committees in the year 2022/23, as set out in Appendix B.