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 report also notifies the Committee that Officers will be launching a consultation with regards to the Committee’s Work Programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

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 visits in the community, inviting the public to offer ideas for work programmes, and greater use of social media channels for resident input and communicating the progress and impact of scrutiny work.

 

A clearer focus on democratic accountability - Scrutiny of Cabinet Members should form a key part of the work programme, providing an opportunity to hold the Leader and portfolio holders to account for delivery of the corporate plan and any other issues O&S feel is important.”

 

The Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee was one of two overview and scrutiny committees established by the Council to specifically focus on the following areas of Council work (as detailed in Article 6.02(i) of the Council’s Constitution):

 

“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

 

·         Economic Development, Regeneration and Freeport East

 

·         Leisure and Tourism (except matters relating to budgets)

 

·         Planning & Building Control and Strategic Planning (including the Local Plan)

 

·         Emergency Planning

 

·         To scrutinize/review the outcomes and implications for the Council of its financial support to community organisations and also from its receipt and use of funds received from local partner organisations.

 

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 5of 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(3) 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.”

 

The Constitution provides for the two overview and scrutiny committees to submit a work programme to full Council for approval. Rule 7 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules sets out the position as follows:

 

“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 full Council for approval.  In addition it will be responsible for co-ordinating and prioritising its work programme on an ongoing basis.

 

In preparing, co-ordinating and prioritising its programme, each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will take 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;

 

·         provision for budget scrutiny and scrutiny of the Treasury Management Strategy, as appropriate;

 

·         the need for statutory timetables to be met;

 

·         the expressed wishes of the members of the committee;

 

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

 

·         requests from Members and/or Group Leaders in accordance with Rule 8.”

 

In considering the Work Programme of enquiries, the Committee must have regard to the Corporate Plan 2024-28 and the themes of that Corporate Plan are:

 

·         Pride in our area and services to residents

·         Raising aspirations and creating opportunities

·         Championing our local environment

·         Working with partners to improve quality of life

·         Promoting our heritage offer, attracting visitors and encouraging them to stay longer

·         Financial Sustainability and openness

 

During the discussion of this report, it would be possible to receive an update of the work of the Task & Finish Groups established by the Committee, namely:

 

-       Joint working with Parish and Town Councils; and

 

-       Youth Provision for School Age Children outside of school

 

Work Programme – 2025/2026 Municipal Year

 

Officers were continuing the process of developing the Committee’s Work Programme for 2025/26. This would involve seeking suggestions from:-

 

·         Members;

·         the Leader of the Council and Deputy Leader of the Council (through a joint meeting under the Cabinet/Overview & Scrutiny Protocol with the Chairman of the two Overview and Scrutiny Committees, which will also involve the Chief Executive, the Corporate Director (Law and Governance) and the Assistant Director (Corporate Policy & Support);

·         Management Team;

·         Town and Parish Councils, partner agencies and community groups; and

·         The public.

 

The Committee should be aware, that at present the Democratic Services Team were preparing to launch a consultation with the aim to capture the residents’ and stakeholders’ ideas as to what they think both Overview & Scrutiny Committees should be spending their time on.

 

The Democratic Services Team would also start talks with both the Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees about the creation of the Scrutiny Annual Report for the year 2024/25.

 

Officers would then collate the replies received that were relevant to the Committee, associating suggestions with a corporate plan theme, identifying information sources and possible invitees and what might be the benefit of the enquiries. That collation would then be firstly discussed with the Chairman of the Committee and then by the Committee at an informal meeting, which would be arranged in due course.

 

The proposed Work Programme for 2025/26 together with the annual review of the work undertaken by the Committee during 2024/25 would be formally submitted to the Committee for its approval at a Special Meeting.

 

The Work Programme for 2025/26, as recommended by the Committee, together with the annual review of the work undertaken by the Committee during 2024/25, would then be submitted to Full Council for its approval.

 

The Committee also had an update on suicide rates across the District that Tendring had the 37^th highest suicide rate per 100,000 population among local authorities in England and Wales.

 

It was unanimously:-

 

RESOLVED that the Committee:

 

a)    notes the progress with enquiries set out in its Work Programme 2024/25, plus any feedback to the Committee on the decisions in respect of previous recommendations and the list of forthcoming decisions;

 

b)    invites oral updates on the work of the two Task and Finish Groups established by the Committee (as referenced in the Work Programme at Appendix A of the Officer report):

 

(i)            Joint working with Parish and Town Councils; and

(ii)           Youth Provision for School Age Children outside of school.

 

(c)   notes the arrangements that are being made for the Committee to consider and decide in due course its Work Programme for 2025/26; and

 

(d)  agrees that a Special Meeting of the Committee be held on Tuesday 29 July 2025 to enable the Committee to approve the Work Programme for 2025/26 together with the Annual Review for 2024/25.