Agenda and minutes

1.         This meeting is to be webcast. Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking.

2.         The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the Internet and will be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available for those that request it.

If you are seated in the lower public seating area it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you have any concerns about this, you should speak to the webcasting officer”

The Chairman made a short address to remind all present that the meeting would be broadcast on the Internet, and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The panel noted that Councillor K Chana was substituting for Councillor M Colling.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider and agree the notes of the meeting the Panel held on 11 February 2008.

The notes from the previous meeting held on 11 February 2008 were agreed.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Panel noted the Terms of Reference and the Work Programme.

Terms of Reference

It was noted that:

• Item 1(a) of the terms of reference relating to Best Value Performance Indicators would be amended to reflect the new National Indicators coming into force in April 2008;
• That a suggestion would be made to the main Overview and Scrutiny Panel that a separate Customers Services Panel be set up in the new year;
• That performance monitoring in relation to the Council’s statutory equality duties to be added to the Panel’s Terms of Reference for the new year.

Work Programme

It was noted that Item 8, CPA improvement Plan – Performance Monitoring, would be deleted from the work programme, as all substantial actions had now been completed.

Councillor Mrs Smith asked for a position statement on item 5 of the work Programme, the Local Area Agreement (LAA) – Performance Monitoring. The Deputy Chief Executive replied that officers were now focusing on discussions with the County Council on LAA2. There was not, as yet, an outturn report on LAA1, which has run its course. But, one could be brought to this Panel in the new year if members desired.

It was also noted that LAA2 should be added to the new Terms of Reference.

(Deputy Chief Execitive) to consider the attached report.

The Panel noted that all service directors had undertaken a review of the current BVPI and LPI sets, with a view to the possible adoption of some existing BVPIs as LPIs from 2008/09 onwards, where these continued to reflect local priorities but had not been brought forward into the new National Indicator (NI) set in a broadly similar form.

At its last meeting this Panel undertook an initial review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) adopted for 2007/08, looking at whether these priority indicators should also be carried forward into a new LPI suite. The results of these reviews of existing performance indicators and proposals for the adoption of a new suite of LPIs were set out for the consideration of the Panel, with proposed new LPIs highlighted. The review had resulted in the proposed deletion of several existing indicators, and the transfer of others to relevant business plans. In addition, it was noted that a range of asset management related LPIs had also recently been adopted as a result of recommendations made by the Audit Commission through the annual Use of Resources Assessment. These proposals were considered and agreed by the Cabinet at its meeting on 10 March 2008.

The Panel also noted that the Corporate Executive Forum and the Management Board had reviewed the National Indicator Set and had

 expressed specific concern over NI 14 (Avoidable Contact). This new indicator seeks to measure the average number of customer contacts (telephone, email or in-person) for each resolved request, in order to manage future demand resulting from customer contact that would be unnecessary if public authorities could get it right the first time, join up parts of the public sector for the customer so that they do not need to make multiple contacts, manage signposting and referral both within and across  agencies, and set clear expectations at the outset so that the customer knows what to expect.

The Panel considered the proposed indicators, it was noted that some were carried forward in broadly similar form, such as the planning indicators. Some of these would be monitored at service level within Business Plans and not directly by members, which will be available in the member’s room.

The Chairman noted that LPI H10 a, b and c on single homeless households placed in bed and breakfast, hostel and other temporary accommodation, measure different things and are not consistent. The Portfolio Holder for Housing replied that they are separate indicators. The Performance Improvement Manager added that they were likely to have originally derived from former Best Value Indicators.

Councillor Jacobs commented that the BVPI’s on benefit fraud were not considered to be meaningful, although he thought them to be quite useful. The Assistant Head of Finance commented that the wording for BVPI 76c was wrong and it should be ‘investigations carried out’, and the Council were currently still collecting this kind of information. The Deputy Chief Executive concurred  that it could be included in the new LPIs  or be included in the appropriate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

(Deputy Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

The Deputy Chief Executive introduced the Race Equality Scheme and progress with general equalities work report.  The Council is required under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to take actions which: a) eliminate unlawful discrimination; b) promote equality of opportunity; and c) promote good race relations. This is the type of work that the Council does generally to ensure that our services are acceptable to all members of the community. It is the Council’s responsibility to consult with members of the Community, such as the recent consultation held with the representatives of the Disabled Community of the district.

In order to show how it will meet these duties, public bodies are required to produce a Race Equality Scheme (RES) and review it every three years.  This also provides an opportunity for the Authority to explain the values, principles and standards that guide its approach to race equality.  EFDC’s first RES covered the period 2005-2008, and is now therefore due for review.

Councillor Jacobs noted that the report is based on information taken from the census carried out seven years ago, and asked if this information was being updated. He was told that the Council is looking at updating its information together with the LSP who are looking at purchasing analytical tools for use and to update its database.

Councillor Jacobs asked how it was possible to achieve a fair representation of racial or disabled groups within the district’s workforce. The Human Resources Manager replied that the Council would welcome applications from any group. They would advertise in a range of publications to cover all these groups, and accept anyone as long as they were the best person for the post. The Deputy Chief Executive added that they had no influence over the make up of the general population of the district, but were happy to reflect this make up as one of the major employers of the district. The Council would happily make any reasonable adjustments for people with special needs, if they were the best person for that job.

Councillor Mrs Collins commented that with the low percentage of ethnic minorities in the district and thus being employed by the Council, even a small loss of one or two people would reflect as a big percentage loss in our figures. Councillor Mrs Collins asked about the loss of 6 ethnic minority staff during 2006/07, was there any particular reason for this? The Human Resources Manager said that despite having exit interviews no particular problems had been highlighted. Most of these officers had just gone on to better paid jobs.

Councillor Bassett asked, that with the expansion of the EU, has the Council seen an increase in the amount of Europeans workers. The Human Resources Manager replied that had not been a noticeable increase, but there was some increase in European workers in agency staff, such as ground maintenance workers.

Councillor Mrs Smith asked where the report goes to next; once this Panel has agreed the recommendations. The Performance Improvement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

(Deputy Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

The Deputy Chief Executive introduced the report on the Council’s Gender Equality and Disability Equality Scheme. The Panel noted that the Council is required under the Equality Act 2006 to take actions which promote gender equality, proactively taking forward the statutory duties placed upon it.  The general statutory duties placed upon the Council are:

• To eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment; and
• To promote equality of opportunity between men and women.

In addition the Council has specific statutory duties as follows:

• To prepare and publish a Gender Equality Scheme;
• To consider the need to develop actions to address the causes of any gender pay gap;
• To gather and use information on how the Council’s policies affect gender equality;
• To consult stakeholders and take account of any relevant information;
• To assess the impact of its current and proposed policies and practices on gender equality
• To implement the actions set out in its Gender Equality Scheme; and
• To report against the scheme every year and review the scheme every three years.

This report was to inform the Committee of progress which has been made with the implementation of this scheme.

The Panel noted that this also should be added to their terms of reference for the coming new municipal year.

            RESOLVED:

That the Scrutiny Panel noted the progress that has been made with implementing the Gender Equality Scheme and Disability Equality Scheme.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

To report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that this Panel had considered the Race, Gender and Disability Schemes and to request that it be added to the future terms of reference.

To consider the forward programme of meeting dates for the new municipal year for this Panel.

17^th June 2008;

19^th August 2008;

11^th November 2008;

13^th January 2009;

10^th February 2009 and

31^st March 2009.

The meeting noted that this was the last meeting of this Panel for this municipal year. The Chairman offered his thanks to the members and officers for their hard work during the year. The Chairman was, in his turn, thanked for his chairmanship during the year.