Agenda and minutes

(Directorate of Governance) To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Panel noted that no substitutes had been appointed for this meeting.

(Director of Governance) To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a pecuniary 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 pecuniary 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.

There were no declarations of interest pursuant to the Council’s Member Code of Conduct.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of the Panel.

Resolved:

(1)        That the minutes of the meeting held on 29 October 2015 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to the following amendment to minute 21, resolution (2) to read:

             “(2)     That a draft Service Level Agreement for Voluntary Action Epping Forest would be brought to the Panel.”

The Chairman invited the Panel to review the Grant Aid Service Level Agreement with Epping Forest (EF) Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) following their presentation to the Panel on 29 October 2015.

Cllr Boyce commented that he was very impressed with the services offered by the EF CAB when he spent a day with them during his year as Chairman. They helped a vast number of people with their problems, including financial, personal and family issues.

G Wallis reported that the CAB was now fully operational from Loughton Library and were happy to host further visits from Members if they wished. The new CAB premises in Epping were scheduled for opening in April 2016. Officers could not advise the panel on the Outreach service provided by the CAB and based at Ongar. J Chandler expressed concerns about the expensive overheads for the CAB in the District and opined that the Outreach service was very cost effective in comparison to permanent offices. G Wallis highlighted that the CAB received a considerable amount of money from the Council each year to provide their services within the District, and an application had recently been received for a further £5,000 (not granted) for refurbishment of the new premises at Loughton Library.

Cllr Pond felt that it was better for the CAB to based at Loughton Library rather than a back office, especially with the excellent parking facilities nearby. Cllr Kane informed the Panel that she had attended the last annual general meeting for the CAB in the District, and the CAB were happy that the County Council had offered space within Loughton Library. However, the move had been expensive as the CAB had undertaken certain office modifications so that the accommodation met their specifications, which had been funded out of their reserves.

G Wallis was concerned that the CAB within the District was not reaching out enough to other organisations for funding, and relying solely on the District Council; however, the CAB had indicated that this issue would be examined in the future. J Chandler added that funding from the European Union was also potentially available. Cllr Surtees commented that the CAB had to demonstrate value for money to the Council, given the high level of funding provided to them, and that services-in-kind should also be counted, such as the provision of rent-free premises.

Cllr Pond believed that the CAB needed three centres in Epping Forest as it was such a widespread District. G Wallis stated that the CAB had only two permanent centres within the District, at Epping and Loughton, as the centres at Waltham Abbey and Limes Farm were part of the Outreach Programme. J Chandler added that there was the possibility for the CAB to be based at the Civic Offices in the future as part of the Transformation Programme. Cllr Surtees welcomed the idea of creating a possible Community Hub at the Civic Offices.

Resolved:

(1)        That provision for longer term funding to the Citizens Advice Bureau in Epping Forest be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

(Director of Communities) To consider the attached report (GAR-006-2015/16).

G Wallis introduced a report on the proposed recommendations for Service Level Agreements.

G Wallis reminded the Panel that it had now received presentations from all of the key organisations receiving Grant Aid funding through three-year Service Level Agreements with the Council, as well as considering the range of other local voluntary sector groups receiving lower levels of funding. The Panel had received detailed presentations from Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF), which currently received £39,120 per annum plus £31,690 towards accommodation costs, and Epping Forest (EF) Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), which received £113,840 per annum plus £42,000 from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) towards two Debt Advisor posts. The Panel had also reviewed all paperwork and monitoring information used in the administration of the Council’s Grant Aid Scheme, and considered the arrangements operated by a number of other local authorities in Essex.

G Wallis reported that the proposals before the Panel, for inclusion in the final report to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in April, was: for Service Level Agreements to be no longer used for those Groups receiving less than £5,000 in total over the period of the award (usually three years); for a revised Service Level Agreement to be approved for those groups receiving funding in excess of £5,000 over the period, including VAEF and EF CAB. The new Service Level Agreement would include the revised Monitoring/Evaluation form and a Schedule of Objectives to be achieved as a condition of their funding.

J Chandler added that the Chief Internal Auditor had requested section 4.2 to be strengthened in the draft Service Level Agreement to delay and/or prevent payment if necessary in the event that the Group or Organisation failed to provide sufficient evidence of progress towards the achievement of their agreed objectives. Cllr Surtees suggested that section 5.2 should read “…audited accounts…” rather than “…examined accounts…”, and this was agreed by the Panel.

In response to questions from Members of the Panel, G Wallis stated that the potential funding of Groups involved in questionable activities would be covered by section 3.5 and the need for the Group to comply with Safeguarding legislation. If the Council should ever run out of money then J Chandler believed that this would probably be dealt with under the Council’s general Business Continuity risk within the Corporate Risk Register, but the Chief Internal Auditor would be requested to examine the wording.

Cllr Surtees enquired as to whether Column A on the Monitoring & Evaluation Form should include the number of cases dealt with by the CAB within the District. J Chandler stated that this would be covered by the objectives agreed with the CAB under Schedule A of the Agreement, and could be outlined in Section 2 (Benefits for the Local Community) of the Monitoring & Evaluation Form. G Wallis added that the Council would ask for such information from the CAB when the Agreement was reviewed in any case.

The Panel thanked G Wallis and N Wilkinson for their assistance and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, together with paragraphs (6) and (24) of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution require that the permission of the Chairman be obtained, after prior notice to the Chief Executive, before urgent business not specified in the agenda (including a supplementary agenda of which the statutory period of notice has been given) may be transacted.

In accordance with Operational Standing Order 6 (Non-Executive Bodies), any item raised by a non-member shall require the support of a member of the Committee concerned and the Chairman of that Committee. Two weeks notice of non-urgent items is required.

The Panel noted that there was no other urgent business for consideration at the meeting.

Exclusion

To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Confidential Items Commencement

Paragraph 9 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution require:

(1)        All business of the Council requiring to be transacted in the presence of the press and public to be completed by 10.00 p.m. at the latest.

(2)        At the time appointed under (1) above, the Chairman shall permit the completion of debate on any item still under consideration, and at his or her discretion, any other remaining business whereupon the Council shall proceed to exclude the public and press.

(3)        Any public business remaining to be dealt with shall be deferred until after the completion of the private part of the meeting, including items submitted for report rather than decision.

Background Papers

Paragraph 8 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information (as defined in Rule 10) and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

Inspection of background papers may be arranged by contacting the officer responsible for the item.

The Panel noted that there was no business which necessitated the exclusion of the public and press.

(Director of Governance) The next meeting of the Panel is currently scheduled for 14 March 2016.

The Panel noted that its next, and final, meeting was scheduled for 14 March 2016.