Agenda and minutes

The Panel is asked to appoint a Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Panel.

Recommendation:

To appoint a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the Youth Engagement Review Task and Finish Panel.

As this was the first meeting of the Panel, the Assistant Director of Community Services and Safety opened the meeting and requested nominations for the role of Chairman. Councillor S Murray was nominated by Councillor C Roberts and seconded by Councillor R Butler and accepted the role of Chairman.

Councillor S Murray then proceeded to request nominations for the Vice Chairman and Councillor G Mohindra was nominated by Councillor S Murray and seconded by Councillor C Roberts.

Resolved:

(1)        That Councillor S Murray be elected Chairman of the Panel for the remainder of the municipal year; and

(2)        That Councillor G Mohindra be elected Vice-Chairman of the Panel for the remainder of the municipal year.

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

There had been no substitute Members 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 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.

Attached is a draft of set of Terms of Reference which the Panel is asked to review and modify as they see fit. This will then go to the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting for their final approval.

The Assistant Director of Community Services and Safety, J Chandler presented the Scoping Report and draft Terms of Reference for the Youth Engagement Review Task and Finish Panel.

J Chandler informed the Panel that following a budget saving exercise in 2014, the Finance and Performance Management Cabinet Committee had asked Officers to look into the most effective use of the budget relating to youth engagement for 2016/17. In response the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Community Services submitted a proposal to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to establish a Task and Finish Panel to consider and review the potential options for the best use of the existing budget.

J Chandler advised the Panel that the total budget allocated to Youth Strategy budget was in the region of £120,000 and of this the operating costs of the Youth Council amounted to approximately £54,000 per annum with a project budget of £12,000, which was mostly used for transport. The Youth Council consisted of 21 young people aged between 13 and 18 years old that had been elected through elections held in the Districts secondary schools, along with five other young residents who live in the District but either go to school outside of the area or to Epping Forest College. In addition to provision of a Youth Council, the Council’s Community Services teams also provided a range of activities, projects and programmes for young people across the District in key areas, including targeted work within the community and schools that was mainly funded through external funding via competitive processes.

J Chandler advised the Panel that youth engagement had been seen as a priority for a range of public and voluntary services, to ensure that young people were able to access core services and be involved in the design and delivery of these. This  provided opportunities for agencies to build positive relationships with young people and promote good health and wellbeing. She also advised the Panel that several key partners had faced major budget reductions over the last 3-5 years and this had resulted in there being a complete withdrawal of ‘face to face’ Youth Service delivery across Essex by the County Council.

The Panel acknowledged that the Youth Council was an element of the Review but that youth engagement in it’s widest sense should be the main consideration. The Chairman asked that the Panel consider the terms of reference and recommend any additions or amendments.

Councillor G Mohindra suggested that the Task and Finish Panel should look at engaging young people who are not already engaged.

Councillor Surtees asked that the words ‘Youth Council’ be included into the second point of the term of reference, so that it read ‘To review the level of engagement the Youth Council has with peers in the local schools….’

The Panel asked that the third point in the terns of reference include feedback from Redbridge and another comparative District Council.

The Panel asked that Officers produce a list of the work undertaken by the Community Services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider the date of the next and future meetings.

The noted that the next two meetings had been scheduled for Monday 18 May 2015 and Monday 22 June 2015 and would begin at 7.00 p.m.