Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet (or filmed) and will be capable of repeated viewing  (or another use by such third parties).

Therefore, by entering the Council Chamber and using the seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes.”

The Chairman reminded everyone present that this meeting would be recorded and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Committee noted that Councillor J Parsons had been appointed as substitute for Councillor J Lucas and Councillor D Wixley had been appointed as substitute for Councillor C P Pond.

To declare interests in any item on this agenda.

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

The Council approved a new scrutiny committee structure on 4 April 2023. The Communities Scrutiny Committee, are invited to agree the notes of the last meeting of the Stronger Communities Select Committee held on 21 March 2023.

Councillor S Murray stated that at the last Stronger Communities Select Committee meeting, he had thanked Councillor J Lea for her chairmanship of the Select Committee over the previous year and wanted this included in the minutes, which was agreed.

Following the approval of a new scrutiny committee structure on 4 April 2023, the Committee agreed the notes of the last meeting of the Stronger Communities Select Committee held on 21 March 2023.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) To consider, comment and propose any amendments to the draft Terms of Reference and Work Programme, for consideration and approval by The Overview and Scrutiy Committee.

Terms of Reference (draft)

Agreed:

(1)           That the draft Terms of Reference be agreed, subject to approval by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 18 July 2023; and

(2)           That in respect of the Proposed Portfolio Holder Responsibilities, it would be useful to have a written brief from the Service lead officers about what the Council did under these headings to help understand what/how to scrutinise future work programme items.

Work Programme (draft)

Agreed:

(3)           That the Lead Scrutiny Democratic Services Officer organise a virtual briefing the week commencing 11 September for Committee members to discuss what/how to scrutinise proposed work programme items this municipal year and if promoted in the Bulletin, non-members could also make suggestions or raise questions;

(4)           That an extra meeting would be scheduled towards the end of March 2024 for items (11) and (12).; and

(5)           That the draft work programme be agreed, subject to approval by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 18 July 2023.

To consider comment and recommend the draft Property & Housing Services Resident Involvement Strategy, to Cabinet for approval.

Introduced by C Walsh (Housing Needs and Management Service Manager) and S Balu (Housing and Property Interim Service Director), the report detailed a variety of involvement opportunities the Council offered residents across the breadth of its business. The overall aim of the draft resident involvement strategy was to set out the approach of the Property and Housing Service towards resident involvement and how it would be delivered, supported and resourced. Whilst developed to ensure compliance with the current and future regulatory requirements of social housing providers, its primary focus was to recognise the positive role that our residents would play in the design and improvement of our Property and Housing Service, whilst supporting our wider commitment towards the empowerment of residents and communities.

A detailed discussion was held, and it was agreed the Service Director would include the Committee’s scrutiny comments in the report to the Cabinet on 10 July 2023.

Resolved:

That the Committee recommended that the draft Property and Housing Services Resident Involvement Strategy be agreed at Cabinet, as set out at Appendix Three of this report.

To note that the next meeting of the Communities Scrutiny Committee will be held at 7.00pm on 26 September 2023.

The Committee noted that the next meeting of the Communities Scrutiny Committee would be held at 7.00pm on 26 September 2023.

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.

Background Papers:  Article 17 - 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 and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

The Council will make available for public inspection for four years after the date of the meeting one copy of each of the documents on the list of background papers.

The Committee agreed to exclude under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press from the meeting for the item of business set out below on grounds that it would 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):

To consider the attached housing repairs value for money report.

A Small (Strategic Director and 151 Officer) addressed the Committee about the conclusions of the review into the value for money following the transfer of the Housing Repairs function to the Council’s own arms-length trading company, Qualis, in 2020. This had represented a major shift in the delivery model, in the management of delivery and in the relationship between former colleagues.

A Small, Councillor J Philip (Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder) and J Gould (Strategic Director and Chief Operating Officer) answered the Committee’s questions on this review.

            Resolved:

(1)           That the Committee noted the conclusions of the review into the Value for Money delivered by the Housing Repairs offered by Qualis;

(2)           That further work would be undertaken to understand and resolve the issues, considered to have contributed to concerns being raised, with the results to be reported back to this Committee;

(3)           That an annual benchmarking review of the Housing Repairs arrangements be commissioned and reported to this Committee; and

(4)           That the Strategic Director and 151 Officer update the Committee at the next meeting on how the recommendations would be dealt with.