Agenda item

(a)          To consider the updated work programme

The current Overview and Scrutiny work programme is attached for information.

Decision Required:

Item 8 of the Work Programme has the County Mental Health Services coming to give a presentation to the February meeting. Members are asked to consider what they would like their presentation to be about and what they would like to be discussed with them.

(b)          New Work

The Cabinet at their meeting on 15 December 2014 requested that the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) be invited to a meeting of the O&S Committee.

Decision Required:

This Committee is asked to consider how they would like to deal with this request. Would they like the NEPP to attend an O&S Committee or would they prefer a Scrutiny Panel to take this on board (this topic would naturally fall into the purview of the Safer Cleaner Greener Scrutiny Panel).

(c)          Reserve Programme

A reserve list of scrutiny topics is required to ensure that the work flow of OSC is continuous.

OSC will ‘pull out’ items from the list and allocate them accordingly once space becomes available in the work programme following the completion of existing reviews.

Members can put forward any further suggestions for inclusion in the reserve list either during the meeting or at a later date.

Existing review items will be dealt with first, then time will be allocated to the items contained in the reserve work plan.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Committee noted their work programme to date.

(a)          They noted that they were to receive a presentation from the Mental Health Services and were asked if there was anything that they specifically wanted to be discussed.

Councillor Sartin said that the Youth Council had spoken about mental health issues for young people would this be an appropriate topic.

Councillor Wixley noted that at the last meeting to consider this topic a member of the public attended to ask some questions on local services and he would support having that same person attend the next meeting as well. Councillor Angold-Stephens said that he would support that suggestion. He had raised a number of issues at the time and had not got an adequate reply.

This suggestion was agreed by the Committee.

Councillor Murray asked for a more general approach to be taken and that we ask them to share a public spot analysis with us, where we could see any weaknesses, any opportunities and threats. He accepted that it would be a public analysis. Could we ask them to do this?

Councillor Surtees wanted to ask about how they integrated services with other bodies, especially people who present particular difficulties such as dual diagnosis and maybe criminality and care needs.

Councillor Whitbread noting that the Youth Council were interested in mental health, issues thought that we should ask them to attend this meeting.

(b)          The Committee noted that the Cabinet at their meeting on 15 December 2014 had asked that the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) be invited to a meeting of the O&S Committee. The Committee considered how they would like to handle this request.

Councillor Sartin said that this committee would be the best suited to ask NEPP to attend as it was also webcast. Councillor Wixley supported this.

Councillor Whitbread said that NEPP were keen to come before this committee and answer questions and this was the best Committee to get full attendance.

Scrutiny Panels

Housing Scrutiny Panel

The Chairman of the Housing Scrutiny Panel noted that they had a busy October meeting and noted that their item 7, review of the housing allocations scheme and tenancy policy, was now out for consultation. Important items coming up at their next meeting were the briefing on the proposed Council rent increase, the proposed housing service improvements and service enhancements and especially the possible operation of operating a “Sinking Fund” for new leaseholders in new or existing flat blocks where there are no existing leaseholders. Councillor Angold-Stephens suggested that this might be suitable for a Task and Finish Panel or a Working Group to be set up to consider. Councillor Murray replied that they had agreed the parameters that the report would cover; they would now see what the report had to say and may well take up his suggestion.

Constitution and Member Services Scrutiny Panel

The Chairman of the Panel, Councillor Sartin noted that they had started work on the Constitution at their last meeting; this would be a long process and they also now have an extra meeting programmed in.

Safer Cleaner Greener Scrutiny Panel

Councillor Lea, the Chairman of the Panel noted that they had an interesting meeting on CCTV in January and would be dealing with air pollution and flooding issues at their next meeting.

Planning Services Scrutiny Panel

The Chairman of the Panel, Councillor Chambers noted that the Panel had last met in on 9 December looking at the Local Plan.

He noted that over the Christmas period there had been a number of consultations; because of this they had agreed that the Panel members could be contacted by email to give their views and enable the consultations to be answered on time.

Finance and Performance Management Scrutiny Panel

Councillor Church, the Chairman of the Panel noted that their next scheduled meeting (19 January) would be held with the Cabinet Finance Committee who would act as hosts for the Scrutiny Panel members. It was noted that all members’ not just Scrutiny Panel members were welcome to attend this meeting. Councillor Whitbread said that the budget process had been going on since July yet very few members had bothered to turn up and engage in the discussion on the future budget.

At their last meeting the Panel had also considered the KPI’s for commercial premises as a part two item.

Task and Finish Panels

Scrutiny Panels Review Task and Finish Panel

It was noted that this Panel was to hold its last meeting in a few days time; any recommendations would go to the next meeting of this Committee.

Grant Aid Task and Finish Panel

This Panel is to hold its first meeting on 14 January 2015.