For the Committee to note the appointment of Councillor John Stephens as Chair, and Councillor Ian Darcy as Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2024-25.

The Committee agreed to note the appointment of Councillor John Stephens as Chair and Councillor Ian Darcy as Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2024-25.

To receive any declarations of interest from Committee members in relation to items on this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

For the Committee to note the Terms of Reference of the Scrutiny Management Board.

Ross Jago (Head of Governance, Performance & Risk) notified the Committee of the change to the attached terms of reference resultant from the recent Annual General Meeting as well as providing the opportunity to take questions from the panel in respect to the general operation of the Committee.

The Committee agreed to note the Terms of Reference for the Scrutiny Management Board.

To receive any reports on business which, in the opinion of the chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of Chair’s Urgent Business.

The report was introduced by David Northey (Service Director for Finance) with further contributions from Ross Jago (Head of Governance, Performance & Risk).

Discussion regarding budget scrutiny protocol and planning was additionally brought forth to the Committee.

Contributions were received from Councillors Ricketts, Finn and Allison.

Items of discussion included:

a)    Cumulative savings and increased efficiencies required and hitherto attained as a result of the reduction in government funding;

b)    Capital projects at potential risk from a reduction in funding;

c)    A general overview of Budget Scrutiny planning.

The Committee agreed to note the Medium Term Financial Forecast 2024/25 – 2028/29.

(Item 5- Medium Term financial Forecast 2024/25 – 2028/29 and item 6- Budget Scrutiny Planning were agreed to be taken in combination, discussion occurred during the previous item)

The report was presented by Ross Jago (Head of Governance Performance & Risk).

Contributions were received from Councillor Stephens, Murphy and Darcy

The Committee agreed to –

1.    Request that performance metrics for each respective scrutiny area were included in future reports to assist analysis of the effectiveness of scrutiny for residents and the Council;

2.    Note the report.

The report was introduced by Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities) with further contributions from Ross Jago (Head of Governance Performance & Risk) and David Northey (Service Director for Finance).

Contributions were made by Councillors Blight, Stephens, Finn, Darcy, Murphy, Ricketts and Holloway.

Topics of discussion included:_­

a)    Timescales of these reports and temporal inclusion of items;

b)    Trends and the tracking of trends;

c)    Outcomes and data;

d)    Evictions, landlords and Section 21 laws and the impact of these on future risk reports;

e)    Homelessness and affordable housing;

f)     Cyber security engagement in coordination with schemes and pilots;

g)    Departmental breakdowns of sickness absence reports;

The Committee agreed to:

1.    Request an additional sitting of the Scrutiny Management Board to consider upcoming major contract renewals to take place before the subsequent City Council meeting;

2.    A request for increased granularity, including departmental breakdowns, in sickness and absence reports as well as future discussions around this issue to be brought forth to the panel at a later date;

3.    Note the report

The report was introduced by Ross Jago (Head of Governance, Performance & Risk).

The committee agreed to note the report.

Councillor Darcy (Chair of Natural Infrastructure and Growth Scrutiny Panel) provided the following update:

a)    Discussed the potential impacts of national policy changes and the influences these changes may have on the scrutiny agenda.

Councillor Reilly (Chair of Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Panel) provided the following updates:

b)    The ‘Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Children’ Select Committee intended for operation before the end of the calendar year.

Councillor Stephens (Member of the Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Panel) provided the following update:

c)    Additional information on the focus on SEND Sufficiency for the municipal year.

Councillor Murphy (Chair of Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Panel) provided the following updates:

d)    The outlook for specialist consultations to take place across the County;

e)    The backlog within the NHS and the follow-on effects.

Councillor Finn (Chair of Housing and Community Services Scrutiny Panel) provided the following updates:

f)     Discussed the Serious Violence Duty Action Plan which had been examined at the recent sitting;

g)    multi-agency approaches to probation;

h)    Financing for the public toilets review was being investigated.

For the Committee to discuss item on the Work Programme.

The Committee agreed to add the following items to the Work Programme:

1.    Procurement of Domiciliary Care;

2.    Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Recommendations;

3.    Updates on the progress of the build at Derriford Hospital as part of the New Hospitals Programme.