To receive declarations of interest from any members.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the minutes of the meetings of the 31 July 2024 and 28 August 2024.

The minutes of the meeting 31 July 2024 and 28 August 2024 were agreed as an accurate record.

Attention was brought to a rewording of recommendations to Cabinet in reference to the DELT contract. Recommendation two had been altered to “further review the performance of the service being delivered in advance of the break clause that the Council could exercise in three, five, seven and nine years”

To receive any items of Chair’s Urgent Business.

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

The report was introduced by David Northey (Service Director for Finance).

Contributions were received from Councillor Ricketts

Topics of conversation included:

a)    The attendance of Cabinet members to speak to items.

To consider Strategic Risk report for Q1 2024/25

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

Contributions were received from Councillors Finn, Ricketts, Freeman and Allison.

Topics of discussion included:

a)    High risk areas contained within the report;

b)    Asset risks position and potential inclusion on the register, including Armada Way;

c)    Emergency accommodation, homelessness provision and mitigating effects;

d)    Midland House, Windsor House and the registry office lease, tenancy and demolition costs and other potentialities;

e)    The level of housing benefit overpayment Bad Debt Provision (BPD) and reserve pressures;

f)     Asset register lists, disposal of land and its relation to delegated decisions and Cabinet decisions and publication;

g)    Growth and the income maximisation process including pressures on legacy delivery plans, lease costs and Business As Usual (BAU) costs;

The Committee agreed to note the report.

To discuss training relevant to sitting Councillors.

Ross Jago (Head of Governance Performance & Risk, Oversight and Governance) presented the report with further assistance from David Northey (Service Director for Finance).

Contributions were received from Councillors Ricketts, Freeman, Reilly and McNamara. 

Topics of discussion included:

a)    The format and size of the sessions; virtual or physical and the “workshop” style of the session;

b)    The timings of the sessions within the day, convenience and the costliness of the session;

c)    The amount of notice given for the sessions;

Ross Jago (Head of Governance Performance & Risk) introduced the item.

Topics of discussion included:

a)    The dates and times of the sessions, with 18 December appearing the most amenable;

b)    Christmas time availability;

c)    The length of the sessions;

d)    Substitutions and the necessity for attendance for two days;

To receive updates from individual Chairs of their respective Scrutiny Committees and associated work programmes.

The following updates were provided for the respective Scrutiny Panels:

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

a)    The  4^th of December agenda had been set;

b)    An additional meeting would take place in order to clean house;

Councillor Stephens (Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board) provided the following update on behalf of Councillor Darcy (Natural Infrastructure and Growth Scrutiny Panel):

c)    South West Water would be invited to attend an additional meeting in 2025 to discuss wider city economic growth plans;

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

d)    School teachers had attended the previous scrutiny and would be asked to return;

e)    An all members briefing would take place concerning Child Exploitation as the topic;

Ross Jago (Head of Governance Performance & Risk) provided the following update on behalf of Councillor Murphy (Chair of Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Panel):

f)     Further conversations regarding fair funding were likely to take place in the future;

For discussion of items on the Scrutiny Management Board’s Work Programme.

During discussion the following requests were made:

a)    An examination of Working From Home (WFH) practices within the Council.

The Panel agreed to note the Work Programme.