Agenda and minutes

Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel - Thursday 26 November 2009 10.00 am

Venue: Council House (Next to the Civic Centre)

Contact: Mrs Gemma Pearce  Email: gemma.pearce@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

35.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest in accordance with the code of conduct.

36.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 31 KB

To confirm the minutes of the last Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on 29 October 2009.

Minutes:

Resolved that the minutes of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel which took place on the 29 October 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

37.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

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

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

38.

FEEDBACK FROM OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY MANAGEMENT BOARD

To receive any feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Board on issues which concern this panel.

Minutes:

The Chair reported that there was no feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

39.

SUBSTITUTIONS pdf icon PDF 11 KB

To further consider a nominated substitute for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

Minutes:

The Panel received a report which highlighted that Councillor Stark had been selected as the nominated substitute for two panels.  The report also requested that a substitute for the Labour group was nominated.

 

Resolved that Councillors Berrow and Lowry be appointed as nominated substitutes for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

 

(Councillor Stark left the meeting during this item)

40.

QUARTERLY REPORT pdf icon PDF 23 KB

To approve the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny report for the 2nd quarter.

Minutes:

Resolved to approve the report.

 

41.

INTRODUCTION TO ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The Committee will meet the recently appointed Assistant Chief Executive and receive an overview of his service area.

Minutes:

The Panel heard an outline of the work that the Assistant Chief Executive would undertake in relation to Communications, Policy, Performance, Partnerships and Customer focus.

 

In answer to questions from members of the panel it was reported that;

     (i)            there was work ongoing to improve the lines of communication between the public and the authority which included the main council telephone number;

 

   (ii)            it was important that services need to be right at the point of delivery as this would result in customer satisfaction and reduce the amount of contacts and rework required;

 

 (iii)            joint working was happening at both a strategic and local level, services were co-locating and there were plans to integrate commissioning;

 

  (iv)            the inclusion of customer feedback in the bi-monthly budget and performance report, could assist in service design.

 

The Panel thanked the Assistant Chief Executive for his time.

42.

ACCOMMODATION STRATEGY pdf icon PDF 209 KB

To receive a presentation on the Accommodation Strategy.

Minutes:

The Panel received a presentation from the Head of Corporate Property on the Accommodation Strategy. It was reported that the strategy will attempt to –

     (i)            reshape the Council providing increased customer service and focus;

 

   (ii)            deliver on Gershon efficiency savings and value for money targets;

 

 (iii)            allow the authority to become more sustainable;

 

  (iv)            increase productivity;

 

    (v)            allow better use of council resources.

 

In response to questions from members of the panel, members were informed that –

 

  (vi)            there was work ongoing with the Police, PCT and University regarding co-locating;

 

(vii)            although service level agreements would standardise the process it could formalise the process too much and lead to less goodwill;

 

(viii)            there would be a payback period of less than five years for investment which would subsequently turn into a year on year saving;

 

  (ix)            the proposed spend on Accommodation was £1,200,000 assuming that the council continues to occupy the civic centre;

 

    (x)            Councillor Sam Leaves was nominated by Councillor Lowry and seconded by Councillor Thompson to act as a champion for the project and to provide assistance to Councillor Bowyer should he require it.

 

 

Resolved to review strategic next steps with regard to the accommodation, ICT and People strategy at the next meeting of the Panel.

43.

TRACKING RESOLUTIONS pdf icon PDF 13 KB

To monitor progress on previous resolutions.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved -

(1)   that with regard to minute 33 (1) and (2) Councillors Lowry and Stark form an ad-hoc informal working group to provide the panel with a needs analysis for a scrutiny resources task & finish group and to look at whether or not items on other panels work programmes are statutory;

 

(2)   to note and remove the completed resolutions from the tracking document.

 

 

44.

WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 27 KB

To receive the panel’s work programme for 2009/2010.

Minutes:

Resolved to –

 

  1. add a review of the business case for the accommodation strategy to the Panels work programme for January;

 
  1.  add a review of the Local Strategic Partnership back office function to the work programme for January.

 

 

45.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) … of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

There were no items of exempt business.