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

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

The Management Board will be asked to agree the minutes of the following meetings –

• 25 November 2009;
• 2 December 2009.

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on the 25 November and 2 December be agreed subject to the following amendments to minute 48 –

Councillor Coker declared an interest in regard to minute no. 55a as a member of the Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership.

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

There were no items of Chairs urgent business.

The Leader and the Chief Executive have been invited to attend the Management Board at 2.10pm to discuss Council issues affecting the scrutiny work programme.

The O & S Management Board heard from the Leader and the Chief Executive on Council issues, as follows –

      (i)            the Council had performed well in its recent Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) and had received a green flag for “for protecting people in Plymouth during large scale emergencies”. Plymouth did not receive a red flag and had performed well regionally;

    (ii)            the Life Centre Cabinet report regarding the construction contract award would be published by the end of the week and time had been allowed for scrutiny of the report;

   (iii)            the annual Adult Social Care Services performance report from the Care Quality Commission  with all seven areas performing well; it was commented that there had been clear progress with improved practice as a result of recommendations of the 2007 service inspection;

  (iv)            the City had made a successful bid to act as a host city for the 2018 world cup; success was due to cross party support and the hard work of council officers.

The Leader of the Council commented that the scrutiny function was working well within the council but more could be done to focus more clearly on the scrutiny of partner agencies. In response to questions raised by the Board, it was reported that -

    (v)            the green flag awarded by the Audit Commission in the recent CAA was a good example of how the Council was working well with partners such as the Police;

  (vi)            the structural changes that had taken place in the Council had focused on growth for the city; a tourism strategy rather than ad-hoc initiatives would form part of the growth agenda;

 (vii)            the City Development Company (CDC) had been created to act as a vehicle for Regional Development Agency funding and the Council had been working with the CDC to focus on the growth agenda for the City;

(viii)            the night time economy should not be viewed in isolation from the rest of the City’s economy; existing strategies would be improved and implemented through the Development & Regeneration Department in order for the night time economy to benefit the whole economy;

  (ix)            CAA was a review of all partners in the City and the principle of partner agencies contributing to scrutiny resource was supported by the Leader and Chief Executive;

    (x)            communication arrangements with Plymouth Community Homes and councillors carrying out case work would be reviewed;

  (xi)            Children’s Services was a priority issue and good progress had been made despite the recent OFSTED report; work was being carried out to improve the computer system used by Children’s Services;

 (xii)            there was a budgetary pressure in Adult Health and Social Services due to the success of the independent living programme;

(xiii)            there were budgetary pressures in the Children’s Services due to increased referrals and numbers of children in care.

Resolved that the following documents be circulated to Members of the Board -

(a)     copy of the new Corporate Management Team diagram;

(b)     the Comprehensive Area Assessment report;

(c)     Life Centre  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

The Chair advised that no executive decisions had been called in.

There were no actions to monitor from call-ins on this occasion.

The Assistant Chief Executive reports that no urgent executive decisions have been taken within the period 23 November to 18 December 2009.

There were no urgent decisions made within the period 23 November 2009 to 18 December 2009.

The Management Board will monitor progress on previous resolutions, including relevant resolutions of the LSP executive.

Members considered and approved a schedule of tracking resolutions.

There were no updates on this occasion.

The Board were informed that the planned Breakfast Meeting for the 20 January 2010 had been cancelled due to diary conflicts. The board was assured that a meeting would be arranged as soon as practicable.

There were no progress updates on performance issues previously identified.

The Head of Policy, Performance and Partnerships and the Chief Executive of NHS Plymouth introduced draft Scrutiny and LSP Theme Group inter-working protocols. It was reported that -

      (i)            the purpose of the document was to bring more clarity to the governance arrangements of both the scrutiny function and LSP theme groups and how they interrelate;

    (ii)            LSP theme groups have been working to implement recommendations from the review of the 2008 LSP review;

   (iii)            background was work being carried out in LSP theme groups to translate outcomes into delivery plans identifying timescales and responsibility for actions;

  (iv)            the protocols were a first draft and the purpose of bringing it to the meeting was to receive the Board’s feedback.

In response to questions from the Board it was reported that –

    (v)            Workshops had been run in each Theme Group to clarify outcomes and there was work being carried out to devise delivery plans which would define a time frame and responsibilities for actions. This work was incomplete;

  (vi)            Children’s Services does not feature strongly within any theme group.

Resolved that -

(1)   the recommendations included in the action plan be amended and agreed as follows -

(a)     O & S Panels review the delivery plans proposed by Theme Groups;

(b)     O & S Panels use the delivery plans to provide a framework for the scrutiny of LSP theme groups;

(c)     O & S Panels use the diagrams within the protocols to ensure that the right parties are held to account;

(d)     scrutiny chairs and theme group chairs will set up quarterly one-to-one working sessions to align agendas going forward and discuss experience from the last quarter’s work;

(e)     scrutiny lead officers and theme group coordinators will set up monthly one-to-one working sessions to maintain forward plan alignment;

(f)       opportunities for joint training will be identified by Senior Democratic support officer (Scrutiny) and the LSP Manager, these roles to also be responsible for inviting the relevant parties to the training.

(g)     scrutiny panel chair and theme group chair will reconsider the alignment of Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel within the Wise Theme Group

(2)   scrutiny chairs and theme group chairs will continue to work closely together and take an overview role in the development of theme group delivery plans.

The board approved each Panel’s work plan.

The addition of Building Schools for the Future to the Children and Young Peoples work plan was approved.

New items from the forward plan were submitted for Member’s consideration with a view to identifying items for scrutiny.

Members did not identify any forward plan items for scrutiny but commented that scrutiny was not considered as a consultee and that scrutiny should be included in all future forward plan items. 

There were no PIDs or Task and Finish Groups to approve.

There were no updates on Task and Finish Groups.

Resolved

(1)   to approve the recommendation from the Children and Young Peoples overview and Scrutiny Panel to for a joint task and finish group with Customer and Communities Overview and Scrutiny panel to consider facilities for disabled people in the City with input from the Adult Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel;

(2)   that the Growth and Prosperity panel reconsider their recommendation to better reflect all information received at both panel meetings in which worklessness was considered, and to highlight the Council’s role as a City wide leader on the worklessness agenda.

There were no actions to monitor against recommendations to Cabinet or Council.

The Head of Policy Performance and Partnerships highlighted the recent positive press coverage regarding the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

There were no communication plans to consider.

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(s) 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.

There were no items of exempt business.