To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor RH Smith.  Apologies were also received from Councillors H Bramer (Cabinet Member – Resources) and RJ Phillips (Leader of the Council).

The Chairman expressed his disappointment that two Members of the Committee had had appointments arranged for them with the Leadership Centre that clashed with the Committee’s meeting.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on the Agenda.

GUIDANCE ON DECLARING PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AT MEETINGS

The Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct requires Councillors to declare against an Agenda item(s) the nature of an interest and whether the interest is personal or prejudicial.  Councillors have to decide first whether or not they have a personal interest in the matter under discussion.  They will then have to decide whether that personal interest is also prejudicial.

A personal interest is an interest that affects the Councillor more than most other people in the area.  People in the area include those who live, work or have property in the area of the Council.  Councillors will also have a personal interest if their partner, relative or a close friend, or an organisation that they or the member works for, is affected more than other people in the area.  If they do have a personal interest, they must declare it but can stay and take part and vote in the meeting. 

Whether an interest is prejudicial is a matter of judgement for each Councillor.  What Councillors have to do is ask themselves whether a member of the public – if he or she knew all the facts – would think that the Councillor’s interest was so important that their decision would be affected by it.  If a Councillor has a prejudicial interest then they must declare what that interest is and leave the meeting room.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2008.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2008 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.    

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

There were no suggestions from members of the public.

To report:

i                  the Council’s performance for the operating year 2007-08 against the Annual Operating Plan and national performance indicators used externally to measure the performance of the Council;

ii                partnership performance in delivering the Local Public Service Agreement, Local Area Agreement and Herefordshire Community Strategy; and

iii               performance against revenue and capital budgets and corporate risks for the period to February 29^th 2008

                                                                                    (REPORT TO FOLLOW)

The Committee considered the Council’s performance for the operating year 2007-08 against the Annual Operating Plan and national performance indicators used externally to measure the performance of the Council; partnership performance in delivering the Local Public Service Agreement, Local Area Agreement and Herefordshire Community Strategy; and performance against revenue and capital budgets and corporate risks for the period to 29 February 2008.

Performance against Performance Indicators

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager (CPRM) presented this section of the report.  He said that much of the end of year data, particularly in respect of the best value performance indicators, had yet to be reported.  This was necessarily the case because the data relied on the closure of accounts or the collation of information from external sources.  However, it was important for the Committee to be informed of the expected outturn.

Thirty-one of the 111 Council led indicators from the Annual Operating Plan were currently marked red (missed or unlikely to achieve target), compared to 25 indicators at the end of January. 

The largest number of indicators marked red (15) remained those in respect of the Council priority of “maximising the health, safety, economic well being achievements and contribution of every child”.  Seven of these – related to teenage lifestyles and measured by a periodic survey  - had been  marked red because of a failure to establish baselines and targets, but action had now been taken to ensure that proxy indicators would be in place to measure progress during 2008-09.

However, taking the indicators for children’s services as a whole, the picture was positive, with performance against most of the national indicators showing improvement compared with the previous year.  Outcomes from youth work remained a concern; so too, as previously reported, did the time taken to carry out   assessments following referrals of children in need.

Five indicators in adult social care were newly marked as red.  Current data collection mechanisms continued to make it difficult to predict performance in this service area, underlined by the fact that these five indicators had gone straight from green (on course to achieve target) to red.  Work was continuing to confirm the data for 2007-08.  Four of these indicators were in respect of helping different groups of vulnerable people to live at home, by means of non-intensive care  There had been a planned in-year shift to do more for the most vulnerable and, particularly, to provide intensive home care for people who would benefit from this rather than, inappropriately, go into residential care. This was reflected in the improvement in performance as regards intensive home care and the reduction in residential care.

In the course of discussion the following principal points were made:

·         Asked whether the indicators allowed the Council to measure the success of preventative measures, the CPRM replied that there was ample evidence nationally that well-conceived preventative measures did have an impact. It wasn’t always easy, without special evaluations, to measure the precise contribution made by particular measures, but the outcomes were measurable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.

To propose that the Committee forms a working group to consider the briefing paper on office accommodation strategy options; and

To seek the Committee’s views on a proposed process (including joint working with PCT colleagues) and timetable for developing an integrated office accommodation strategy for the Council and PCT.

The Committee was invited to form a working group to consider the briefing paper on office accommodation strategy options and comment on a proposed process (including joint working with PCT colleagues) and timetable for developing an integrated office accommodation strategy for the Council and Primary Care Trust.

The Director of Resources presented the report.  She emphasised the complexity of the rationalisation of accommodation and the need for support across the Council to deliver the project, which was fully reflected in the draft Corporate Plan.  She outlined the key milestones and timetable as set out in appendix 1 to the report, noting that after the proposed Working Group reported back to the Committee in June, the next stage envisaged presenting a draft accommodation and business case to the Committee in September 2008.

The status quo for the Council’s office accommodation was not an option.  Rationalising accommodation would improve productivity.  It would also release revenue funding currently tied up in maintaining an historic portfolio of buildings that was not fit for purpose.  Significant resources could potentially be released, enabling the Council to repay some of its debt and fund what were currently some of its more aspirational objectives.

Timing was important.  Plough Lane was leased until December 2010 and the timetable for the development of the Edgar Street Grid also had implications.  It would be desirable to avoid having to develop an interim solution. The aim was to have a solution in place by September 2010.

In the course of discussion the following principal points were made:

·         That the timetable for completing the project appeared to be a very tough challenge.

·         It was noted that the company owning Plough Lane was being taken over.  It was asked whether Plough Lane was still the preferred site.  If it was, it was essential that clarification was obtained from the new owners at the earliest opportunity as to whether or not they were prepared to sell.  In reply the Head of Asset Management said that it would be necessary to establish what the new owners were prepared to offer. 

·         A question was asked about the assessment of the amount of accommodation required, taking account of the scope for flexible working.  In response to this and concerns that the Council did not yet appear to have the necessary information to hand the Director of Resources replied that discussions had taken place with Directors about their requirements and information was available on the number of staff to be accommodated and their requirements.

·         That it was important that there was sufficient flexibility within the new accommodation to allow the Council to respond to changing circumstances in the years ahead.

·         Whilst the formation of a Working Group was supported it was requested that Members of the Committee as a whole needed to be kept fully informed. 

·         The Chief Executive requested that the Working Group sought to avoid overcomplication. 

The Committee did not formally record a view at this stage on the process and timetable.

RESOLVED:

That    (a)        a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101.

To consider the scoping statement for a Scrutiny review of ICT Services.

Further to the decision take on 10 March on setting its work programme the Committee considered the scoping statement for a further review of ICT Services.

RESOLVED:

That    (a)        the scoping statement as appended to the report be approved;

            (b)       the Review Group comprise Councillors WLS Bowen, TM James,  PD Price and AM Toon; and

            (c)        Councillor WLS Bowen be appointed Chairman of the Review Group.

To note the response to a request from a member of the public that the Committee examine whether there was a lack of consistency in the Council’s definition of senior citizens in its policy documents.

The Committee was asked to note the response to a request from a member of the public that the Committee examine whether there was a lack of consistency in the Council’s definition of senior citizens in its policy documents.

The Chairman reported that the member of the public who had submitted the question had expressed dissatisfaction with the report.  As Chairman he was aware that requests for information had been made but limited information had been forthcoming in response, as reflected in the report.  He proposed that if further information was forthcoming a further report would be made.

The Legal Practice Manager clarified that in terms of age discrimination and service provision where it was specified that a service was available from the statutory retirement age a woman would be eligible at 60 and a man at 65.  If this was not specified there was discretion to equalise eligibility at 60 or at 65.

It was advised that the task of establishing eligibility criteria for all services was potentially huge and where the age eligibility criteria were statutory the Council was required to abide by them.  On this basis the Chief Executive said that he would be reluctant to commit further officer resource to the issue.

RESOLVED:  That should any further information be forthcoming a further report be made to the Committee.

To consider the work being undertaken by the Scrutiny Committees.

The Committee noted the work being undertaken by the scrutiny committees.

To consider the Scrutiny Committees’ current and future work programmes.

The Committee considered the Scrutiny Committees’ current and future work programmes.

RESOLVED: That the current Work Programmes serve as a basis for further development.