Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Mrs H Carrick, Mr S Collins, Mrs S Evans and Mr M Hawkins.

To report any changes to the membership of the Board.

There were no changes to membership to note.

Members are invited to disclose any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)     Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and

(b)     Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority. 

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

(a)     The landlord is the authority; and

(b)     The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)     That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the area of the authority; and

(b)     Either –

(i)        The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

(ii)          If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A “disclosable pecuniary interest” is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).

There were no disclosures of interest made at the meeting.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED,that the press and public be not excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 13 June 2022 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2022 be agreed as a true record of the meeting.

For members to be informed of any call-in items received by the County Council and to consider whether any further action needs to be taken by the Board.

The Chair advised that there were no call-in items for the Board to consider.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director – Customer and Community Services (copy enclosed).

The Board members received a report outlining engagement with elected Members via workshops held at Scrutiny Board meetings and interviews and presented proposals for development of the final CCC Scrutiny report for approval.  The report had been developed in response to concerns of the possible loss of Scrutiny corporate memory within the Local Government Reorganisation process.  Members noted that a project was created to work with Scrutiny Boards to capture knowledge, intelligence and experience from elected Members and officers involved in the Council’s scrutiny arrangements.  The Scrutiny Review project was split into three areas:

• Scrutiny Board Activity – which involved the collation of scrutiny items discussed at boards;

• Scrutiny Recommendations – which involved collation of recommendations made by the Council’s Scrutiny Members to the Council’s Cabinet and other decision-makers, the subsequent decisions made and their implementation; and

• Scrutiny Lessons Learnt – which involved collecting the views of the Council’s Scrutiny Chairs and Members, Cabinet Members, and heads of service regarding the enabling factors and barriers to good scrutiny via interviews and workshops.

It was reported that the project had focused on the last seven years to allow a range of issues, strategies and plans to be covered, and to cover at least two political terms and had involved working with the Scrutiny Management Board, the Advisory Boards and the Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee,  The findings of the project were attached to the report as Appendix 1.

It was proposed that the successes highlighted in the Scrutiny Review report, via recommendations implemented and effective overview and scrutiny activity be used within the final CCC Scrutiny report. This would be detailed in a case study style, focussing on outcomes.  Members ideas were also welcomed on further historic Scrutiny achievements that could be highlighted in the final Scrutiny report.  It was proposed to share the Scrutiny Review report with the two Shadow Authorities to help support the development of future scrutiny arrangements.

A member questioned the usefulness and officer/member time in the development of the report.  The member also questioned the legacy of the LGR Task and Finish Group for the two new unitary authorities.  Other Board members commended the report and highlighted achievements as a result of scrutiny involvement.  It was agreed that case studies and an executive summary be included in the final report that would be presented to the Board in November for approval before submission to full Council. 

The Policy and Scrutiny Project officer was thanked for her work on the development of the report.

RESOLVED,that the draft report be noted and comments made at the meeting inform the final Scrutiny report to Council.

To receive updates from the Chair of each of the following:-

Scrutiny Panel - Children and Young People                    Mr P Dew

Scrutiny Panel - Communities and Place                              Mr S Collins

Cumbria LEP Scrutiny                                                              Mr W Wearing

Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee                                 Ms C McCarron Holmes

Scrutiny Panel - Adults                                                             Mr M Wilson

Cumbria Police and Crime Panel                                           Mr W McEwan

(1)  Scrutiny Advisory Board – Children and Young People

A report was received updating members on the work of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Advisory Board.  It was noted that the next Board meeting was scheduled for 21 October and items for consideration would be the Annual Ofsted Letter, a SEND update and Child exploitation six monthly update.

(2)  Scrutiny Advisory Board – Communities and Place

The report from the Advisory Board Chair updated members on the work of the Communities and Place Board.  The Board had met in June and considered Cumbria Local Resilience Forum Debriefing and lessons learnt, .Highways Information Asset Management Strategy and the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.  The next meeting of the Board was scheduled for 15 September and the agenda would include Nature Recovery and the role of the Council, and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service governance update.

The Fire Service’s Integrated Risk Management Plan was discussed and how information could be disseminated at a local level.

(3)   Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Scrutiny

Members noted that LEP Scrutiny Board Chair had remained in contact with the Chief Executive of the LEP and the agenda for the September 2022 meeting was being developed for continued scrutiny on LEP activity.

The Vice Chair of the Board agreed to raise members’ questions at the LEP’s AGM which included the LEP’s involvement in the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership and the LEP’s engagement encouraging tourism to the area.  The LEPs position in relation to the LGR process was discussed. 

(4)  Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee

It was reported that since the last meeting of Scrutiny Management Board, Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee had been monitoring changes across a number of Health Services and would continue to do this through regular meetings with System Leaders in both areas. The last meeting of the Committee took place on the 25th July and items considered at the meeting was listed in the report.

The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for 3 October and the items for the draft agenda were outlined in the report.

(5)  Scrutiny Advisory Board – Adults

The Board Chair advised that the last meeting of the Adults Scrutiny Board had taken place on the 24 June 2022 and considered numerous issues.  Members noted that the next meeting of the Adults Scrutiny Board would take place on 14 October and items expected to be considered included Adult Social Care Strategic position, Use of enhanced Assistive Technology to support discharge, Policy framework for the Better Care Fund from 2023, Learning Disabilities Residential Care Framework and Safeguarding adults at risk of abuse and neglect.

The Chair raised the changes taking place in Health Services and agreed to check if the Council had a signed Dementia Charter.

(6)  Cumbria Police and Crime Panel

It was noted that Mr W McEwan had been appointed as Chair of the Cumbria Police and Crime Panel.

Members were informed that the Police and Crime Panel last met on the 19 July 2022 and had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

To receive a report from the Senior Manager – Policy and Scrutiny (copy enclosed).

Members received a report that provided an update on issues and developments that have occurred since the last meeting of the Board in June 2022.  Attached to the report at Appendix 1 was the Work Programme for 2022/23 and the current Forward Plan of Key Decisions 1 October 2022 – 30 November 2022, attached as Appendix 2.  Also attached at Appendix 3 was a briefing note on customer engagement undertaken and feedback received to help shape the county’s library services, as requested by Members at the last meeting of the Board in June.

The Strategic Policy and Scrutiny Manager reported that the Board had been called upon by full Council at its meeting on 7 September 2022, to convene a task and finish group as soon as possible to deliver and build on the work of the Cost of Living Crisis fund and continue the work undertaken during the Covid pandemic working in collaboration with schools and community groups, to explore all options for extending access to adequate nutritious food, to ensure that no child goes hungry at any point – term time or holiday periods. 

RESOLVED,that

(1)  the activity set out in the report be noted;

(2)  the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2022/23, with the addition of the establishment of a Cost of Living Task and Finish Group, outlined above, be noted;

(3)  the Chair and Vice be delegated authority to agree the scope of the Cost of Living Task and Finish Group;

(4)  the Forward Plan of Key Decisions 1 October 2022 – 30 November 2022 be noted;

(5)  the briefing note on customer engagement undertaken to help shape the County’s library services be noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Board will take place on 28 November 2022 at 10 am at County Offices, Kendal.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Board would be held on 28 November at 10 am at Cumbria House, Carlisle.

It was subsequently agreed to check room availability at Barrow library for this meeting.