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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services - Tel (01792) 636923 

Items
No. Item

40.

Disclosures of Personal & Prejudicial Interest.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

41.

Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.

42.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 125 KB

To approve and sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.  

 

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on the 13 August 2018 be approved and signed as a correct record.

43.

Public Question Time.

Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

 

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

44.

Cabinet Member Question Session: Cabinet Member for Business Transformation & Performance (Councillor Clive Lloyd). pdf icon PDF 135 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Business Transformation & Performance presented a report on the key headlines for the Business Transformation & Performance Portfolio. He provided a verbal address further to the written report circulated which highlighted activities around the following: -

 

·                Digital Agenda

·                Commissioning Reviews – New models of delivery

·                Local Area Co-Ordinators

·                Sustainable Swansea – Fit For the Future

·                Financial Savings

·                Services in the Community pilot 

 

Questions and Discussions with the Cabinet Member focused on the following: -

 

·                Pension Fund – investment in fossil fuels, current policy and its appropriateness.

·                Commissioning Reviews  - reporting to Scrutiny on post-implementation outcomes and effectiveness

·                Agile Working – impact on lone working policy in light of increased agile working and safeguards

·                Risk & Resilience - incorporation of the risks relating to Brexit and the City Deal on the risk register

·                Budget – Concern about morale with continued austerity and impact on Organisational Development.

·                Civic Centre - length of leases given to public sector partners, and development plans for Civic Centre

·                Services in the Community pilot project – engagement of Public Service Board partners in development of a Community Hub

·                Liberty Stadium Lease Agreement - progress on delivery of 3G pitches

·                Co-Production – Council’s approach to consultation and engagement

·                Council Modernisation - savings realised from ICT projects

·                Strategic Estates & Property Management - revenue received from sale of surplus land following the review of all Council land.

·                Capital Programme – Swansea Bay City Deal; development of capital strategy in conjunction with technical developments proposed by CIPFA

·                Commercialism – progress on the idea to establish an energy company

 

Resolved that: -

 

1)        The Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee write to the Cabinet Member, reflecting the discussion and sharing the views of the Committee;

 

2)        A written response be supplied by the Cabinet Member on the following:-

 

·      Agile Working - length of leases given to public sector partners for office space at the Civic Centre

·      Information & Business Change - savings realised from ICT modernisation / investment in digital

·      Capital Programme – clarification about the current position / progress of the Swansea Bay City Deal (approval of business cases / receipts of grant funding) and further information about the development of capital strategy and what technical developments have been proposed by CIPFA

·      Risk & Resilience – sharing the Corporate Risk Register with all Councillors

45.

Scrutiny Performance Panel Progress Report. pdf icon PDF 119 KB

Adult Services (Councillor Peter Black, Convener)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Peter Black, Convener of the Adult Services Performance Panel, provided an update on the work of the Panel to date. He stated that one of the key issues, in respect of the Learning Disability Service, was ongoing.

 

The following upcoming meetings were specifically highlighted: -

 

·                17 September 2018 – Pre-decision Scrutiny on Outcomes of Residential Care and Day Services for Older People Consultation (Councillor Chris Holley will be chairing in Councillors Black’s absence)

·                15 January 2019 – Chief Executive and Chairman of ABMU attending to inform the Panel of their vision for Swansea once the number of authorities in ABMU is reduced to two

·                19 March 2019 – Briefing on Safeguarding – Modern Slavery / Human Trafficking (this item had been referred to the Panel by the Committee)

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

46.

Overview and Scrutiny: Fit for the future? - City and County of Swansea Council (Wales Audit Office Report). pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair presented the Wales Audit Office report on “Overview and Scrutiny: Fit for the Future? – City and County of Swansea Council”.

 

The Chair highlighted that overall it was a positive report which recognised good scrutiny practice. The report concluded that scrutiny in Swansea: -

·                Is well-placed to respond to future challenges;

·                regularly challenges decision-makers; and

·                has arrangements to review its own effectiveness.

 

The report also contained three proposals for improvement: -

·                develop a training & development programme for scrutiny members;

·                strengthen the evaluation of impact and outcomes of scrutiny activities; and

·                further clarify the distinction between scrutiny and policy development committee activity in relation to policy development. 

 

The Chair noted the authority was required to prepare an action plan in response to the report. Committee views were sought to help inform development of an appropriate action plan.

 

The Committee discussed the report and in particular looked at the proposals for improvement. It was remarked that the report required a corporate response as there may be actions that others can contribute that will help to achieve improvement in these areas. For example, training and development needs / programmes is something that the Democratic Services Committee would also discuss, and a view from the Executive would be necessary on ensuring clear distinction between Scrutiny and Policy Development Committees. The Chair remarked on the need to re-establish a mechanism for the Chair of Scrutiny and Chairs of the Policy Development Committees to meet informally to discuss work plans. The need to gather feedback from Cabinet Members from their engagement with Scrutiny, such as Question & Answer Sessions, was also considered important to strengthening the evaluation of effectiveness, impact and outcomes of scrutiny activities. There was also a remark about the challenge of identifying measurable outcomes at the outset of inquiries that can help demonstrate impact.

 

Resolved that the response / draft action plan to the Wales Audit Office report be brought back to the Scrutiny Programme Committee following necessary input from other relevant members/ officers.  

47.

Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups. pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Minutes:

The Chair presented a report on “Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups”.

 

The Scrutiny Team Leader provided a verbal update to the report: -

 

Resolved that the following be agreed: -

 

1)        Child & Family Services Performance Panel – Remove Councillor Irene Mann

2)        Residents Parking Working Group – Remove Councillor Mike Day, Councillor Chris Holley and Councillor Robert Smith

48.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2018/19. pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Discussion on:

a)         Committee Work Plan.

b)         Opportunities for Pre-Decision Scrutiny.

c)         Progress with Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair presented the agreed Scrutiny Work Programme for 2018/19.

 

She highlighted that the next meeting scheduled for 8 October 2018 would include the Annual Corporate Safeguarding Report as well as the Cabinet Member Question Session with the Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning & Skills.

 

The Scrutiny Team Leader highlighted the following: -

 

·                The first meeting of the Equalities Inquiry Panel was scheduled for 11 October 2018

·                The first meeting of the Residents Parking Working Group was scheduled for 3 October 2018

 

Arrangements for scrutiny of the Homelessness Strategy, which was currently out for consultation, were discussed. The Committee agreed that a meeting be arranged for the Committee to discuss the Homelessness Strategy whilst it was out for consultation, ahead of any scrutiny of the final Strategy which is scheduled for Cabinet on 15 November 2018.

 

Resolved that

1)    Progress in relation to the Scrutiny Work Programme 2018/19 be noted; and

2)    A special meeting be arranged for the Scrutiny Programme Committee to consider the Homelessness Strategy

49.

Scrutiny Letters. pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair presented a report on “Scrutiny Letters” for information.

 

Resolved that the scrutiny letters log be noted.

50.

Audit Committee Work Plan. pdf icon PDF 75 KB

Minutes:

The Audit Committee Work Plan was noted. The Chair mentioned that she will be attending Audit Committee on the 9 October 2018 and would extend an invitation to the Chair of the Audit Committee to attend a future meeting of the Scrutiny Programme Committee.

51.

Date and Time of Upcoming Panel / Working Group Meetings. pdf icon PDF 46 KB

Minutes:

The dates and times of the upcoming Panel / Working Group meetings were noted.

Letter to Cabinet Member - Q & A Session pdf icon PDF 207 KB

Cabinet Member Response - Q & A Session pdf icon PDF 386 KB