Agenda item

The Scrutiny Panel Chairmen/Lead Members provided an update on recent Scrutiny meetings and activities.

Adult Care and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr Shirley Webb)

The Panels last meeting had included updates on:

·         Performance and 2022-23 In-Year Budget Monitoring

·         Compliments and Complaints for Adult Services

Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr David Chambers, Vice-Chairman of the Panel)

The Panel’s last meeting had included updates on:

·      Supporting Families First which was working well to support families on the edge of care.

·      Performance and 2022-23 In-Year Budget Monitoring - the full-year Worcestershire Children First (WCF) budget was currently £136m of which over half was the ‘demand led’ budgets of Placements and Home to School Transport. There was a risk on placements which could exceed the budget for 2022/23 of around £2m - £3m and this would be mitigated by the £1.9m risk reserve. Close monitoring would be required during the year.

·     Child and Adolescent Mental Health Scrutiny Task Group – the evidence gathering for this work had concluded and a draft report was being worked upon with the aim of reporting to the December meeting of OSPB.

Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr Emma Stokes)

The Chairman provided feedback from the Panel’s recent meeting and commented on the lack of availability of some Panel members for meetings.  It was suggested that consideration should be given to amending the Constitution to allow substitution of members on Scrutiny bodies.

The Panel planned had to meet informally at Redditch Library in September, ahead of a formal meeting to discuss proposals for the library, however this was being rearranged due to the timescale for Cabinet Reporting and would take place in October instead. 

The Panel received a report onGypsy, Roma and Traveller Services.

With reference to performance information, the Panel was planning to trial Power-BI to review its performance information.

Crime and Disorder (Cllr Richard Udall)

The next meeting of the Board (20 October) was the Annual Crime and Disorder meeting and in addition to the update on Community Safety matters in the County, there would also be an update on the Community Speed Watch Scheme.

S278 Scrutiny Task Group

The work of this Task Group was ongoing.

Due to the period of mourning following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the September meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been cancelled and the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel had been rearranged.

Work Programme and Cabinet Forward Plan

It was noted that Worcestershire Streetscape Design Guide Approval was on the Cabinet Forward Plan for December 2022. Concern was expressed that Cabinet Member briefings were not taking place and if they had been, this issue would have been on Members’ radar and allowed for pre-scrutiny by the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel.  The Chairman of this Panel requested that the briefings were reinstated as soon as possible.  The Democratic Governance and Scrutiny Manager agreed to look into this matter.

In response to a Member request, it was agreed that a letter would be sent to the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways to check on the progress of the development of charging policy for closing roads.