Agenda item

Bus and Community Transport Scrutiny Task Group

The Task Group had held three meetings so far and had another two planned.  Feedback from Councillors had been excellent and Members were thanked for taking the time to respond.  The Task Group had also spoken to representatives of Diamond and First Buses and other stakeholder user groups, and received feedback from members of the public.  Work to date had largely focussed on buses and the Leader was keen that the Task Group also followed up the second element of the scrutiny, namely community transport.

Children and Families O&S Panel

Family Front Door Scrutiny Task Group

The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Children and Families O&S Panel were due to meet with the Director of Children, Families and Communities and the Assistant Director Safeguarding Services (Children's Social Care) to discuss taking this scrutiny forward.  Members were reminded that the Scrutiny Task Group would be led by the Vice Chairman of the Panel, as previously agreed by OSPB.

Overnight Short Breaks for Children with Disabilities

This scrutiny was still ongoing and the Task Group would be receiving feedback on the further work being undertaken by Officers in Children's Services.

Meeting with Key Stage 2 headteachers

In October, the Panel had held a successful meeting with Key Stage 2 headteachers.  The meeting had heard from Bromsgrove headteachers about successful collaborative working in their area.  Key Stage 2 results were a huge issue for the County and the Panel was looking to support a 'One Worcestershire' approach to improving attainment.

Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Committee had received comprehensive information from the Ambulance Trust about its plans for the winter and the Trust appeared to be ahead of the game.  With reference to the Acute Trust, it was disappointing that HOSC had not received any information about the Trust's plans to cover the departure of the Chief Executive.

A further meeting of HOSC would be held at the end of November to consider plans for winter pressures.  An informal briefing about the STP was also being planned.

Corporate and Communities O&S Panel

The Panel was due to hold its next meeting on 7 November to consider libraries re-modelling and in-year budget issues.  The Panel had also received a budget briefing which included both surprising and unsurprising information.  The Chairman informed the Board that the Panel's Vice Chairman had recently suffered an injury while on Council business and he sent her get well wishes.

On 23 October the Panel had held a robust meeting on commissioning with the CMR for Transformation and Commissioning and the Director of Commercial and Commissioning.  Following the meeting, the Panel would be asking the CMR to set out her vision for commissioning and where the Council is going, and invite her and the Director back in six months' time to update the Panel on progress.  It was important to ensure that the Council had the skills to run a commissioning service.  Whether a service was commissioned out or kept in-house, the aim would be to get best value for money and the best service for residents.

With reference to the School Library Service, the Chairman of the Board informed Members that he had been shocked to learn that the decision to end the service was an Officer delegated decision.  He suggested that this was a potentially successful revenue raising service which had had insufficient business management input.  He informed the Board that Essex County Council had professional business managers running their School Library Service which was now a revenue raising service and traded with other Councils.  He suggested that officers in Worcestershire were not given sufficient time to put together a business case.  In response, the Chairman of the Corporate and Communities O&S Panel agreed that he would raise this with the CMR for Communities at the Panel's next meeting.

Crime and Disorder

The Lead Member for Crime and Disorder raised  the implications of the Police and Crime Commissioner's recent decision to withdraw from the Strategic Alliance with Warwickshire Police.  He informed Members that the Chairman of the Police and Crime Panel would be attending the Board's next meeting to update Members.  He suggested that the Board may wish to invite the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to a future meeting.  Members were reminded that the PCC was attending Council in November.

Economy and Environment O&S Panel

The Panel had received a finance briefing in early October which provided an opportunity to drill down into the figures.  In November, the Panel would be considering broadband, issues relating to highway maintenance and performance information.  Concern was expressed that up to date performance information was not available and the Panel Chairman informed Members that this was something that he planned to raise with the Leader of the Council.

Forward Plan

Concern was expressed about the proposal to include the education service in the scope of Worcestershire Children First (the Alternative Delivery Model for Children's Services).  The Implications of the proposal on how services for which the County Council would remain responsible needed to be understood.  .