Agenda item

Purpose: To receive new items and agree and prioritise the work programme of the Commission.

The Commission considered its work programme for the 2023/24 municipal year (Agenda Item 14).

Members noted the following:

·         Items included on the work programme for the September meeting included: the annual Community Safety Report; the Equalities Diversity and Inclusion Framework; and the Cultural Heritage Strategy Delivery Plan.

·         The PAPER prioritisation tool, which had been adopted by the Health Scrutiny Committee.

·         A list of potential scrutiny topics that had been identified through early discussion with officers and Members.

In the course of the debate, the following points were discussed:

·         Members queried whether the scope of the Early Years Capacity item should be widened to consider provision by charities, including those that provided care during school hours rather than solely wrap-around care. Officers indicated that this could be included, but it would be a significant extension of the scope of the review. It was noted that West Berkshire Council was amongst the poorest performing local authorities. Members asked about the criteria on which this performance was assessed. Officers highlighted that a Childcare Sufficiency report was being prepared, which would give a rounded view of current situation.

·         Members noted that there were numerous education related grants and indicated that it may be useful to consider which had / had not been applied for and what funding had been secured. It was suggested that Members speak to officers in Finance initially to understand the current situation and if there were any resourcing constraints that affected the Council’s ability to apply for grants.

Action: Councillor Christopher Read to have an initial discussion with Joseph Holmes around grants.

·         Members welcomed the proposal to undertake scrutiny of the Budget. This could be done via a Sub-Committee or at a special meeting of the Commission. Members asked how a sub-committee would be set up. It was confirmed this would require a formal proposal, and the Commission would vote on the matter. Members would need to decide which of its powers to delegate to the new body. A date of 6 February was proposed for a special meeting of the whole Commission. This would allow scrutiny to take place before the draft Budget was considered by Executive on 8 February.

Action: Gordon Oliver to set up a special meeting of the Scrutiny Commission on 6 February 2024 to consider the draft Budget.

·         It was noted that Thames Water had given evidence to a previous meeting of the Commission. The Chairman was keen to invite them back and proposed a special meeting in October / November. Sewage issues were of concern to the public and there were infrastructure issues related to new development. Also, the Commission could explore reasons why opportunities for developers to pay reduced connection charges for developments designed to minimise water consumption were not being taken up. It was suggested that there was a need for joined up working between Council services on this issue. It was agreed that other stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Action for the River Kennet be invited to attend. Members suggested that Thames Water should be asked to provide more regular updates, but it was noted that they could not be compelled to do so. Members noted that developers no longer had an automatic right to connect to the public sewage network and could potentially seek to use other providers. It was suggested that the Commission should review this. Officers stated that planning conditions were beyond the remit of the Commission. However, as an initial step, it was suggested that relevant officers be consulted to understand the current legislation and the position in West Berkshire, and what value the Commission could add.

Action: Gordon Oliver to liaise with Thames Water and other external stakeholders over a suitable date for an additional meeting if the Commission in October / November.

Action: Gordon Oliver to liaise with colleagues in Highways and Planning regarding the impacts of changes to developers’ rights of connection to water and sewage networks.

·         It was noted that the Council did not perform well in terms of the percentage of children on free school meals who achieved a good level of development and officers had suggested that the Commission look at this in more detail. This was agreed. 

·         It was proposed that the Commission should consider the Council’s Environment Strategy Delivery Plan. The Chairman suggested that Members may wish to look at particular aspects, such as how the Council was measuring its carbon footprint, preparations for dealing with the effects of climate change, and whether warm weather advice was being followed in schools and care homes.

·         A further topic was suggested around dementia care, which would be complementary to the recent review of dementia diagnosis. Such a review would need to be undertaken in partnership with the Health Scrutiny Committee. Pressures on adult social care were noted and it was recognised that dementia cases would increase with an ageing population.

·         It was suggested that a half-day scrutiny work programme planning event could be held with Members of the Executive and senior officers. This was supported.

Action: Councillor Carolyne Culver to consult with the Leader of the Council regarding a scrutiny work planning event.

·         Members were directed to the supplementary agenda pack, which referred to a recent Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman ruling in relation to a Housing case. The ruling required the Ombudsman’s report to be reviewed by a decision making body made up of elected Members to ensure that lessons learned are embedded in service delivery models. Due to the time constraints imposed by the Ombudsman, this would have to be carried out as soon as possible. Members noted that another local authority had been involved in this case and asked if they could be invited to attend the meeting. It was confirmed that they could be invited, but the ruling was against West Berkshire Council, and the Council had been instructed to review its own processes. Councillor Gaines provided an overview of the case for the benefit of the Members present.

Action: Gordon Oliver to arrange an additional meeting of the Scrutiny Commission to review the Ombudsman ruling.