Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the register of interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interest which they might have in respect of the business on the agenda. No additional interests were declared.

To approve and sign the Minutes of meetings of the Committee held on 7 and 17 April 2014.

Resolved:           That the minutes of meetings of the Committee held on 7 and 17 April 2014 be approved and signed by the Chair as correct records.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Friday 9 May 2014.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or audio recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or,if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report provides Members with a further update on the implementation of recommendations arising from the following previously completed scrutiny reviews which fall within the remit of this overview & scrutiny committee:

·        Managing Staff Sickness Absence Review and

·        Community Engagement Review

The Assistant Director of Customer & Business Support Services and the Head of Communities and Equalitieswill be in attendance at the meeting to answer any questions arising.

Consideration was given to a report which provided Members with a further update on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the following, previously completed scrutiny reviews which fell within the remit of the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee.

Staff Sickness Absence Management Scrutiny Review

Members went through the recommendations provided in Annex A of the report, and following receipt of Officer comments, agreed not to sign off recommendation (viii) pending receipt of information on the pilot sickness absence work and (x) to receive further information regarding the designation of the HR Officers.

Customer Engagement Scrutiny Review

Consideration was given to Annex B which set out the recommendations of this review. In relation to recommendation (iv) the Scrutiny Officer updated that Planning had confirmed it was now established practice to inform adjoining Parish Councils of any significant planning applications likely to affect their parish.

Following receipt of further Officer comments, it was agreed not to sign off recommendation (vii) and (viii) pending the introduction of the new intranet system, (xii) to allow consideration to be given to alternatives and reference to the Corporate Management Team, (xiii) awaiting outcome of pilots and (xiv) to received details of work ongoing to identify the areas concerned.

Following further discussion it was

Resolved:    i)      That recommendations ix), xi) and xii) arising from the Staff Sickness Absence Management Scrutiny Review, be signed off as completed with the remaining recommendations being brought back to the Committee for review in six months.

ii)     That recommendations  i) to vi) and ix) to xi), arising from the Customer Engagement Scrutiny Review, be signed off as completed with the remaining recommendations being brought back to the Committee for review in six months.

Reason:     In order to conclude the Committee’s reviews and to raise full awareness of those recommendations which are still to be fully implemented.

This report provides an update on the work being undertaken to engage local businesses in procurement activity for the Council.

Members are asked to consider the report and identify any potential improvements to the approach taken to supporting the local economy through procurement activity.

Members considered a report which updated them on work being undertaken to engage local businesses in procurement activity for the Council. This followed the Committee’s identification of Procurement as a possible scrutiny topic.

Officers confirmed that the Procurement and Commissioning Strategy set out the authorities commitment to use procurement spend to support the local economy. Examples were provided of the range of engagement mechanisms used and recent activity undertaken to support the local economy. It was noted that a Best Practice Guide was being prepared for Directorates, together with clear guidance to ensure that Officers kept within European Union and financial regulations.

Members raised a number of points to which Officers provided the following information:

·         Whilst national companies were often cheaper, local companies could provide innovative solutions and other benefits for the city

·         Purchases were made from the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation however this was on a case by case basis and if best value for money was received

·         Clarification would be sought regarding the reference in paragraph 5, of the report, that 50% of Council spend was with companies with billing addresses within the local area

·         Confirmation that, although the procurement team only had involvement in approx. 18% of the Council’s total spend, that not all procurement activity was complicated and required additional expertise

·        That a rolling programme was underway to provide category management plans to ensure consistency across the organisation

·        Themed Bidder Day’s were arranged e.g. a Council House Building Programme event

Following further discussion Members thanked the report authors for their comprehensive report and additional information provided. 

Resolved:  That the report be received and noted.

Reason:     To ensure that there is effective scrutiny of the development of the commercial procurement and commissioning activity within the Council.

To consider the Committee’s work plan for 2013/14 and to receive a verbal update on the ongoing Equalities Scrutiny Review.

Consideration was given to the Committee’s work plan for the 2013/14 municipal year.

It was noted that consideration would be given to the following topics at the Scrutiny Committee’s work planning event on 14 May 2014:

·        Procurement activities of health and voluntary services and their relationships to assist with their preventative works.

·        How best to create a change in culture following the revised policy and change to working practices had been embedded throughout the organisation.

The Chair suggested a review around the Corporate Management Team involvement in scrutiny. Other Members felt that an informal discussion might be more appropriate.

Members also referred to the review of the Constitution, being overseen by the Audit and Governance Committee, part of which would be examining the barriers to and improvements in scrutiny.

Further to consideration of the earlier report on Procurement, Members expressed concerns at the reference to the commercial procurement team’s involvement in around only 18% of the Council’s total spend. Members therefore suggested consideration could be given to how the Committee could add value to procurement activity.

Following further discussion it was

Resolved:     i)    That the Committee’s work plan for 2013/14 be received and noted.

                     ii)     That further information be provided in relation to the following possible scrutiny topics:

·        input into procurement activity around health and voluntary services

·        82% of procurement activity in which the team was not involved ^1.

Reason:     To provide an overview of the Committee’s work for the 2013/14 municipal year and to inform possible future reviews.

This annual scrutiny report summarises the work of the five Overview & Scrutiny Committees for the municipal year May 2013 – May 2014, and asks Members to agree the report prior to presentation to Cabinet in July 2014.

Consideration was given to the draft Annual Scrutiny Report which summarised the work of the five Overview and Scrutiny Committees, in the period June 2013 to date. It was noted that the report would be presented to Council in July 2014.

Arising from discussion of work undertaken during the year, the Chair confirmed that the final report arising from the corporate Night-Time Economy review (NTE) had recently received a very favourable response from Cabinet. Members had also expressed their thanks to all concerned and, in particular, the Scrutiny Officers.

Members highlighted the importance of following up the recommendations of the NTE review and the need to ensure the correct remit and focus for any future reviews.

Following further discussion it was

Recommended: That the Annual Scrutiny Report for the period June 2013 to May 2014 be approved for submission to Council in July 2014, subject to inclusion of information in relation to the Loans and Grants Scrutiny Review. ^1.

Reason:              To enable the report to be presented to Full Council, in line with Constitutional requirements.