|
City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
|
|
Meeting |
Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee |
|
|
Date |
8 July 2024 |
|
|
Present |
Councillors Fenton (Chair), Merrett (Vice-Chair), Ayre, B Burton, Coles (from 5:36 pm), Crawshaw, Healey, Melly, Rowley, Waller, Whitcroft, Orrell (Substitute for Cllr Widdowson) and Rose (Substitute for Cllr Nelson) |
|
|
Apologies Parental Leave
In Attendance
Officers Present |
Councillor Widdowson Cllr Nelson
Cllr Douglas, Leader
Claire Foale, Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy Helen Whiting, Chief Officer, HR and Support Services |
|
6. Declarations of Interest (5.32 pm)
Members were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest, or other registerable interest, they might have in respect of business on the agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests.
During discussion of Item 4, the Corporate Improvement Plan, Cllr Coles noted her role as Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime in the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA).
7. Minutes (5.33 pm)
Resolved: That the minutes of the last meeting held on 10 June 2024 were approved as a correct record.
8. Public Participation (5.34 pm)
It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Ms Swinburn, spoke on Item 4, the Corporate Improvement Action Plan, and matters concerning the remit of the Committee. She outlined her concerns with the action plan suggesting that it should be brought to the Audit and Governance Committee. Some items for the work plan were also put forward.
9. Corporate Improvement Action Plan (5.38 pm)
The Assistant Director for Policy and Strategy, presented her report and outlined the key components of the action plan. She was joined by the Chief Officer, HR and Support Services, to respond to any HR/Workforce questions.
In response to comments from the public participant, it was reported that the action plan was a list of actions and did not include the detail, the Audit and Governance committee would receive a code of governance update in September this would include the new boards, the membership of the corporate improvement board would be reconsidered and the budget setting strategy would be reported to Executive in September.
Members asked a range a questions on each of the four plan objectives, covering the clarity of deadlines, the process of workforce shadowing, the consultation of the Managing Customer Relations Policy and it’s timescales, the wording of the trauma-informed detail, resident engagement in relation to the mid-term financial strategy, the financial literacy courses, the internal governance arrangements, the number of new boards, co-design partnerships plan, transformation of council services, change management, resident communications, communicating with non-digital staff, scrutiny of city partnerships, the scrutiny function, corporate working and change management.
[6.45 pm, Cllr Rowley left the meeting.]
The following was agreed for inclusion in the Corporate Improvement Action Plan:
· Ensure that actions encouraged cross-council working
· Provide regular progress updates to Executive
· Show how officers will build relationships with communities
· Show how becoming a trauma-informed council was a continuous journey
· Develop the managing customer relations policy with resident engagement
· How senior managers would be supported to learn more about financial management systems
· Refresh the council’s communications channels
· Provide opportunity for scrutiny oversight of city developments
· Clarify that member induction was ongoing and informed by member feedback
· Clarify the ask of Scrutiny Chairs when reviewing scrutiny practices
· The Corporate Improvement Framework and the LGA Peer Challenge recommendations should be included as an annex to the action plan.
Resolved:
i. That the action plan be noted.
ii. That the actions outlined in the above bullet points be included in the Corporate Improvement Action Plan.
Reason: To ensure a robust and effective action plan.
[7.01 to 7.10 pm, the meeting adjourned for a comfort break. Cllr Orrell left the meeting at the adjournment.]
10. HR Policy Agreement Processes (7.10 pm)
The Chief Officer, HR and Support Services, presented the information report on HR Policy Agreement Processes.
There were no questions from Members and it was therefore,
Resolved: That the report be noted.
Reason: To keep the committee apprised of HR processes.
11. York Pipeline of Proposals for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (7.16 pm)
The Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy, and the Strategic Manager, Corporate Policy and Strategy provided an update on the York Pipeline of Proposals for the Combined Authority. This had been based on the feedback received from the other scrutiny committees.
Members made a number of suggestions concerning the presentation and clarity of the wording of projects.
In response to questions relating to funding, officers reported that Pipeline of Proposals provided officers with a list of projects that had been devised to achieve member ambitions. Funding details would follow, for those projects that were in line with the mayoral priorities.
Resolved:
i. That the Pipeline of Proposals be noted.
ii. That the proposals be reviewed in 12 months, or earlier if required.
Reason: To ensure that there was a strong list of proposals through which to engage future funding opportunities that emerged from the YNYCA.
12. Work Plan (7.36 pm)
Members considered the Scrutiny work plan for the four scrutiny committees. During the discussion, the Invest to Save fund was highlighted as a possible future topic for scrutiny; it was agreed to request further information from officers.
Resolved: That the work plan be noted.
Reason: To ensure an overview of the scrutiny work programme.
Cllr S Fenton, Chair
[The meeting started at 5.32 pm and finished at 7.40 pm].