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, members were 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 the agenda. None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 2018 and the CSMC Call-in meeting held on 5 November 2018.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 12 November 2018 and the minutes of the ‘Calling in’ meeting held on 5 November 2018 be approved and signed by the Chair as an accurate record.

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 11 January 2019. 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 that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be filmed and webcast, or recorded, including 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/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

Andrea Dudding addressed the committee regarding agenda item 6, on behalf of Unison. Ms Dudding was concerned that paragraph 4 in the report suggested that waste services staff may have made incorrect overtime claims and that this was not true. She informed the committee that waste services staff work on ‘task and finish’ contracts and not on hourly pay, regardless of whether the day in question was a bank holiday or otherwise. Ms Dudding wanted the committee to be reviewing the correct information.

This report provides Members with details of new petitions received to date, together with those considered by the Executive or relevant Executive Member/Officer since the last report to the committee.

Members received the regular update on the Schedule of Petitions in line with the agreed responsibilities of the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

Reason:     To ensure the committee carries out its requirements in relation to petitions.

This report presents the overall finance and performance position for the period covering 1 July 2018 to 30 September 2018, together with an overview of any emerging issues. This is the second report of the financial year and assesses performance against budgets, including progress in delivering the Council’s savings programme.

Members received the Finance and Performance Monitor covering the period 1 July 2018 to 30 September 2018.

Members requested that more detail be incorporated into certain elements of the report particularly in regard to where savings had been expected but had not yet materialised.

Under questions from members regarding the Leeds City Region Business Rates Pool, officers informed the committee that:

-      The description in paragraph 9 of the report was not an overall ‘direction of travel’ in terms of spending the resources.

-      Any decision on the allocation of this money  would be a decision for Executive or for Council within the budget process.

-      The recommendation to Executive would be not to assign the Business Rates Pool money to anything in particular until pressures being felt, particularly by Adult Social Care and Health and Children’s Services, were better understood.

Members were keen to understand whether the financial position being reported was further adrift than in previous years. Officers informed the committee that whilst the position has improved by around £100k since Monitor 1, it would be fair to say that the financial pressures being felt by the authority were of more significance than in previous years. Officers also noted that there were delays in the realisation of certain savings and that this was also having an impact on the current financial position.

Finally, members also noted the importance of working closely with York Museums Trust to ensure that their concerns in relation to visitor numbers and the hosting of events were taken into consideration.

Resolved:  That the report and budgetary position at Quarter 2 be noted.

Reason:     To ensure expenditure is kept within the approved budget.

This report provides information on the findings of an internal audit into overtime within the Waste Services of the Economy and Place Directorate (Annex A).

Further to the referral from Audit & Governance Committee at its meeting held on 5 December 2018, Officers presented and highlighted the key findings from the internal audit that had been undertaken into overtime within Waste Services.

Members requested some clarification and officers concurred with members that the report was not entirely clear on the issue of bank holiday pay and agreed with the earlier clarification from Andrea Dudding, raised under public participation.

Officers did note that there was significant overtime recorded within the service and that drivers were often asked to work overtime to help keep the service running. Officers also explained the concept of ‘task and finish’ contracts, highlighting that a round is scheduled to take slightly less than the allotted 37 hours in order to incentivise the staff to continue to work hard.

In response to Member questions, officers explained the ‘tachograph’ system that has recently been implemented in Waste Services, noting that one of the main reasons for its introduction was to ensure that staff take their breaks.

Resolved:  That no further information be requested and the report be noted.

Reason:     To enable members to consider the findings and implications of the audit.

This report provides an update on the sickness absence figures in City of York Council (CYC) and the work being undertaken to address their increase with a focus on attendance management and employee wellbeing.

Members received an update on the sickness absence figures and an update on progress towards the introduction of a dedicated well-being team.

Members were interested in the timescale in introducing the new centralised team to deliver the wellbeing and occupational health service. Officers explained that the re-procurement of the Occupational Health provision was due to go to Executive on 17 January 2019 and as the wellbeing provision had been combined with occupational health, there would be developments soon.

Officers stated under further questioning from members that City of York Council’s stress and mental health absence levels were roughly in line with national averages.

Members noted the importance in understanding why staff were absent, particularly in relation to stress or mental health. Members agreed that more needed to be done to understand this and that 38% of staff completing the staff survey was a low response rate.

Members agreed that they would receive a further update report and information on the staff survey at the first meeting of the next municipal year.

Resolved:  That Members consider the report and agree a method of how they wish to be kept up to date with progress.

Reason:     To inform Members of the sickness absence figures within the Council.

This report provides an update to the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee on the progress of its Task Group looking into the operations and functions of Scrutiny at City of York Council.

Members discussed the latest update report from the Committee’s Task Group reviewing Scrutiny Operations and Functions.

Resolved:  That the interim report be noted, no further information be requested and the final report on this review be brought to the March meeting of the Committee.

Reason:     To ensure that the committee progresses the work of it’s Task Group.

The committee are asked to look at their work plan for the remainder of the municipal year.

Officers informed the committee that in addition to the Schedule of Petitions, Members would receive an update report from the review into Single-use plastics and the final reports from the Scrutiny Task Groups looking into Financial Inclusion and Scrutiny Operations and Functions.

Resolved:  That the committee’s work plan be approved

Reason:     To ensure that the committee has a planned programme of work in place