Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A Bridges and A J Jesson and Mr C V Miller, Mrs E J Olivier-Townrow and Mr P Thompson.

It was noted that Dr E van der Zee had resigned from his position of Parent Governor Added Member on 7 March 2014.  Members were advised that a letter had been sent out to all Parent Governors seeking nominations.

No declarations of Members' interests were made at this stage in the proceedings.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee held on 27 February 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(To consider any Call-Ins, should any be received)

No Call-Ins had been received.

(To consider any proposals for Scrutiny Reviews, should any be received)

No proposals for Scrutiny Reviews had been received.

(To receive a presentation by Neil Rhodes, Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police, about the challenges facing Lincolnshire Police in the next year and the plans in place to meet these challenges)

The Committee received a copy of questions submitted to the Chief Constable prior to the meeting; the document also contained his subsequent response to the aforementioned questions.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Neil Rhodes, Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police.

In a presentation to the Committee, the Chief Constable outlined the main issues affecting policing in Lincolnshire, which included:-

• It was noted that overall there had been a reduction in crime.  It was also noted that there were 9,500 fewer crimes reported since the end of 2010/11 and 8,000 fewer victims of crime;
• The main operational challenges for Lincolnshire Police had included: austerity; rising demand for services; increasingly challenging diverse community issues; Strategic Policing Requirement; and there were 10% fewer officers compared to two years ago;
• The main organisational challenges for Lincolnshire Police had included: the force was close to the 'cost of being in business'; partnership working; and the potential for further significant cuts;
• Factors affecting the make-up of Lincolnshire Police – the Committee was advised that Lincolnshire was one of the biggest police areas in the country, with the lowest cost of policing, per head of population;
• The force was a modernising force which had been structured to ensure policing at a neighbourhood level;
• It was essential that the number of police officers (1100) and police and community support officers (149) was protected at this level to ensure a high level of service was provided to the Lincolnshire population. It was noted that the Police and Crime Commissioner had made a commitment to sustain this number of officers; and
• Lincolnshire Police was committed to Neighbourhood Policing.

During question time, the following issues were raised:-

·         Regarding the enforcement of illegal and dangerous parking, Members were advised that only the 1100 police officers could enforce this issue.  Although there were Civil Parking Enforcement Officers, they did not have any powers around obstruction.  Police officers would attend any serious obstructions and deal with them as and when they see them on patrol;

·          Streamlining of paperwork for officers with the use of hand held digital devices for reporting crime;

·         Lobbying the Government with regard to funding issues.  The Chief Constable welcomed any support from members;

·         Increasing public participation for local intelligence.  It was noted that this would be achieved by more neighbourhood policing.  The Chief Constable advised that PCSO’s were very good at this as they were the eyes and ears within the community;

·         Diverse population – The Committee was advised that the population was changing and the force had to meet the needs of the residents of Lincolnshire.  PCSO’s had been recruited who were language specialists to help tackle the needs of the community;

·         Role of PCSO’s – The Chief Constable advised that the PCSO’s were a success, and that they provided a very important role throughout Lincolnshire.  Lincolnshire currently had 149 PCSO’s which was 10% of the forces workforce;

·         Members requested that the PCSO's were encouraged to attend their local Parish Council meetings, where possible;

·         Implementation of volunteer PCSO's –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

(To receive a report by Glen Garrod, (Director of Adult Social Services) which invites the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee to consider a report which is due to be considered by the Executive on 1 April 2014.  The views of the Scrutiny Committee will be reported to the Executive, as part of its consideration of this item)

Consideration was given to a report from the Director of Adult Social Services, which invited the Committee to consider a report on the Better Care Fund Final Submission, which was due to be considered by the Executive on 1 April 2014.  The views of the Scrutiny Committee would be reported to the Executive, as part of its consideration of the report. 

The Director of Adult Social Services advised the Committee that the Better Care Fund represented a profound shift in emphasis towards integration between health and social care services in England.  The form this took was financial, and was announced by the Chancellor in June 2013 when he had created a £3.8bn integrated budget for health and social care.  A first cut submission was made as required on 15 February 2014 and had been endorsed by all four Clinical Commissioning Groups and the Health and Wellbeing Board. 

The value of the Better Care Fund in Lincolnshire in 2014/15 was £15.4m.  In 2015/16 the value of the fund would reach just under £53m.  This incorporated an allocation to help underwrite the costs of implementing both the Care Bill from 2015, and the 'Dilnot Reforms'. 

The Governance process under which the submission had been developed and was being approved was detailed on page 51 of the report.

Members were provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted: -

·         In response to a question as to whether the Better Care Fund constituted a bid, it was stated that it was a submission that had to be signed off by a number of bodies, including the Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board against the nominal allocation made by the Government;

·         The Committee raised serious concerns about undertaking pre-decision scrutiny on such an important subject when there had not been any previous reports to the Committee regarding the development of the Better Care Fund;

·         Members were advised that although the Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board had considered the report, the Executive was required to make the final decision on 1 April 2014 on the submission.  Further to this, Members were advised that in Lincolnshire, the Health and Wellbeing Board only operated within its statutory powers and therefore this was a decision of the Executive;

·         Members recognised that this would not protect the council from future funding cuts.  However, it could help ease budget pressures.  It would also encourage health and social care organisations to work in partnership in readiness for future potential funding reductions;

·         Members were advised that the Better Care Fund was a two-year strategy, whereas the Lincolnshire Sustainable Services Review was a five-year strategy, and although they were separate they were complimentary to one another;

·         The Committee recognised that this was a period of profound change in health and adult social care.  With the uncertain financial future there was inevitably a risk to the future delivery of health and adult social care, as referred to on page 23 of the submission document in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

(To receive a report by David Hair (Team Leader – Scrutiny and Member Support), which provides the Committee with an opportunity to consider its work programme and the work programmes for the Council's Scrutiny Committees)

Consideration was given to a report from the Team Leader (Scrutiny and Member Support), which provided the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee with an opportunity to consider its work programme and the work programmes of the Council's other Scrutiny Committees.  Copies of the individual work programmes were appended to the report.

It was suggested that any comments, amendments or additions to the work programmes were emailed through to the Team Leader (Scrutiny and Member Support) for circulation, via email, to all Members of the Committee, for information.

The Chairman of the Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee sought approval for an extension of the Speed Management in Lincolnshire Task and Finish Group to the 9 June 2014 meeting. 

RESOLVED

(1)  That the work programmes for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and the Council's other Scrutiny Committees (Appendices A and B) be approved and that any comments or amendments be emailed to the Team Leader (Scrutiny and Member Support) for circulation, via email.

(2)  That the Working Group Activity, as set out in Appendix C, be noted.

(3)  That the Forward Plan of Key Decisions from 1 April 2014, as set out in Appendix D, be noted.

(4)  That the extension of the review of the Speed Management in Lincolnshire Task and Finish Group to 9 June 2014, be approved.

(To receive a report by Tracy Johnson (Scrutiny Officer), which invites the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee to consider a request to extend the review of the Impact of Transportation on Maximising Economic Growth Task and Finish Group until 10 June 2014.  Initially the review was scheduled for completion on 29 April 2014)

Consideration was given to a report from the Scrutiny Officer for the Economic Scrutiny Committee, which invited the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee to consider a request to extend the review of the Impact of Transportation on Maximising Economic Growth Task and Finish Group until 10 June 2014. 

RESOLVED

That the extension of the review of the Impact of Transportation on Maximising Economic Growth Task and Finish Group to 10 June 2014 be approved.