Agenda item

(To consider a report by Nigel West (Head of Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer), which invites the Committee to consider the content of its work programme and the work programmes of the Council's other scrutiny committees)

Consideration was given to a report which enabled the Committee to consider both its own work programme and the work programmes from the scrutiny committees for 2016.

 

Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee

 

Discussion regarding refugees in Lincolnshire continued and it was reported that the Corporate Parenting Panel would be receiving a report on Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers at its meeting on 9 June.

 

It was agreed that the Committee should oversee and lead the scrutiny of the refugee situation in Lincolnshire and the devolution as both issues cross cut through several scrutiny committees.

 

It was suggested that informal workshops on refugees and devolution be held after future meetings of the Committee, with all Councillors invited.

 

Adults Scrutiny Committee

 

On 6 April, the Committee would be considering a request from the Health Scrutiny Committee to look into delayed transfers of care.  Part of the item on Adult Care Seasonal Resilience would cover delayed transfers of care and it would be for the Adults Scrutiny Committee to decide how to take the request forward.

 

At its meeting on 25 May, the item on Carers and Service Developments would include a representative from the new provider of carers services which would be announced shortly.

 

The item on Workforce Development, which would be led by Melanie Weatherly, (the new Chairman of the Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCa)) would now be scheduled for the meeting on 29 June.

 

Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee

 

There were several amendments to the work programme.

 

The report on the Early Years and Children's Health Services Commissioning Review had been removed from the 15 April agenda. This was following discussions officers had held with Legal Services which changed the position regarding the legal duty to consult and therefore the decision making route had changed. A final decision report on this commissioning review would be brought to the Committee around September or October. In the meantime, a working group had been established to work with officers on this commissioning review.

 

The report on SEND Reforms had been deferred from the April meeting to the May meeting to enable officers to invite a representative from the Parent Carer Forum to attend the meeting and to incorporate up to date information about the forthcoming Ofsted inspections of SEND. The framework for these inspections was due to be published around 11 April.

 

A report on the Department for Education's "Educational Excellence Everywhere" White Paper had added to the agenda on 15 April to inform the Committee of the Government's plans for education and the impact this will have on the Local Authority.  It was felt the implications for Lincolnshire were massive and it could do serious damage to small schools.

 

A report on Partners in Practice has been added to the 15 July agenda. This is regarding a four year pilot funded by the Department for Education to give academy style freedoms to high-performing authorities, and Lincolnshire had been selected to be part of this pilot.

 

Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee

 

There were only a minor changes to the published work programme for the Committee:

 

·         Trisha Carter had agreed to provide a final update from the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC) which had been scheduled for the meeting on 1 June;

·         The Committee had agreed to use the meeting on 2 November for a visit to library sites and Local Community Hubs and an update from Greenwich Leisure Limited.

 

The Blue Light Collaboration Project had been scheduled by Nick Borrill for Pre-Decision Scrutiny on 1 June.

 

Economic Scrutiny Committee

 

There were no changes to the published work programme.  The next meeting was on 12 April and the Committee would be hearing from the University of Lincoln regarding medical sector training.  The report would be exempt.  The Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire and the Chairman of the Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee would both be invited to attend.

 

Environmental Scrutiny Committee

 

There were no changes to the published work programme. 

 

It was noted that the following items had been deferred from 11 March to 10 June meeting:

·    District Heating Project Progress Report;

·    Climate Local Action Plan Annual Report;

·    Energy Switch Scheme.

 

Flood and Drainage Management Scrutiny Committee

 

There were no changes to the published work programme.

 

Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire

 

20 April 2016

There was potentially to be an additional item at the meeting on 20 April on Community Pharmacies.  On 17 December 2015, the Department of Health and NHS England had announced a reduction in funding for community pharmacies in England of £170 million (from £2.8 billion to £2.63 billion) for 2016/17.  The Department of Health and NHS England had been consulting on how they were going to implement these budget reductions, with a view to any changes in service beginning from October 2016. 

 

Concerns had been reported in the local media recently that the reductions could have a negative impact on the rest of the NHS.  Some local pharmacies had leaflets encouraging people to write to their local MP seeking their support to protect local pharmacies. 

 

There were no other confirmed changes to the published work programme, but there were some further matters to report.

 

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation – Adult Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapies Service

At the request of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, the Health Scrutiny Committee had considered a paper at its last meeting on the Adult Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapies Service.  Unfortunately the report did not cover the services provided to patients whilst waiting for treatment.  A briefing paper would now be provided by LPFT to cover the information which was not covered in the report to the Committee.

 

Committee Training on Mental Health

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust had offered to undertake training on mental health for the Health Scrutiny Committee, so that it could better understand the types of illnesses and the treatments available.  The date would be confirmed shortly.

 

Delayed Transfers of Care

On 2 March two members of the Health Scrutiny Committee, had attended a seminar at Peterborough City Hospital on delayed transfers of care.  On 16 March, the Health Scrutiny Committee considered an information report on the seminar.

 

Because of their cross cutting nature, delayed transfers of care could fall under the remit of either the Health Scrutiny Committee or the Adults Scrutiny Committee, but as the Adults Scrutiny Committee is the lead committee for scrutinising the Better Care Fund, and reducing delayed transfers of care will be a key element of the Better Care Fund in 2016/17, the Health Scrutiny Committee concluded that the Adults Scrutiny Committee should be requested to look into this in the first instance, with a request that its findings be reported to the Health Scrutiny Committee.

 

Quality Account Working Group – Page 35

The Chairman confirmed the membership of the Working Group and the arrangements for drafting statements on the Quality Accounts in 2016 on 16 March 2016.

 

Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee

 

There was one change from the published work programme which was the Total Transport Update due to be considered on 18 April would be rescheduled to the 11 July meeting when a more significant update would be available.

 

Value for Money Scrutiny Committee

 

There were no changes to the published work programme.

 

There was discussion regarding key decision dates from the Forward Plan and it was confirmed that these were added to the work programmes by the Scrutiny Officers.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.      That the content of the overview and Scrutiny Management Committee Work programme as set out in Appendix A be noted;

 

2.      That the work programmes from the overview and scrutiny committee set out at Appendix B be approved;

 

3.      That the Working Group activity as set out at Appendix C be noted;

 

4.      That the work programmes, in light of the Executive Forward Plan, as set out in Appendix D, be noted.