Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room One, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL

Contact: Emily Wilcox  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

36.

Apologies for Absence/Replacement Members

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Brookes, Councillor C S Macey and Patricia Barnett (Parent Governor Representative).

 

It was reported that, under the Local Government (committee and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, Councillor S R Roe had been appointed as a replacement member for Councillor M Brookes, for this meeting only.

 

37.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

38.

Minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2019 pdf icon PDF 180 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

          That minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2019 be approved as a          correct record and signed by the Chairman. 

39.

Announcements by the Chairman, Executive Councillor for Resources and Communications and Chief Officers

Minutes:

The Chairman announced that he had attended a meeting of the Executive on the 2 April 2019, in which the Chairman of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee had presented the Board's agreed comments on the Carbon Management Plan.

 

The Chairman encouraged Members to attend the workshop on Culture and Accountability which was scheduled to take place on Thursday 30 May at 1:30pm

 

The Executive Councillor for Community Safety and People Management informed the Board that Chris Davison would be leaving his role as County Public Protection Officer on 10 June 2019, to return to his role as the Chief Superintendent for Lincolnshire Police. Shaun West, currently the Assistant Chief Constable for Lincolnshire Police, would take over as the County Public Protection Officer.

 

40.

Consideration of Call-Ins

Minutes:

None were received.

41.

Consideration of Councillor Calls for Action

Minutes:

None were received.

42.

IMT Strategy Document pdf icon PDF 26 KB

(To receive a report from John Wickens (Chief Digital Officer), which invites the Board to consider a report regarding the IMT Strategy Document, which is due to be considered by the Executive Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT between the 07 and 10 May 2019. The views of the Board will be reported to the Executive Councillor as part of his consideration of this item)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report by the Chief Digital Officer, which invited the Board to consider a report regarding the IMT Strategy, which was due to be considered by the Executive Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT between the 07 and 10 May 2019.

 

The Chief Digital Officer outlined the key areas of the proposed IMT Strategy, which including the following:

 

·      The IMT Strategies alignment to Corporate Priorities

·      The three main priorities

·      How the IMT strategy would be executed across the Council

·      How the 6 A's would help measure the success and prioritisation of the strategy

·      The core design principles

·      IMT domains

 

 

 

 

 

Members were invited to ask questions on the report. As part of the discussion, the following points were noted: 

 

  • Officers confirmed that there were no plans to stop using the classic channels of engagement such as telephone services, and acknowledged the importance of continued engagement with citizens that did not use modern technology.

      

·       The Board recommended that a clear and measurable Action Plan be developed from the High Level Strategy to enable strategic oversight and monitor the delivery of the IMT Strategy programme. The Board also recommended that as part of the implementation of the IMT Strategy, the Council consider benchmarking the IMT service and processes against those of other Local Authorities.

 

·         The Board sought assurances that the IMT Service would have the necessary influence within the organisation to ensure compliance with the Business Priorities and Core Design Principles identified in the strategy. Officers confirmed that there was a need to develop a culture of support for services areas and identify the right balance to ensure a greater level of compliance across the organisation.

 

·         The Board highlighted the need to ensure continued access to services for those service users without access to IT channels. Officers confirmed that there were no plans to undermine classic channels of engagement as part of the proposed IMT Strategy.

 

·         Members highlighted the benefits of smart speakers and open data initiatives in developing a truly digital organisation as a clear aspiration of the IMT Strategy.

 

·         Members recognised the importance of self-help and self-service arrangements.

 

·         The Board recommended effective engagement with the workforce to ensure training and development was effective to get the most out the systems and software introduced as part of future modernisation. 

 

·         The Board recommended that consideration be given to the re-use of old county council IT equipment by care leavers, charities, etc.

 

  • The Board supported the recommendation that the Executive Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT approves the Council's IMT High Level Strategy 2019-22.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Board supports the recommendation that the Executive Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT approves the Council's IMT High Level Strategy;

 

2.    That the points raised in relation to the strategy, as listed above, be passed to the Executive Councillor in relation to this item.

 

43.

Formation of a Company for Legal Services pdf icon PDF 25 KB

(To receive a report from David Coleman (Chief Legal Officer), which invites the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board to consider a report regarding the formation of a company for Legal Services, which is due to be considered by the Executive on 8 May 2019. The views of the Board will be reported to the Executive as part of the consideration of this item)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report by the Chief Legal Officer, which invited the Board to consider a report regarding the formation of a company for Legal Services, which was due to be considered by the Executive on 08 May 2019.

 

The Chief Legal Officer explained that Legal Services Lincolnshire's (LSL) partner council's had started to explore the delivery of services through the creation of a private companies regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It was noted that under current regulation, LSL were not currently able to act on behalf of companies, which had been established by the partner councils. This had limited the work that they could provide for their partner council's.

 

LSL had identified that the creation of an alternative business structure (ABS) would overcome regulatory concerns and allow LSL to continue to provide services to partner council's through their private companies, without breach of regulation.

 

Members were invited to ask questions on the report. As part of the discussion, the following points were noted: 

 

  • Members sought assurance that the establishment of an ABS would not cause any disruption to existing services or impact the on-going delivery of current operations within Legal Services.

 

  • Members highlighted the importance of continuing to promote LSL as a shared service between the County Council and district partners in addition to the creation of an ABS.

 

  • The Board requested to receive an annual report on the activity of the proposed company to monitor activity.

 

·       The Board endorsed the recommendation that the Executive approve the establishment of a company wholly owned by the County Council for the purpose of providing legal advice and services.

 

·       It was recommended officers further consider and review the proposed 'Articles of Association', including the provision relating to consensus decision-making.

 

·       It was also requested additional information on the final form of the company be presented to a future meeting of the Board.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Board supported the recommendation that the Executive approve        the establishment of a company wholly owned by the County Council for     the purpose of providing legal advice and services;

 

2.    That the comments made, as listed above, be passed on to the Executive           as part of the consideration of this item.

 

44.

Procurement Strategy pdf icon PDF 26 KB

(To receive a report by Alex Botten (Strategic, Commercial and Procurement Manager), which invites the Board to consider a report on the Procurement Strategy 2019-2022, ahead of its consideration by the Executive on 8 May 2019. The views of the Board will be

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given a report by the Chief Commercial Officer, which invited the Board to consider the proposed Procurement Strategy 2019-2022, which was due to be considered by the Executive on 08 May 2019.

 

The Chief Commercial Officer referred members to Appendix A of the Executive Report, which set out the strategies key principles.

 

·         Members supported that the Council continue to promote opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to produce tender submissions that can be competitive in the Council's tender processes.

 

·         The Board endorsed a focus on developing social and community benefits through the Procurement Strategy by developing apprenticeships, particularly for young people who are leaving care, while delivering contracted services.

 

·         It was recommended that the Council prioritises developing a commercial collaboration approach by actively driving a culture change to joint commissioning and developing relationships with other public sector organisations in Lincolnshire to secure additional value for the benefit of the public sector.

 

·       It was also recommended that the Council carry out an annual review of the success of the Procurement Strategy including any wider collaboration achieved,   the benefits of category management and the community benefits secured.

 

·       The Board supported the recommendation for the Executive to approve the Procurement Strategy 2019-2022.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Board support the recommendation for the Executive to approve the Procurement Strategy 2019-2022;

 

2.    That the comments from the Board, as listed above, be passed to the       Executive in relation to this item.

 

45.

Office Supplies pdf icon PDF 25 KB

(To receive a report from Alex Botten (Strategic, Commercial and Procurement Manager), which invites the Board to consider a report regarding Office Supplies, ahead of it being considered by the Executive Director of Finance and Public Protection between the 7 May and 3 June 2019. The views of the Board will be reported to the Executive Director as part of his consideration of this item)

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report by the Chief Commercial Officer, which invited the Board to consider a report regarding Office Supplies, which was due to be considered by the Executive Director of Finance and Public Protection between the 07 May and the 03 June 2019.

 

The report proposed procuring a single contract using the Dartford Framework, which allowed a compliant direct award to be issued to a single supplier. It was proposed to award the contract to Banner, the Council's incumbent for office supplies.

 

Members were invited to discuss the report, in which the following points were noted:

 

·       The Board recommended that Group Leaders considered options for promoting a shift towards paperless Committee meetings.

 

·       The Board supported a recommendation to the Executive Director of Finance and Public Protection to procure a new contract for office supplies.

 

·       The Board supported the recommendation that the contracts for paper and general office supplies should be amalgamated, and re-procured as one contract; and that the framework offered by Dartford Council met the Council's requirements.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Board support the recommendation to the Executive Director of Finance and Public Protection to procure a new contract for office supplies;

 

2.    That the comments from the Board, as listed above, be passed on to the Executive Councillor in relation to this item.

 

46.

Performance of the Corporate Support Services Contract pdf icon PDF 180 KB

(To receive a report from Sophie Reeve (Chief Commercial Officer), which provides an update of Serco's performance against contractual Key Performance Indicators specified in the Corporate Support Services Contract between October 2018 and February 2019)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report by the Serco Contract Manager, which provided an update of Serco's performance against contractual Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) specified in the Corporate Support Services Contract between October 2018 and February 2019.

 

The Serco Contract Manager outlined Serco's overall KPI summary performance, drawing attention to the fact that only one KPI had failed to meet the Minimum Service Level during this time. 

 

Members were referred to the addendum report, which set out Serco's key performance indicators for March 2019, and it was noted that 2 KPI's had now been removed following success of the insourcing activity.

 

Amongst the highlights, it was noted that with regards to invoices process by Serco for LCC within the required payment period, there had been a record level of performance in December, and that Serco's performance had remained strong. Overall, officers were pleased with the progress that had been made.

 

Members were invited to ask questions on the report. As part of the discussion, the following points were noted: 

 

·       The Chairman was pleased to see that Serco's performance had continued to improve.

 

·       The Chairman felt that scrutiny had had a positive impact on the progress made by Serco, and had encouraged standards to be maintained and enhanced.

 

·       The Operations Manager (Serco) clarified that the reduction in the historical debt was a result of operational activity which had included high level of analysis of the aged debt. This had enabled officers to identify what the problems were in the cycle.

 

·       Officers agreed to add an additional appendix to future reports which detailed successes in the reporting period.

 

·       Members discussed whether there was a continued need for progress reports now targets were being continually achieved. It was agreed that this would be discussed in more detail when the item was next reported to the Board.

 

·       The Chairman felt that there was a need to publicise the positive progress that Serco had made and said he would liaise with the Communications Team  regarding a press release.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Board were satisfied with the performance of the Corporate Support Services Contract.

 

47.

Energy Procurement pdf icon PDF 127 KB

(To receive a report from Sophie Reeve (Chief Commercial Officer), which invites the Board to consider a report regarding the Council's arrangements for purchasing electricity, which is due to be considered by the Leader of the Council between the 6 and 30 May 2019. The views of the Board will be reported to the Leader of the Council, as part of his consideration of this item)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report by the Chief Commercial Officer, which invited the Board to consider a report regarding the council's arrangements for purchasing electricity, which was due to be considered by the Leader of the Council between the 06 May 2019 and the 20 May 2019.

 

The report proposed that the council sign up to the recently established ESPO Electricity framework October 2020 – September 2024.

 

The Chief Commercial Officer explained that the ESPO framework had the flexibility to buy green or brown energy for LCC. However, previous discussions within the Council had suggested that there were better ways of reducing consumption was a better way of reducing the council's carbon emissions than purchasing green energy. There was the option to mix green and brown energy through the four-year period, subject to a minimum commitment of 12 months for either.

 

Members were invited to ask questions on the report. As part of the discussion, the following points were noted: 

 

·         The Board highlighted the importance of considering the ability for the Council to buy green or brown energy as part of the ESPO electricity framework and requested the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee consider the green or brown energy mix in more detail.

 

·         Members also highlighted the need for the Council to consider switching to 100% green energy as part of the Council's local leadership role and carbon management responsibilities to promote renewable energy sources.

 

  • Overview and Scrutiny Management Board supported a recommendation for the Leader of the Council to approve the Council procuring electricity through the recently established ESPO electricity framework, provided that the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee considered the issue of green and brown energy at the next available meeting of the committee.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Board support the recommendation for the Leader of the Council to approve the Council procuring electricity through the recently established ESPO electricity framework October 2020 – 2024, subject to further consideration of the issue of green and brown energy by the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee;

 

2.    That the comments made, as stated above, be passed on to the Leader of the Council as part of his consideration of this item.

 

48.

Performance Reporting to Scrutiny Committees pdf icon PDF 164 KB

(To receive a report from Nigel West (Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer), which sets out a proposed new arrangement of reporting performance against the Council Business Plan to Scrutiny Committees)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report by the Performance and Equalities Manager, which set out a proposed new arrangement of reporting performance against the Council Business Plan to scrutiny committees.

 

Members were informed that the proposal would remove the duplication that currently happens between Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and scrutiny committees, and address the concerns raised regarding the order of reporting.

 

The Performance and Equalities Manager set out five possible options for reporting the performance against the Council Business Plan to scrutiny committees. It was recommended that Members support option three, with the addition of relevant officers attending meetings of the relevant scrutiny committee as and when required to answer questions about performance.

 

Members were invited to ask questions on the report. As part of the discussion, the following points were noted: 

 

·       Members were supportive of adopting option 3.

 

·       It was requested that the Board also received reports that celebrated success and included positive performance.

 

·       The Head of Paid Service and Director of Children's Services explained that there was also a wider issue with what was reported to scrutiny committees, and this was something that was being investigated further.

 

RESOLVED:

         

1.    That the Board approve option 3, with the addition of relevant officers attending meetings of the relevant scrutiny committee as and when required to answer questions, as the new arrangement of reporting performance against the Council Business Plan to scrutiny committees, to be implemented from Quarter 1 2019/20 Council Business Plan in August 2019.

 

2.    That the Board invite officers, in conjunction with scrutiny committee chairs to explore the future content of performance and budget monitoring reports to scrutiny committees.

 

49.

Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 26 KB

(To receive a report by Nigel West (Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer), which invites the Board to consider a draft of the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2018-19)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a report from the Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer, which invited members of the Board to consider the draft Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2018-19.

 

It was agreed that the report be amended so that the 'Transitions' Scrutiny Panel be amended to say read 'Transitions from Young Children's to Adult's' Scrutiny Panel.

 

The Chairman thanked everybody who had contributed to the Annual Report.

 

Members were informed that the Annual Report would be submitted to the meeting of the County Council on 17 May 2019, for approval.

 

RESOLVED:

 

            That the Board agree the submission of the Overview and Scrutiny             Annual Report 2018-19 to the meeting of the County Council on 17       May 2019 for final approval, subject to the amendment agreed above.

 

 

50.

Overview and Scrutiny Management Board Work Programme pdf icon PDF 271 KB

(To receive a report which enables the Board to consider and comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year, to ensure that scrutiny activity is focussed where it can be of greatest benefit)

 

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer presented the Boards prospective work programme.

 

It was noted that the report on the People Management and Workforce Plan would now be reported to the meeting scheduled for the 27 June 2019.

 

It was agreed that an update on the progress Brexit Working Group would be circulated to Members via email.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.   That the Board were satisfied with the proposed work programme;

 

2.   That an update on the progress of the Brexit Working Group be circulated to Members via email.

 

 

 

 
 
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