Agenda item

(To receive a report which sets out the work programmes of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the Board's agreed programme)

During this item, the Chairman of the Board, Councillor R B Parker, declared a non-pecuniary interest as the County Council’s representative on the Usher Gallery Trust.

Consideration was given to a report by the Chairman of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, which invited the Board to consider the future work programme of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee. The Board was advised of the following changes to the work programme since the publication of the agenda:

• For the meeting of the Committee on the22^nd  of April, there were three additional pre-decision reports scheduled:

-       the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

-       Welton Developer Contributions

-       Review of Closed Ordered List commissioning and procurement arrangements for Supported accommodation for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) and former-UASC care leavers from October 2022

• the SEND Learning Platform would now be considered on 17 June 2022
• an additional report on water fluoridation in Lincolnshire would be considered at the meeting on  17^th June 2022 following concerns raised by the Committee regarding the lack of fluoridated water in some areas of the County

A detailed response to the concerns raised about SEND at the December meeting of the Board had been provided and would be circulated to the members of the Board.

Consideration was given to the update, in which the following points were noted:

• The vacancy on the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee was yet to be filled.
• Home to school transport was no longer under the remit of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee in terms of budgetary consideration. However, the Chairman of the Committee would consider a future report on the impact of the Local Transport Plan V, if the Committee felt it would be useful.

Consideration was then given to a report by the Chairman of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee, which invited the Board to consider an update on the work programme of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee as well as the work of the Committee since its last update to the Board.

Recent work of the Committee included:

·                    Receiving the Lincolnshire Registration and Celebratory Service Annual Report

·                    Receiving assurances that the Community Hub model was operating successfully

·         Recording its unanimous support to the Adoption and Publication of the Domestic Abuse Strategy 2021-2024

·                    Recording support to the 2022-23 Revenue and Capital Budget Proposals as well as  approval of the updated Registration Service Fee Setting for the years up to 2025

·          Closely examining through live demonstration, various counterfeit items and unsafe products that have in the past been successfully removed from circulation, owed to the efforts of the Council’s dedicated Trading Standards Team

·                    Receiving a number of success stories of the team supporting local businesses to adapt to the changes in conducting business throughout the pandemic and agreed to promoting and enforcing a positive message to the public about the support offer of the team

The Board was advised of the following additions to the work programme of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee:

·         Outcomes from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services inspection of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Services which would be considered in April 2022

·         Adult Education and Community Engagement and Development, the date of which was yet to be confirmed

·         Community Trigger Strategy, the date of which was yet to be confirmed

Consideration was given to the update in which the following points were noted:

• Following a request from a member of the Board, the Chairman of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee would schedule an update report on the measures in place to combat modern day slavery within Lincolnshire.
• An update from Fire and Rescue had been provided to the Committee at the end of 2021 and a report was scheduled for April 2022.
• The Board was encouraged to hear that an agreement had been signed in partnership with City of Lincoln Council for the Usher Gallery to remain open, with more flexible arrangements including the opportunity for weddings to take place. It was noted that the artwork would be preserved and the Council was working with the Usher Gallery Trust to move forward with upgrading the gallery whilst protecting the wishes of the benefactor and the trust.
• It was suggested that there was a need for clearer signposting and more advertisement to the Usher Gallery and the Collection.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Board's satisfaction be recorded with the activity undertaken since October 2021 by:

            (a) the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee; and

            (b) the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee.

2. That the Board's satisfaction be recorded with the planned work programme of:

(a) the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee; and

(b) the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee.