Agenda and minutes
Venue: Room C1, 1st Floor, Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG
Contact: David Knight, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4878 E-mail: david.knight@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Media
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DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTEREST PDF 117 KB To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Monitoring Officer.
Additional documents: Minutes:
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UNRESTRICTED MINUTES PDF 228 KB To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 16th December 2019 Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair Moved and it was:-
RESOLVED
That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 16th December, 2019 be confirmed as a correct record the Chair be authorised to sign them accordingly.
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REQUESTS TO SUBMIT PETITIONS To receive any petitions (to be notified at the meeting).
Additional documents: Minutes: Nil items |
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FORTHCOMING DECISIONS PDF 564 KB To note and comment on the published forthcoming decisions Additional documents: Minutes: Noted |
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UNRESTRICTED REPORTS 'CALLED IN' No decisions of the Mayor in Cabinet on 18th December, 2019 in respect of unrestricted reports on the agenda were ‘called in’.
Additional documents: Minutes: Nil items |
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BUDGET AND POLICY The Board will undertake a critical friend challenge to (i) the budget setting process in line with the Council’s priorities and (ii) consider new savings, re-profiling existing and fee increases. Additional documents: |
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Budget Overview Additional documents: Minutes: Mayor John Biggs; Councillor Candida Ronald – Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector; Neville Murton – Corporate Director, Resources and Kevin Bartle Interim Divisional Director Finance Procurement and Audit gave a presentation to the Committee regarding the Budget Overview. The main points of the discussion are outlined below: The Committee:
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Health, Adults and Community proposals Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Amina Ali – (Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing) and Denise Radley – (Corporate Director, Health, Adults and Community) gave a presentation on the budget for the directorate. The main points of the discussion are outlined below: The Committee: · Noted that the Directorate had delivered £9m in savings and will deliver 75% of savings in this year; · Noted that the Council is developing Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS) such as telecare and self-care apps that have the potential to transform the way residents can engage in and control their own healthcare, empowering them to manage it in a way that is right for them; · Noted that TECS have been developed to help maximise the value of technology enabled care services for patients, carers, commissioners and the whole health economy; · Noted that TECS also provide forecasts to mitigate how to address the issues related to demographic growth; · Was informed that in terms of charging there have been two reviews to mitigate over the charging and deliver services; · Noted that there is also a need to develop web enabled systems to help the Council to deliver services; · Noted that the merging of Day centres provision for those older and disabled residents was undertaken to ensure that both groups get the care that they need; · Noted that the outcomes for these two groups are similar and the Council can no longer sustain two separate centres. Therefore, it was decided that they should be merged to deliver enablement/independent i.e. it is not just about closing a building but considering the wider picture; · Asked officers to arrange for Members of the Committee to meet with some of the users; · Noted that the reduction in homeless provision was only undertaken after (i) there had been an Equality Impact Assessment and (ii) work had been undertaken to increase the private rented sector accommodation and the provision from another public sector provider to mitigate the impact of savings; and · Noted that with regards to the increases in fees and charges the Council are required to undertake a consultation when increasing charges.
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Children and Culture proposals Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Danny Hassell, (Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People) and Richard Baldwin (Divisional Director, Children's Social Care)) gave a presentation on the budget for the directorate. The main points of the discussion are outlined below: The Committee: · Noted that the increases in holiday childcare have been bench marked and presents good value when compared to other councils; · Noted that the current underspends in the budget is £494m within in the integrated early years’ service; · Indicated that it would wish to receive a breakdown of that underspend in early years; · Commented that in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) there are proposals regarding (i) SEND Transportation; (ii) Youth Service and (iii) Free Schools meals (FSM). Therefore, the Committee wanted to know how these services will be redesigned; · Noted that regarding SEND transport the Council is moving to a different system with more providers so will have greater flexibility and offer an independent travel schemes and looking at the direct payments scheme where families get the money and procure their own service. Thereby empowering service users and their families; · Noted that inspite of the cuts in the Youth Provision, Tower Hamlets still has one of the most generously funded services in London and is looking at (i) developing specialist Hubs; (ii) detached Youth Workers to support young People in travelling around the Borough; and a mix economy of provision; and · Noted that with regards to the FSM strategy work is being undertaken so that it can better support children to have healthy weight.
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Additional documents: Minutes: Following the debate on the budget the Committee:
The Committee received and noted those questions that had been presented at Cabinet on 8th January, 2020 by the Chair in relation to the Budget attached as appendices to these minutes.
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VERBAL UPDATES FROM SCRUTINY LEADS (Time allocated – 5 minutes each) Additional documents: Minutes: Noted the Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee on 17th December, 2019 had received a presentation from Councillor Danny Hassell, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People which had been added to the agenda in response to a number of Member Enquiries relating to the closure of the Victoria Park One O’clock Club building and the scope for continued use of the building and activities provided for early years children within Victoria Park.
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ANY OTHER UNRESTRICTED BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIR CONSIDERS TO BE URGENT To consider any other unrestricted business that the Chair considers to be urgent.
Additional documents: Minutes: Nil items |
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EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC In view of the contents of the remaining items on the agenda the Committee is recommended to adopt the following motion:
“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.”
EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL SECTION (Pink Papers)
The exempt committee papers in the agenda will contain information, which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. If you do not wish to retain these papers after the meeting, please hand them to the Committee Officer present. Additional documents: Minutes: As the agenda circulated contained no exempt/confidential business and there was therefore no requirement to exclude the press and public to allow for its consideration.
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EXEMPT/ CONFIDENTIAL MINUTES Nil items Additional documents: Minutes: Nil items |
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EXEMPT/ CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS 'CALLED IN' No decisions of the Mayor in Cabinet 18th December, 2019 in respect of exempt/ confidential reports on the agenda were ‘called in’.
Additional documents: Minutes: Nil items |
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ANY OTHER EXEMPT/ CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS THAT THE CHAIR CONSIDERS URGENT To consider any other exempt/ confidential business that the Chair considers to be urgent.
Additional documents: Minutes: Nil items |