The Committee is to consider the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2020-21.

v  Agreed that benchmarking is an extremely effective tool for Members to observe, analyse and comment on performance over a given time frame. Benchmarks help Members to scrutinise the key performance drivers for the Council’s contained within the Strategic Plan and how realistic are the objectives set out in that document.  Therefore it was felt that it was important to (i) obtain such information in a timely manner; and (ii) follow up on the Executive reports and the action plans that do get created in response to Scrutiny reports to help in demonstrating the impact of the Committee.

v  Discussed the importance of the culture shift within the Council that needs to happen around scrutiny so that the Council would be ready to have discussions about those areas that are harder to investigate or to review or where problems might be arising and that the Scrutiny Process is properly valued.

The Committee received and noted the Overview and Scrutiny’s Annual Report for 2019-20.  It was noted that normally this would have been prepared and discussed earlier in the year, but the pandemic has pushed this back.  The main points of the discussion of the report maybe summarised as followed:

The Committee:

• Noted that the COVID-19 report, together with this Annual Report forms a summary of the Councils overview and scrutiny functions work in 2019/20.
• Noted that there will be a further recommendation regarding the deep dive on Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) the dashboard at that point had not had enough information and there was further financial budget information that would be required.  Therefore, it was agreed that the Committee would need to see that information prior to any amendment to the Annual Report.
• Noted that the final piece of the Committee's work would take place this week when there would be an Environment Scrutiny Challenge Session, Scrutiny Review and Challenge Session on Wednesday, 23rd September, 2020 10.00 a.m. to consider how the Council applies evidence-based and best practice to influence resident behaviour change to boost recycling rates? Therefore, whilst the intention is to work with residents to change behaviour with a focus on re-cycling it is hoped that the session help to illustrate more broadly how the Council can influence behaviour.
• Noted that all councillors were encouraged to attend the Challenge Session to get the most value from this session

The Chair Moved and it was: -

RESOLVED to:

2.1The Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

1.    Agreed the report for submission to Full Council in the new municipal year.

2.    Authorised the Divisional Director Strategy, Policy & Performance to amend the report following comments by the Committee, in consultation with the OSC Chair, before submission to Full Council.

ACTION BY: Sharon Godman, (Divisional Director, Strategy, Policy and Performance)

To consider the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee setting out their Annual Report for 2018/19 and their proposed work plan for 2019/20.

The Council considered the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The report presented a summary of diverse range of scrutiny work conducted throughout 2018-19 by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Health, Housing and Grants Scrutiny Sub Committees.

The recommendations set out in the report were put to the vote and were agreed.  Accordingly it was:

RESOLVED:

That the Council note the report

(Action by: Asmat Hussain, Corporate Director, Governance)

The Council considered the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The report presented a summary of diverse range of scrutiny work conducted throughout 2018-19 by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Health, Housing and Grants Scrutiny Sub Committees.

The recommendations set out in the report were put to the vote and were agreed.  Accordingly it was:

RESOLVED:

That the Council note the report