Apologies were received from Councillor Abdul Malik.

Members are reminded to consider the categories of interest in the Code of Conduct for Members to determine whether they have an interest in any agenda item and any action they should take. For further details, please see the attached note from the Monitoring Officer.

Members are reminded to declare the nature of the interest and the agenda item it relates to. Please note that ultimately it’s the Members’ responsibility to declare any interests form and to update their register of interest form as required by the Code.

If in doubt as to the nature of your interest, you are advised to seek advice prior to the meeting by contacting the Monitoring Officer or Democratic Services

Nil Items.

Councillor Marc Francis raised two issues with the minutes of 26 September 2022 1. Follow up report on the Gill Street Scheme on Item 5 2. To correct the request on performance data on Item 6.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 26^th September 2022.

RESOLVED That the unrestricted minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2022 and 24 October 2022 approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record of the proceedings.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 24^th October 2022.

RESOLVED That the unrestricted minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2022 and 24 October 2022 approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record of the proceedings.

Nil items.

Nil items.

To note the Action Log.

The committee noted the updated Action Log and the Committee.

The Committee is asked to note:

1.    The most recent editions of the Forward Plan.

2.    The Forthcoming Decisions Plan (or 'Forward Plan') will be published at least 28 days before each Cabinet meeting setting out information on all the Key Decisions that are expected to be taken at that meeting, along with other Cabinet decisions where known.

3.    Publication dates for future Forthcoming Decision Plans are available on the Cabinet web pages. In advance of being published on the new Plan, individual notices of new Key Decisions will be published as they are known and these are listed as New Issues.

The Committee noted:

1.    The most recent editions of the Forward Plan.

2.    The Forthcoming Decisions Plan (or 'Forward Plan') is published at least 28 days before each Cabinet meeting setting out information on all the Key Decisions that are expected to be taken at that meeting, along with other Cabinet decisions where known.

3.    Publication dates for future Forthcoming Decision Plans are available on the Cabinet web pages. In advance of being published on the new Plan, individual notices of new Key Decisions will be published as they are known and these are listed as New Issues.

To review resident access to services and consider how the council ensures its services are accessible for those who find it difficult to access digital provision.

The committee considered a presentation Customer Service, presented by Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding and Lead for Customer Services and Raj Chand, Director of Customer Services. A copy of the presentation can be found in the agenda pack.

The committee made the following comments and questions:

·       With the new Town Hall being used as a main residents’ hub, how has this been communicated to residents and what can members of the committee do to better promote this? Councillor Kabir Ahmed stated that while there will be a large resident’s hub within the new town hall, there will also be five more across the borough still for residents to access. The residents’ hubs will have increased services than the previous one stop shops and will be in place of the current ideas’ stores. Raj Chand recommended that members talk to residents, especially vulnerable residents about the new residents’ hubs and the services that they run.

·       How will staffing work in the new residents’ hubs? Councillor Kabir Ahmed stated that there will be investment in staff and based on the expected services at the hubs, the staffing will be moulded based on this. There will also be space for partner organisations, who will also be there to support residents.

·       Only 26 per cent of enquiries are dealt with first time, can you explain why this is low? Raj Chand agreed that it was low, but there will be improvement on this and as the pathways are more formalised, allowing for more partners to be involved, more issues can be dealt with, first time.

·       For those who are tyring to access services digitally but are finding they are now getting a positive outcome, what can the council do to improve on this? Raj Chand acknowledged some of the issues that can be found accessing services online. There are around 40,000 forms that residents can potentially access, and some of these are not as prompt in ensuring a response is generated.

·       Will the potential of Tower Hamlets Homes coming inhouse, has this been factored into customer service demand? Councillor Kabir Ahmed explained the current process of bringing this service inhouse but stated that many of the customer service systems are shared, many residents will not see the difference to how their customer service works.

·       It is important to see improvements in customer services and especially after years of cost saving exercises across the council. But this is also in a climate where many lessons this committee has previously tried to make the council learn, have been ignored.

·       It would be helpful to be able to see the abandoned phone call data, on a monthly basis. Further to this, it would be helpful to see what other matrix the council measures against. Raj Chand detailed how the council works on the feedback it gets, including quality assurance that currently happens and is planned going forward. Raj Chand agreed to provide abandoned call data and other data collection to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.1

To note the scrutiny work programme

The committee noted scrutiny work programme.

To consider and agree pre-decision scrutiny questions/comments to be presented to Cabinet.

(Time allocated – 30 minutes).

The Chair asked that members inform him of any particular questions that they wanted to be raised with the Mayor in Cabinet on the 30 November 2022.

To consider any other unrestricted business that the Chair considers to be urgent.

Nil items.

To receive updates from the Scrutiny Leads:

Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee Chairs Scrutiny Lead Update:

v  Attended Borough Commanders open day with Cllrs

v  Visited St Andrew’s Surgery – Bromley by Bow supporting Cllr Ahmodur Khan HASSC Chair

v  Visited School in Lansbury Ward with the Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning

v  Attended the Fosters Award day at Hailybery Centre in Stepney

v  Attended cultural community events in the borough including Somali community in Whitechapel and Bromley Football club

v  Met with Deputy Mayor and Corporate Director to understand portfolio issues and challenges

v  Met with scrutiny network support officer to develop scope for the scrutiny challenge session.

Environment & Community Safety Scrutiny Lead Update:

v  Attendance of Community Safety (Walkabout) visit with Police and Members to get a sense of the minor offences/crimes being committed and the issues the police dealt with.

v  Had discussion with Community Safety Lead Member on anti-social behaviour in Mercury Walk, particular laughing gas drug use.

v  Attended Overview and Scrutiny awayday in Poplar to write the forward plan.

v  Attended meeting with Scrutiny Support Officer to discuss Scrutiny Review on Women’s Safety.

Health and Adults Scrutiny Lead Update:

v  Had meeting with the Cllr Gulam Choudhury, Cabinet Lead Health, Wellbeing and Social Care to understand some of the key strategic issues faced by the council and has quarterly further planned meetings.

v  Carried out site visits to GP surgeries e.g. St Andrews Health Centre and has further visits planned as part of the preparation for December’s HASSC meeting.

v  Engaged with scrutiny network support officer to develop the scope for HASSC scrutiny review on H&SC Workforce.

The Committee received and noted the updates that had been received from Scrutiny Leads in regard to their portfolio’s. 

As the agenda circulated had no exempt/confidential reports and there was therefore no requirement to exclude the press and public to allow for its consideration.

To consider and agree pre-decision scrutiny questions/comments to be presented to Cabinet.

(Time allocated 15 minutes).

Nil items.

To consider any other exempt/ confidential business that the Chair considers to be urgent.

Nil items.

As there was no other business the Chair declared the meeting closed and reminded Members that the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, 24^th October 2022, 6.30 p.m.