Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Room M71, 7th Floor, Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG
Contact: Amanda Thompson, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4651, E-mail: amanda.thompson@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2010-2011 To receive nominations for the election of the Vice-Chair.
Minutes: COUNCILLOR ANNE JACKSON IN THE CHAIR
The Chair welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the new Municipal Year.
Councillor Zenith Rahman MOVED that Councillor Rachael Saunders be elected Vice-Chair and the Committee
RESOLVED
That Councillor Rachael Saunders be elected Vice-Chair of the Overview andScrutiny Committee for the Municipal Year 2011/2012.
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Stephanie Eaton and Fozal Miah.
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST PDF 53 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 Chief Executive.
Minutes: None.
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UNRESTRICTED MINUTES PDF 92 KB To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 10 May 2011.
Minutes: The Chair Moved and it was:-
RESOLVED
That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 10 May 2011 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record subject to the inclusion of apologies received from Canon Michael Ainsworth.
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REQUESTS TO SUBMIT PETITIONS To be notified at the meeting. Minutes: None.
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SECTION ONE REPORTS 'CALLED IN' There were no Section One reports ‘called in’ from the meeting of Cabinet held on 11 May 2011.
Minutes: There were no Section One reports called in from the meeting of Cabinet held on 11 May 2011.
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OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PROCEDURAL MATTERS |
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Additional documents:
Minutes: Miss Amanda Thompson, Democratic Services, introduced the report detailing the Committee’s Terms of Reference, Membership, Quorum and meeting dates for the 2011/2012 Municipal Year.
The report also set out protocols and guidance to facilitate the conduct of the Committee’s business and meet its statutory and constitutional requirements.
RESOLVED
That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Terms of Reference, Membership, Quorum and meeting dates be noted, and that the protocols and guidance be adopted.
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Minutes: Miss Amanda Thompson introduced the report and advised the Committee of the changes to Scrutiny Lead portfolios based on the Council’s Directorates, and the need to appoint Members to these.
The Committee was also requested to agree the co-option of representatives in respect of education matters and also the Tower Hamlets Local Involvement Network in accordance with statutory requirements and the Council’s Constitution.
The report further advised of the establishment of the Health Scrutiny Panel by full Council, and the need to make appointments to this Panel and appoint a Chair.
RESOLVED
1) That the Scrutiny Lead Portfolios based on the Council’s Directorates Plan be agreed and the following Scrutiny Lead Members be appointed:-
Communities, Localities and Culture – Councillor Zenith Rahman Children’s Services – Councillor Amy Whitelock Resources – Councillor Sirajul Islam Development and Renewal – Councillor Helal Uddin Chief Executives – Councillor Tim Archer Adults, Health and Wellbeing – Councillor Rachael Saunders
2) That the co-option of representatives in respect of education matters as detailed in the report be agreed, including Ms Memory Kampiyawo who had recently been nominated for appointment;
3) That the establishment of the Health Scrutiny Panel and the appointment of Members thereto as detailed below be noted;
Councillor Rachael Saunders (Chair) Councillor Abdul Asad Councillor David Edgar Councillor Denise Jones Councillor Doctor Emma Jones Councillor Lesley Pavitt 4) That the co-option of Dr Amjad Rahi and David Burbridge from the Tower Hamlets Local Involvement Network to the membership of the Health Scrutiny Panel be agreed.
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BUDGET AND POLICY FRAMEWORK ISSUES |
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Tower Hamlets Community Plan Refresh 2011 PDF 102 KB Note: Appendix 1 to the report has been circulated in conjunction with this agenda to Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and made available in the two Group rooms, Council Website and put on deposit at the Town Hall Mulberry Place. Should members of the Authority or members of the public wish to have a full copy of this appendix they should contact Mr K. Kewin Deputy Service Head Strategy and Performance, Chief Executive’s on the following number 0207 364 4075 or by email Kevin.kewin@towerhamlets.gov.uk .
(Time allocated – 30 minutes)
Minutes: Kevin Kewin, Service Manager, Strategy, Policy and Performance, introduced the report which included the final version of the Borough’s Community Plan which had been informed by assessments of needs in the Borough and through consultation with local residents, organisations and partners.
RESOLVED
That the report be noted.
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PERFORMANCE MONITORING |
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Corporate Complaints and Social Care Complaints Annual Report 2010 - 2011 PDF 275 KB (Time allocated – 20 minutes)
Minutes: Ruth Dowden, Corporate Complaints Manager, introduced the report detailing a summary of the complaints received by the Council for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 through the Corporate Complaints Procedure, Children’s Social Care and Adults Social Care Complaints Procedures and those received and determined by the Local Government Ombudsman in the same period.
The Committee noted the following key matters:
· Under the Corporate Complaints procedure there had been significant improvements in response times at each of the three stages.
· The statutory Adults Social Care Complaints procedure placed considerable focus on early resolution and community outreach, as well as putting the complainant at the heart of the process.
· Children’s Social Care Complaints continued to be dealt with under the three stage statutory process.
· The Local Government Ombudsman had in previous years commented positively in the Annual Letter to the Council about the focus on local resolution, and prompt responses. The 2010/11 Annual Letter had not yet been received and would therefore be presented with the half year update report in October 2011.
· The Complaints Service had been accredited with the Customer Service Excellence Award for the third year running.
In response to questions Ms Dowden advised that the number of complaints for the Chief Executive’s Directorate was high because these also included requests and refusals under the for Freedom of Information Act which were automatically included.
She further advised that the relevant Cabinet portfolio holder received reports quarterly and these could also be provided to Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee if required although not necessarily as part of the meeting agenda.
RESOLVED
That the report be noted.
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SCRUTINY MANAGEMENT |
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Report of the Scrutiny Working Group - Supporting new Communities PDF 88 KB (Time allocated – 10 minutes)
Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Ahmed Omer, who had been the Chair of the Supporting New Communities Working Group, introduced the report and recommendations of the review which had used the Somali Community as a case study and examined three key areas:
· Identify methods of increasing access to service provisions for new communities
· Increase the voice and representation of new communities, particular in community leadership positions
· Examine how the Partnership can continue to meet the needs of new communities considering a period of efficiency savings
The Chair moved and it was
RESOLVED
1) That the report be agreed.
2) That the Service Head for One Tower Hamlets be authorised to amend the draft report before submission to Cabinet, after consultation with the former Scrutiny Lead for One Tower Hamlets.
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Report of the Scrutiny Working Group - Empowering Small and Medium Size Enterprises PDF 88 KB (Time allocated – 15 minutes)
Additional documents:
Minutes: Councillor Rachael Saunders, who had been the Chair of the Empowering Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Working Group, introduced the report and recommendations of the review which aimed to examine what support local SMEs received and make recommendations to enable them to flourish in the Borough.
The Chair moved and it was
RESOLVED
1) That the report be agreed.
2) That the Service Head for One Tower Hamlets be authorised to amend the draft report before submission to Cabinet, after consultation with the former Scrutiny Lead for A Prosperous Community.
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PRE-DECISION SCRUTINY OF SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) CABINET PAPERS (Time allocated – 10 minutes). Minutes: There were no pre-decision scrutiny questions received.
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ANY OTHER SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIR CONSIDERS TO BE URGENT |