SCRUTINY NETWORK

Friday 14 December

Notes

0BAttendees Council Gillian Blenkinsop Council Cllr Tony Greenwood MBE Cherwell and South Northants Emma Faulkner Chesterfield Borough Council Anita Cunningham East Councils Kirsty Lowe CC Cllr Allen Walker, James Edmunds BC Cllr John Boyce, Cllr Jeffrey Kaufman, Ian Dobson Ruscliffe BC Dan Swaine South DC Cllr Amy Plenderleith, Paul Spencer

Apologies Broxtowe Borough Council Cllr Brian Wombwell, Cllr Janet Patrick, Jeremy Ward Charnwood Borough Council Michael Hopkins Derbyshire County Council Cllr Judith Twigg, Jackie Wardle, Ratna Taylor BC Rebecca Owen County Council David Hair Lincoln City Council Charlie Powell DC Ged Greaves DC Sarah Attrill City Council Angelika Kaufhold

Chairs Welcome and Introductions Cllr Walker, Northamptonshire County Council, Chairman Scrutiny Network welcomed network members.

Welcome1B and introductions from Oadby and Wigston Borough Council Cllr John Boyce, Leader of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council welcomed network members and shared some supportive words about the role of scrutiny.

Minutes from the last meeting The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

Police and Crime Panels Cllr Walker explained to the network members that the agenda item of Police and Crime Panels was an opportunity for Councils to share details of local arrangements for Police and Crime Panels.

James Edmunds provided a detailed overview of the arrangements for the Northamptonshire Police and Crime Panel. He informed network members that Northamptonshire County Council is the host authority for the Panel. He provided details of the recruitment process undertaken for the independent members of the panel.

1 James provided details of the Panel meeting that had taken place on 13 December, where the Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner had spoken on his policies and priorities.

A discussion followed on the tight timescales for the budget process.

Cllr Greenwood provided brief details of the Panel arrangements in . He informed the network that Leicestershire County Council is the host authority for the Leicestershire Panel.

Gillian Blenkinsop provided brief details of the Panel and the representation on the panel. Gill asked network members about arrangements for training by authorities for the representatives on the panels. A discussion followed on the types of training the panel members had undertaken.

A discussion took place regarding representatives on the Panels and where they are Executive members. A discussion followed regarding substitute members and arrangements regarding substitutes and the need to ensure that substitute members also receive appropriate training.

Cllr Greenwood provided details of scrutiny training he had undertaken at Birmingham University.

Gillian provided details of a scrutiny review undertaken in Bassetlaw on policing in Bassetlaw.

A discussion followed on how changes to panel members would take place. The network members discussed how election results could change panel members over time.

A discussion took place regarding the links with Scrutiny and Community Safety partnerships.

A discussion followed on the number of panel meetings that had been agreed to take place.

Cllr Walker thanked network members for the discussion and sharing of information. He hoped members found the discussion useful and valued the genuine, frank and non-political debate.

Bassetlaw District Council – Future of Services at Bassetlaw Hospital Cllr Walker thanked Gillian Blenkinsop from Bassetlaw District Council for agreeing to present at the network meeting.

Gillian informed the network members that the scrutiny review of the ‘Future Services at Bassetlaw Hospital’ had won a CfPS Good Scrutiny Award for the Transforming Services/Responding to Change category.

Gillian provided a presentation on the review, which included; • What Bassetlaw did as part of the review • The challenges, background and context to the review • What the review achieved • What the transferable lessons were from the review • What happens next

2 Cllr Walker thanked Gillian for her very informative presentation and congratulated her on the award and recognition that Bassetlaw had won. A discussion followed on district councils undertaking health scrutiny.

Update from Vice Chair on National Scrutiny Network Anita Cunningham, Chesterfield Borough Council provided an update from the last National Scrutiny network meeting.

Anita provided details of a presentation made by the Director of Public Health England and informed colleagues that the network had agreed to engage more regularly with Public Health England. Anita agreed to share the presentation with network members.

Action: Kirsty to circulate a copy of the presentation to network members

Anita informed network members that the LGA had also presented at the network meeting on the Local Government Funding outlook. Anita agreed to share the presentation with network members.

Action: Kirsty to circulate a copy of the presentation to network members

Anita informed network members that the CfPS had agreed to facilitate scrutiny feedback into the Universal Credit changes. She informed the network members that the CfPS are also looking at how scrutiny can work with the Care Quality Commission.

Anita informed network members that the next annual CfPS conference would focus on Public Service Reform package. She also informed network members that the CfPS will be surveying the health of regional scrutiny network. A discussion followed on whether Anita felt the engagement in the East Midlands network was comparable with other areas. Anita informed network members that she sensed that the network in the East Midlands was particularly strong, helped by the support from East Midlands Councils, as well as the Chair and Vice Chair.

Anita informed network members that the CfPS and the LGA are looking at establishing a system for peer review to take place in scrutiny and would share details once these are available.

James Edmunds asked Anita whether the Department of Health had mentioned when they are likely to respond to the consultant responses on the possible changes to health. Anita agreed to talk to Ed Hammond to identify when this information may be published.

Action: Anita to ask Ed Hammond for further details

A discussion followed on the results from the CfPS’ annual scrutiny survey and the trend toward the politisation of the scrutiny process. It was agreed that effort should be made to identify the situation in the East Midlands.

Action: Kirsty to speak to Ed Hammond to identify whether the information for the East Midlands could be extracted

Scrutiny update from around the region Cllr Walker thanked those network members who had submitted in advance details of their current work programmes.

Cllr Walker invited network members to share details of their current work programmes;

3 Oadby and Wigston Borough Council • Review into access to Dementia services

Bassetlaw District Council • Policing in Bassetlaw • EMAS review • Electoral engagement, individual registration and hard to reach groups

Blaby District Council • Welfare Reform, members working with benefit operatives • Planning and Finance, scrutiny bringing together as part of their review

Rushcliffe Borough Council • Call in, recent change in procedure • Parish Councils • Universal Credit pilot, not sure how this will be scrutinised

Northamptonshire County Council • Choices available to young people for Education, Employment and training • LGSS shared service • EMAS • Future of Acute Hospital services • Potential new building headquarters • Budget scrutiny process

Chesterfield Borough Council • Petition on dogs on leads • Health inequalities, JSNA • Financial inclusion • Anti Social behaviour • Council tax reform • Leisure options

A discussion took place regarding budget scrutiny process.

Any Other Business, Future work programme and dates of future meetings

2013 dates Friday 15 March 2013 – District Council Friday 21 June 2013 – East Midlands Councils, Melton Mowbray Friday 20 September 2013 - tbc Friday 6 December 2013 - tbc

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