East Midlands Scrutiny Network 30 September 2016 Attendees Blaby District Council Linda McBean Centre for Public Scrutiny Su Turner Chesterfield Borough Council Anita Cunningham East Midlands Councils Kirsty Lowe Erewash Borough Council Cllr Mrs Val Custance Erewash Borough Council Cllr James Dawson Erewash Borough Council Cllr John Frudd Erewash Borough Council Cllr Terry Holbrook Erewash Borough Council Lynne Ghent Erewash Borough Council Angela Taylor Erewash Borough Council Angelika Kaufhold Erewash Borough Council Cllr Daniel Walton Gedling Borough Council Cllr Meredith Lawrence Gedling Borough Council Cllr Marje Paling Northamptonshire County Council James Edmunds Northamptonshire County Council Cllr Allen Walker Nottingham City Council Rav Kalsi Apologies Daventry District Council Cllr Dr Colin Morgan Bassetlaw District Council Vanessa Cookson Blaby District Council Cllr David Jennings Bolsover District Council Cllr Les Philimore Chesterfield Borough Council Cllr Tricia Gilby Charnwood Borough Council Michael Hopkins Corby Borough Council Cllr Judy Caine Derby City Council Clare Harrison Gedling Borough Council Helen Lee Harborough District Council George Keeping Lincolnshire County Council Nigel West South Northamptonshire Council Emma Faulkner Notes Chairs Welcome and introductions Cllr Walker, Northamptonshire County Council and Chair of the network welcome network members to Long Eaton and thanked Erewash Borough Council for hosting the network meeting. Minutes from the last meeting 1 The notes from the network meeting were agreed. Scrutiny Review - Organising and managing the Parliamentary and Local Elections in Nottingham - May 2015 Rav Kalsi provided a presentation Review of the work in managing the elections, the presentation covered; Context - one of the most complicated elections in recent years o Registration process changes o Increased turnout Scrutiny focus - focus on what would be beneficial for future elections o Change in counting procedures o Questionnaire to a range of stakeholders, around processes and information. Understanding of what went well in the election process o Increased number of postal votes o Training for staff was positive and gave confidence o No challenge to the result, accuracy over speed was the approach taken Issues o Quality of nomination forms and impact on election staff to support this o Counting complexities - ballot paper size, using a ‘grass skirt’ o Deputy Returning Officer - 3 members of staff hold this, delegated by Returning officer - Chief Executive o Timings for counts o Training, need to provide tailored training to the different roles undertaken in the election process o Used some recommendations for the Referendum in June 2016 o Instruction Manual o Dialogue with parties to share best practise A discussion followed on processes followed in other authorities. Number of small organisations and independent candidates Percentage of the electorate 56.7 turnout and 36.5 in 2011 Political agent experience provided Erewash BC example of how they conduct the counting and shared brief details Grass skirts - how many would there have been? Detail provided to give an idea of the scale of the challenge faced Involvement of Councillors - through the Scrutiny committee, useful involvement as all had experience of the election process View of a candidate provided who had been part of the election in 2015. Rav agreed to circulate any information to anyone interested. Update from Centre for Scrutiny for Public Scrutiny Su Turner, Centre for Public Scrutiny provided an update from the Centre for Public Scrutiny. The presentation covered; Structure of the Centre for Public Scrutiny Role on Children and Young People 2 Local Accountability Programme - Ed Hammond Update Local accountability programme Devolution and improvement work - supporting 5 areas and support with devolution process Devolution diagnostic - governance checklist (developing at the moment) Still potential for support, if interested to let Ed know. Action - when able to share who 5 areas are, details to be circulated Local Authority Support Package - to support scrutiny councillors and officers Risk and Resilience publication, to mitigate risk Annual survey - shorter version Help desk provided by CfPS Community and Local Government Select Committee review of Overview and Scrutiny Local Democracy work - short sharp and design experience to improve engagement with residents - Ward Walks, the way you communicate with residents (funding from the LGA) Health and Social Care - Tim Gilling Update Regional advocates - Brenda Cooke is the regional advocate in this area and works with Health Scrutiny networks Working to amplify the recognition of scrutiny by health services A discussion around Health scrutiny work and the need to develop relationships and increase the understanding of the value of scrutiny. Districts and counties examples of how they work together, Northamptonshire example of co-opting councillors from districts on to the health committee. Pre-decision scrutiny and the support that can provide, to improve the quality of the discussion, to develop the relations. Sustainability and Transformation Plans - work around, workshops held by Centre for Public Scrutiny. Requests for training options, to help Councillors to understand the NHS. Children and Young People - Su Turner Started off working with school governance - education governance Councillor roles within School improvement To understand education accountability - 2012 Back to School, role of overview and scrutiny committees How to improve locality leadership Role of individual scrutiny, how to develop better links with schools Examples provided of local involvement with schools and where Councillors are also governors. Scrutiny work in Nottingham, how scrutiny can work best with schools. The role of a thematic approach that could help across an area 3 Examples of working with Academies to develop relationships. Blaby District Council - School Academy forum that has been developed, working together on Anti- Social Behaviour. Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting - now a training programme (looked after children, supporting) Example of involvement of Corporate Parenting Board. Additional items The MJ Awards - Durham - consultation and engagement - open from October to February about the impact that you make. Annual Conference Democracy, Governance and the Truth - understanding things from the past to help the future. http://www.cfps.org.uk/democracy-governance-truth-conference/ Discussion around return on investment scrutiny quantify the recommendations and the work of Westminster Council. Scrutiny updates from around the region Nottingham City Council Children and Young people focus - capital improvement to schools, work on attainment levels with the city Retention of social work Erewash Borough Council Bin collections Task and finish for Agency staff Gedling Borough Council Obesity Review - gone into Cabinet Rolling process of bringing cabinet members to scrutiny Looking at work on Older people in the Borough Recycling LGA Effective Scrutiny work Ways to increase the profile of scrutiny Derbyshire County Council Child Sexual Exploitation Transition of vulnerable child to a vulnerable adult Chesterfield Borough Council Development of a play strategy Friends of Groups - volunteer groups, where can help develop Leisure provision Northamptonshire County Council 4 Organisational change and partnership working - move to federated bodies Partnership working - delayed discharge from hospitals. Better Care Fund. Blaby District Council Youth Antisocial behaviour PSPO Public Space Protection Orders and Dog Fouling Refurbishment of Council offices - role for scrutiny, generating income Channel Shift - the return of cost savings South Northamptonshire District Council Children Doctors in the local area and pharmacy - challenge in rural areas Future funding - venture, own Housing Company, South Northants Housing Company, owned by council. Looking at building new homes. A question followed on whether the council still has their own housing stock - no SNC doesn’t. Any other business, future work programme and dates of future meetings The next network meeting will be on 9 December at North East Derbyshire District Council. 5 .