Agenda for Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, 13 October 2020, 6.00pm

Agenda and decisions

Venue: Virtual (via Zoom)

Contact: Ian Gourlay (01438) 242703  Email: committees@stevenage.gov.uk

Note: You can view this meeting via the live stream from the Council’s YouTube channel by following this link - https://www.youtube.com/user/SBCComms 

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Decision:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sandra Barr, Michael Downing and Simon Speller.

 

There were no declarations of interest.

2.

MINUTES - 23 SEPTEMBER 2020 pdf icon PDF 74 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 23 September 2020.

Decision:

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 September 2020 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

3.

PART I DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE pdf icon PDF 96 KB

To consider the following Part I Decisions of the Executive taken on 6 October 2020.

 

Executive                                                                                        Page No.

Agenda Item

 

2        Minutes of the Executive – 16 September 2020                                3

3        Covid-19 Update (verbal item)                                                      N/A

4        Workforce Strategy 2020 – 2023                                                    15

5        Corporate Performance – Quarter 1 2020/21                                   43

6        Hertfordshire Home Improvement Agency (HHIA) – 24 Month         93

          Review

7        Council Tax Support Scheme 2021/22                                          105

 

Notice of Decisions to follow

 

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE

MEETING HELD ON 6 OCTOBER 2020

Decision:

The Committee considered the decisions on the following matters arising from the Executive meeting held on 6 October 2020.

 

Minutes of the Executive – 16 September 2020

 

Noted.

 

Covid-19 Update

 

In response to a series of Members’ questions, officers advised:

 

·            The intention to publish material recording the contribution of black people to the life and growth of Stevenage was to mark Black History Month.  The Council would be inviting Councillor Michelle Gardner, amongst others, to inform and contribute to what would become a legacy document for the town; and

·            Black History Month was designed to recognise and celebrate the various contributions of black people, rather than the wider BAME community.  The Strategic Director (RP) was asked to provide Members with further information.

 

Workforce Strategy 2020 – 2023

 

In reply to a Member’s question regarding the meaning of the terms in the graphs set out in the Workforce Profile section of the Strategy, the Senior Human Resources Manager confirmed that “Customer” referred to those staff employed in the business units such as Communities & Neighbourhoods and Housing & Investment; “Place” to those staff employed in the business units such as Stevenage Direct Services and Planning & Regulation; and “Transformation and Support” to those staff employed in the business units such as Corporate Services, Finance & Estates and Digital & Transformation.  The Senior Human Resources Manager explained that these terms had arisen from the 2016 Senior Management Review.  She undertook to incorporate a key in the Strategy document to define these terms, and to supply Committee Members with a full written answer on this matter.

 

Corporate Performance – Quarter 1 2020/21

 

In reply to a number of Members’ questions and queries, officers commented:

 

·            The Strategic Director (TP) would request the Assistant Director (Housing Development) to respond to Longmeadow Ward Councillors with details of the draft newsletter regarding the Malvern Close element of the Kenilworth Close Development, if possible prior to it being sent to local residents;

·            The performance statistics for the time taken by the Customer Service Centre (CSC) had not been available for Quarter 1 due to the significant change of IT system for the CSC just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the subsequent re-direction of CSC focus towards the provision of services during the pandemic.  The statistics would be monitored for future Quarters; and

·            The presentation of the performance statistics relating to website satisfaction would be reviewed, as the figures bore no relation to a defined scale (such as a numerical figure or a percentage figure).  The Strategic Director (TP) stated that the figures related to the GovMetric system which measured satisfaction of the website.  He undertook to arrange for Committee Members to be provided with details of the performance system used by the Council, including its cost to the Council.

 

Hertfordshire Home Improvement Agency (HHIA) – 24 Month Review

 

Noted.

 

Council Tax Support Scheme 2020/21

 

Noted.

4.

URGENT PART I DECISIONS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIR OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

To consider any urgent Part I Decisions authorised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Decision:

None.

5.

URGENT PART I BUSINESS

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Decision:

None.

6.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

To consider the following motions:

1.       That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

2.       That Members consider the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

 

 

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:

1.       That, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 to 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by SI 2006 No. 88.

2.       That having considered the reasons for the following item being in Part II, it be determined that maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

7.

PART II MINUTES - OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - 23 SEPTEMBER 2020

To approve as a correct record the Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 23 September 2020.

Decision:

It was RESOLVED that the Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 September 2020 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

8.

PART II DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE

To consider the following Part II Decisions of the Executive taken on 6 October 2020.

 

Executive                                                                                        Page No.

Agenda Item

 

10.      Part II Minutes – Executive – 16 September 2020                         121

 

Notice of Decisions to follow

 

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE

MEETING HELD ON 6 OCTOBER 2020

Decision:

Part II Minutes – Executive – 16 September 2020

 

Noted.

9.

URGENT PART II DECISIONS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIR OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

To consider any urgent Part II Decisions authorised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Decision:

None.

10.

URGENT PART II BUSINESS

To consider any Part II business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Decision:

None.