Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Bains and Kennett.

To receive any declarations of interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

(i) The committee is invited to confirm and prioritise topics to form its work programme for the coming year.

(ii) The committee may establish sub-committees or task and finish groups*, appointing the Chairman in accordance with the Council’s criteria and with such membership as it sees fit, to undertake scrutiny on a task and finish basis.

*At the first meeting each year of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, it will establish sub-committees or task groups and confirm the terms of reference specifically to consider the following areas (based on relevant existing portfolios of Portfolio Holders at the beginning of the municipal year) as an element of the Committee’s annual work programme, and to report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on any recommendations:

·       Business and Commercial Services, including any relevant strategic

Partnerships

·       Operations and Place Shaping, including regeneration issues.

The Committee’s Work Programme was noted.

RESOLVED: That the Work Programme be approved.

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the attached reviews carried out by the Task and Finish groups in relation to reviewing the Council’s response to the first wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The Committee received five reports completed by Task & Finish groups regarding the Council’s response to the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The reviews were carried out in 2020 by the three scrutiny boards: the Governance, Audit & Finance, the Operations and Place Shaping Board and the Business & Commercial Services Board.

The Chairman introduced the two reports of the Task and Finish groups which she had chaired.  These had considered the council’s Communications within the first wave of the Covid 19 pandemic and its delivery of Community Support within the first wave.  There were no specific recommendations within the first of these reports, as they were included within the community support report. It was noted that recommendations 1,2,3,4,7,8 and 9 of the report had been implemented by the Council during the period that the Review was being undertaken. Recommendation 10 had been superseded by events, and she proposed that it was unnecessary that this recommendation be made.  It was agreed that recommendations 1 to 9 within the report be approved and submitted to Cabinet.

Councillor Briggs introduced the report from the Task & Finish Groups on Financial Implications to the Council of the first wave of the Covid 19 pandemic.  The Board had looked at all the financial transactions that had been undertaken by the Council, as set out in the report.  He asked that paragraph 6.5.3.5 in the report be highlighted to Cabinet. This paragraph suggested that, in the event of more staff continuing to work from home after the pandemic, the Council could seek to maximise potential commercial income by letting out the empty spaces in the Plaza.  He went on to say that the second report produced had considered the Council’s Service Delivery within the first pandemic wave. 

Councillor Patrick presented the report from the Task & Finish panel on staff and wellbeing during the first wave of the pandemic.  In reply to a question regarding the percentage of the workforce who had responded to the survey which had taken place as part of this Review, The Chief Finance Officer said that the 61% response rate was both representative of the staff and proportionate.   In reply to a further question, she went on to say that all staff were encouraged to talk to their team leaders regarding their home working situation, but that the current Government guidance was that if people could work from home, then they should do so.  The council would pilot a new ways of working programme after the current lockdown restrictions were due to be lifted in June.  This programme would offer a blended way of working, to include both home and office based options for staff.

RESOLVED:  That the following recommendations from the reports be approved and submitted to Cabinet:

1)        The Council should create a watertight plan of campaign to deal with any future Coronavirus wave or similar emergency, and this plan should then be signed off by the CEO and Senior Management so that they are fully aware of the plans in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To note that the next meeting of the Committee will be at 5pm on the 23^rd June.

It was noted that the date of the next meeting would be 23^rd June at 5pm.