Apologies for absence were received from Councillor D Garston (substitute Cllr J Garston), Councillor Stafford (substitute Cllr Woodley) and Mr M Rickett (co-opted member).

On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman welcomed the following to their first meeting - Emily Lusty, Church of England Diocesan representative on the Committee, John Jenkins, Youth Mayor and Edward Feddon, Deputy Youth Mayor.

The following interests were declared at the meeting:-

(a) Councillors Salter and Courtenay - interest in the referred item / called in items; attended pursuant to the dispensation agreed at Council on 19th July 2012, under S.33 of the Localism Act 2011;

(b) Councillor Salter – agenda item relating to Success Regime – non-pecuniary interest – husband is Consultant Surgeon at Southend Hospital and holds senior posts at the Hospital; son-in-law is GP; daughter is a doctor at Broomfield Hospital;

(c) Councillor Nevin – agenda item relating to Prevention Strategy – non-pecuniary – niece works for Public Health England;

(d) Councillor Nevin - agenda items relating to - Success Regime; Scrutiny update (Essex Community dental services)  - non-pecuniary – NHS employee outside area; previous employee at Southend Hospital; NHS Employee at Barts who supply dentists in Southend Community dental services currently; 2 children work at MEHT and sister works for the Department of Health;

(e) Councillor Boyd - agenda item relating to School Progress report – non-pecuniary – Governor at Westcliff High School for Girls and South East Essex Academy Trust, south east Essex Teaching School Alliance;

(f) Councillor Arscott - agenda item relating to Schools Progress report – non pecuniary – Governor at Our lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School;

(g) Councillor Arscott – agenda item relating to Capital redevelopment of Delaware, Priory & Viking – non-pecuniary – friends wife is a resident of Priory;

(h) Councillor Assenheim – agenda item relating to Capital redevelopment of Delaware, Priory & Viking – non-pecuniary – sister in sheltered housing;

(i) Councillor Jones – agenda item relating to School organisation data supplement – non-pecuniary – member of parental engagement group of SHIP;

(j) Councillor Borton - agenda item relating to MPR - non-pecuniary – daughter is a nurse at Rochford Hospital / employer is SEPT;

(k) Councillor Borton – agenda item relating to Local Account of ASC – non-pecuniary – JcP mentioned in report – employer;

(l) E Lusty- agenda items relating to – Education policy; School organisation data supplement; Schools Progress report – non-pecuniary – teacher at SHSB;

(m) E Lusty – agenda item relating to Success Regime – non-pecuniary – husband is orthopaedic Consultant Surgeon at Southend Hospital / Wellesley Hospital.

There were no questions from members of the public.

Resolved:-

That the Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 12^th July, 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and signed.

[All Members of the Council are most welcome to attend for this part of the meeting – if you will have any specific questions to ask at the meeting, it would be helpful if you could send them to the committeesection@southend.gov.uk before the meeting].

Further to Minute 121 from the meeting held on 12^th July, 2016, the Chairman welcomed the following health representatives to the meeting for this item:-

·           Melanie Craig, Chief Officer, NHS Southend CCG,

·           Wendy Smith, Communications Lead for the Mid and South Essex Success Regime,

·           Dr  Neil Rothnie, Medical Director, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and

·           Robert Shaw, Director of Acute Commissioning and Contracting, NHS Southend CCG.

The representatives provided an update on the Mid & South Success Regime and STP programme, the developing proposals, progress on the locality approach, outlined the feedback form the workshops and other engagement and current timescales. The pre consultation business case will be shared with the Committee at its next meeting and there will be service redesign which will be subject to public consultation in early 2017.

This was followed by Q&A from the members of the Committee, covering a number of issues:-

• Rationale for changes
• Emergency care design which is clinically led
• 4 localities and funding submission
• Clarity on potential hospital options
• Staffing, recruitment & retention
• This is an NHS programme – will not address the pressures on adult social care, prevention budgets

Resolved:-

That the representatives be thanked for the informative presentation.

Note:- This is a Scrutiny Function.

Members are reminded to bring with them the most recent MPR for period end August 2016 which will be circulated on 5^th October 2016.

Comments / questions should be made at the appropriate Scrutiny Committee relevant to the subject matter.

The Committee considered the Monthly Performance Report (MPR) covering the period to the end of August 2016.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor:- As appropriate to the item

Minute 265 (Cabinet Book 1, item 9 refers)

Referred direct by Cabinet to all 3 Scrutiny Committees

Called-in by: Councillors H McDonald and I Gilbert

The Committee considered Minute 265 of Cabinet held on 20^th September 2016, which had been referred to all 3 Scrutiny Committees and had also been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate Services. This presented the annual report on compliments and complaints received throughout the Council for 2015/16.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:-

“That the Council’s performance in respect of compliments, comments and complaints for 2015-16 be noted.”

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillors – Lamb, Salter and Courtenay

Minute 266 (Cabinet Book 1, Item 10 refers)

Called in by Councillors Gilbert and McDonald

The Committee considered Minute 266 of Cabinet held on 20^th September, 2016, which had been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Corporate Director for People which presented the Early Help Family Support Strategic Plan 2016 and accompanying action plan.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:-

“That the Strategic Plan and action plan as set out at Appendices 1 and 2 to the submitted report, be approved.”

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor – Courtenay

Minute 269 (Cabinet Book 1, Item 12 refers)

Called in by Councillors Gilbert and McDonald

The Committee considered Minute 269 of Cabinet held on 20^th September, 2016, which had been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Corporate Director for People which set out the current position on the Regional Adoption Agency activity.

In response to a question from Councillor Jones about the financial implications of the proposals, the Council’s Head of Children’s Services said that he would provide some information on the exact figures. This is a rapidly changing landscape and Members will be kept updated.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:-

“That the report be noted and approved.”

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor – Courtenay

Minute 271 (Cabinet Book 2, Item 15 refers)

Called-in by Councillors Assenheim and Woodley

The Committee considered Minute 271 of Cabinet held on 20^th September, 2016, which had been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Corporate Director for People which proposed the adoption of the education policy document “Our ambitions for your child’s education in Southend”.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:-

“That the draft policy be approved and that the Corporate Director of People, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, be authorised to finalise the policy.”

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor – Courtenay

Minute 272 (Cabinet Book 2, Item 16 refers)

Called in by Councillors Gilbert and McDonald

The Committee considered Minute 272 of Cabinet held on 20^th September, 2016, which had been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Corporate Director for People, concerning a 4 month extension to the contract the Council holds with Change, Grow, Live (CGL) for the delivery of treatment and support for adults with drug and alcohol problems.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:-

“That the extension to the CGL contract be noted.”

Note: - This is an Executive Function

Executive Councillor – Salter

Minute 280 (Cabinet Book 2, Item 24 refers)

Called in by Councillors Gilbert and McDonald

The Committee considered Minute 280 of Cabinet held on 20^th September, 2016, which had been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Director of Public Health. This presented the draft Southend-on-Sea Joint Adult Prevention Strategy 2016 -2021.

Resolved:-

That the following decisions of Cabinet be noted:-

“That the draft Southend-on-Sea Joint Adult Prevention Strategy 2016-2021 and associated action plan, be approved.”

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor – Salter

Minute 285 (Cabinet Confidential Item)

Called-in by Councillors Assenheim, Woodley and Moyies

NOTE: This item was listed as a Part II Cabinet report but will be taken in open business.

[The Committee noted that this item had been listed as a Part 2 Cabinet report but was taken in open business].

The Committee considered Minute 285 of Cabinet held on 20^th September, 2016, which had been called in to scrutiny, together with a report of the Corporate Director for People on the above.

Resolved:-

That Minute 285 be referred back to Cabinet for reconsideration, for the following reason – need for Cabinet to proceed with the original plan, as previously agreed by the Council.

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor:- Salter

[Note – During consideration of this agenda item, in accordance with Standing Order 44, the hour of 10 pm having been reached, the Committee agreed to continue with the remaining items of business on the agenda].

Report of Corporate Director for People

(This is a pre-Cabinet scrutiny item).

The Committee considered a report by the Corporate Director for People by way of pre-Cabinet scrutiny. This presented the draft of the Local Account of Adult Social Care services in 2015/16, including priorities and plans for 2016/17.

This is the 6^th annual report of this sort to be produced by the Council. The Local Account aims to provide information about the quality and value of the social care services to the users of services and local people. It is the Council’s self assessment of how it provided services during 2015/16 together with plans for the future which contribute to the overall health and wellbeing of the local community.

In response to questions, the Head of Adult Services and Housing agreed to progress / provide information on the following matters:

·            SHIP – needs further development as a tool (be ‘smarter’ tool), to reflect adult services ‘offer’

·            The Establishment Visiting Panel needs to be reconvened as a matter of urgency

·            Meals on wheels service page on SHIP needs some additional wording to help direct people

The Committee discussed the report in detail and there was general consensus and support for this local account and about the content of the report.

Resolved:-

That the draft report be noted and endorsed for submission to Cabinet for consideration at its meeting on 8^th November 2016 with the inclusion of the following:

·           Mention SHIP in useful contacts section

·           Page 31 – amend wording of section 8, Southend Care Ltd

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor:- Salter

Report of Corporate Director for People (attached)

A copy of the appendix is attached for Committee members only.

The Committee considered the School Organisation Data Supplement 2016.  The Data Supplement is prepared annually to inform Members, schools and the public of trends in: demographics; admissions; and the number of school places in Southend.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor:- Courtenay

Report of Corporate Director for Corporate Services

The Committee received a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate Services which updated members on a significant number of health scrutiny matters, Joint Committee work, regional scrutiny and the in depth scrutiny project.

The Council’s Corporate Director for People referred to the Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services and the recommendation for a Scrutiny Panel to be established to help provide additional challenge to the implementation of the action plan, to be made up of Members of scrutiny and key members of the Improvement Board – the following Members were nominated – Councillors Moyies, Nevin, Arscott, Borton and Boyd. Meetings will be bi-monthly.

Resolved:-

1. That the report and actions taken be noted.

2. To endorse the appointment of Councillors Boyd and Endersby to the Essex Task & Finish Group looking into mental health services for children and young people.

3. To endorse the terms of reference for the Joint Committee looking at proposals for a PETCT scanner for south Essex.

4. That the project plan for the joint in-depth scrutiny project – ‘‘Alternative provision – off site education provision for children and young people’, be agreed.

5. To agree that the following be appointed to the Children’s Services Improvement Plan Scrutiny Panel - Councillors Moyies, Nevin, Arscott, Borton and Boyd.

Note:- This is a Scrutiny Function.

Resolved:-

That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below, on the grounds that they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of Corporate Director for People

The Committee considered a report by the Corporate Director for People which informed Members of the current position with regard to schools causing concern, including Academy developments.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Executive Councillor:- Courtenay