Decisions

RESOLVED:

1.    That Forum noted the report.

2.    That Forum would continue to meet remotely, but with at least one face-to-face meeting each year – the first of which would be the October 2021 meeting.

(Paul Hanson)

RESOLVED:

That Forum noted the report.

(Vicky Wheatley)

RESOLVED:

That Forum noted the report.

(Beth Baines)

RESOLVED:

That Forum noted the report.

(Beth Baines)

RESOLVED:

That Forum noted the report.

(Beth Baines)

RESOLVED:

That Forum noted the report.

(Paul Hanson)

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee requested to receive a further update on children’s services performance to the Committee meeting on 25^th January 2022 covering the following matters:

·      Additional measures to further improve recruitment and retention of social workers

·      Achieving consistently good quality practice for all children, supported by full implementation of the practice model

·      Outcomes of the Ofsted monitoring visit due to take place in November 2021.

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

a)     Agreed the minutes of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 20^th July 2021, subject to the following amendments to Minute 8 (Development of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2021/2022):

·         The addition of a reference to concerns raised by Councillor Emma Roberts during discussion regarding under-utilisation of the Disabled Facilities Grant in Northampton in 2020/2021 and the potential impact of this on residents.

·         The addition of youth provision and youth space to the list of items identified as potential areas for inclusion in the Committee’s longer term work programme for 2021/2022.

b)     Requested to be provided with further information on the latest position regarding Disabled Facilities Grant utilisation.

c)     Recommended that minutes should attribute comments to individual councillors in future.

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

a)     Welcomed the update on development of the Anti-Poverty Strategy and the positive approach being taken by West Northamptonshire Council on this matter.

b)     Requested to be provided with further information on responses to the Poverty Truth Commission received so far.

c)     Requested to receive a further update on the Anti-Poverty Strategy at the first Committee meeting after the anticipated adoption of the Strategy in January 2022.

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

a)    Agreed to appoint Councillors Nick Sturges-Alex (chair), Rosie Herring and Sue Sharps to give further consideration to the scope for the proposed scrutiny review, to take into account the establishment by the Committee of another task-and-finish panel to scrutinise the iCAN programme. 

b)    Agreed that an invitation be sent to all non-executive councillors to make up a task-and-finish panel to carry out the proposed scrutiny review together with Councillors Sturges-Alex, Herring and Sharps.

c)    Agreed that the scope for the proposed scrutiny review be reported back to the Committee meeting on 25^th November 2021.

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that its Work Programming event be held on 21^st October 2021 at 6.00pm at One Angel Square.

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee endorsed the Work Programme 2021/2022, subject to the following changes:

·         Addition of the iCAN programme scrutiny review

·         Addition of an update on children’s services performance as an item for the Committee meeting on 25^th January 2022

·         Addition of an update on the West Northamptonshire Anti-Poverty Strategy as an item for the first Committee meeting after the anticipated adoption of the Strategy in January 2022.

·         Addition of youth provision and youth space to the list of items identified as potential areas for inclusion in the Committee’s longer term work programme for 2021/2022.

·         Removal of food poverty from the list of items identified as potential areas for inclusion in the Committee’s longer term work programme for 2021/2022 as this topic would form part of the Anti-Poverty Strategy.

RESOLVED that: the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

a)     Agreed to establish a task-and-finish panel to scrutinise the delivery of iCAN programme outcomes, linked to the gateway review points in the contract.

b)     Agreed that the task-and-finish panel should produce the scope for the scrutiny review, with input from the Executive Director Adults, Communities and Wellbeing.

c)     Agreed that the iCAN programme task-and-finish panel should consist of 7 councillors, made up of Councillors Emma Roberts (chair), Wendy Randall and Sue Sharps and others to be identified through an invitation to all non-executive councillors.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the Joint Independent Audit Committee Annual Report 2020/21.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

RESOLVED that:

a)     The Panel requests that the planned workshop session on the 2021/22 Police and Fire & Rescue budget positions be held in-person at Darby House, Wellingborough, with an option for members to join remotely, on a date to be confirmed following the current meeting.

b)     The Panel agrees to use local authority venues in Northampton as the normal location for Panel meetings.

c)     The Panel agrees that independent co-opted members of the Panel should be paid an annual allowance of £500 from 2021/22, subject to confirmation of the provision of Police & Crime Panel grant funding to the host authority.

d)     The Panel endorses the outline work programme for 2021/22.

RESOLVED that: the minutes of the Police, Fire & Crime Panel meeting held on 17^th June 2021 be agreed.