Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 2014

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 14 July 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager

In September, Scrutiny Committees received a report on the Investing in Stockport business case working papers brought forward at the August Executive. At its meeting on 30 September the Executive brought forward a set of Draft Business Cases for those proposals with implications for the Council’s budget in 2015/16. A number of Draft Business Cases contain only minor changes to those original business case working papers. The comments of Scrutiny Committees are detailed in the report.

The Executive agreed that there should be a further report to all scrutiny committees in the October cycle, sharing the Draft Business Cases, and providing scrutiny committees with an opportunity to provide final comments on those proposals relating to their committee’s remit.  The Draft Business Cases that were made available to the Executive Councillors therefore accompany this report. A summary of comments from the October cycle of Scrutiny Committees will be circulated prior to the meeting.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee is invited to consider whether it wishes to make any additional comments to the Executive at their meeting on 16 December.

Officer contact Craig Ainsworth: Telephone 0161 474 3204, email craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) summarising the comments of Scrutiny Committees in the September and October cycle in relation to the Investing in Stockport business case working papers.

In September, Scrutiny Committees had received a report on the Investing in Stockport business case working papers brought forward at the August Executive. At its meeting on 30 September the Executive had brought forward a set of Draft Business Cases for those proposals with implications for the Council’s budget in 2015/16.

The Executive had agreed that there should be a further report to all scrutiny committees in the October cycle, sharing the Draft Business Cases, and providing scrutiny committees with an opportunity to provide final comments on those proposals relating to their committee’s remit.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee identified the following issues:

Summary of Key cross cutting issues/themes

·         It was recognised that all the proposals were seeking to address challenging situations.

·         There was a challenge in balancing meeting needs and being able to meet demand for services.

·         Many of the proposals were based on assumptions about deliverability.

·         There remained significant potential risks with implementing the changes contained in the proposals and that some of the Draft Business Cases were at this stage light on detail.

·         The open and inclusive method of engaging was welcomed.

Digital by Design

·         These changes will place pressure on the contact centre and a possible overreliance on Channel Shift and ICT

·         Concern over channelling services through the internet when a significant proportion of users still want to access services over the telephone.

·         Many of the savings proposals were reliant on the implementation of Digital by Design and whether such timescales could be achieved.

Locality Operating Model

·         The Draft Business Case in relation to ‘Locality Operating Model’ and ‘Information, Advice and Guidance’ are at an early stage.

·         The timescales for the opening of three new locality hubs were crucial and the fact that the boundaries of the locality hubs and integrated children services did not necessarily correlate to local authority boundaries could be problematic.

·         The need for robust governance/ accountability arrangements.

·         The Locality Operating Model would depend heavily on every community being represented and there were also potentially significant staffing issues.

·         The extent of the involvement of the third sector in the Locality Operating Model would also need to be considered and the Council being over reliant on the third sector and increasingly older volunteers. - concern that the Council could withdraw, fully or partially, from delivering some services in localities and that the community would work with the Council to develop local solutions.

·         The need to consider feedback in relation to the Cheadle Pilot at an early stage

Transfer of dual facilities

·         That the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committees views be sought on the proposed transfer of dual facilities from the Council to the Bramhall, Hazel Grove, Priestnall and Werneth Schools, and negotiations with the schools.

·         The potential conflict in relation to expenditure on educational equipment and leisure facilities.

Corporate and Support Services Review

·         The impact of the new structure on the Place and People Directorates.

RESOLVED – That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to submit a report to the Executive on 16 December 2014 setting out the issues identified by the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee.