Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2016.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 3 February 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

To support Investing in Stockport the Executive, in August 2015, agreed to invest in the Digital by Design (DbD) programme, in order to:

·           Support services to implement the wide-ranging changes required to meet planned spending reductions over 2015-17

·           To improve customer and service user experience, and

·           To establish a platform to support further organisational change and spending reductions post-2017

DbD will develop digital services and ways of working that the vast majority of residents, and our workforce, will choose to access by preference, and which others will be assisted to use, including full assistance for the most vulnerable and elderly groups. The report updates the Committee on progress with this programme and in particular sets out (at Appendix 1) those measures that will improve services and arrangements that are within the remit of this committee, or that have already done so.  

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Steve Skelton on 474 3174 or email: steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting for consideration aspects of the Investing in Stockport programme that were within the remit of the Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The Digital by Design (DbD) programme aimed to support services to implement the wide ranging changes required to meeting planned spending reductions over 2015-2017 whilst improving customer service user experience and establishing a platform to support further organisational change and spending reductions post-2017.

·         Improvements to services and technology would be made continually with improvements being co-ordinated and communicated at a number of ‘release’ points throughout the next 18mths.

·         Councillors asked for clarification in respect to date management and governance and heard that and heard that Privacy Impact Assessments would be prepared and developed and that information governance would feature as a detailed plan for the Council’s future data architecture.

·         Councillors expressed concern that residents may find it difficult to engage with the Council – they heard that priority was being given to develop support and assistance for those less able to engage directly with digital services. The first practical application of this approach would be the current re-design of the Stockport Direct Centre at Fred Perry House. The impact would be closely monitored and updates would be provided to future meetings of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report provides for comment information relating to the Corporate Parenting Strategy 2015-2017.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Kath Carey on Tel: 474 3932 or email: kath.carey@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment the Corporate Parenting Strategy for 2015-2017.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Local Authority members and officers have a legal duty to act as good and effective Corporate Parents to children and young people within the care of the Local Authority. In addition, there was a clearly defined set of responsibilities for Councillor and Officers, developed by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) supported by the Government.

·         Out of area placements remain low compared to statistical neighbours – achieved through good preventative strategies, robust decisions on entry into care and managing risk with the aim of keeping children safe within their families.

·         Councillors noted that it was anticipated that the Stockport Family approach, with a multi-disciplinary service and improved inter-agency working would enable a 20% reduction in the LAC population by 2017.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and officers be thanked for their excellent work.

To consider a report of the Scrutiny Review Panel Lead Councillor – Councillor Colin Foster.

The report sets out the findings and recommendations of the Review Panel which considered the Council’s statutory duties, the support provided to Looked After Children (LAC) in their preparation for leaving care as they make their transition to adulthood and the services and support provided to care leavers once they have left care up to 25 years of age.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Steve Fox on Tel: 474 3206 or email: stephen.fox@stockport.gov.uk

Councillor Colin Foster (Scrutiny Review Panel Lead Councillor) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review Panel following the review into the support provided to care leavers.

RESOVLED – (1) That the final recommendations of the Review Panel be forwarded to the Council Executive for consideration.

(2) That the representatives of the Corporate Director for People and the Democratic Services Manager be thanked for the support provided to Councillors during the course of the review.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

The report sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Steve Fox on Tel: 474 3206 or email: stephen.fox@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and any forward plan items that fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.