Agenda item

(Chairman/Lead Officer) Attached is the draft proposed Terms of Reference and Work Programme for the select committee. These drafts will be recommended to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval.

The Select Committee received a report from the Director of Communities regarding its Terms of Reference and Draft Work Programme 2016/17.

An Overview and Scrutiny framework based on a structure of four select committees was established from the commencement of the municipal year. The Select Committee framework ensured that all services now had a reporting route for overview and scrutiny and that there was clear scope to the scrutiny activities of each committee. The framework continued to provide for relevant scrutiny activity to be undertaken by way of the establishment of task and finish panels as necessary.

Lead officers had been nominated for each select committee; their initial responsibility was to review the Terms of Reference for the select committee for which they were responsible. These should reflect the scope of the select committee and provide regular progress reporting on relevant matters made to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, whilst ensuring consistency of operation across the whole. These Terms of Reference would be considered by members at the first meeting in the municipal year and then agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

It was noted that the Work Programme should be relevant and achievable and be informed by relevant service aims and member priorities. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had indicated that a more robust approach to the development of work programmes was required for 2016/17. Therefore a co-ordinating group consisting of the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of each select committee would be meeting on 30 June 2016, together with lead officers, to consider a way forward for the identification of appropriate scrutiny activity during this coming year and future years. It was advised that it would therefore be inappropriate for the Select Committee to formally agree any work programme already in development, until this had been considered by this group.

The Director of Communities provided a draft programme for the Select Committee for 2016/17 for consideration, and asked members if there were any items which they thought should either be deleted or added to the Draft Work Programme. Councillor G Shiell suggested scrutinising the promotion and marketing currently used for encouraging tenants to downsize to consider it. This could be marketed in a better way. Members agreed to schedule this for the September 2016 meeting of the Select Committee.

Members felt that a senior Essex Police officer could be invited to attend a select committee meeting to answer questions on policing and crime. This should be woven into safeguarding and mental health issues as well. It was identified that the November meeting of the Select Committee would be appropriate for this, since the Draft Community Safety Partnership Plan would be considered at the same meeting. The Director of Communities undertook to invite the District Police Commander, Chief Inspector Denise Morrissey to attend. It was also agreed that consideration should be given at the September meeting to any questions that should be asked of Chief Inspector Morrissey.

RECOMMENDED:

That the draft Terms of Reference and Work Programme of the Communities Select Committee be recommended to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval subject to the following additions:

(1)  That the promotion and marketing arrangements used currently by the District Council for encouraging tenants to downsize to smaller properties be submitted to the September select committee meeting;

(2)  That a discussion with the District Police Commissioner on current policing issues in the District be scheduled for the November select committee meeting; and

(3)  That questions for the District Police Commander be formulated at the September select committee meeting.