Agenda item

Report of the Divisional Director Partnership Development and Performance.

The Committee received a report which set out a number of projects which the previous Overview and Scrutiny Committee had recommended for inclusion in the 2010/11 work programme.  An officer stated that the Scrutiny Team would be consulting with Members over the next month with the intention of bringing a more comprehensive work programme to the Committee on 27 July 2010.  The purpose of the current report was to allow Members to start considering the kind of projects which might be included in the work programme.

The Chairman proposed that two challenge panels be constituted in July 2010 in order to consider Harrow Council’s Single Equalities Scheme and the introduction of SmartWater across the borough.  In addition, he stated that it would be useful for the Committee to revisit the Neighbourhood Champion Scheme in the future as the original challenge panel had not agreed the final report.  In light of this he proposed that, insofar as was possible, the panel be reconstituted with the new Safer and Stronger Community Leads added to the membership.  A Member stated that he agreed with the proposal relating to Harrow Council’s Single Equality Scheme, but that he would like to ensure that representatives from the trade unions and Community and Council groups were also involved.

During further discussion on the work programme, Members made the following suggestions:

·                     any scrutiny work relating to increasing the involvement of residents in sport should also aim to consider residents’ involvement in art;

·                     future work relating to recession monitoring should aim to consider both the town centre and district centres;

·                     the Committee should consider the progress of the Better Deal for Residents Programme, including proposals to relocate the civic centre;

·                     the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Sub-Committee would need to consider recent changes to the Local Government inspection regime;

·                     in light of the recent changes in Central Government, the Committee should ensure that there was adequate flexibility in the work programme to account for unexpected issues arising as a result of new policies or strategies;

·                     the Committee would need to carefully monitor proposed efficiency savings and the impact any changes would have on key services;

·                     due to the budgetary concerns NHS Harrow was currently facing, the Committee should carefully monitor the provision of continued care services in the borough and the impact of any changes;

·                     the Committee or Lead Members should consider the lessons that had been learnt following the Planning Committee’s decision to grant planning permission for the Richards Close 'extra care' scheme. Members stated that this might have already been considered by the Planning Committee or the Governance, Audit and Risk Management Committee;

·                     the Committee should continue to monitor the performance of Kier contract.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)               the comments and suggestions of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the proposed Scrutiny Work Programme be noted;

(2)               a challenge panel to consider Harrow Council’s Single Equality Scheme be arranged to take place in July 2010, taking into account the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

(3)               a challenge panel to consider the introduction of SmartWater across Harrow be arranged to take place in July 2010;

(4)               insofar as possible, the Neighbourhood Champions Scrutiny Challenge Panel be reconstituted with the new Safer and Stronger Community Leads added to the membership;

(5)               an updated report outlining the scope, methodological approach and priority of proposed scrutiny projects be provided at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 27 July 2010.