Present at the meeting:
- Councillor J Moodie (Chairman)
- Councillor N R Whittingham (Vice Chairman)
- Councillor N D Ash
- Councillor N A Bradbury
- Councillor Ms P L Holland
- Councillor B J Fagan
- Councillor J D O’Brien
- Councillor P A Tushingham
- Councillor Mrs J Prescott
- Councillor C Rigby
Officers in attendance
- Gary Finch – Principal Officer – Scrutiny
- Kay Cullen – Trainee Committee Services Officer
Officers presenting reports
- David Smith – Executive Director Business Support Services
- Kevin Lawson – Service Director Borough Solicitor
- Steve Peddie – Service Director – Customer Transformation
- Lesley O’Halloran – Customer Services and Compliance Manager
- Alison McKenzie-Folan – Head of People’s Services
94 Apologies for absence: Councillors P Thompson, Mrs M J Whiteside, R Winkworth and G Wilkes and Mr D Barber, Rev R Buckley, Rev D R Moore and Mrs K A Stokes (Co-opted Members).
95 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 8 February 2010 were approved as a correct record.
The Service Director – Borough Solicitor, Kevin Lawson advised Members that the Members’ Seminars for ‘Building Schools for the Future’ and ‘City Region Governance’ were scheduled to take place in the new municipal year and ‘Building Schools for the Future’ documents would be circulated to Members in due course.
96 Exclusion of the public - section 100a Local Government Act 1972: Resolved: The public is excluded from the meeting when the Committee discusses the following item for the reason set out below:-
| Agenda Item No. |
Title of report |
Minute No. |
Description of exempt information by reference to the paragraph number in schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 |
| E1 |
Human Resources performance report |
111 |
2 (Information that is likely to reveal the identity of an individual) |
97 Whipping declarations: The Service Director – Borough Solicitor, Kevin Lawson reminded the Committee that government guidance expected Members of Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee not to act in accordance with party whipping and that, if they did, they were to declare it.
There were no declarations made.
98 Questions (if any) on the business of the Cabinet: There were none.
99 Questions (if any) on the business of the forward plan – monthly update: There were none.
(Councillor C Rigby declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item as he is the Chair of Governors for Higher Fold Primary School.)
100 Tendering Select Committee – six monthly update: The Committee received a report of the Corporate Procurement Manager, Jonathan Cliff, presented by the Chairman, which informed Members of the progress that had been made with regard to the implementation of the Overview and Scrutiny Tendering Select Committee recommendations.
Members asked a number of questions and commented on the various aspects of the report.
Resolved: The Committee welcomes the progress on the recommendations as detailed in the report.
101 Township Newsletter: The Service Director – Customer Transformation, Steve Peddie, presented a report, which informed Members that the Township Newsletters for each of the Borough’s 10 Townships were to be produced three to four times per year. The report set out the principles that governed the content of the Township Newsletters which would meet the national codes of practice and on local authority publicity and the Council’s own publicity.
Members suggested that Councillors should have some involvement in producing the Township Newsletters and that details of the Community Groups should be listed on the Newsletter. The Service Director - Customer Transformation agreed to look into the suggestion, but stated that there was very limited space on the newsletters.
Resolved: The Committee
- endorses the adoption of the Guidelines and Protocols outlined in the report; and
- thanks the Service Director – Customer Transformation for the report.
102 Customer Transformation Programme: The Customer and Compliance Manager, Lesley O’Halloran, presented a report, which informed Members of the progress in implementing the Council’s Customer Transformation strategy.
Members were informed of the progress and achievements that had been made in the Customer Transformation Programme within the timescales of phase one of the project plan. There had been a focus on the contact centre approach, changes in the practice and behaviour for systems and staff and face to face contact. Work was also underway to deliver an enhanced on line service provision.
Members were also informed that although it was not in the original scope, the contact centre would start to take calls for the Elections Office from 12 April 2010 to assist with the forthcoming elections.
Reference was made around the Members Enquiry System and who would be testing the new system out. The Service Director – Customer Transformation advised Members that the Councillor Services Group had received a demonstration of the new Members Enquiry System at its meeting held on 31 March 2010.
The Chairman reported that the Councillors Services Group had welcomed the new Members Enquiry System.
Resolved: The Committee:
- notes the progress made in implementing the strategy;
- requests the Customer and Compliance Manager to submit quarterly progress reports on the Customer Transformation Programme;
- requests that the Members Enquiry System, be considered as a separate item at its next meeting to be held on 21 June 2010; and
- thanks the Customer and Compliance Manager for the report.
103 Business Support Services 2009/10 performance plan quarter 3 monitoring update: The Executive Director of Business Support Services, David Smith presented a report, which informed Members of the progress that had been made against the Business Support Services Performance Plan 2009/12.
The Plan detailed specific work streams and projects that would enable the Department to deliver against the following two objectives:-
- priority services; and
- organisational effectiveness.
Resolved: The Committee:-
- notes the report; and
- thanks the Executive Director Business Support Services for the report.
104 Chief Executive’s performance plan 2009/10 quarter 3 monitoring report: The Service Director – Customer Transformation presented a report, which informed Members of the progress that had been made against the Chief Executive Services Performance Plan 2009/12.
The Plan detailed specific work streams and projects that would enable the Department to deliver against the following two objectives:-
- priority services; and
- organisational effectiveness.
Resolved: The Committee:-
- notes the report; and
- thanks the Service Director – Customer Transformation for the report.
105 Review of the Constitution: The Service Director – Borough Solicitor, Kevin Lawson, invited Members to review the Council’s Constitution. He reported to Members, all the suggested changes to the Constitution.
The Committee were advised that this report would also be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 15 April 2010 and at Council at its meeting on 28 April 2010.
Members suggested that the wording of the Rule of Procedure 14.3 ‘Show of hands’ be amended to list the ‘use of the electronic voting system’ first, before the show of hands.
Resolved: The Committee:
- supports the proposed amendments to the Council’s Constitution as detailed in the report now submitted; and
- thanks the Service Director – Borough Solicitor for the report.
106 Community Governance Review: The Service Director – Borough Solicitor, sought Members’ views on the draft Terms of Reference for the proposed Community Governance Review, which would need to be carried out following the receipt of several petitions seeking the formation of town councils.
This report would also be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 15 April 2010 and at Council at its meeting on 28 April 2010.
Members were informed that there would be a two stage consultation process and that the proposed ways of consulting with the public would be:
- the Council’s website;
- a detailed section within the next edition of the Borough Life magazine;
- press notices/ press leaflets; and
- factual leaflets.
Members raised concern around the methods of the consultation process and suggested that a separate leaflet be devised to be delivered to all households in the borough.
Resolved: The Committee:
- suggests that the Service Director – Borough Solicitor look at the possibility of devising a separate leaflet to be delivered to all households;
- suggests that the arguments are put out in an objective way; and
- thanks the Service Director – Borough Solicitor for the report.
107 Minutes of the Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Committee: The minutes of the meeting of the Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Committee held on 11 March 2010, were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted.
108 Minutes of the Building Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee: The minutes of the meeting of the Building Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee held on 15 March 2010, were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted.
109 Minutes of the Adult, Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee: The minutes of the meetings of the Adult, Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee held on 2 March 2010 and 16 March 2010, were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted.
110 Minutes of the Economy, Environment, Culture and Housing Scrutiny Committee: The minutes of the meeting of the Economy, Environment, Culture and Housing Scrutiny Committee held on 17 March 2010, were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted.
111 Human Resources performance report: The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Business Support Services, presented by the Head of People Services, Alison McKenzie-Folan, which informed Members of the following Human Resource information:
- headcount;
- diversity;
- age;
- sickness;
- retirement, redundancy and resignation;
- turnover;
- overtime;
- recruitment;
- suspensions, disciplines and grievance; and
- learning and development.
Members were informed that in future the Committee would receive quarterly reports on the Human Resource information.
The Head of Peoples Services advised Members that the ‘Head Count’ figures in the report were incorrect and that she would send out the correct figures to Members.
Members suggested that it would be helpful to have other figures added to the report to compare against to help put the data into perspective.
Members asked a number of questions and commented on the various aspects of the report
Resolved: The Committee:
- notes the report;
- agrees to receive quarterly reports on the HR Information; and
- thanks the Head of Peoples Services for the report.
(Councillor Mrs J Prescott declared a prejudicial interest in this item as her daughter is employed by the Human Resources Section, Wigan Council and left the meeting during consideration thereon.)
112 Vote of thanks: Resolved: The best thanks of this Committee are extended to the Chairman, Vice Chairman and the Officers for the excellent services rendered by them during the past Municipal Year.
