Issue - meetings

The Committee considered a report that outlined the way in which the Worcestershire Regulatory Services activities linked to National and Local Priorities taken from the relevant Sustainable Community Strategies.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) introduced the report and in doing so informed the Committee that under the Worcestershire Shared Services Partnership, Service Level Agreement; WRS would normally produce a three year service plan, for adoption by all partner authorities.  Since the operating environment was undergoing rapid change and the financial situation beyond 2014 was so uncertain, the Management Board had agreed for a one year service plan to be produced.

Mr. M. Kay, Business Manager, WRS, informed the Committee that the WRS Service Plan 2013/2014 provided a clear picture of the challenges ahead and included an Executive Summary.  The streamlined suite of outcomes and measures, as detailed in the service plan, were a departure from the usual Local Government performance indicators, this new approach reflected what was important to the customer and had been developed through the Management Board and Joint Committee.

The Head of WRS responded to Councillor K. Jennings in respect of item 6, Finance, as detailed in the service plan, and agreed to provide further details to the next meeting of the Joint Committee, with regard to the potential of a one year pilot of modified service standards for Worcester City Council.  

The Head of WRS informed the Committee that the Business Continuity, as detailed in the report, would be presented to the Joint Committee during early 2013.

Further discussion followed with regard to Audit Arrangements, joint scrutiny arrangements, as detailed on page 32 of the report.  Wychavon District Council’s, Scrutiny Committee had proposed a joint scrutiny of Worcestershire Regulatory Services.  All of the shared service partner authorities with the exception of Worcestershire County Council had agreed to participate in the proposed joint scrutiny.  The Head of WRS was tasked to provide the following information to the next meeting of the Joint Committee in respect of the proposed joint scrutiny of WRS:-

·        The agreed Terms of Reference for any proposed joint scrutiny arrangement of Worcestershire Regulatory Services; and  

·        The Joint Committee’s involvement in any proposed joint scrutiny arrangement of Worcestershire Regulatory Services.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services be tasked to       provide further details to the next meeting of the Joint Committee, with             regard to the potential of a one year pilot of modified service standards     for Worcester City Council; and

(b)               that the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services be tasked to provide the information, as detailed in the preamble above, in respect of the proposed joint scrutiny arrangements of Worcestershire Regulatory Services, to the next meeting of the Joint Committee; and

(c)               that the Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Service Plan, 2013/2014 be approved.