Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs. M. Bunker, J. Baker, F. Lankester, R. Madden and D. Prodger, MBE.

No declarations of interest were received.

The minutes of the meeting of the Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee held on 9th September 2010 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee held on 9th September 2010 be approved as a correct record, subject to:

Councillor D. Prodger, MBE being shown as present during Minute No’s 10/10 to 18/10 and not Councillor G. Vickery;

that it be noted that the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services was still to progress with providing Committee Members with their individual authorities current performance measures and that he would confirm with Committee Members the process for receiving performance measures; and

that with regard to Minute Number 16/10, paragraph two be amended to read:

The Regulatory Services Project Manager informed the Committee of the risk to the original stage two timescales following the adoption of the Systems Thinking Transformation approach.  He responded to Members’ concerns and highlighted that the delays would not impact on the overall savings within the business case or the project deadline.

The Committee gave consideration to the draft protocol for referral of decisions to member authorities.  The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services informed Members that a system would ensure recommendations from the Joint Committee followed each member authority’s decision making process.  It was noted that the final minutes would be emailed, for information, to those officers who represented the member authorities on the Management Board and not the Project Board.

RESOLVED that, subject to the above mentioned amendment, the protocol for referral of decisions to member authorities be approved.

Mr. I. Edwards, Regulatory Services Project Manager provided Members with a summary of progress against plans for the period 10th September 2010 to 25th November 2010.  He informed Members that business as usual had been maintained throughout a challenging yet productive period of the project. Positive feedback had been received on the ‘Chance to Shine’ roadshows.  Members were asked to note that the Staff Survey outputs and analysis would be available early December and not November as stated in the report.  Around 14 Change Champions had been identified across the service and were in the process of being recruited.

The Regulatory Services Project Manager provided the Committee with an update on the risk reported during the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 10th September 2010, ICT & Transformation work stream timescales.  The Committee was informed that the new service delivery model originally planned for October 2010 would now be delivered in early 2011.  The Regulatory Services Project Manager referred the Committee to the Worcestershire Regulatory Services High Level Implementation Plan and in doing so, reiterated the risk with regard to ICT & Transformation.  Actions were being taken to mitigate that risk, including additional resources, but there was still a risk to the timescales.  A further report would be taken to the Project Board meeting on 8th December 2010.

Following further discussion on key communication for the service, the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services informed the Committee that he had liaised with Chief Executives and Portfolio Holders as a starting point of Member engagement.  The Committee agreed that the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services and the Regulatory Services Project Manager be tasked to engage all Members via the roadshows being taken to member authorities Licensing Committee Meetings and through Member Development Officers.

The Committee considered a report which detailed the financial position of the Regulatory Services function with a projected outturn to the end of the financial year 2010/2011.

The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resource, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council introduced the report and informed the Committee that, as part of the compilation of the report,  estimated figures had been accrued for expenses incurred by partner authorities on behalf of the service for which information and recharges had not yet been fully received.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services responded to Members’ questions regarding ‘Contractors’ (other contractors/consultants) and informed the Committee that some authorities had ‘in house’ services for dog warden/kennelling/pest control whilst other authorities contracted out these services.

Further discussion followed on procurement.  The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resource, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council responded to Members’ questions and informed the Committee that strict procurement rules would be adhered to and that Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council’s, Procurement Advisor would provide advice and support to all member authorities to ensure value for money.

RESOLVED:

(a)               that the current financial position of the service be noted;

(b)               that any savings occurring from the first year’s service provision be ring fenced and used to fund redundancy and transformation in coming years; and

(c)               that the Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resource, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council be tasked to provide a full schedule of spend to the next meeting of the Joint Committee to be held in February 2011.

The Committee considered a report on the Worcestershire Regulatory Services 2011 / 2012 service plan which set out the priorities and outcome measures for the next financial year and the basis for the following 2 years.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services informed the Committee that under the Worcestershire Shared Service Partnership Service Level Agreement, the Worcestershire Regulatory Service (WRS) was required to submit a 3 year service plan.  During the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 9th September 2010, the Joint Committee had endorsed the WRS proposed aims and objectives as detailed in the report.  The plan sought to focus on the outcomes and only measure what was important to the customer and what was required statutorily.

At the request of the Chairman, the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services informed the Committee of the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) workshop he had attended with the Chairman of the Joint Committee and their ‘Outcomes and Impacts’ Toolkit. 

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services responded to Members’ questions on individual member authorities existing service plans, local service delivery, future uniformed standards and best practice being followed. 

In response to questions from the Vice-Chairman the Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services agreed with the need to look at local issues and to incorporate them into the Service Plan.  The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services informed the Committee that changes to Licensing Polices would be discussed and agreed by member authorities’ Licensing Committees.  The Legal Services Manager, Redditch Borough Council informed the Committee that changes were not being driven by WRS but by statutory regime and legislation.  The Vice-Chairman requested that the Legal Services Manager ensured this was highlighted to all member authorities.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services confirmed that the Management Board, Stakeholders and Members would be involved in shaping the service plan.

RESOLVED that the report be noted and that the contents of the service plan as set out in Appendix A to the report be endorsed.

The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council apologised to Members for the late submission of the revised recommendations and Appendix for the Regulatory Services Budget 2011/2012 – 2013/2014 report to the Committee.

Members’ attention was drawn to the amendment on Appendix 1 to the report where the ‘Budget Total as per Legal Agreement’, Proposed Budget 2013/2014 should read £5,869 and not £6,315 as shown.

The Chairman announced that, in light of the revised recommendations and Appendix for the Regulatory Services Budget 2011/2012 – 2012/2014, which had been made available to her immediately prior to the meeting; she was prepared to adjourn the meeting for around ten minutes to allow Members to read the revised documents.

Accordingly, the meeting stood adjourned from 4.55pm to 5.05pm.

Having re-convened, the Committee then considered the revised recommendations and Appendix.  The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council informed Members of the figures for the direct operating budget for 2011/12 – 2012/14 and provided Members with an explanation on the figures shown against ‘Savings to be identified following restructure’.

The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council informed the Committee that following the approval of the formal agreement it had been identified that five posts had not been transferred. The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council and the Chief Executive, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council, responded to Members’ questions regarding the five identified posts.

Following further discussion it was:

RESOLVED:

(a)    that the direct operating budget for 2011/12 – 2013/14 be approved as follows:

2011/12   £6,314,546

2012/13   £5,868,796

2013/14   £5,868,796

(b)    that the Worcestershire Treasurers Group be requested to consider the financial implications of the post implementation staffing changes and that the Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources, Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council be tasked to report back to the next meeting of the Joint Committee the impact of these adjustments on the cost shares for each member authority for 2010/11 - 2013/14.

(c)    that it be noted that the one-off costs for change (including costs of          staff termination) as included in the 2010/11 Business Case would not form part of any future budget considerations and that these would be   paid in line with the cost sharing allocations as stated in the Legal        Agreement (Schedule 4 pt 2).

Members’ attention was drawn to the recommendations within the revised covering report which had been circulated prior to the meeting.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services introduced the report which detailed the findings of the review undertaken of the combined Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) working practices in order to move towards a flexible and mobile approach to its field operation.  The report provided a detailed business case and explained the rationale behind the move to flexible working across WRS and the benefits that such working and single site occupancy would bring.

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services responded to the concerns expressed by some Members regarding the proposed preferred location, Wyatt House, Worcester City.  He informed the Committee of the need to locate the service within the local government family and that both public sector and commercial properties had been considered whilst also taking into account key factors such as geographical location, accessibility, public access, infrastructure and future needs of the service.

The Chairman informed the Committee that staff had informed her of how well the pilot had gone and how much more work they were able to achieve with home working.

Following further discussion on the revised recommendations it was:

RESOLVED:

(a)               that the introduction of flexible and mobile working across the whole of Worcestershire Regulatory Services in line with this report, be approved:

(b)               that approval in principle be given to the consolidation of Worcestershire Regulatory Services into a single office site within the local government property estate, and that authority be delegated to the Management Board to negotiate and agree a lease for the occupation of Wyatt House subject to satisfactory completion of contractual arrangements and agreement in accordance with resolution (c); and

(c)        that the S. 151 Officers of each individual Member Authority agree the             necessary financial arrangements to ensure that the overall cost of     accommodation is reduced below that in the Detailed Business Case          for Worcestershire Regulatory Services and that no individual Member            Authority suffers significant financial detriment.

The Committee considered a report which detailed the Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) priority to protect public health and the former Worcestershire Local Area Agreement, Health and Well-being targets. 

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services introduced the report and in doing so informed Members that by working in partnership with Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT), funding had been secured to the value of £50,000 to deliver a nutrition project in food outlets across the County.

RESOLVED: that the report and the potential to secure future funding opportunities be noted.

The Committee considered a report detailing how press releases and messages to customers from Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) had been reviewed in order to ensure that messages were consistent and  where relevant County Wide messages would be directed via the named contact at Worcestershire County Council, with the Joint Committee Chairman being the spokesperson.

RESOLVED: that the update to the Press Release Protocol be noted and approved.

Members considered the date and time of the next meeting.

RESOLVED: that the Committee Services Officer be tasked to organise the next meeting of the Joint Committee to be held during February 2011.