Agenda item

(a)       To receive and note the minutes

(b)       To consider any recommendations contained within the minutes

Cabinet is asked to note that there is a recommendation in these minutes for Members’ consideration.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, Councillor C. Hotham, presented the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 18^th October 2021.

Cabinet was informed that Board had agreed to amend the minutes of the previous meeting, as requested by Councillor R. Hunter, to reflect slightly different wording in a recommendation on the subject of the Bromsgrove Town Centre Management Strategy.  This amendment had reflected a proposal for relevant Officers to visit the town centres at the earliest opportunity with the ward Councillors and other interested parties.  The recommendation had already been considered and approved by Cabinet under its previous wording.

The Board had received a presentation on the subject of the staff survey.  Discussions had been held about the potential for feedback from staff employed by Bromsgrove District Council to be separated from feedback provided by staff employed by Redditch Borough Council.  However, the Board had concluded that, due to the integrated shared services arrangements between the two authorities, this would not be feasible.  Members had identified that there was limited information available about the costs of the staff survey and, although reassured by the Director of Resources that the staff survey was affordable, had concluded that the Cabinet should receive further information about the costs. 

Concerns had been raised at the Board meeting regarding the additional and amended questions that the Corporate Management Team (CMT) could request, as it was suggested that this could skew the results, but Members had been reassured to learn that the circulation of any additional and amended questions would be co-ordinated by an independent organisation.  Officers also clarified that additional questions would only be asked where it was considered that extra information on a particular subject would be appropriate.

Discussions had also been held amongst scrutiny Members regarding the budget preparation process.  Local Government Finance training had subsequently been provided to Members, which had been well attended.

The Cabinet response to the Libraries Task Group’s final report and recommendations had been considered by the Board.  The Board had been keen for some action to be taken in respect of the Libraries Task Group’s findings so it had been agreed that the Task Group should be reconvened.  A meeting of the group had already taken place and the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Cultural Services and Community Safety had been invited to attend a meeting to discuss the matter further.

Councillor Hotham concluded by explaining that at the latest meeting of the Board, Members had discussed arrangements for performance scrutiny at the Council.  Unfortunately, only a couple of Members had volunteered to be members of the Corporate Performance Working Group.  Members had decided that a different approach should therefore be taken to performance scrutiny and in future reports would be presented to the Board on the performance of Council services every six months.

During consideration of this item, Members noted a typographical error in the Overview and Scrutiny Board minutes.  Cabinet noted that Councillor P. Thomas should have been recorded as in attendance at the meeting to speak as Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Cultural Services and Community Safety on the Cabinet’s response to the Libraries Task Group’s final report.

RESOLVED that

1)        The Cabinet are fully informed of the higher and lower cost of the staff survey; and

2)        The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 18^th October 2021 be noted.