Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Chairman and Vice Chairman at the start of the new council year.

Cllr Kevin Deanus was confirmed as the Chairman of the Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2021-2022.

Cllr Sally Dickson was confirmed as the Vice-chairman of the Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2021-20211 subject to the agreement of the Leader of Farnham Residents.

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 16^th March 2021 and published on the Council’s Website.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 16^th March 2021, and published on the Council’s Website, were confirmed as a correct record and signed.

To receive apologies for absence and note any substitutions.

There were no apologies for absence received for this meeting.

To receive from Members declarations of interests in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting, in accordance with Waverley’s Code of Local Government Conduct.

There were no declarations of interests in connection with items on the agenda.

The Chairman to respond to any written questions received from members of the public in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

The deadline for receipt of written questions is 5pm on Monday 17^th May 2021.

There were no questions from members of the public submitted for this meeting.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from Members in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.

The deadline for receipt of written questions is 5pm on Monday 17^th May 2021.

There were no questions from members submitted for this meeting.

The Community and Wellbeing Overview & Scrutiny Committee is responsible for managing its work programme.

A Scrutiny Tracker has been produced to assist the Committee in monitoring the recommendations that have been agreed at its meetings. The Tracker details the latest position on the implementation of these recommendations and is attached as Part C of the work programme.

The Committee noted the current forward work programme.

Comments on section A

The Committee were advised:

·         The Farnham Museum item would now be dealt with by the Property Investment Advisory Board (PIAB).  The MEND funding applications had opened and a bid would be submitted.  The PIAB would be commissioning a condition survey and options appraisal for the collection..

·         The draft Suicide Prevention Report would be going to Executive in June.

·         A communication protocol would be raised at the next Safer Waverley Partnership meeting.  The Borough Commander had advised that she would develop an event for Waverley.

·         The Aging Well Strategy Plan was in the service plan and consultation events would be carried out later in the year. 

Action: Andrew Smith/Katie Webb would report back at a later meeting.

Sections B & C were noted.

The Corporate Performance Report provides an analysis of the Council’s performance for the fourth quarter of 2020-21. The report is being presented to each of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees for comment and any recommendations they may wish to make to the Executive.

The areas of the report relating to this committees remit are set out under Commercial Services and Housing Delivery and Communities.

Report to be circulated as a supplementary document.

Commercial Services

Kelvin Mills reported that the teams had had a difficult year with the Leisure Centres being closed as well as community halls.  Building Control, Care Line and Waverley Training Services all continues to operate throughout the whole lockdown period which was good news.

Leisure centres opened once again on the 12^th April and indications are that performance has been promising with swimming and swimming lessons near to capacity.

KPIs are all positive considering the climate the teams were working under and the financial position is also good thanks to funding from Sport England to support the leisure centres whilst they were shut.

Housing Delivery & Communities

Andrew Smith and Katie Webb updated the Committee on the performance of the teams over the last year. 

It was highlighted that each of the teams within the service had performed above expectations during the past year, rising to the challenges of the pandemic.

Communities – The team had worked tirelessly over the year with local community groups supporting residents, managed the community helpline and signposted residents who could provide support.

An increase in community tension had been seen, particularly around ASB with neighbours. There has also been an increase in domestic abuse.  The Community Safety Team have worked with the Safer Waverley Partnership to address these issues.

Two audits have been carried out on safeguarding; a Surrey Safeguarding children’s Partnership (SSCP) Section 11 (statutory) self-assessment audit and a separate internal Safeguarding Policy and Procedural audit.

The Housing Delivery section of the report was noted.

The Committee commended all the staff at Waverley for their professionalism and commitment to the business throughout the pandemic.

The Committee considered the performance of the services under its remit and ask senior management or the Executive to consider their comments.

To consider any additional KPI’s the Committee would like reported on or changes to existing KPI’s relating to this committees remit of  Licensing, Commercial Services and Housing Delivery& Communities.

Nora Copping, Policy and Performance Officer, advised the Committee that they should review the KPIs relating to the services under the Committee’s remit.  It was agreed that the KPIs should be challenging but achievable with considered targets and whether they are fit for purpose.  The only KPIs that were required to be reviewed were under Commercial Services as there were no KPIs relating to the Communities Team.

It was felt that the target on C7 for 90% of critical faults to be dealt with within 48hours was felt to be too low.  The team had made 100% for the last 5 quarters so it was felt it was not unreasonable to ask for a 95% target.

Concern was raised that there was a 25% drop out with the apprentices.  The Committee were advised that these students were often hard to engage individuals as many of them had failed within the school system.  It was suggested that members could visit Waverley Training Services to see the work they do.

Action: Waverley Training Services to be requested to do a presentation to all Councillors.

The Committee considered the Annual Review of Performance Indicators and asked the Executive to consider their comments.

To receive the provisional report from the working group. This will focus on identifying principles that can guide the Executive’s own review and align with the council’s corporate priorities.

Cllr Jenny Else introduced the report from the Community Wellbeing Service Level Agreement Working Group.

She advised that the group had been set up in 2019 but due to Covid it was put on hold.  At the beginning of 2021 the Executive set up their own working group, therefore the CW (SLA) WG have had to change tack and felt they wished to make a provisional report to the Executive group on their proposed approach and would then scrutinise the Executives decision/proposals.  It was hoped this would open up the debate on organisations who get a SLA and possibly widen the scope of those eligible to bid.

Cllr Paul Follows was invited to comment and advised that the Executive WG have already looked at the report and are considering the approach and proposals.  It was hoped that the Executives recommendations would be ready by June/July.

It was highlighted that we would ideally like to inform organisations of their success/failure to receive an SLA by September as we have in the past given a six-month notice if they are unlikely to receive funding the following year.  It was therefore likely that we would need to hold a special meeting.  Katie Webb advised that the six-month notice was not statutory but the Committee felt there should be an additional recommendation that we should continue with a six-month notice period.

The Committee Agreed the approach to the 5 recommendations on the SLA interim report and the additional recommendation regarding notice period and recommended it to the Executive.

To receive a verbal update from Katie Webb, Community Service Manager,  on the assistance that was provided by the community team and service providers over the last year.

It had been hoped that by quarter 4, community centres would be open. However, this has not been possible so far.  Centres began to open again on 17^th May and they are cautiously welcoming back clients.  Some clients are still wary going back but there has been other provision put in to help with this.

Community Meals have delivered over 42,000 meals as well as carrying out wellbeing checks.  Just under 6,000 calls were made to the Waverley Helpline and thanks must go to housing services and voluntary action south west surrey for picking up these calls.

Hardship funds have helped to support residents and community stores are now starting to wind up and pass the duty of emergency food parcels to food banks.

Going forward work is rolling out to help people become digitally connected also engagement with young people is something that needs looking into.

The chairman asked for a report to be brought to the next meeting on the JET team.

Action: Richard Homewood to report back.

The Committee thanked Katie Webb for the update and commended the work carried out.

To receive a verbal update on the proposed way forward and obtain provisional members for a working group going forward.

Kelvin Mills gave a brief update on the plans for the refurbishment of Cranleigh Leisure Centre.

He advised that a report would be going to the Executive next month to receive agreement to begin a feasibility study.  This would need to move swiftly in order to inform the need for a tender process for the leisure facilities which was scheduled to be carried out very soon.

Kelvin advised he would report back to the Committee in September and a working group would be required going forward.

The Committee endorsed the proposed approach.

To consider the following recommendation of the motion of the Chairman:

Recommendation

That pursuant to Procedure Rule 20 and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified in the appropriate paragraph(s) of the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (to be specified at the meeting).

There were no items to consider in exempt session, so the Chairman closed the meeting.