Issue - meetings

Issue(s) Arising from Overview and Scrutiny and/or Audit

To receive any recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or to consider any matters raised by the Audit and Governance Committee.

Additional documents:

Cabinet response to Scrutiny recommendations on Ecology Report, item 7 PDF 192 KB
Cabinet response to Scrutiny recommendations 22 July Channel Choice, item 7 PDF 193 KB
Webcast for Issue(s) Arising from Overview and Scrutiny and/or Audit and Governance

Decision:

The purpose of this item was to consider any recommendations arising from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and any issues arising from the Audit and Governance Committee.

The Leader asked the Senior Democratic Services Officer as clerk to read the recommendations proposed to Cabinet as set out in the supplementary papers.

Cabinet discussed the proposed responses to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Cabinet responses were proposed by Councillor Joe Harris and seconded by Councillor Lisa Spivey.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet APPROVE the responses to the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Voting Record

6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions, 2 Absent/Did not vote

There were no issues arising from the Audit and Governance Committee.

Minutes:

The purpose of this item was to consider any recommendations arising from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and any issues arising from the Audit and Governance Committee.

The Leader asked the Senior Democratic Services Officer to read the recommendations proposed to Cabinet as set out in the supplementary papers.

The first recommendation considered was regarding the Channel Choice and Telephone Access Item:

That the Cabinet ensures services are accessible to everyone, including those

who cannot access services via digital channels and ensure the route for

support is publicised.

The Leader stated that Cabinet would accept this recommendation as it wished to ensure that the Council did not discriminate against those residents who could not access online channels. The Business Manager for Customer Experience also reaffirmed that face-to-face channels remained open from 9am to 5pm, and that the expansion of digital channels would help staff prioritise vulnerable customers via the telephone services.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer then read out the recommendations regarding the Publica Review:

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee receives a report reviewing the implementation of Phase 1 before proposals for Phase 2 are brought

forward for decision.

That Cabinet provide more clarity on what success looks like, sounds like and feels like and what key actions will deliver the Council’s objectives (service quality, greater control and cost reductions).

The Leader confirmed that the Cabinet would accept these recommendations.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer then read out the recommendations regarding the ecological emergency item considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 7 May 2024:

That Cabinet considers the necessity to increase resourcing for ecology, given our goal (green to the core), declared climate and ecological crisis and increased legal monitoring obligations.

The Leader confirmed that this would be accepted and that the Council was actively considering the need for increasing resources across Planning and Sustainability teams in order to meet obligations. It was also noted that the Publica Transition would form a key part of ensuring these goals were part of the future structure of the Council and budgets.