Agenda item

Attendees:

o      Daniel Cooke (Scrutiny Adviser)

The Scrutiny Advisor introduced the Draft Annual Forward Work Programme to the Committee and discussed each item individually with the Members, the following draft agenda items were discussed;

·                The Service Plans, for the Year End of 2018/19 and the Mid-Year 2019/20. The Committee were informed that for this year there would be more information on the finances and risks associated with the service area included in the service plan. The Committee were reminded that due to the changes in how data from schools was used by local and regional bodies there would be less targets and measures available for Education.

·                The NCC Carers Strategy 2019 – 2022 was the next item on the draft Annual Forward Work Programme. This item was a referral from Adult and Community Social Services, and its addition the Committee accepted at their previous meeting.

·                The Members were informed that the Looked After Children Reports inclusion to the draft work programme was done at the request of the Head of Children and Young Peoples Services. 

·                The Scrutiny Adviser explained to the Committee that the Director of Social Services report had been included in the PSC People Work Programme due to their knowledge and experience in scrutinising social services related items. The report historically sat underneath the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee but Officers had decided that the People Committee might be able to provide a more substantial challenge to the Director of Social Services. 

·                The Free School Meals Strategy had been included at the request of the Chief Education Officer, the Committee were informed that this report would set out what the Council were doing to improve the outcomes of young people in receipt of Free School Meals. 

·                The Older People’s Commissioning Strategy was a Scrutiny Topic Referral that was accepted by the Committee at a previous meeting. The report aims to outline the work being carried out by Adults and Community Services regarding the commissioning of services.

·                The Additional Learning Needs / Out of County Placements Performance Report will update the Committee on the performance of the specific cohorts of young people. The Scrutiny Adviser explained to the Committee that this report was related to the briefings the Committee had received in the previous year relating to those young people with additional learning needs and those placed out of county.

·                The Recommendations Monitoring upon the Implementation of the 2018 – 19 Cabinet Budget Proposals were the next item introduced to the Committee. It was explained that this is an annual item that looks at the implementation of the budget proposals the committee received during the previous year’s Cabinet Budget Proposals. The Committee understood that as they only received one Cabinet Budget Proposal last year, this agenda item would be attached to another education item.

·                The last of the potential agenda items on the draft Annual Forward Work Programme was the 2020/2021 Cabinet Draft Budget Proposals. This was a reoccurring, annual agenda item that the Committee received.

The Committee were happy to receive each of the agenda items throughout the year and understood that they would be able to change any item, invitee or the focus of the agenda item during the Scrutiny Adviser and Forward Work Programme section of a Committee Meeting.

The Scrutiny Adviser explained each of the Information Reports included in the report, and moved onto explain the outstanding Committee Briefing relating to the ‘S33 Pooled Budget’. The briefing was due to be held towards the end of 2018 but had to be cancelled. The briefing will be scheduled over the summer.

The Committee agreed the draft Schedule of Meetings, including the additional meeting on the 9^th July 2019.