Agenda item

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that sought to:

·       seek the views of the Committee on the draft Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2023/24;

·       invite Committee Members to participate in informal briefing sessions during 2023/24, rather than establish a traditional working group;

·       identify any site visits to be made during 2023/24

·       identify any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the latest Key Decision Forward Plan;

·       note the training proposals available from the Local Government Association and in-house; and

·       receive an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The following appendices were attached to the report:

·       Appendix A - Work Programme for 2023/24;

·       Appendix B – Terms of Reference for the Committee (extract from the Council’s Constitution); and

·       Appendix C - Latest Key Decision Forward Plan items relating to this Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members of the Committee raised the following questions/issues:

·       The possibility of the Cabinet delaying consideration of the two items within the Key Decision Forward Plan, as set out in Appendix C of the report, that fell under the remit of this Committee.

·       Clarification on the pre-scrutiny process could be sought from the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer.

·       Clarification on the CHAT report being a regular standing item for future meetings of the Committee.

·       The possibility of holding site visits for Committee Members to the Menai Wellbeing Centre and to Children’s Services at Magdalen House, Bootle.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the draft Work Programme for 2023/24, as set out at Appendix A to the report, be agreed, along with any additional items to be included and agreed;

(2)      further to Minutes numbered 5 (1), 6 (2), 7 (4) and 9 (3) above, the following items be added to the Committee’s Work Programme for 2023/24:

          (a)      the Executive Director of Social Care and Education be requested to report back on the following matters, in line with the Improvement Plan progress, to future meetings of the Committee:

                     (i)       negative feedback / complaints received from families;

                     (ii)       domestic abuse;

                     (iii)      the administrative support pilot scheme; and

(iv)   the work being undertaken with Leeds to attract social workers;

          (b)      the Democratic Services Manager be requested to include:

(i)             performance management and quality assurance information in respect of Children’s Social Care, to include the CHAT report, as a standing item to all meetings of the Committee during 2023/24;

(ii)            the Education Scorecard as a regular item for meetings of the Committee during 2023/24.

(3)      informal briefing sessions be held, as and when required, rather than the establishment of a traditional working group during 2023/24;

(4)      an informal meeting of Committee Members to consider the Sefton Place - Community Emotional Health and Wellbeing Services Update 2022 – 2023, be held on a date to be determined;

(5)      the following site visits be organised for Committee Members during 2023/24:

(a)        to meet with the Making a Difference (MAD) Group;

          (b)      to visit the Menai Wellbeing Centre;

          (c)      to visit Children’s Services at Magdalen House, Bootle;

(6)      the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 June – September 2023 be noted;

(7)      clarification on the pre-scrutiny process could be sought from the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer;

(8)      the training proposals available from the Local Government Association and in-house be noted; and

(9)      the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted.