Agenda and minutes

Venue: Chappell Room. View directions

Contact: Helen Lee  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

71.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions.

Minutes:

None received.

72.

To approve, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2019 pdf icon PDF 144 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

 

73.

Declaration of Interests.

Minutes:

None.

74.

Programme of Portfolio Holder Attendance pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Report of the Democratic Services Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor V McCrossen and Councillor Gregory attended the committee to discuss areas of responsibility and activity in their portfolios.

 

Councillor McCrossen, Portfolio Holder for Young People and Equalities, comprehensively answered the question relating to the Youth Council and explained that representatives were nominated from schools and youth clubs across the borough, and its role included investigating issues of concern and work to improve facilities for young people.  Mental health, environmental sustainability knife crime, loneliness and isolation were issues the Youth Council has chosen to focus on this year.

 

Other initiatives within the portfolio include supporting concerns around disaffected young people, providing activities during school holidays, working with partners to improve service delivery for young people and activities to improve aspiration in deprived areas. Many of the activities in this portfolio overlap with responsibilities in other portfolios and require joint working.

 

Councillor Gregory, Portfolio Holder for Community Development, gave an overview of his areas of responsibility. He highlighted the success of the Arnold Christmas market and the Remembrance Day events.  He explained Gedling play priorities and

how work is undertaken is to engage with different sectors of the community. Due to a decrease in funding sponsorship is being considered for some events and a volunteering scheme is being developed.  It was explained that the Community Asset Transfer is proceeding and that this involves a great deal of negotiation with community groups, who require support take on the management of the buildings. There are plans to celebrate VE day and support will be available for the Southwell Ploughing Match which is being held in Newstead this year.

 

The Heritage Strategy has been published and a Gedling Heritage Way is being developed, work to engage the community in this project is being undertaken. The Gedling Lottery will be launched on the 26th February and 60p in the pound will be paid to good causes, community groups have been invited to be beneficiaries of this new initiative.

 

Members were informed that Councillors P Barnes and Hollingsworth would be attending the next committee and that they would be contacted with a request for questions and areas for discussion.

 

Councillor Barnes and Councillor Thomas left the meeting at 6.45 pm.

 

RESOLVED:

 

·         To thank Councillors McCrossen and Gregory for their presentations

·         Note the report; and

·         That Councillors P Barnes and Hollingsworth will be attending the next committee to discuss their portfolios.

 

75.

Council Plan 2019/20: Overview of Quarter 2 pdf icon PDF 316 KB

 

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, summarising performance as at the end of Quarter 2 of the financial year.

 

Overall performance at the end of Quarter 2 shows that out of a total of 32 indicators 16 were above target 2 were slightly below and 12 missed target.

Examples of particularly positive performance include attendance at the Bonington Theatre, the increase in the Keep me Posted emails and the percentage of major planning applications processed within the 13 week target.

 

Performance indicators that missed target were discussed, however the Senior Leadership Team considered there were no specific areas of concern.  Areas of poor performance included, the average length of time spent in temporary accommodation, a higher than normal volume of rejected loads of recycling and below target additional homes provided.

 

Notable achievements were highlighted including the success of the injunction against legal encampments and the creation of dedicated social media accounts.

 

Councillor M Smith left the meeting at 7.05 pm.

 

RESOLVED:

 

To note the progress against actions and performance indicators in the 2018/2019 Gedling Plan as at the end of Quarter 2.

 

76.

Review of Compliments and Complaints received by the Council, and the Annual Review Letter 2019 from the Local Government Ombudsman. pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Report of the Democratic Services Officer.

Minutes:

Rosie Caddie, Service Manager, Customer Services and Communications attended the Committee to discuss the Council’s complaints process, analysis of complaints received and dealt with by the Council’s internal complaints procedure, and the complaints and enquiries received by the Ombudsman 2016/17.

 

It was explained that customers are encouraged to give feedback, good and bad, in the form of complaints and compliments.

 

The complaints procedure follows a three tier process

·         Where a complaint is not upheld in full or in part at stage 1, the complainant may ask for it to be considered further under stage 2 of the complaints procedure

·         If the complainant is not happy with the response at Stage 2 they are entitled to refer to the Local Government Ombudsman

 

Complaints and compliments received are monitored on a quarterly basis by SLT who can direct or commission further work on specific problems if necessary.

 

·         In 2018/19 compared with 2017/18 around 7% fewer complaints were received

·         88% of complaints were processed in time (1% lower than 2017/18)

·         32% of all complaints were upheld

·         90% of complaints related to staff behaviour

·         None of the complaints in respect of 2018/19 made to the Local Government and Social Services Ombudsman have been upheld.

 

Some service areas receive more complaints due to the nature of their service.  Revenues and waste services receive a high volume but less than half are upheld.  Some services have very low levels of complaints mainly due to the fact they are not public facing services.

 

During discussion the following points were highlighted

 

·         Although there is some benchmarking with other authorities this was not very useful as not all authorities recorded complaints in the same way

·         Customer Services have reduced their levels of complaints by the employment of a training officer whose role it is to train advisors to enable them to give correct information

·         Leisure Services have reduced levels of complaints by analysing data, and addressing underlying issues.

 

RESOLVED to;

 

·         To thank Rosie Caddy for an informative presentation

·         Ask for information regarding complaints relating to waste to be available when the Portfolio Holder attends the committee; and

·         Note the information provided.

 

77.

Scrutiny Work Programme pdf icon PDF 143 KB

Report of the Democratic Services Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

INFORMATION REQUESTED AT THE SEPTEMBER COMMITTEE

 

·         Fly tipping and use of cover CCTV at Gravelly Hollows

·         Gedling Homes

·         Reports and notices

 

Members noted the information

 

SCRUTINY WORKING GROUPS

 

·         Executive Scrutiny Protocol

·         Economic Development

 

Members of the committee were updated on the progress of the working groups and informed that final reports should be available for the March meeting.

 

·         Housing Allocations Policy

 

Additional members were invited to be included in this consultation which will be starting in February.

 

·         Flooding

 

It was agreed that members’ would like to receive information regarding flooding, its impact on communities and the detrimental effect it has on the condition of roads.

 

SCRUTINY IN COMMITTEE

 

The scrutiny work programme and the Forward Plan were noted.

 

RESOLVED to:

 

·         Note the information updates

·         Request for information regarding flooding in the borough be presented at the April committee

·         Note the work programme and Forward Plan.

78.

Reports and Notices received by the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee as required under the Constitution or Law. pdf icon PDF 231 KB

Report of the Democratic Services Officer.

Minutes:

Members discussed a report that had been circulated in advance of the meeting, which included information on items referred to the chair as required by the constitution.

 

RESOLVED to:

 

To note the report.

79.

Any other item which the Chair considers urgent.

Minutes:

None.