Agenda and minutes

The Chair thanked Members of the Board for agreeing to the change of date for this meeting.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

There were no late items.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests declared to the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence and notifications of substitutes.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S Bentley, T Wilford and R Wood.

Councillor S Lay substituted for Councillor S Bentley. 

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2014.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2014 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive for information, the minutes of Executive Board held on 25 June 2014.

RESOLVED – That the Executive Board minutes of 25 June 2014 be noted.

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the Council’s financial performance for the year ending 31 March 2014.

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report presenting the Council’s financial outturn position for 2013/2014 for both revenue and capital elements, whilst also outlining details regarding Housing Revenue Account and spending on schools.

Helen Mylan, Head of Finance was in attendance.

RESOLVED – That the outturn position as detailed within the submitted report be noted.

To consider a report from the Chief Officer, Human Resources, presenting the Scrutiny Board with People Plan progress on 4 key areas as at 31 May 2014.

The Chief Officer (HR) submitted a report detailing the latest position against four areas; FTE staffing, agency, overtime and attendance for the first 2 months of the financial year.

The following were in attendance and responded to Board Members questions and comments:

-  Dave Almond, Head of Human Resources

-  Sophie Thompson, Team Manager (HR).

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the current position as detailed within the submitted report

(b)  To request that the detail shown in appendix 2 of the submitted report in relation to Agency Challenge Panels are updated and issued to Board Members

(c)  That a Working Group of the Scrutiny Board be established to receive further People Plan performance reports.

To consider a report from the Chief Officer Civic Enterprise detailing Progress on trading & enterprise across the Council

The Chief Officer Civic Enterprise Leeds submitted a report on trading and enterprise across the Council.

The following were in attendance and responded to Board Members questions and comments:

-  Julie Meakin, Chief Officer (Civic Enterprise)

-  Many Snaith, Head of Catering and Cleaning.

In summary the main areas of discussion were:

·  Growth, turnover and profit

·  Assurances around the integrity of the accounts and the role of the Council’s statutory Section 151 officer (The Deputy Chief Executive)

·  The offer from the Deputy Chief Executive Officer to meet with any Member for further briefings on the matter of the accounts

·  The level of tendering and open competition with regards work undertaken

·  The use of new technologies

·  The use of the third sector.

RESOLVED – To note the contents of the report and to request additional information in relation to tendering and growth.

To consider a report from the Chief Officer, Customer Services, updating the Scrutiny Board on progress of the Interpreting and Translation Team policy following attendance at Scrutiny Board on 7 April 2014.

The Chief Officer Customer Services submitted a report updating the Scrutiny Board on the progress of the Interpreting and Translation Team policy following the recommendations made by this Scrutiny Board in April 2014.

The following were in attendance and responded to Board Members  questions and comments:

-  Jayne Grant, CITU Co-ordinator

-  Lee Hemsworth, Chief Officer (Customer Access)

-  Geoff Turnbull, Senior Policy and Performance Officer.

In summary the main areas of discussion were:

·  The intention to submit a report to Executive Board in September for approval of the policy

·  The development of British Sign Language video interpreting

·  The possibilities of using trained volunteers to reduce costs and enhance the service.

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the contents of the report

(b)  To congratulate the team on the development of the policy

To consider a joint report from the Chief Officer, Statutory Housing and Chief Officer, Welfare and Benefits, updating the Scrutiny Board on progress made in relation to the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Board Inquiry on Welfare Reform Benefit Changes.

The Chief Officer Statutory Housing and Chief Officer Welfare and Benefits submitted a joint report setting out the progress made in relation to the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Board Inquiry on Welfare reform Benefit Changes.

The following were in attendance and responded to Board Members  questions and comments:

-  Steve Carey, Chief Officer (Welfare and Benefits)

-  Simon Costigan,  Chief Officer (Strategic Housing)

-  Mandy Sawyer, Head of Neighbourhood Services

-  Dave Levitt, Recovery Manager

-  Simon Swift, Service Manager.

 In summary the main areas of discussion were:

·  A resume of the general developments since the Board’s last discussion on this topic in July 2013

·  Statistics around Council Tax and Housing Leeds’ rent collection

·  The future pressures facing Discretionary Housing Payments

·  The current process for applying for deductions from national benefits in relation to Council Tax arrears and the legal requirement for Council’s to secure a Liability Order from the Magistrates Court and the resulted costs placed on the debt

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the contents of the report

(b)  That the Chair writes again to the Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions in relation to the process of applying for deductions from national benefits

(c)  That those recommendations made by the Scrutiny Board classified as complete will no longer be tracked.

(Councillor Lowe left the meeting during the consideration of this item.)

(Councillor Jarosz and Councillor JL Carter left the meeting at the conclusion of this item.)

To consider a report from the Head of Service, Corporate Contact Centre, updating the Scrutiny Board on the performance of the Corporate Contact Centre since April 2013.

The Head of Service Corporate Contact Centre submitted a report updating the Scrutiny Board on the performance of the Corporate Contact Centre since April 2013

The following were in attendance and responded to Board Members  questions and comments:

-  Lee Hemsworth, Chief Officer (Customer Access)

-  Barry Ibbetson, Head of Contact Centre.

In summary the main areas of discussion were:

·  The reasons for the drop in performance in 2013/14 and the measures to address this

·  The challenges brought by the increased use of self service and the consequences for call lengths

·  Staff retention

·  The management of spikes in activity

·  Plans for creating three Centres of Excellence to include, Health and Wellbeing, Welfare, Benefits and Revenues and Environment and Community Infrastructure

·  Plans for other services to join the Contact Centre

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the contents of the report

(b)  That further information be provided with regards staff leavers.

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for the 2014/15 municipal year.

The report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presented the draft work schedule for the forthcoming municipal year. 

29th September 2014 Meeting

To add a discussion on the planned new performance indicators to be used to performance manage the council and direct resources

27th October 2014 Meeting

Mr Richard Corbett MEP to attend the Scrutiny Board.

RESOLVED – That the Board’s work schedule be updated to reflect the work areas identified during today’s meeting.

Monday, 29 September 2014 at 10.00am (Pre meeting for all Board Members at 9.30 am)

Monday, 29th September 2014 at 10.00am (Pre-meeting for all Board Members at 9.30am)

(The meeting concluded at 12.30pm).