Agenda item

To consider a report from Leeds City Council’s Head of Governance and Scrutiny Support setting out a number of governance matters for the Joint Committee to consider. 

The Joint Committee received a report of Leeds City Council’s Head of Governance and Scrutiny presenting a number of governance issues for consideration, including:

·  Terms of Reference

·  Arrangements for Chairing the meetings

·  Membership of the Committee

·  Co-opted members

·  Proposed meeting dates and venue arrangements

Members were also asked to consider proposals to review and refresh the JHOSC arrangements, particularly since the legislative framework affecting local authorities and the NHS had changed, alongside significant operational and administrative developments.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser (Leeds City Council) presented the report and invited comments and questions from the Joint Committee.

The Joint Committee’s discussions covered a range of matters, including: 

·  A review of the terms of reference, membership and operating procedure was welcomed, to reflect the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership footprint.

·  The proposal to co-opt representatives from North Yorkshire County Council to the Joint Committee was supported, with members supporting a proposal to formally appoint two representatives to JHOSC and, accordingly, seek appropriate nominations from North Yorkshire County Council.

·  The term of office for co-optees (if appointed), noting the different co-option mechanisms operated across the member authorities. Members supported the request for officers to review best practice across other JHOSCs and to reflect on that in the anticipated report back on the terms of reference/operating procedure review.

·  Potential additional co-optees; including seeking a nominee from Health Watch to support the JHOSCs work on specific issues/service areas as appropriate.

·  Support for alternating future meetings at venues throughout the member authorities, with a request to revisit the proposed meeting dates for February and April 2019.

·  The potential for rotating the position of Chair of the Joint Committee on an annual basis amongst member authorities. This to be further considered as part of the terms of reference/operating procedure review.

·  A request that any draft refreshed terms of reference and draft operating procedure rules be shared with all Members of the Joint Committee for comment prior to being finalised and agreed.

RESOLVED

a)  To note the Joint Committee’s Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

b)  To note the current membership of the Joint Committee;

c)  To agree the arrangements for Leeds City Council to continue to chair the meetings of the Joint Committee for the remainder of the 2018/19 municipal year;

d)  To appoint Councillor Jim Clark (North Yorkshire County Council) as a non-voting co-opted member of the Joint Committee for the remainder of the current 2018/19 municipal year, or until such time that the current arrangements for the Joint Committee are superseded.

e)  To seek a further nomination from North Yorkshire County Council for a non-voting co-opted member of the Joint Committee to serve for the remainder of the current 2018/19 municipal year, or until such time that the current arrangements for the Joint Committee are superseded.

f)  To agree the following future meeting dates, noting the intention to rotate the venue between the member authorities, subject to the availability of suitable venues; 

·  Monday 8th October 2018 at 1.30 pm;

·  Wednesday 5th December 2018 at 10.30 am

g)  To request officers to review the proposed meeting dates for February and April 2019 and present alternative dates for future consideration by the Joint Committee. 

h)  To request officers proceed to review the current West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee arrangements and to develop proposals for the following;

  i.  The establishment of new (refreshed) arrangements and terms of reference of a discretionary health overview and scrutiny committee to reflect the geography and work of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership and associated arrangements..

  ii.  The establishment of a statutory joint health overview and scrutiny committee arrangements and terms of reference to reflect any future substantial NHS service changes or developments affecting all of the member local authorities.

  iii.  Arrangements to facilitate the establishment of statutory joint health overview and scrutiny committees (as sub-committees of the discretionary JHOSC) to reflect any future substantial NHS service changes or developments, where those proposals are likely to impact on two or more, but not all of the member local authorities (as required). 

i)  That the review of the current West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee arrangements (referred to in (g) above) includes, but is not restricted to consideration of the following matters:

  i.  Appropriate membership of all relevant local authorities.

  ii.  Specific operational / procedural rules, in order to ensure consistency of approach across all arears of work of the Joint Committee, irrespective of the hosting local authority.

  iii.  Alternating the position of Chair on an annual basis, and the associated impact on the local authority officer support for the Joint Committee; 

j)   That the current membership of the West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee arrangements be invited to comment on any draft terms of reference and proposed procedural rules prior to them being finalised and agreed by each constituent authority.