Agenda and minutes

No declarations of interest were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Dyke and Parsons.

5.05 pm

The Cabinet Member for Business Transformation submitted a report presenting the draft 2015-2019 Workforce Strategy.

The Council’s 2012-2015 Workforce Strategy had been agreed in March 2012 and a report had been presented to the Community, Customer and Organisational Scrutiny Committee in January 2015 providing updates on achievements.

A strategy had now been developed through the Workforce Strategy Group for 2015-19, building on the successes of the 2012-2015 strategy and using data from the Investors in People review, Employee Survey results, Workforce Planning Diagnostic, the Council Business Plan and Great Place Great Service plan to identify priorities for inclusion. A copy of the draft 2015-19 strategy and prioritised action plan was attached to the report.

The revised strategy was set out under the following headings as it was recognised that many of the ensuing actions were cross cutting and would achieve multiple aims:

·     Pay and Reward

·     Leadership, skills and capabilities

·     Talent Management

·     Employee engagement 

·      Health and Wellbeing

In response to questions from Members it was confirmed that the revised strategy represented a significant development, including greater priority being given to the health and wellbeing of staff, employee engagement and the development of skills to enable the delivery of services in the most cost-effective way.

It was hoped to encourage greater use of apprenticeships, particularly given the current age profile of the workforce. It was recognised that the process for gathering and recording information from exit interviews required further development to enable any trends to be identified. 

It was confirmed that trade union representatives had been involved in, and contributed to, the development of the strategy, which it was hoped would be finalised through the Workforce Strategy Group later that week and then approved by Cabinet for implementation in the New Year.

It was suggested that a progress report on implementation of the strategy be provided to the Community, Customer and Organisational Scrutiny Committee six months after its approval.

RESOLVED –

(1)            That the report be noted and the content of draft Workforce Strategy be supported.

(2)            That a progress report on implementation of the strategy be provided to the Community, Customer and Organisational Scrutiny Committee six months after its approval.

Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing Progress Report on Review of Locking of Park Gates

5.40 pm

Locking of Park Gates

The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing submitted a progress monitoring report on the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation to review the decision to stop locking park gates at night (reference CCO1 on the scrutiny committees’ Monitoring Form).

The report outlined the background to the original decision to reduce the locking of park gates at some sites in 2014 and the issues which had been considered as part of the review of this decision following the first full summer of operation, particularly in respect of issues which had arisen at Eastwood Park and Queen’s Park.

It was noted that it was difficult to compare the costs of dealing with anti-social behaviour before and after the changes, due to a lack of baseline data, the unpredictability of trends of anti-social behaviour and the uncertainty of the reasons for this. It was suggested that the issues of partnership working, the use of Public Place Protection Orders, more targeted enforcement, diversionary activities and the potential for a community locking scheme would need to be considered in addition to the locking of gates.

Councillor Brady attended as a local Member to update the Committee on subsequent issues which had arisen at Eastwood Park and the further decision to re-lock the gates for a trial period. It was noted that some of the anti-social behaviour had now transferred to other locations in the vicinity. Residents were concerned that some of the problems would recur if the gates were again left unlocked, particularly during summer.

It was noted that there had been differing approaches at different sites, depending on the particular circumstances, such as Friends groups locking gates at Holmebrook Valley Park and Stand Park, targeted enforcement action (e.g. for littering and warning letters).

The report included an options appraisal of the advantages and disadvantages of continuing with the decision of not locking some park gates as taken in 2014, or just locking gates at Eastwood Park and Queen’s Park or installing self-closing gates at Eastwood Park and possibly Queen’s Park.

Having considered the issues raised within the report and at the meeting, Members recognised that the circumstances at each location needed to be considered to determine the most appropriate combination of interventions in each case. In respect of Eastwood Park, they were of the view that continuing to lock the gates should be part of a combined approach to minimise the risk of the recurrence of anti-social behaviour and that the situation be further reviewed in the summer.

Community Engagement Strategy principles

In respect of the monitoring of the recommendations on the consideration of Community Engagement Strategy principles throughout corporate projects (reference CCO2 on the scrutiny committees’ Monitoring Form), it was noted that progress could not be monitored at this stage as there had not recently been a major consultation exercise, to which the recommendations could be applied.  

RESOLVED –

(1)         That the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing take the views of the Committee into account when the final recommendations are produced  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

6.00 pm

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chair of Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, submitted a briefing note on progress of the arrangements for patients of the former Holywell Medical Group, further to her briefing note to the Committee on 7 July, 2015.

The North Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was consulting residents in Barrow Hill, particularly those who were registered at the Surgery, and local Councillors had expressed their views to the CCG regarding the consultation and continuity of service. A consultation meeting in Barrow Hill was scheduled for 10 December, 2015.

The CCG intended to consult on one option to go out to tender on one contract for general medical services based at three sites: Rectory Road Staveley, The Grange at Grangewood Farm and at Inkersall near the Green.

It was expected that the CCG would attend a meeting of the Derbyshire County Council statutory Health Scrutiny Committee when plans had been developed.

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted.

6.10 pm

RESOLVED –

That the Forward Plan be noted.

6.15 pm

The Committee considered a list of items raised to date for its Work Programme.

The Chair suggested that the Outside Market Reconfiguration item be rescheduled for the January meeting.

RESOLVED –

That the work programme be approved and a report on the Outside Markets Reconfiguration be considered at the January meeting of the Committee.

Verbal Report.

6.20 pm

The Scrutiny and Policy Officer reported that the Annual Scrutiny Report had been published and was being promoted, and that copies were being made publicly available via the Community Assemblies.

It was noted that the Member Development Work Programme had been supported by the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum and that training would be scheduled for Scrutiny Members.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

6.25 pm

The Minutes of the meeting of the Community, Customer and Organisational Scrutiny Committee held on 15 September, 2015 were presented.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.