Annual Report

2013-14

Broadland Overview and Scrutiny

Balance

The Overview and Scrutiny function at the Council is based around non-executive Members assessing how the Council is performing, whether the Cabinet has made the right decisions and influencing policy development.

The Committee have worked their way through a series of reviews collectively, limiting the number of Time and Task Limited Panels. Reviews have covered various topics, for example Obesity; Council Partnerships, Grants Policy; and Consultation Practices.

2013-14 O&S Work

51%

28%

21%

2013-14 Scrutiny based 2013-14 Overview based 2013-14 O&S based

Partnerships Review

The Committee have convened a Time and Task Limited Panel to undertake this review; the Panel have met since September 2013 to progress the review.

The Review is broken down into four phases over 12 months and intends to meet with representatives from various Council partnerships to understand best working practices and where Broadland District Council could improve as a partner.

Grants Policy

A Time and Task Limited Panel was formed to work with Officers from the Economic Development Team, revising the Grants Policy bringing it inline with the Council’s budget for 2014/15, ensuring funding remains realistic and accessible to community groups and bodies.

The revised Grants Scheme will be brought back for review in late 2014.

Welfare Reform Monitoring

Committee began to receive quarterly updates from the Head of Finance and Revenue Services. Those updates included information on the likely financial impacts on the Council’s budget but also what support streams were being implemented to help effected residents.

Committee were also kept informed on the rate of affected cases come forward after changes were implemented.

Committee effectively called into question the need for a Hardship Fund, as well as challenging the how residents were being informed about the changes

Obesity Review

Committee considered information presented to them and decided to form a small working group to assess the level of Obesity in Broadland and what steps were being taken to reduce obesity trends.

Members identified some useful information and were able to further promote the services offered by the Council, including Broadly Active and similar referral programmes.

Committee lobbied several Secretary for States asking them to further consider the impact of Obesity and to take action in reducing the cost of healthy foods and adjusting supermarket marketing of unhealthy foods

Consultation Approaches

Performance Management Sub Committee (PMSC) commenced the review in November 2013 obtaining information about past consultations; produced a public survey to obtain views from customers about current consultation practices and what would be desired for future engagement activity; contacted parish and town councils for their views; and obtained information about local advertising costs. The Sub Committee aim to produce guidance for future Council Consultation activity.

The Review is estimated to complete in April 2014

Scrutiny of Executive

Call-in: To cease the provision of Cesspool and Septic Tank Emptying Services

The Environmental Excellence Portfolio Holder attended the meeting to convey further information of why the Council is taking the decision to cease the service.

The Committee were satisfied with the additional information provided by the Environmental Excellence Portfolio Holder and voted in favour to support his decision

Scrutiny of the Executive

Hardship Fund for Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2014/15

Budget support to Parish and Town Councils

Neighbourhood Plan Criteria for Funding

Discharging Statutory Homelessness Duty Into The Private Sector Policy

Performance Management Sub Committee Waste Recycling Service

Staff Survey Results

Broadland Council Training Centre

Review of Consultation Approaches and Customer Feedback

Raising the Scrutiny Profile

This year the Overview and Scrutiny Committee decided to investigate the uses of social media during reviews. A pilot has been approved to run over the next two years, using social media to engage with residents during scrutiny reviews and report progress being made during reviews before a final report is produced. In order to prepare for engaging on social media, the Committee ran a workshop for all Councillors on how to use Social Media safely and securely.

Join the conversation

Twitter: ScrutinyBDC (www.twitter.com/ScrutinyBDC)

Streetlife: Broadland Scrutiny and Broadland Council

(www.streetlife.com)

Norfolk Your Voice (www.norfolk.yourvoice.co.uk)

Email: scrutiny@broadland.gov.uk

Finally

To view the complete Annual Report for June 2013 to April 2014 head to the Council’s website:

www.broadland.gov.uk/scrutiny