Transcript Document

Waveney District Council
Presentation by
Cllr Colin Law – Deputy Leader
For Overview & Scrutiny
Legal & Democracy
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Council Constitution simplified.
Number of Scrutiny Sub-Committees reduced to three and
an Audit & Risk Management Committee established in order
to prioritise resources in the most appropriate areas.
Approved Minutes for Council Meetings now inserted
separately on the website for each meeting
Reviewed and alternative provision made for Member
information to be made available on the Council’s website
Outcome
A clearer, more user friendly web enabled document for
Council decision-making that allows the public to better
understand the democratic processes of the Council
Revised Democratic Services information on the website to
ensure it is more accessible and understood
Public confidence in the audit and risk management
functions within the Council
Reporting process streamlined, report templates amended
and greater responsibility accepted by report authors and
Heads of Service for the content and signing off of their
reports.
Outside Body representation evaluated according to best
practice principals ensuring value for money and that
resources are targeted in accordance with the Council’s
Strategic Direction.
Improved procedures for tenants with regard to
Introductory Tenancy Review Boards
Partnership evaluation principals adopted for review of
Council representation on Outside Bodies
Enhanced procedures for dealing more effectively with
public requests for Civic representation
Reviewed and implemented new arrangements for
Introductory Tenancy Review Boards
Taken on responsibility for the Civic Office (Chairman of the
Council and Mayor of Lowestoft)
Member Development
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Delivered and enhanced the Member Development
programme
Embedded Member Development within the culture of the
organisation through a corporate programme of training and
events
Member Development considered as an intrinsic element as
part of corporate activities
Alternative times / dates for development sessions arranged
Different avenues for learning offered including on-line
training that meets the needs and different learning styles of
individuals
Councillors are clear of their roles and are better able to
balance Council and home / other commitments
New Member Induction Programme put in place including
prospective Councillor events
Granted Member Development Charter status on 24
February 2009
Role Descriptions for Members introduced and incorporated
within the Constitution
Training / Development opportunities shared with Parish /
Town Councils where possible
Outcome
Members are more informed and better equipped to carry
out their community leadership role
Best use of resources made in the provision of training
opportunities by sharing with Town / Parish Councils and
other local authorities.
The accreditation for Member Development Charter status
will give members of the public greater confidence in the
abilities of Councillors.
Standards
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Independent Members of Standards Recruitment Campaign
and support of the recruitment process for two Independent
Members of the Standards Committee targeting the Chamber
of Commerce, community groups and recruitment websites
etc)
Support / Guidance for new independent members of the
Standards Committee
New Standards Assessment regime introduced and training
provided for all Standards Members prior to implementation.
Training provided for Parish / Town Councillors and Clerks
on the revised Code of Conduct
Mediation in Parish Council disputes re Code of Conduct
Partnership arrangements agreed with Suffolk Coastal
District Council for new Local Assessment Regime working
effectively
Annual Standards Report produced and presented by the
Chair of Standards
Outcome
Independent Members of Standards Recruitment Campaign
resulted in more candidates putting themselves for election
than previously.
Strengthened composition of the Standards Committee to
include 3 independent representatives from the community.
More effective monitoring and promotion of standards and
ethics
The new Standards Assessment regime allows complaints
to be considered in a more timely manner for the benefit of
the complainant, the Councillor(s) complained about and the
public.
Standards Members are equipped to deal with the
requirements of the new Assessment Regime, giving the
public confidence that the upholding of standards and ethics
is a requirement in public life and that breaches in the Code
of Conduct will be treated fairly but robustly.
Scrutiny
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Annual Overview & Scrutiny Report produced with input
from and
presentation by the Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees.
Scrutiny Improvement Plan produced to ensure continuous
improvement in the scrutiny function
Scrutiny reviews are ‘Member-led’ in that topics are
identified by Members and Members are actively involved in
the work required for each review
Scoring Matrix adopted to assist Members in prioritising
issues for scrutiny review
Scoping forms adopted to ensure Members are clear about
the focus / expected outcome for scrutiny reviews
Scrutiny better embedded within the culture of the Council
and is accepted as providing critical challenge for achieving
improvements in services
Grounds for activating a call-in review and documentation
amended accordingly
E-forms available for public Call-in
Workshop held to provide response to Government
consultations on ‘Councillor Call for Action’ and ‘Petitions’
Involvement of community groups, public and interested
parties considered as an intrinsic part of planning for reviews
Improved working relations between Scrutiny Members and
the Cabinet through attendance at meetings and working
more closely together on scrutiny reviews
Scrutiny Members feel more supported and are more
confident in their roles
Outcome
The scrutiny function provides accountability for its activities
through the production of an Annual Report
Improved / closer working relations between Scrutiny and
Cabinet Members on reviews resulting in positive outcomes
and improvements in service delivery (eg Lettable Standards)
Scrutiny reviews are focused and planned, ensuring the
better use of resources though completion of the scoping
forms
Topics for scrutiny are prioritised using the scoring matrix
ensuring openness and accountability
Scrutiny Members are motivated, engaged and committed to
providing critical challenge in order to improve services for
the communities of Waveney
Greater awareness of opportunities available for public
engagement / involvement in scrutiny reviews and outcomes
are more ‘people focussed’
Equality and diversity issues are proactively considered
when reviewing policies / services to ensure no community
group is adversely affected.
Activation of public call-in provided through electronic, hand
written or e-form
Guidance on scrutiny function available for the public on the
Council’s website
Scrutiny Continued
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Joint scrutiny exercise held with Suffolk Coastal District
Council on works on the highway and the Bascule Bridge
Greater emphasis placed on external scrutiny of
partners (eg 1st East, Primary Care Trust)
Suffolk Coastal District Council and Beccles Parish
Council representatives, plus Chairman of East Suffolk
Lines Community Rail Partnership co-opted onto
Scrutiny Sub-Committee for duration of Beccles Rail
Loop scrutiny review (advisory / non-voting).
Representatives from the Tenants Association involved
in scrutiny review for Lettable Standards (including site
visits and workshop).
Scrutiny Chairs demonstrate greater leadership skills
and report back to the Cabinet on behalf of their
Committees
Scrutiny Chairs received training / guidance on Equality
Impact Assessments in order to provide greater
challenge on equality issues when reviewing Council
policies
Outcome
Joint scrutiny reviews with other local authorities make
better use of resources, may have a greater public interest
(eg works on the highway and the Bascule Bridge) and
have a wider impact for improvements in service delivery
External focus on scrutiny reviews enables Scrutiny
Members to carry out their Community Leadership roles
and to hold other public sector service bodies to account
for the delivery of their services.
Additional Value for Money has been provided to the
public through the deletion of a Senior Committee Officer
Post from staffing structure and more efficient use of IT
systems
Legal
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Outcome
Significant additional work has been done to ensure
disposal of suitable sites to Housing Associations and sales
at auction of commercial sites (including Haddenham and
Pinbush).
Additional sites have been secured for affordable housing
through Housing Associations.
Increased focus on commercial leases and s.106 has
dramatically increased the Council’s income within Legal
Services and supported the improvements within the
Planning Service.
97% success rate in court which has included two Crown
Court Appeals being upheld, the Council’s first custodial
sentence in relation to licensing matters, and recovering the
Council’s highest ever levels of fines (up to £2500 in one
case)
Significantly more prosecutions are now being brought by
the Council including private sector housing and land
drainage.
Legal Services has been successfully restructured to
provide more dedicated qualified legal support.
The Council has been able to provide improved Value for
Money through disposal at auction of commercial property
(above valuation), and increasing recovery of its own legal
costs in all areas.
Increased trust for members of the public in the actions and
decisions the Council makes and reducing the overall cost to
the Council tax payer.
The speed of services to customers in Planning have
improved dramatically.
The rights of citizens within Waveney are being strongly and
successfully protected through the Courts.
Electoral
Achievements for 2008 / 09
District and Parish Elections successfully delivered with a
very small core team.
Visited students to encourage participation and voter
registration
Canvass completed using a three way approach focused on
equality and diversity and value for money, including the
introduction of text messaging to acknowledge a ‘no change’
household form for the Register of Electors.
Worked with Suffolk Colleagues on initiatives to encourage
registration and other avenues of partnership working – the
Council co-ordinated the introduction of a leaflet for insertion
into the citizenship packs awarded by the County Council at
Citizenship Ceremonies to encourage these new citizens to
register to vote.
Elections Team achieved a ‘commended’ award for equality
and diversity in the annual Waveney District Council staff
awards.
Electoral Registration Performance Indicators Introduced –
the Council is at or above all the expected standards for
electoral services with qualified and trained staff at the centre.
Outcome
Increased public involvement and engagement in the
democratic process and trust in the electoral system.
Increased education and promotion of local democracy with
over 250 Sixth Form students across the Waveney area.
Improved and simpler methods to register ‘no change’ of
registration details – use increased from 13% to 26.7%,
Performance & Improvement
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Production of the Business Continuity Plans
Introduction of the new Performance Management
Framework
Development of Value For Money
Emergency Planning provision
Continued embedding of Data Quality
Setting up the Partnership register
Review and refresh of the Corporate Plan
Outcome
In the event of a major emergency the Council has robust
and tested plans in place to ensure business continuity of key
services. For 2008-09 embedding of this work helped
contribute to the UoR level 2 target. NB Emergency Planning
is now managed by the Head of Environment and Housing
Improved management of our performance as evidenced by
Performance indicators performing well against the national
picture and delivering our priorities
Raising the profile of Value for Money through training and
awareness helped maintain UoR at level 2.
Public confidence that Emergency Plan works effectively
and safeguards the community
NB Emergency Planning is now managed by the Head of
Environment and Housing
Confidence by the Community and partners in the quality of
data produced by the Council and an improved Data Quality
score within UoR.
Controls in place for our key partnerships including an
established partnership monitoring and review process
Corporate up to date summary of the Council’s priorities and
performance for use both internally by the organisation and
externally by partners and the community.
Performance & Improvement continued
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Streamlining of Service Planning process
Outcome
Service Plans produced on a timely basis which links
business planning directly to our strategic priorities
Level 2 Equality Standard
A strong voice in the Local Government review process
Updated Policy register
Delivery of the CIT/I&DeA training and development
programme
Embedding the consultation and engagement process with
our diverse community
A preferred option that provides the best possible Unitary
authority for Waveney’s citizens
All required Policy Equality Impact Assessments completed
and available through Wired
A modernised and fit for purpose Council and Top Team
HR
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Developed an agreed Organisational Development policy,
strategy and action plan for the Council
Absence management policy reinforced and managers
supported in the effective management of absence.
Appropriate and accurate advice and management of the
HR aspects of TUPE transfers
Managing restructures, including redeployments and
redundancies.
HR Policies and procedures going through a programme of
Equality Impact Assessments.
Signed up to the Skills Pledge
Top Team Leadership Programme commissioned.
Outcome
The Council has a strategy and action plan to develop the
organisation, and address its own specific challenges and
national strategic priorities. It was approved by SMT in May
2008 and has been regularly monitored by SMT.
The policy was reinforced with further training for managers
in June 2008 and ongoing support in terms of managing both
long and short term absence. The performance indicator has
improved and the authority is in the top quartile. As a result
productivity and efficiency has also improved.
Successful and smooth transfer of over 200 staff to
Waveney Norse avoiding any appeals, grievances and unfair
dismissals. The partner acknowledged that it was the
smoothest transfer of staff they had been involved with.
Up to £2million saved on establishment costs due to
management restructure, deleting vacancies, voluntary
redundancies and reviews of individual services. This has
supported the budget process and addressed the significant
budget gap.
HR Policies and Procedures are inclusive and nondiscriminatory.
A programme of NVQ training has commenced with the
Customer Services Team. This will ensure staff feel valued
and provide and excellent customer experience.
The programme maximises the top team’s collective
engagement to produce highly effective team-working and
leadership to the benefit of the authority.
HR continued
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Achieved Level 2 of the Equality Standard
Series of workshops held ‘Working Positively Through
Change’
Management on Toolkit on Intranet
Outcome
Embedding and valuing equality and diversity has improved
the service that the authority gives to all the citizens including
‘hard to hear/hard to reach’ groups.
Staff are engaged and more prepared for the transition to
unitary and/or shared working expected in the forthcoming
year.
Managers are able to quickly access information and
guidance on people management issues.
Asset Management
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Condition Surveys and Asset Reviews completed on 360
Assets.
Outcome
Backlog maintenance values established and maintenance
programme being put in place to address backlog.
Continuing the works to reconcile the Asset Register and
CAPS system at present to ensure external validation of
accounts in future years .
Asset Register and CAPS system reconciled.
Backlog of Lease Renewals and Rent Reviews completed
on Assets with an annual rent of £2,000 or more.
Optimised rental values and increase income.
Freehold disposed of 4 Assets to the value of £346,000.
Freehold acquisition of Marina Centre (£2.5m).
Lead on the accommodation work-stream for Waveney
Campus, which continues.
Statutory work associated with DDA – 85.71% completed,
Legionella – 79 properties completed/Asbestos 81 properties
completed /H&S ongoing and progressing.
8 Capital projects completed / continuing.
Disposal of surplus assets providing capital/ receipt.
Acquisition of premises enabling modern customer facing
facilities and vacation of poor quality and outdated facilities.
Contributes to the provision and occupation of the new
corporate offices in 2011.
Meet statutory requirements.
Improve environment and / or services.
Procurement
Outcome
Achievements for 2008 / 09
Cashable Savings achieved directly through Procurement
from 1st April 2008- 25th February 2009
£682,953
Significant progress made on procurement of the Waveney
Campus
Progress towards new and modernised ways of working
£500,000 of steel ordered
Significant progress made on procurement of remedial works
to the Campus Quay
Significant progress in meeting Waveney’s “Enabling
Agenda”
Procurement Team win a SOPO award for their part in the
procurement of the Waveney Norse Joint Venture Company.
Setup of the Waveney Norse JVCo and associated
management and monitoring arrangements.
National Award and Recognition of excellence
(Society of Procurement Officers)
Contracts database maintained
Significant progress in meeting Waveney’s “Enabling
Agenda”
Will help with financial controls and ensure goods and
services are procured effectively
Significant procurement progress made on: -North Lowestoft Skate Park
-Community Toilet Scheme
-Asset Management
Award of Contract for construction made
Documents scoped ready to go for information for Scrutiny
in July
Ready to shortlist for award of tender May/June