Report of the Chair of the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee.

A report by the Chair of the Committee reviewed the scrutiny work programme.  This programme was attached to the report at Appendix 1.  The report sets out the activities currently being undertaken by the three other Policy and Performance Committees and considered the work programme of this Committee.  Members were requested to note the contents of the report and consider the proposals for developing the scrutiny work programme in 2015/16 and the work of the Committee.

Councillor M McLaughlin, the Chair informed that the Committee’s main activities last year had been to consider a number of called-in decisions and as a consequence it had not had the time to undertake any task and finish work. She also informed that during this Municipal Year it would be considering the Cumulative Impact Policy and she proposed that a task and finish group be established to scope this piece of work in August 2015. The Chair reminded the Committee that this work had been the idea of Councillor P Hayes and she hoped that he would agree to sit on the task and finish group.

Councillor J Williamson, the Chair of the Policy and Performance - Transformation and Resources Committee informed that her Committee had considered the changes to library opening times.  It had also undertaken extensive work, as there was no longer any funding for crisis loans, on a Local Welfare Assistance Scheme, gathered a lot of information and had produced a positive report which she hoped would be well received.

Councillor J Williamson also informed that her Committee had not yet decided what it would scrutinise in this Municipal Year.

Councillor M Sullivan, the Chair of the Policy and Performance – Regeneration and Environment Committee informed that he had attended an agenda setting meeting for his Committee earlier in the day.  His Committee would be considering whether the Council obtained value for money from Merseytravel.  It would also be looking at the provision of free bus passes for people aged 60 and over.

Councillor M Sullivan also informed that he was looking forward to the year ahead and his Committee aimed to do the best it could for the people of Wirral.

Councillor M McLaughlin, as Chair of the Policy and Performance – Families and Wellbeing Committee informed that her Committee had a big remit even though it no longer had responsibility for anti-social behaviour.

The Committee had established a Health and Care Performance Panel to scrutinise health partners and social care.  There was a lot to be done around monitoring health and the Panel would be busy again this year.

The Committee had a focus on education and had replaced the Attainment Sub-Committee with a Children Sub-Committee.  The Sub-Committee’s first piece of work would be about providing children with the best start in life.

The Committee would continue to receive regular reports to monitor performance on policy initiatives. 

There was an NHS England initiative about delivering the NHS differently with a focus on integrated care and reduced hospital admissions.  There had been 29 successful pilot bids and Wirral had been one of them.  A Spotlight session had been arranged for 20 July 2015 to inform Members of the implications of this and the vanguard status. 

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the current position with regard to the work programmes of the other three Policy and Performance Committees be noted and a review of their emerging work programmes be undertaken at the next meeting on 30 September 2015;

(2)  the Chairs of the Policy and Performance Committees note the requirement to allocate time towards the scrutiny of budget options in September/October 2015;

(3)  Members be requested to consider the Committee’s role, the draft work programme at Appendix 1 to the report and other information provided on the agenda to determine what items of work they wish to prioritise; and

(4)  The Committee agrees the proposals around the scrutiny of performance exception reports set out in paragraph 2.11 of the report and as follows:

It is proposed that Corporate Plan Performance Management and Financial Monitoring reports continue to be provided at regular Co-ordinating Committee meetings.  It is also proposed that a regular Policy update is provided.