Agenda and minutes

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2018 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Lead Members to update the Committee on the progress of their Panels (10 mins)

Planning Panel – Cabinet agreed to pass the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to the Planning Advisory Service who were conducting an independent review of the Council’s Planning Committees.

Council Tax Support Scheme – The consultation had now been completed and the panel would meet on 29 October to consider the outcomes and agree their final report.

Parking (Car Park and Streets) Panel – The panel had been going well, the next meeting would look in more detail at specific areas and discuss the way forward.

Budget Panel – nothing to report.

To provide an overview of the internal audit work covering the financial year 2017-18 (20 mins)

Consideration was given to a report of the Shared Internal Audit Manager which outlined the work undertaken by Internal Audit from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 and the overall performance in delivery of the 2017-18 Audit Plan.  It also provided a summary of the work undertaken to August 2018 on the delivery of the 2018/19 Audit Plan.

The review of the effectiveness of Internal Audit had shown that there was substantial compliance with the Standards detailed in the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards 2013. 

Congratulations would be passed on to the Audit Team who had carried out a comprehensive review despite being short staff.

Resolved:

That the work performed by the internal audit team over the previous year (April 2017 – March 2018) be endorsed.

Report on the provision of drug support services in Test Valley (20 minutes)

Consideration was given to a report of the Community Engagement Manager which set out the provision of drug support services in Test Valley in order to understand the multi-agency support available in the borough for people with drug dependency.  Drug support services for Young People and Adults in the Test Valley were commissioned by Hampshire County Council. 

These services work with other agencies, including Test Valley Borough Council, Police and others, to support and advise local multi-agency partnerships dealing with all aspects and impacts of drug related matters.

The provision of support services for those with a drug dependency within Test Valley was the responsibility of Hampshire County Council. Currently, those services were operated by Inclusion, for adults; and Catch-22 for young people, each of whom report directly to Hampshire County Council. Where drug related issues arise in a criminal justice context, these would be the responsibility of the Police to investigate. 

Hampshire County Council had recently concluded a consultation process into the future provision of these (and other) services. However, the outcome of this process was not yet known.

The Committee stressed the importance of early intervention and were keen to explore opportunities and funding streams that may be available to the Council and others for the provision of drug education services for young people.

Members requested that the report title be changed from ‘Drug Prevention Services in Test Valley’ to ‘Drug Intervention Services in Test Valley’ to better reflect the work and services undertaken by multi agencies.

Resolved:

That the report be noted and partnership approach be endorsed.

Recommended to Cabinet:

That opportunities for funding drug prevention education programmes be explored.

To consider the findings from the Public Involvement Panel and bring forward a proposed action plan to enable the Council to continue to strengthen its approach to engaging and involving communities and the public more effectively (20 minutes)

Consideration was given to a report of the Lead Member of the Public Involvement Panel which set out how the review findings into public involvement would be put into practice as part of the Council’s approach to strengthening public involvement.

The panel had undertaken a review into public involvement which reflected on the progress the Council had made over recent years to engage and involve communities and the public more effectively in informing decision making. 

The Panel had identified a number of proposals which could help the Council continue to strengthen its approach to public involvement.  The Member and Community Development Working Group had endorsed the proposals and developed an action plan for how they could be implemented in a practical way. 

Recommended to Cabinet:

That the proposed action plan emanating from the Public Involvement Review be endorsed ready for onward submission to Cabinet.

(It is proposed that the Action Plan will form part of the work programme for the Member and Community Development Working Group)

To enable Members to keep the Committee’s future work programme under review (10 minutes)

The Chairman informed the Committee that the items put forward at the Away Day would be considered as a separate item at the next meeting.

The Committee considered and updated the Work Programme as follows:

·  Council Tax Support Scheme Panel’s final report - add to 14 November

Resolved:

That the future work programme be approved.