Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remote Meeting via Zoom

Contact: Chris Cadman-Dando
Democratic Services Officer
01903 221364  Email: chris.cadman-dando@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

JOSC/33/20-21

Declaration of Interests

Members and officers must declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in relation to

any business on the agenda. Declarations should also be made at any stage such

an interest becomes apparent during the meeting.

 

If in doubt contact the Legal or Democratic Services representative for this meeting.

Minutes:

Cllr Walker and Cllr howard  declared an interest as a food bank coordinator for a charity in Worthing.

 

Cllr Arnold declared an interest as an organiser of a food cafe for poverty.

 

Cllr Stainforth declared an interest as an organiser of a mutual aid organisation in Adur

JOSC/34/20-21

Substitute Members

Minutes:

There were no substitutions

JOSC/35/20-21

Confirmation of Minutes

To approve the minutes of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of

held on 17 September 2020, copies of which have been previously circulated.

Minutes:

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting of the 17 September 2020 be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman 

JOSC/36/20-21

Public Question Time

So as to provide the best opportunity for the Committee to provide the public with the fullest answer, questions from the public should be submitted by 12.00pm Tuesday 13 October 2020

 

Where relevant notice of a question has not been given, the person presiding may either choose to give a response at the meeting or respond by undertaking to provide a written response within three working days.

 

Questions should be submitted to Democratic Services democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

 

(Note: Public Question Time will operate for a maximum of 30 minutes.)

Minutes:

There were no public questions

JOSC/37/20-21

Items Raised Under Urgency Provisions

To consider any items the Chairman of the meeting considers to be urgent

Minutes:

There were no urgent items

JOSC/38/20-21

Consideration of any matter referred to the Committee in relation to a call-in of a decision

Minutes:

There were no call-ins

JOSC/39/20-21

Executive Members for Customer Services interview pdf icon PDF 130 KB

To consider a report by the Director for Digital and Resources, copy attached as item 7

Minutes:

The Committee had before it a report attached as item 7,  a copy of which had been circulated to all Members, a copy of which is attached to a signed copy of these minutes.The report before members set out background information on the Portfolios of the Adur and  Worthing Executive Members for Customer Services to enable the Committee to consider and question the Executive Members on issues within their portfolios  and any other issues which the Executive Members are involved in connected with the work of the Councils and the Adur and Worthing communities.

 

A Member asked the following question: Temporary Accommodation Management - can you talk through the 3 major challenges and tell us how you are overcoming issues with lack of cooking facilities? The Executive Member for Customer Services (Adur ) listed the following three main challenges and why they were important: Ensuring the supply of good quality and affordable permanent accommodation, accommodating single people with complex needs and reaching people before they need temporary accommodation. In relation to cooking facilities members were told that All households with children are in self contained accommodation. 57% of all households are  accommodated in self contained units with cooking facilities, and. 24% are in Houses of Multiple Occupation with shared kitchen facilities.The Councils were building properties precisely because of the knowledge of how important access to a kitchen and other facilities were.

 

A Member asked the following question: Do you think the changes that are taking place in the staffing restructure of the Repairs and Maintenance section of Adur Homes, are happening at a fast enough pace? If not, how would you suggest this is moved forward to hasten this change? Members were told that the Council had implemented changes in the management of the Repairs and Maintenance Service. Three supervisory roles were created to ensure trade operatives receive better supervision. A Repairs and Modernisation Manager started in April 2020 and managed Building services, which dealt with repairs. In the previous 12 months, a Fire Safety Manager role had also been created and filled. A wider transformation programme to improve the service had started. The programme, which would involve tenants in rethinking how the service is delivered, would improve the technology, processes and practice, and ensure that the staffing and skills required to deliver an excellent customer experience was in place. While the journey to achieve an excellent service for the residents of Adur Homes still had a long way to go, feedback from tenants show that some of the early measures put in place to support the staff and ensure accountability were achieving the desired effect.

 

A Member asked the following question: What training are Adur Homes staff receiving to help them become better at assessing the needs of the residents by working more closely with them? The Executive Member explained that Housing services created an annual training plan to ensure officers received the training they needed to deliver the service. Three Adur Homes staff were currently on an apprenticeship  ...  view the full minutes text for item JOSC/39/20-21

JOSC/40/20-21

Discussions on Food Poverty pdf icon PDF 137 KB

To consider a report by the Director for Communities, copy attached as item 8

Minutes:

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital and Resources, attached as item 8. The report before Members provides an overview of the work being undertaken by the Councils relating to food and support for the vulnerable experiencing food insecurity.

 

The Head of Wellbeing introduced the report to the committee. A representative from community works explained how the organisation worked within the community to coordinate matters during the covid 19 crisis.

 

A Member asked if in the case of another lockdown it is likely that there would be an increase in the need for food, had WBC asked for increased funding from a govt fund. Members were told that a DEFRA granny had gone to WSCC and if there was a requirement for emergency food need residents could be directed to WSCC. A further £10k had been allocated to Adur and Worthing. Officers were working on building resilience should there be an increased need. Community works were a valuable tool for finding additional funding.

 

A Member expressed concerns that A&W only had a small percentage of the money allocated to WSCC. It was asked whether the Councils were supporting mutual aids enough. Members were told that the councils were in communication with WSCC and assessing need as the situation developed the demand for resources and the projection of that demand was an ongoing matter.

 

            Resolved: that the report be noted

JOSC/41/20-21

Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 125 KB

To consider a report by the Director for Digital and Resources, copy attached as item 9

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital and Resources, a copy of which had been circulated to all members, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as item 9. The report outlined plans to implement the work contained in the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) Work Programme for 2020/21 and also provided information on 15 scrutiny requests which had been received from members of the public.

 

Members discussed the scrutiny requests and the decisions are summarised as follows:

 

·       Request A - that the request be not added to the work programme and the requester be contacted with reasons as to why;

·       Request B and C - that the request be accepted and that a report come forward from the safer communities team and that the committee determine at that point if a further working group is warranted based on the report;

·       Request D - that a statement from the relevant Executive Member be received;

·       Request F,G and H - that the matters be not added and the resident be directed to the relevant County Councillor;

·       Request I - that the resident be directed to the councils LCWIP and WSCC and that the matter be not added to the work programme;

·       Request J - that the matter be not added due to ongoing work elsewhere in the authority as part of the councils’ sustainability framework;

·       Request K - that the matter be not added to the work programme due to the completion of a working group on the matter. The individual issue could be discussed at a future meeting of the working group if appropriate;

·       Request L - that the matter be referred to the Executive member for the environment to provide a response to JOSC at a future meeting

·       Request M - that the matter be looked at across both areas, initially as a report from officers to the January meeting;

·       Request N - that officers provide an explanation as to why there are gaps in tidal defences

·       Request O - that the matter be not added to the work programme and that the ward councillor take the matter up with the resident directly

 

The committee discussed the work programme in general and asked that the media team be thanked for promoting the work of the committee.

 

            Resolved:  that the work programme as amended be noted

JOSC/42/20-21

JOSC Working Group on the review of the Adur Homes Repairs and Maintenance Service pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To consider a report by the Director for Digital and Resources, copy attached as item 10

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital and Resources, a copy of which had been circulated to all members, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as item 10. The report set out the work and recommendations from the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) Working Group which was created as part of the JOSC Work Programme to review the Adur Homes Repairs and Maintenance service.

 

The Chairman of the working group introduced the report to the Committee which was received without contest.

 

Resolved: that the report and recommendations be sent to the Joint Strategic Committee for consideration.