Cardiff Council has asked us to inform our members of the draft schedule of items that may be considered at their scrutiny committee meetings in November. Please note: this schedule is subject to change.
If C3SC members would like to put forward a question at a meeting, please email enquiries@c3sc.org.uk
Committee | Date and Location |
Proposed Agenda Items |
| Tuesday 3 November 4.30pm
Committee Room 4, County Hall |
Following a light touch update of this policy last year, Cabinet is planning to consider a more in depth review of the policy and procedures at their meeting on 3 December. The review will take into account views of users and trade unions, and also seeks to deal with issues identified by Audit Committee in relation to consistency of sanctions. Cabinet Member Graham Hinchey and Chief Human Resources Officer Philip Lenz will attend the Committee to present the Review, and to answer Members’ questions.
Cardiff Council owns a significant estate of properties that it holds as investment, often leased to third parties. Given the potential financial impact of changes to the estate and commentary by Wales Audit Office in their 2014 Corporate Assessment of Cardiff Council, the Committee has shown strong interest in this subject, and will welcome Councillor Graham Hinchey and Director of Economic Development Neil Hanratty to scrutinise the proposals before Cabinet considers them later in the month.
If a local third sector organisation submits a question on the above items, Members will be pleased to hear and respond to the question. |
| Community & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee | Wednesday 4 November 5.00pm Committee Room 4, County Hall |
The Council is seeking to transform the social care support it provides to adults. Cabinet Member Councillor Susan Elsmore will attend Committee with Director of Social care Tony Young, Director of communities Sarah McGill and officers to explain progress being made on this agenda.
The Council is planning to remodel across a range of day opportunities for older people in response to changes in demand and expectations of the type of services provided. Committee will provide pre-Decision scrutiny of a report being considered by Cabinet later on 12 November. The item is presented in the context of the 2015/16 savings plan, and to provide access to services which are financially sustainable over the next few years and offering more opportunities for people. There is likely to be a considerable increase in demand for dementia care services over the next 20 years. The remodeling on day care services will provide:
If a local third sector organisation submits a question on Street Homelessness, Members will be pleased to hear and respond to the question. Possible items for December:
Possible items for January:
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| Thursday 5 November
4.30pm Committee Room 4, County Hall |
The Council has an ambition to develop a Multi-Purpose Arena to attract conferences and conventions to Cardiff, and to host music and sports events. Members will be updated on the market testing exercise, market consultation and concept developments that have been undertaken for the Arena. Prior to a report being taken to Cabinet, Members will have the opportunity to review the proposals for the facility.
Members will undertake a multi-layered scrutiny of the City’s Library Service. Councillor Peter Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Co-operatives, Social Enterprise and Community Development will attend the Committee with Communities Director Sarah McGill to support scrutiny of:
If a local third sector organisation submits a question on either of the above agenda topics, Members will be pleased to hear and respond to the question.
Possible items for December:
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| Tuesday 10 November 2.30pm Committee Room 4 County Hall |
The Consortium has been set up to support school improvement across Cardiff and four neighbouring local authorities. Members will consider the contribution the Consortium is making in this area. Attending the meeting will be Hannah Woodhouse (the Managing Director), Cabinet Member for Education Councillor Sarah Marry, and Director of Education Nick Batchelar. Accompanying this item will be a briefing paper on the Support and Development by the Consortium of School Leaders.
Each year the Committee spends time reviewing the performance of Cardiff’s schools, to monitor trends and identify opportunities for improvement. Because of the size of this task, it has recently been agreed to divide it into a number of blocks, and on this occasion Members will scrutinise our schools’ performance in Literacy and Numeracy. A panel including the cabinet Member for Education, Director of Education and education specialists will be available to answer Member’s questions and support the scrutiny. If available, the Committee will receive from the Director of Education an update on Estyn’s Monitoring Visit, which took place in October. Possible pre-Decision items for November or December (timings to be confirmed). Committee may consider one or more of the following items at its November or December meetings, prior to cabinet consideration:
If a local third sector organisation submits a question on the issues coming to Committee, Members will be pleased to hear and respond to the question. |
| Tuesday 10 November 4.30pm Committee Room 4 County Hall |
Members will scrutinise and provide feedback on work being undertaken to develop and deliver the ‘Modified In House – Neighbourhood Services Project’. They will review the Project’s initial scope and aims, the budget proposals it has been tasked to achieve, and the outcome of phase 1 of the Project (which was based around a pilot in the South West area of Cardiff). The scrutiny will explore the relationship between this Project and the development of the ‘Infrastructure Services Project’, and the Project’s next phase.
Committee will review the approach taken by the Council to manage litter in the city. This will look at the current resources and approach; education & enforcement; and future options being considered by Cabinet in a paper titled ‘City Operations – Wider Enforcement Powers’ at their November meeting.
Arrangements for the management of waste in Cardiff is changing significantly, and Members will consider three significant developments to support the Council’s current and future waste disposal needs:
If a local third sector organisation submits a question on either of the above agenda topics, Members will be pleased to hear and respond to the question.
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Joint meeting of Scrutiny Sub Committees | Date, time and venue to be confirmed | (Subject to Confirmation)
Four scrutiny committees have established sub committees to consider Community Hub proposals being developed to integrate service delivery and information about Council services. Proposals for a new community hub for the Llanedeyrn area, based in the Powerhouse building as part of the Maelfa Redevelopment will be considered by Cabinet in December, and if scrutiny committees wish to meet jointly to provide scrutiny viewpoints to the cabinet member and officers a meeting will be arranged for this purpose.
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Scrutiny Task and Finish Inquiries for 2015 – 16
As a new Municipal Year and work programme get underway, Committees are beginning to undertake a new wave of Inquiries, detailed below. The Scrutiny Forward Plan will keep you updated on progress, but please feel free to contact paul.keeping@cardiff.gov.uk if you would like any further information at this point.
Joint Committee Inquiries
- Community Infrastructure Levy – Members of all five Scrutiny Committees (co-ordinated by Policy Review and Performance Scrutiny Committee) will collaborate in November to ensure that arrangements for the introduction of a new Community Infrastructure Levy are carefully considered prior to their agreement by Cabinet next year. The Levy will work alongside existing developer contributions to fund support for vital civic infrastructure such as roads and schools, as Cardiff grows during the period of the Local Development Plan up to 2026.
Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee
- Schools Causing Concern – a new phase of meetings with schools whose performance is in the “red” category is planned to progress this Inquiry over the coming year, following the seven meetings held last year.
- Sexual Exploitation of Children – Following recent high profile reporting of problems experienced in other parts of the UK, the Committee is currently scoping this inquiry to support the highest standards of safeguarding in Cardiff. The Inquiry is planned to take place during the autumn and winter of 2015, reporting in 2016.
- Listening to Young People – following successful similar events held in previous years, the Committee is planning to conduct a listening day with young people to identify their concerns and opportunities, for ensuring that Council services meet all their needs. Further details to follow.
Community & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee
- How to Reduce Crime and Disorder in the Night Time Economy in a Time of Austerity– The Committee is currently scoping the inquiry to seek a solution focused approach to identifying how best to reduce crime and disorder in the city’s night-time economy as public and third sector resources come under greater and greater pressure.
- Information, Advice & Assistance Services for Mental Health Service Users – Following focus groups held in August, Members will receive a report detailing findings of primary research undertaken to inform the task group in its work.
Economy & Culture Scrutiny Committee
- Cardiff’s Bus Interchange and Transportation Hub – a new wave of meetings will be held with Environmental Scrutiny to ensure that the new Bus Station and Central Square Development progress to planned timescales, deliver agreed benefits, and keep key stakeholders involved and informed.
- National Non Domestic Rates – Committee intends to examine if Cardiff is receiving a fair share from Welsh Government of the NNDR contributions that it collects from all 22 local authorities in Wales.
- Cardiff’s Maritime Heritage: The Potential – Committee has initiated an Inquiry which seeks to discover how other British cities have worked to protect and renew their Victorian and Edwardian docks building assets in the face of competition from modern Grade A office accommodation and challenging conservation guidance.
- Local Business Spend – An Inquiry to explore the economic benefits to procuring services through local businesses, and review good practice in this area from across the UK.
Environmental Scrutiny Committee
- The Use of Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 Funding to Boost Community Projects – complementing the joint inquiry referred to above, Committee will consider good practice from around the UK in how Section 106 of the Planning Act is being used to support the development and implementation of local community infrastructure.
Policy Review & Performance Scrutiny Committee
- Commercialism – As the Council is increasingly required to adopt commercial approaches to meet income targets and operate in an increasingly competitive world, the Committee will explore whether the Council’s approach to income generation is robust, and that responsibilities are clear, taking soundings both locally and across the UK.
- Information Governance – The Committee will review the findings of an earlier Inquiry to ensure it has all safeguards in place to protect individuals’ personal data, and to comply with all relevant legislation.
