Agenda, decisions and minutes

8. Work Programme 2017-18.

Councillor Jolanta Lis, Declaration, as a Trustee of Citizens Advice Bureau, who were mentioned in the report regarding a future item to Committee.

There were no items of urgent business.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 25 May 2017.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 25 May 2017 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

Lead Member for Clean and Green, Councillor Debbie Pickford, will attend the meeting to give an overview of her areas of responsibility.

Resolved

(1)       That the overview be noted

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Debbie Pickford, Lead Member for Clean and Green, to the meeting, to give an overview of the role and responsibilities of the portfolio.

Councillor Pickford explained that the portfolio covered waste and recycling, grounds maintenance, litter picking, air quality and markets.

Regarding waste and recycling, Councillor Pickford explained to the Committee that Cherwell District Council had been one of the first Council’s to take up recycling, and performance was currently at 57%.

Councillor Pickford added that due to the large scale development taking place across the district, it had been necessary to change the bin collection schedule so that some households would have a new bin collection day from August. Correspondence had started to be delivered to all affected households during week commencing 10 July, and copies would also be sent to all District Councillors for information.

With regards to grounds maintenance, Councillor Pickford explained that it involved anything green on Council owned land. An ongoing issue in relation to the maintenance was currently being investigated and further updates would be given in due course.

In connection with Air Quality and action the Council could take to help improve the situation with its own vehicles, Councillor Pickford explained that the refuse vehicles used were very efficient. It was unlikely that electric refuse vehicles would be an option in future due to the start-stop nature of the rounds and the amount of power needed to run the vehicle and the bin lift. It could however be an option to run electric versions of the smaller vehicles used, and this would be investigated.

The Committee commented that in their respective dealings with the waste and recycling team and refuse crews they always found the staff to be extremely pleasant and helpful, and asked that their thanks be passed on.

The Committee thanked Councillor Pickford for the overview.  

Resolved

(1)       That the overview be noted

Report of Director of Operational Delivery

Purpose of report

To provide an overview of the new Safeguarding Training Framework for Cherwell District Council.

To receive feedback and approval for implementation.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1    To approve the new Safeguarding Training Framework for Cherwell District Council.

Resolved

(1)       That the Safeguarding Training Framework for Cherwell District Council be approved

The Committee considered a report from the Direction – Operational Delivery which detailed a proposed Safeguarding Training Framework for Cherwell District Council.

The Community Services Manager Nicola Riley introduced Safeguarding Officer Maria Wareham to the Committee. Maria had joined the Council in February and would be responsible for Safeguarding across Cherwell and South Northamptonshire.

The officers explained that all roles across the council had been assessed and categorised, based on their involvement with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults. Depending on the grade of the role, the officer would then receive the relevant level of training; an ‘awareness only’ approach, for those with no direct exposure to relevant groups, to give a basic understanding of the safeguarding principles and their responsibilities; a ‘generalist’ approach for those who may have some contact with relevant groups in certain settings; and a ‘specialist’ approach for those identified as safeguarding leads or those officers with specific responsibility for safeguarding or line management of officers with such a role.

The officers advised that the Councillors role had been assessed as a level 1, ‘awareness’. This meant that Councillors would require relevant training to be completed every three years, although it was anticipated that a session would be run annually so Members could choose when they wished to attend.

In response to questions from the Committee, the Community Services Manager advised that taxi drivers providing school transport would be covered by Safeguarding requirements of the County Council.

With regard to queries relating to independent taxi contractors such as Uber, the Community Services Manager agreed to pass the question to the Public Protection Manager, as department lead for the Licensing team.      

Resolved

(1)       That the Safeguarding Training Framework for Cherwell District Council be approved

Report of Assistant Director Transformation and Governance

Purpose of report

To give an update on the Overview and Scrutiny work programme for 2017-2018

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

1.1         To review the draft work programme (Appendix 1).

1.2         To identify any items from the Executive Work Programme to form part of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2017/18

1.3         To identify any other possible future topics for scrutiny and consider whether these topics should have scoping documents produced, based on the considerations of risk and what value scrutiny can add through considering the issue.

Resolved

(1)       That the draft work programme be noted

(2)       That officers be requested to attend a future meeting to give a briefing to the Committee on the approach for dealing with anti-social behaviour by the Council

(3)       That no further items be added to the work programme at this time

The Committee considered the work programme for the coming year.

With regard to the A361 review, it was agreed that Councillors Brown and Williams be asked if they wished to carry on as co-opted members of the working group.

The Committee also requested that further information be sought from Oxfordshire County Council, regarding the Department for Transport funding project discussed earlier in the year.

In connection with the mobile signal working group, Councillor McHugh expressed an interest in joining the group.

With regard to the request made at the previous meeting relating to Anti-social behaviour, it was agreed that relevant officers be contacted to request an overview at a future meeting of the Committee.

Resolved

(1)       That the draft work programme be noted

(2)       That officers be requested to attend a future meeting to give a briefing to the Committee on the approach for dealing with anti-social behaviour by the Council

(3)       That no further items be added to the work programme at this time