Agenda item

Report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

To consider potential items for inclusion on the 2009/10 work programme as subjects of detailed scrutiny review:

• Planning for an ageing population
• Youth Facility provision
• Preparations for the 2012 Olympics regarding the tourism potential for the district.

The Head of Recreation and Health and the Head of Safer Communities and Community Development will be present for this discussion.

The Committee considered a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services on possible topics for inclusion in the overview and scrutiny work programme for 2009/2010.

Preparations for an Ageing Population

The Head of Safer Communities and Community Development briefed the Committee on the review that had been commissioned by the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Oxfordshire County Council’s Social and Community Services Scrutiny Committee in 2006 and the subsequent report which had been considered by the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet in November 2008 and January 2009 respectively.

The report had concluded that the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board was the appropriate body to ensure that progress was made on issues relating to the demographic challenge in Oxfordshire.

The Committee commented that preparations for an ageing population incorporated different elements and age groups with differing needs e.g. the over 85 year olds who need support at the present time in contrast to the pre-retirement age group who would have different needs. The Committee noted that the Sustainable Community Strategy delivery plan would address these issues.

The Committee agreed to invite representatives of the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board to attend a future meeting of the Committee for a question and answer session to enable the Committee to learn more about “The Demographic Challenge in Oxfordshire”

The Committee agreed to invite Councillor Mrs Rose Stratford, as the Cherwell District Council representative on the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny, to monitor developments relating to “The Demographic Challenge in Oxfordshire” and to brief the Committee as appropriate.

Youth Service Provision

The Head of Recreation and Health and the Recreation and Health Improvement Manager gave a presentation on integrated youth support service which is a statutory requirement of the County Council and Cherwell District Council’s discretionary services in support of young people.

The Head of Recreation and Health explained that there is a statutory requirement to have one plan for all services for children and young people that supports local authorities and partners with clear targets and priorities. The Oxfordshire Children and Young People’s Plan is the single, strategic overarching plan for all services for children and young people in the county and the current plan would end in 2009. A new Children and Young People’s Plan was currently being developed and officers advised the Committee that it was a statutory requirement for Cherwell to feed into the plan and be a local authority partner. 

The Recreation and Health Improvement Manager explained that at district level provision of services in support of young people was a discretionary service and contact with young people was generally through housing, sport and recreation. He outlined some of the initiatives undertaken by the Council and informed the Committee that the budget for services for young people was currently in the region of £130,000. Officers informed the Committee that a Value for Money review of the council’s work for young people was scheduled for the first quarter of 2010. The Committee requested that the outcomes of the review be brought to a Committee meeting at an appropriate time.

The Committee noted that the Council seemed to be offering a lot of initiatives for young people within a relatively small budget. The Committee felt that engaging with young people and ensuring delivery of initiatives and services to meet their needs was important. They commented on the difficulties of engaging with young people in rural areas. Members of the Committee felt that youth service provision was a key area for the Council and this would emerge in the Sustainable Community Strategy consultation.

The Democratic, Scrutiny and Elections Manager advised the Committee that all local authorities have a duty to engage with young people and that this had never been reviewed at Cherwell. The Committee agreed that this was an important issue that they should consider and asked the scrutiny officer to bring additional information and scoping to the September meeting.

The Democratic, Scrutiny and Elections Manager informed the Committee that Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council had identified the provision of discretionary services for young people as a topic for potential joint scrutiny with the district councils.  In her County Councillor role, Councillor Bonner was the Chairman of the County’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee. She advised the Committee that there had been no decision to date by the county regarding a joint review of youth services. It was anticipated that the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee would make a decision regarding joint scrutiny in September. The Committee asked Councillor Bonner to advise the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee that they would be keen to participate in joint scrutiny and to inform the Committee of the outcome.

The Committee noted that the provision of and support for youth services and the promotion of youth democracy were emerging themes from the Crime & Anti-social Behaviour Task and Finish Group. The final report of the Group was due to be presented to the Executive in autumn 2009. The Committee requested that members of the Task and Finish Group be invited to the Committee’s September meeting to brief them on the conclusions of the review.

Olympics 2012: What is Cherwell doing to prepare for the games and to access the tourism potential for the district?

The Democratic, Scrutiny and Elections Manager advised the Committee that the Portfolio Holder Customer Service and ICT (with special responsibility for tourism) had commissioned a report into this issue, which would be available in the autumn. The Committee agreed to invite the Portfolio Holder Customer Service and ICT (with special responsibility for tourism) to a future meeting of the Committee to discuss the report.

Resolved

1)                               That Councillor Mrs Rose Stratford, as the Cherwell District Council representative on the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny, be invited to monitor  developments relating to “The Demographic Challenge in Oxfordshire” and to brief the Committee as appropriate

2)                               That representatives of the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board, be invited to attend a future meeting of the Committee for a question and answer session to enable the Committee to learn more about “The Demographic Challenge in Oxfordshire”

3)                               That the following topic should be added to the work programme for further research and scoping assessment and brought to the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration:

·        How Cherwell District Council engages with young people

4)                               That the outcomes of the Value for Money review of the Council’s work for young people be presented to the Committee for consideration in spring 2010.

5)                               That Councillor Bonner, as the County Council’s Chairman of the County’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, be invited to advise the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be keen to participate in joint scrutiny of discretionary youth service provisions and to inform the Committee of the outcome.

6)                               That the Portfolio Holder Customer Service and ICT (with special responsibility for tourism) be invited to attend a future meeting to discuss the report relating to Cherwell’s preparations for the 2012 Olympics 2012 and to access the tourism potential for the district.