Notes of the North West Scrutiny Support Officers' Network Meeting

Preston City Council - 15th June 2006

Present:

• Blackpool Borough Council - Peter Baines and Steve Sienkiewicz
• Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council - James Dearling
• Burnley Borough Council - Eric Dickinson
• Cumbria County Council - Nicola Edwards
• Fylde Borough Council - Tracy Scholes and Annie Womack
• Halton Borough Council - Alex Villiers
• Hyndburn Borough Council - Paul Preston
• Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council - Joanne Griffiths and Rachel Flood
• Lancashire County Council - Alison Moore and Josh Mynott
• Lancaster City Council - Liz Bateson
• Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council - Rob Haddrell
• Pendle Borough Council - Kath Haydock
• Preston City Council - Steven Dugdale, Julie Grundy and Jacqui Pollock
• Salford City Council - Amanda Carbery
• Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council - Mike Morris
• South Ribble Borough Council - Joanne Heron
• St Helens Council - Cath Fletcher
• Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - Andrew Burridge
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council - Howard Boots and David Nicholson
• University of Chester - Jon Talbot

Apologies for Absence:

• Bury Metropolitan Borough Council - Andrew Woods
• Chester City Council - Sabeena Domun and Brian Reed
• Cumbria County Council - Doug Scott
• St Helens District Council - Peter Hughes
• Eden District Council - Gillian Kartach

1. Introduction

Steven Dugdale welcomed everyone to Preston and invited Howard Boots to Chair the meeting for consistency purposes.

Howard Boots then welcomed three new Scrutiny representatives from Councils in Oldham, Bolton and Manchester.

2. Notes of the Last Meeting

The notes of the last meeting of the Network held on 26 January 2006 were approved as a correct record.

3. Update on the Website for the Network

Howard Boots reported that North West Employers' Organisation's website was due to 'go-live' with a dedicated NWSSO Forum web page on 12 June 2006. However, due to technical problems, he reported that the webpage will be delayed to a future date and the Forum will be updated accordingly on any further progress.

4. Scrutiny Qualification

Jon Talbot from Chester University attended to update the Forum regarding the forthcoming introduction of the Post-Graduate Overview and Scrutiny qualification. He reported that the course should be available in January 2007 as many of the modules have been completed. However, Jon advised the Forum that work still needs to be done on the virtual learning environment.

Jon reported that the qualification is a demand led programme which is the first of its kind in the Country and that it will be a national qualification open to all students, not just those working within Local Government.

A query was raised regarding the cost of the study programme. Jon stated that prices will be £275 per module but that the University would expect that if employers are paying for the course of study, full payment will be expected prior to the start of the course. Jon also stated that if a student can prove that part of a module has already been completed in the workplace then there would be room for negotiating certain modules at half the cost.

Jon also confirmed that this qualification is in no way related to the NVQ for Democratic Services. Forum Members were directed to Blackpool Borough Council if they had any queries regarding the NVQ.

Finally it was requested that Jon's contact details appear within the minutes and they are as follows:-

• Tel. 01244 512108
• Email. j.talbot@chester.ac.uk

5. Health Scrutiny Links with New NHS Regional Structures

Howard Boots advised members that whilst this item had been placed on the agenda by Doug Scott of Cumbria County Council, that Doug was unable to attend the Forum today.

However, Howard reported that the new North West Strategic Health Authority will come into existence next month and is something which will affect us all. Howard reminded Members of regional scrutiny review of the reconfiguration of the Cleft Lip and Palate Service that had involved some 22 local authorities and had become very complicated and unwieldy. As such, Howard expressed the need for all authorities to keep up with the challenge of scrutinising the Strategic Health Authority.

Doug Scott has suggested that the Forum meets with SHAofficers in September 2006 in order to discuss the new regional arrangements and this was supported.

Finally, Howard pointed out the need to talk to elected Members on this issue. He also stated that the idea of a politically balanced Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the Region was vast.

This item will appear for further discussion on future agendas.

6. Appreciative Inquiry

Andrew Burridge of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council gave a presentation on a recently completed Appreciative Inquiry (AI) undertaken by the Scrutiny Team in Stockport.

He firstly explained the nature of an AI, which was originally developed in the US and is a specific approach to change management used for organisational and community development.

The AI at Stockport was an 'Action learning Project of Health Inequalities in Brinnington'. He stated that Scrutiny at Stockport had been successful in securing funding from the Centre for Public Scrutiny in the sum of £19,000 which had enabled the AI to progress.

Andrew gave details of the level of involvement which was required by all the stakeholders concerned, including Councillors, members of the community, the Council for Voluntary Service, the Primary Care Trust and the Police, to name a few.

He explained that the Health Inequalities issue was targeted in Brinnington as it is the most deprived neighbourhood in Stockport and on average a person living in that area would be likely to live 6 years less than those living in other parts of the Borough.

Andrew circulated leaflets which had been distributed to the community of Brinnington inviting them to share their personal stories on living in the area. Several initiatives were undertaken to engage with the community and the Scrutiny Team offered incentives such as vouchers, crèche facilities and refreshments.

The key principles of an AI are:-

• To be positive
• Meaningful cross-section involved
• Equal involvement
• By asking appreciative questions and gathering stories, a shared vision is created
• By involving everyone in an equal way people can commit to change straight away

All in all the AI commissioned a consultant, recruited 160 stakeholders, held 3 public meetings, plus held other sessions, and gathered 200 stories.

By focusing on what the community of Brinnington would want in an ideal world, the AI built relationships and empowered the participants to draw up conclusions and submit a series of 90 recommendations which have to be addressed within the area.

Andrew confirmed that an Area Co-Ordinator is now responsible for ensuring that these recommendations are carried out.

A general discussion was then held on the presentation and information received.

7. Local Area Agreements - Performance Monitoring

Andrew Burridge introduced this item on Local Area Agreements which are to replace past Public Service Agreements. He confirmed that Stockport's Local Area Agreement was agreed last year.

He reported that there is currently a consultation document from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on Local Strategic Partnerships which should eventually see strengthened LAAs and LSPs.

Andrew queried as to whether any other authority's Scrutiny Committee received performance monitoring reports on work currently undertaken via the LSPs.

Amanda Carbery, Salford confirmed that their LSPs provide a quarterly report to their Scrutiny Committee. Joanne Heron, South Ribble confirmed that they too receive quarterly monitoring reports.

Howard Boots then requested that if any authority has examples of good work undertaken with their LAAs or LSPs, to share them with the Forum and contact Christine Reid at Tameside MBC for circulation.

8. Services for Children and Young People

Howard Boots reported that this item had been placed on the agenda by one of his colleagues as Tameside has recently concluded their first meeting of their Children and Young People Panel. He enquired as to whether any other authority has one of these Panels.

It was reported that Sefton has had a Children's Panel for some time which includes everything to do with young people. Halton and Salford also reported having these panels; however they had only recently been set up.

Josh Mynott and Alison Moore, Lancashire County Council reported that their Children and Young Persons Panel consisted of 18 members and 12 co-opted members

9. Any Other Business

Rob Haddrell of Oldham Borough Council reported that his team is currently undergoing a quality bench marking process which they will eventually use for Service Planning. He also asked if any other Local Authorities have their Overview and Scrutiny Committees chaired by Opposition Members.

Howard Boots confirmed that a Tameside scrutiny panel was chaired by a member of the Opposition Group and referred to the Centre for Public Scrutiny website which sets out a self assessment framework. He too enquired as to whether anyone had completed anything with regard to a quality framework but he cautioned that there are many different types of Authority and there would therefore be a great deal of difference in how each of them operates their Scrutiny function.

It was then suggested that future topics for discussion at this network meeting would be:-

• Quality Framework for Scrutiny
• North West Regional Assembly - To Consult on Re-Organisation

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held at South Ribble Borough Council in October at a date and time to be arranged.