Notice of Meeting

Community Safety Scrutiny Committee Monday 3 July 2006 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford

Membership

Chairman – Councillor John Farrow

Deputy Chairman – Rodney Rose

Councillors:

M. Altaf-Khan

Marilyn Badcock

Patrick Cartledge

 

Ian Hudspeth

Lesley Legge

Charles Mathew

 

Olive McIntosh-Stedman

Carol Viney

 

How can I have my say?

We welcome the views of the community on any issues in relation to the responsibilities of this Committee. Members of the public may ask to speak for up to 5 minutes on any item on the agenda or may suggest matters which they would like the Committee to look at.

For more information about this Committee please contact:

Chairman - Councillor John Farrow
E.mail: john.farrow@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Committee Officer - Deborah Miller, Tel: (01865) 815463
E.Mail: deborah.miller@oxfordshire.gov.uk

For Scrutiny Review Officers contact - Chris Spurgeon, Tel: (01865) 815029
E.Mail: scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk


Derek Bishop
Head of Democratic Services

June 2006

About the County Council

The Oxfordshire County Council is made up of 74 councillors who are democratically elected every four years. The Council provides a range of services to Oxfordshire’s 622,000 people. These include:

  • schools
  • social & health care
  • libraries and museums
  • the fire service
  • roads
  • trading standards
  • land use
  • transport planning
  • waste management

    • The Council employs 18,840 people. Each year the Council manages £0.7 billion of public money in providing these services. Most decisions are taken by a Cabinet of 10 Councillors, which makes decisions about service priorities and spending.

    About Scrutiny

    Scrutiny is about:

    • Providing a challenge to the Cabinet

    • Examining how well the Cabinet and the Authority are performing

    • Influencing the Cabinet on decisions that affect local people

    • Helping the Cabinet to develop Council policies

    • Representing the community in Council decision making

    • Promoting joined up working across the authority’s work

    Scrutiny is NOT about:

    • Making day to day service decisions
    • Investigating individual complaints.

    Five Scrutiny committees ‘scrutinise’ or review and challenge decisions made by the Cabinet and help it develop Council policies. There are Scrutiny Committees for:

    • Corporate Governance

    • Children’s Services

    • Environment & Economy

    • Community Safety

    • Health & Community Services

    There is also a Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee which brings together councillors from the County and the five district councils in Oxfordshire to scrutinise health issues.

    What does this Committee do?

    The Committee meets up to 6 times a year or more. It develops a work programme, which lists the issues it plans to investigate. These investigations can include whole committee investigations undertaken during the meeting, or reviews by a panel of members doing research and talking to lots of people outside of the meeting. Once an investigation is completed the Committee provides its advice to the Cabinet , the full Council or other scrutiny committees. Meetings are open to the public and all reports are available to the public unless exempt or confidential, when the items would be considered in closed session.

    AGENDA

    1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments

    2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note

    3. Minutes

      4. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 May 2006 (CM3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

    4. Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee

    5. The Oxford Health Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee Review of Alcohol Misuse in Young People

    10:10

    Background Information:

    In September 2003 the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee completed a review of Drugs, Alcohol & Substance Misuse – "Not just a Quick Fix". In October 2003 the Executive received the review report and resolved a number of recommendations including 5 recommendations that were referred to the Oxfordshire DAAT as follows:

    • Accreditation of Drugs Education Advisors;
    • Creation of a Drugs Prevention Co-ordinator Post;
    • Production of Communication Strategy;
    • Establishment of a Human Resources Strategy dealing with Training Needs;
    • Development of a Combined Strategy with Health and Police Partners

    and a number of recommendations in relation to schools including the appointment of a new Schools Drug Advisor, the development of a co-ordinated Substance Misuse Strategy and asking officers to look at a co-ordinated approach to:

    • monitoring of schools’ drugs policies;
    • courses for school governors;
    • reporting of local monitoring;
    • how schools implement their drugs policies; and
    • monitoring absenteeism to give early warning.

    The Oxford Health Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee has recently completed a review of Alcohol Misuse in Young People. The purpose of the review was to look at the prevalence of alcohol misuse amongst young people in Oxford and treatment/prevention services targeted towards hazardous and heavy drinking levels. As part of this review the Oxford Health Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee have made a number of recommendations to DAAT – Recommendation R1 – R5 in CM5(a).

    (CM5(b) - Drugs & Alcohol "Not Just a Quick Fix" (Recommendations) - download as .doc file)

    (CM7(c) - Drugs & Alcohol: "Not Just a Quick Fix" - Review Report - download as .pdf file)

    Why has it been included?

    The Chairman and Deputy Chairman have requested that the Committee consider the Oxford Health Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee’s recommendations in relation to Oxfordshire DAAT, together with the outcome of the review on Drugs & Alcohol undertaken by this Committee in 2003 to establish whether there is any further action for the Committee to take in this area and to offer advice to the Cabinet when considering this review on the 18 July 2006.

    How is the Committee going to deal with it?

    By means of a question and answer session.

    When are they going to do it?

    During this meeting and at future meetings.

    Who is going to take part in this piece of work?

    • All members of the Committee.

    • A member of the Oxford Health Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee and Julie Woodman (Oxford City Council).

    • Ms Ruth Whyte, Community Safety Officer.

    • A representative from Oxfordshire Drugs & Alcohol Action Team.

    Work to be done prior to the meeting:

    Members are asked to consider the reports CH5, in preparation of the discussion. Copies of the reports have been sent to all Members of the Scrutiny Committee and will be available for public inspection and are also available on the County Council’s website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk or from Deborah Miller on (01865) 815463, or
    e-mail: deborah.miller@oxfordshire.gov.uk

    Documents Members should bring to the meeting:

    A further briefing for members will be circulated separately. Please bring your copy with you to the meeting.

    1. Youth Offending Scrutiny Review : Evaluation

      2. Background Information:

      The Executive considered this Scrutiny Review report on 1 March 2005. The Executive resolved to:

      1. endorse the response by the Executive Member for Children & Young People (see CM6);
      2. urge the Secretary of State to give LEAs greater rights to monitor home education to check such provision is academically demanding and intervene where satisfactory standards are not met; endorse the action of the Director for Community Safety in taking up with Health Partners their underfunding of Youth Offending Service.

      Why has it been included?

      It has now been over a year since the Executive agreed the recommendations of this Scrutiny Review.

      The Committee may wish to comment to the Cabinet Member for Community Safety upon progress to date with the review outcomes.

      How is the Committee going to deal with it?

      By means of a question and answer session.

      Who is going to take part in this piece of work?

      All Members of this Committee and the Cabinet Member for Community Safety.

      Work to be done prior to the meeting:

      A reminder to the main objectives of the review and suggested lines of inquiry is attached at CM6.

      Acopy of the full scrutiny review has been sent to all Members of this Committee. A copy of this report will be available for public inspection and is also available on the County Council’s website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk or from Deborah Miller on (01865) 815463
      e-mail: deborah.millerl@oxfordshire.gov.uk

      Documents Members should bring to the meeting:

      Members may wish to bring their copy of the full scrutiny review to the meeting.

    2. Scrutiny Review of Car Boot Sales

      3. 12:00

      Background Information:

      On 8 May 2006, this Committee agreed as part of their Work Programme to undertake a Scrutiny Review of ‘Car Boot Sales’ and appointed Councillors Colin Lamont, Ian Hudspeth and Patrick Cartledge to the Lead Member Review Group.

      The Group now present the initial scoping document for comment and approval (CM7) (download as .doc file)

      Why has it been included?

      To inform the Committee of current progress on this Review and to enable Members to ask questions on areas of interest and to approve the scoping document for submission to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group.

      When are they going to do it?

      During this meeting and at future meetings.

      Who is going to take part in this piece of work?

      All Members of this Committee.

      Work to be done prior to the meeting:

      Members are asked to consider the attached scoping document in preparation for the discussion.

      Documents Members should bring to the meeting:

      None

    3. Tracking Scrutiny Items

    12:15

    Report back on advice by this Committee to the Cabinet or Council.

      • Registration Awards

    Update by the Chairman.

      • Fire Service Control and Command Room

    Mr Colin Thomas, Service Support Manager, Fire & Rescue Service has provided a written update on the progress of the project (CM8).

    1. Forward Plan

    12:30

    The Committee is asked to suggest items from the current Forward Plan on which it may wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Cabinet before any decision is taken.

    (Please bring along to the meeting the latest copy of the Forward Plan which, at the time of writing covers July 2006 to October 2006).

    (Members are asked to contact the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and/or the Committee Officer at least 3 days before the meeting should they wish to raise an item on the Forward Plan for possible consideration).

    If you have any special requirements (such as a large print version of these papers or special access facilities) please contact the officer named on the front page, but please give as much notice as possible before the meeting


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