Meeting documents

Notice of Meeting

Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee Tuesday 14 December 2004 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford

Membership

Chair – Councillor Margaret Ferriman

Notes:

Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

6 December 2004

About the County Council

The Oxfordshire County Council is made up of 70 councillors who are democratically elected every four years. The Council provides a range of services to Oxfordshire’s 622,000 people. These include:

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 an Executive of 9 Councillors, which makes decisions about service priorities and spending.

About Scrutiny

Scrutiny is about:

• Providing a challenge to the Executive
• Examining how well the Executive and the Authority are performing
• Influencing the Executive on decisions that affect local people
• Helping the Executive 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 Executive and help it develop Council policies. There are Scrutiny Committees for:

• Corporate Governance
• Learning & Culture
• Environment
• Community Safety
• Social & Health Care

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 Executive, 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

Addenda

1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note
   
   
3. Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2004 (LC3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

4. Speaking to or petitioning the Committee
   
   
5. Revenue and Capital Expenditure Proposals 2005/06-2008/09
   
   (See also Addenda)
   

10.05

Why has it been included?	To enable members of this Committee to advise the Executive on the proposed budget for 2005/06 including the relative priorities of the capital expenditure proposals.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	The Committee will receive presentations from Financial Officers, Heads of Service and the Director for Learning & Culture which explain the background to the Budget and the Executive’s proposals. Information about potential funding is speculative until the Local Government Finance provisional settlement is received. Information on the settlement will be circulated as soon as it is available. Following the presentations, Members of the Committee will have the opportunity to question Financial Officers, the Director for Learning & Culture, relevant heads of service and the Executive Members for Schools and for Learning & Culture on the budget proposals and to formulate its advice to the Executive.
When are they going to do it?	At this meeting
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 following documents prior to the meeting: reports to the Executive on 7 September and 16 November 2004; report LC5 (download as .doc file) Annex 1 (download as .xls file) Annex 2 (download as .xls file) Annex 3 (download as .xls file) Annex 4 (download as .xls file) Annex 5 (download as .xls file)
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	Members are asked to bring a copy of the report to the Executive on 16 November 2004 (Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2005/06-2007/08)
Additional Information An update on the budget will be reported to the Executive on 21 December together with Scrutiny Committees’ comments. The Executive will finalise budget proposals and propose the Revenue and Capital Budget for 2005/06 – 2007/08 on 25 January 2005, taking into consideration comments from the Community Workshop on 8 January and from the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on 13 January when the Committee will be invited to consider the overall budget.
Action required at this meeting: To comment on: the efficiency and savings proposals as set out in Annex 4 to report LC5; and the relative priorities of the capital bids listed in Annex 5 to report LC5, bearing in mind that only £2m per annum is available for all the Council’s services other than Schools and Transport.

6. Consideration by this Committee of reports, and plans and data which are to be considered by the Executive
   

11.30

Why has it been included?	At the request of Councillor Andrew Brown
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Councillor Andrew Brown will put forward his proposals
When are they going to do it?	At this meeting
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All members of this Committee
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Consider the issues raised
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Additional Information from Councillor Andrew Brown The Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee currently receives, as agenda items for consideration, a number of reports and plans before they go to the Executive.  It may be that there is a tacit expectation that this process enables the Executive to assume that the Scrutiny Committee has (with whatever small amendments are suggested) effectively approved the report or the plan. It is not the role of the Scrutiny Committee to review the work of the Executive as a whole, or to pre-approve its work.  It is the role of Scrutiny to review selected portions of that work.  It is not therefore appropriate that full reports or plans should be presented to the Scrutiny Committee (though they should be made available to members - possibly through email notification of their posting on the intranet or Council website). It is more appropriate that the Scrutiny Committee should focus on significant data (e.g. where there has been a significant change in an indicator over the past two periods) and significant changes proposed in plans (e.g. where there is a significant change in activity proposed in a plan), thereby freeing up more time for the Committee to focus on its other activities.
Action required at this meeting: To consider the following suggested recommendations to agree that full reports and full departmental plans shall no longer be tabled as agenda items; to agree that only data showing significant change in an indicator over the past two periods should be tabled for the comments of the Scrutiny Committee; to agree that only those items of a plan proposing significant changes in activity should be presented for the comments of the Scrutiny Committee. It should be noted that the Constitution requires that plans and strategies in the policy framework be submitted to the relevant scrutiny committee for advice and consideration before the Executive submits them to the Council (see Constitution Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules D15). The policy framework currently includes, within this Committee’s terms of reference, the Education Development Plan and Adult Learning Plan. This Committee cannot amend the requirements of the Constitution.

7. Request for a review of education deprivation

11.40

Why has it been included?	The Oxford City Council’s Community Scrutiny Committee has requested that the issue of education deprivation be referred to the County Scrutiny Committee.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Consider the request whether to undertake a review
When are they going to do it?	At this meeting
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All members of this Committee
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Consider whether to undertake the review
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Additional Information The Oxford City Council’s Community Scrutiny Committee received, at its meeting on 28 September 2004, education deprivation figures for Oxford City, as part of a report on Tackling Inequalities. Its Members were very concerned about the education deprivation figures which showed areas such as Barton & Sandhills in Oxford being in the highest 1% nationally. Additional information is set out in LC7 (download as .doc file).
Action required at this meeting: To consider whether to undertake a review

8. Music Service - Report of the Working Group

11.45

Why has it been included?	The review is included in the work programme.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Working group with regular progress reports to the Committee during the review
When are they going to do it?	Proposed timescale October 2004-February 2005
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	Councillors Andrew Brown, Mrs Dee Bulley and David Laver and Mrs Sue Matthew
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Consider the terms of reference of the review
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Additional Information The Review Group has met three times and taken evidence from relevant officers. Further meetings of the Group are to be arranged. Members of the Review Group will report orally on progress. The Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group has considered the scoping template. The Group expressed concern that from the scoping template it looked as if the activity would be supported by service officers and asked the members of the review and this Committee to ensure that the necessary independence of the scrutiny process was maintained in undertaking this piece of work.
Action required at this meeting: To consider the comments of the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group To endorse the following nominations of Councillors Brown, Mrs Bulley and Laver and Mrs S Matthew as members of the Working Group To endorse the terms of reference of the review (attached draft scoping template (LC8) (download as .doc file) To note the progress on the review

9. Expansion of the Museum Store, Standlake - Report of the Working Group

12.00

Why has it been included?	The review is included in the work programme.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Working group with regular progress reports to the Committee during the review
When are they going to do it?	Proposed timescale November 2004-January 2005
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	Councillors Margaret Ferriman, Mrs Anda Fitzgerald O’Connor and Jim Moley
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Consider the terms of reference of the review
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Additional Information The Review Group has met three times and taken evidence from relevant officers. It has also undertaken two visits to similar establishments. Further meetings of the Group are to be arranged. Members of the Review Group will report orally on progress. The Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group has considered the scoping template. The Group expressed concern that from the scoping template it looked as if the activity would be supported by service officers and asked the members of the review and this Committee to ensure that the necessary independence of the scrutiny process was maintained in undertaking this piece of work.
Action required at this meeting: To consider the comments of the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group To endorse the terms of reference of the review (attached draft scoping template (LC9) (download as .doc file) To note the progress on the review

10. Education Development Plan (EDP) Working Group

12.15

Why has it been included?	The Committee agreed in May 2004 to continue with the Working Group and to review the future of the Group in May 2005
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Consider the request from the Working Group
When are they going to do it?	At this meeting
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	Councillors Andrew Brown, Alan Bryden and David Turner and Mrs Sue Matthew
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	N/A
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Additional Information The EDP Working Group advises that its work will continue to focus on attainment and on challenging officers and it may wish to extend this to head teachers and schools on behalf of this Committee.  The Committee is advised that the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) is likely in future to include the EDP. This Plan is likely to include services which are the responsibility of the Learning & Culture, the Social & Health Care, the Community Safety and the Environment & Economy Directorates. The EDP Group wishes to extend its remit, in association with one or two representatives from other scrutiny committees whose briefs will also be affected by this new plan, to focus in the short term until April 2005 on the development of the Shadow Children and Young People’s Plan. Members of the Working Group will report further orally at the meeting. The Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group considered the EDP Working Group’s request to extend its remit. It was advised that in relation to policy development work, the scrutiny function could not be involved unless invited to do so by the Executive or Council. If the Executive wanted the current EDP Working Group to support it in developing proposals in relation to the CYPP, then they would need to commission scrutiny to do that. However, those members of the Group would then be unable to participate in any scrutiny activities in relation to the work they had been involved in or decisions of the Executive on those issues. The Group agreed to advise the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee that the EDP Working Group could not undertake the activities proposed unless specifically invited to do so by the Executive and that there might be further work for scrutiny to engage with once they had sight of the recommendations from the Best Value Review of Children’s Services.
Action required at this meeting: To consider the future work of the Group

11. Ofsted Reports

12.25

Why has it been included?	At the request of the Committee
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Consider the reports
When are they going to do it?	At this meeting

 

Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	Members of the Committee
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	N/A
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Action required at this meeting: To consider the reports and to explore further any issues raised in the reports (LC11) (download as .doc file)

12. Health in Schools Review
    
    (See also Addenda)
    

12.30

Why has it been included?	At the request of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Consider the findings
When are they going to do it?	At this meeting
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	Members of the Committee
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	N/A
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Additional Information The Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee agreed: to draw the findings to the attention of the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee in order that they may be fed into the planned review on ‘Children & Healthy Eating/Health Living (January 2005); this Committee in order that they may be fed into its future review on ‘Health in Schools’ (no date agreed); and the Oxford Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee in order they may be fed into its ‘Oral Health & Healthy Diet Promotion for Young People’ review; and copied to the relevant County Council Executive Members for information; that a letter be sent to the Secretary of State for Health to argue in favour of more ICT based information to be made available nationally in support of existing work on health promotion in schools.
Action required at this meeting: To consider the findings (LC12) and when to undertake the review

13. Equalities Legislation Working Group

12.35

Why has it been included?	The review is included in the work programme
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Working group with regular progress reports to the Committee during the review
When are they going to do it?	To be timetabled
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	Three members to be agreed
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	N/A
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	N/A
Action required at this meeting: To agree the membership of the Working Group and the timing of the review

14. Faith in our Schools review update

12.40

At the last meeting, the Committee asked that the Executive Member for Schools (Councillor Crabbe) attend the meeting to answer questions on progress.

15. Tracking Scrutiny Items

12.45

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

(a) Learning and Skills Council Annual Report and Action Plan (Minute 63/04)

The Executive agreed the recommendations. On (2), the issue of there being no post 16 special educational needs provision in special schools in Oxfordshire will be examined further for report to the Executive by Easter 2005.

(b) Library Position Statement (Minute 64/04)

The Executive noted this Committee’s advice. It did not agree to delete the first sentence in paragraph 1.1 Political Context but amended it as follows:

"1.1 Political Context

The establishment of a joint administration in November 2001, following 16 years without a political administration, continues to provide ...".

(c) Divisional Youth Committee Review (Minute 65/04)

The Executive agreed the Committee’s advice set out in (a), (c) and (d). However on (b), the Executive noted that the costs of the new governance arrangements, including any allowances for participants, were expected to be met within existing budgets. The report to the Executive included a proposal that there should be five young people from the young people’s forums and the Executive agreed to this proposal.

16. Forward Plan