Agenda item

10.15

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer & Acting County Librarian, on behalf of the Director for Social & Community Services, will give verbal updates on key issues affecting their directorate.

As part of the update, a written report on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 by Oxfordshire County Council is attached for consideration by the committee (SSC5).

The Acting County Librarian, Karen Warren, on behalf of the Director for Social & Community Services, gave a verbal update on Community Services. She gave a more detailed overview of developments concerning the Library Service.

Management support across Library Services is being rationalised from 15 to 9 posts, with changes to come into effect for April 2012. Jillian Southwell has been appointed to the lead post for the service of Library Service Manager, with other appointments to be confirmed. Contact with Friends’ Groups is being maintained.  The support programme in place for the current 140 volunteers in the service is being evaluated. Liaison is taking place with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council and Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action in relation to their joint project to engage with people in communities that are not usually active or who are at risk of social exclusion.

Book issues have increased over quarter 3 last year by 1.89% (4.49% for children’s books). Self-service is now available in Summertown library.  The WifFi pilot project has been introduced in Central Library since December and is to be introduced to Abingdon, Banbury, Didcot and Witney libraries before the end of March; it will then evaluated before considering further roll-out. E-books and e-audio downloads will be available from the library website from the end of this month.

Karen Warren gave a verbal update on other services on behalf of the Head of Strategy & Transformation, including:

·        History Service: a full report will come to the next meeting of the committee

·        Museums Service: agreement with the Soldiers of Oxfordshire almost in place; work expected to begin on site later in the summer.

·        The Mill Arts Centre (Banbury): positive year with ministerial visit to Job Club hosted there; future to be considered as part of master planning for the town

Responding to a query from Councillor Goddard, Councillor Heathcoat asked for her personal thanks to staff undertaking the libraries work, in particular Karen Warren, to be placed on record. Other issues raised by members included:

·        Work is being planned to ensure Friends’/community groups form around libraries, including those in more deprived areas, and the Service is linked into work on ‘Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation’

·        A business case would have to be made for further roll-out of wifi following the evaluation; Councillor Service noted that district councils may wish to support

AGREED that the Library Service will keep local elected members informed about discussions with Friends’/community groups.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Colin Thomas, gave an update on key issues in Community Safety and Fire & Rescue, including:

·        As a result of work by Trading Standards’ financial investigator, a successful prosecution had been brought against a letting agent, resulting in a confiscation order of £250k

·        Citizens Advice Consumer Service: county council is monitoring the transfer and supporting local Citizen Advice Bureaus; the council’s own calls will transfer on 2 April 2012

·        Gypsy & Traveller Service budgets: Richard Webb had provided a written note to members, any queries should be referred back to him

·        Fire Control: a new system put in place in December is functioning well; a delegated decision is due following this meeting on the future arrangements for call receipt, mobilising and incident management for the Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service including the submission of a funding bid with Royal Berkshire FRS to DCLG for a joint control centre

·        Winter weather: a written update was circulated and a verbal update given in relation to a recent incident on the M40, responsibility of the Highways Agency

A written report on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 by Oxfordshire County Council had been circulated for consideration by the committee (SSC5). The updates were followed by members’ comments and questions.

AGREED for a written update by Richard Webb on the development of the new Citizens Advice Consumer Service to be circulated to members.