Maidstone Borough Council

Strategic Leadership & Corporate Services

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Future Work Programme

Report of: Christian Scade, Senior Corporate Policy Officer

1.      Introduction

1.1        To consider the Committee’s future work programme.

1.2        To consider the information update given by the Chairman.

 2.     Recommendation

2.1        That the Committee considers the draft future work programme, attached at Appendix A, to ensure that it is appropriate and covers all issues Members currently wish to consider within the Committee’s remit. Any items on the draft future work programme, highlighted in bold, are provisional items for the Committee to approve.

2.2        That the Committee note the SCRAIP responses attached at Appendix B.

2.3        That the Committee considers the sections of the List of forthcoming decisions relevant to the Committee at Appendix C and discuss whether these are items require further investigation or monitoring by the Committee.

2.4        That the Committee considers its continuous professional development needs and recommends possible training or development sessions it would like to undertake.

3       Future Work Programme

3.1    Throughout the course of the municipal year the Committee is asked to put forward work programme suggestions.  These suggestions are planned into its annual work programme.  Members are asked to consider the work programme at each meeting to ensure that it remains appropriate and covers all issues Members currently wish to consider within the Committee’s remit.

3.2        The Committee is reminded that the Constitution states under Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules number 9: Agenda items that ‘Any Member of an Overview and Scrutiny Committee or Sub-Committee shall be entitled to give notice to the proper officer that he wishes an item relevant to the functions of the Committee or Sub-Committee to be included on the agenda for the next available meeting. On receipt of such a request the proper officer will ensure that it is included on the next available agenda.’

3.3        The following items have been suggested over the past few months and have been provisionally noted in the future work programme as follows:  

·         Budget Scrutiny Proposals (10 June 2014)

·         Equalities Objectives (10 June 2014 - TBC)

·         Use of Revenue Underspend (10 June 2014 - TBC)

·         MKIP Planning Support Shared Service: Customer Improvement Work (2 September 2014)

·         The Council as a Business – Update in Financial Terms

(7 October 2014)    

4.      Scrutiny Committee Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP) Responses  

4.1    The Committee are asked to note the SCRAIP responses attached at Appendix B, including:

·       Capital Programme Review (from 4 March 2014)

·       Future Work Programme (from 4 March 2014)

·       Q3 Complaints (from 4 March 2014)

·       The Council as a Business (from 4 March 2014)

5       List of Forthcoming Decisions

4.1    The List of Forthcoming Decisions (Appendix C) is a live document containing all key and non-key decisions. 

4.2    Due to the nature of the List of Forthcoming Decisions, and to ensure the information provided to the Committee is up to date, a verbal update will be given at the meeting by the Chairman.  The Committee can view the live document online at: http://meetings.maidstone.gov.uk/mgListPlans.aspx?RPId=443&RD=0

5.      Impact on Corporate Objectives

5.1     The Committee will consider reports that deliver against the     following Council priority:

·         ‘Corporate and Customer Excellence’.

5.2     The Strategic Plan sets the Council’s key objectives for the medium   term and has a range of objectives which support the delivery of         the Council’s priorities.