MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
Strategic Leadership and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Minutes of the meeting held
on Tuesday 15 April 2014
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Present: |
Councillor Mrs Gooch (Chairman), and Councillors Black, Mrs Grigg, Hotson, D Mortimer, Nelson-Gracie, Mrs Parvin and Pickett |
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1. The Committee to consider whether all items on the agenda should be webcast
RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be web-cast.
2. Apologies
It was noted that apologies had been received from Councillor Butler.
3. Notification of Substitute Members
There were no Substitute Members.
4. Notification of Visiting Members/Witnesses
There were no Visiting Members/Witnesses.
5. Disclosures by Members and Officers
There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.
6. Exempt Items
RESOLVED: That the items on the Agenda be taken in public as proposed.
7. MKIP Update and Next Steps Report
The MKIP Programme Manager, Jane Clarke gave Members a brief
précis of how she had come to be seconded to the role following the previous
incumbent moving on.
The MKIP Programme Manager drew Members’ attention to the outcomes of two
reports from Trowers & Hamlins and Mazars LLP which considered the
implications and the business case for two distinct models of operation:
- a separate legal entity
- a single host operational model
These reports formed the basis of a report considered by the
MKIP Management Board in December 2013. It was explained that whilst there were
no clear advantages that would differentiate between the two models, setting up
a separate legal entity would require significant further investment, which was
not considered practical at the time. The report also recommended that broader
governance issues needed to be resolved regardless of the operational model
chosen to provide shared services.
The Committee were informed that the MKIP Management Board had agreed not to
proceed further with either of the two options but instead would explore an
alternative operational model in the medium term. The option that was settled
on in December 2013 was to enhance the status quo of operations. This would
retain existing arrangements and keep MKIP within the three Authorities as a
shared partnership but shared services would be reviewed to see if more
efficiencies could be gleaned from them.
It was explained that, in March 2013, the MKIP Management Board had approved to
trial a ‘single lead provider director’ who would line manage a range of
current and future Mid Kent Services, acting as a single point of contact for
shared service issues, and be accountable for provision to ensure they meet the
objectives and levels of service individually agreed at each Authority. It was
noted that Paul Taylor from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council would be seconded
to this role on a year’s trial with effect from 5 May 2014.
Alongside the trial of the new Director, there were a host of practical issues,
considered to be ‘model neutral issues’ that needed to be addressed. These
included shared service plans, performance indicators and ensuring
communication was effective across the three Authorities.
It was noted that a clear distinction had been identified between Mid Kent
Services, which were the operational services Paul Taylor would be responsible
for delivering, and the Mid Kent Improvement Programme, which is a more
strategic outward looking arrangement that would seek to improve efficiencies
across the three Authorities in terms of partnership working.
The MKIP Programme Manager’s report highlighted what work had been done over
the past year and a flavour of what would be undertaken over the coming year.
The MKIP Programme Manager advised the Committee that she had been to a
Scrutiny meeting at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council the night before to give an
update. It was noted that those Members had been very positive about the shared
services arrangements and could see the benefits. They were concerned,
however, about the governance arrangements for the process and how Members
could feed into this.
It was noted that there was support from Members of the Committee, and from
Tunbridge Wells, for a Joint Scrutiny Meeting.
During the ensuing discussion, reference was made to the following:
·
the need for Members to be involved earlier, before a specific
business case is put together;
·
A Collabration Agreement for ICT had been completed, and this
would be used as a template agreement for all other services, and which set out
the terms of exit were should an authority choose to withdraw from a shared
service at any future point;
·
Money was made available by each Authority during the set up
period for a shared service, and was accounted for by each authority, although
the way in which this was done could vary from partner to partner;
·
When the Partnership initiative was originally set up it was
intended to be as flexible as possible and so the Council could bid for other
services from other authorities. There were many examples of partnership
working at MBC that were not within MKIP, although this was the main
partnership vehicle that had been used so far;
·
The importance of trust when working in partnership;
·
Disappointment was expressed that the new Director had not been
able to attend the meeting. It was agreed that the Committee would like him to
be invited to the next meeting and a written statement detailing the aims and
objectives for the next year and his role and responsibilities be sent ahead of
the meeting;
·
The Committee felt that the Audit Partnership had been working
well but concerns were raised about the Licensing Partnership . It was hoped
that lessons would be learnt from both projects;
·
Members felt it was important that service delivery should not be
compromised in any way. It was envisaged that some authorities would have
different KPIs, therefore Service Level Agreements should be drawn up to ensure
it would not be compromised in any way;
·
Concern was expressed that Member power and involvement had
reduced as a result of some of the shared services;
RESOLVED: That:
(a) Paul Taylor, Mid Kent Services Director, be invited to attend the
next meeting of this Committee on 6th May to give a
presentation
on his aims and objectives and his role and responsibilities. A
written briefing should also be submitted for Members. Should Mr.
Taylor not be able to attend, then the Chief Executive of Maidstone
Borough Council and/or David Edwards, Director of Environment
and Shared Services, be asked to come along to the meeting in his
stead; and
(b) the possibility of setting up a Joint Meeting of the three
Authority’s
Scrutiny Committees be investigated with the aim of looking at
governance arrangements and being kept up to date on key issues
such as communication and engagement and performance
monitoring.
8. Duration of Meeting
10.00 a.m. to 11.10 a.m.