Rother District Council
RESOURCES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
27 September 2004
Minutes of the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee held at the Town Hall,
Bexhill on Monday 27 September 2004 at 6.30 pm.
Present:- Councillors: M. Mooney (Chairman), E.A.P. Armstrong, Mrs. E.E.
Armstrong, G.H. Bantick, Mrs S. M. Prochak, C.N. Ramus and D.W.L.M. Vereker
(ex-officio).
Also Present:- Councillors G. Gubby, G. Oliver, R. White and J.S. Wood.
Advisory Officers Present: Director of Resources, Head of Policy and Performance,
Head of Finance, Democratic Services Manager and Democratic Services Officer.
R34. MINUTES
The Chairman was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 18
August 2004 as a correct record of the proceedings.
R35. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors R.F. Dyason, R.E.
Parren and R.H. Patten.
R36. WORK PROGRAMME
Consideration was given to the Committee’s work programme for 2004/05.
RESOLVED: That the work programme as attached at Appendix 1, be agreed.
R37. PRESENTATION ON ‘PROPOSALS FOR A ROTHER-WIDE COUNCIL FOR
VOLUNTARY SERVICE AND CURRENT CHANGES IN VOLUNTARY
SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE’
The Chairman of the Committee welcomed Gina Sanderson from Rye and
District CVS and Martin Fisher from the Bexhill Community Partnership who
gave a presentation to the Committee on the role and functions of Council’s for
Voluntary Service (CsVS) and the changes that the voluntary sector
infrastructure was currently experiencing. The importance of the voluntary ‘not
for profit’ sector was emphasised. It currently consisted of 2% of the national
workforce and made up £7.2 billion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A CVS
was a local infrastructure organisation that supported the voluntary and
community sector. This Council had invested approximately £100,000 over the
last 4 years into the three CsVS in the District. This investment had seen a
return in additional funding of some £4 million. Reasons were outlined why the
Council should continue to support the CsVS and how they had helped the
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community. Members noted that the Bexhill Community Partnership, Battle
CVS and Rye CVS were joining together to become one Rotherwide CVS from
April 2005. This newly formed organisation should enhance capacity, avoid
duplication and give the Rotherwide CVS a stronger voice with county and
regional bodies. The presentation was well received by Members of the
Committee and was followed by a question and answer session during which
the following points were noted:
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Government was encouraging more work to be undertaken by the
voluntary sector and the establishment of a Rotherwide CVS would help
them to do this;
The Government’s agenda was increasingly decentralised with the
development of regional organisations such as South East England
Development Agency (SEEDA) and the Government Office of the South
East (GOSE). The establishment of a Rotherwide CVS should
strengthen Rother’s ‘voice’ when dealing with these organisations and
the County Council;
The voluntary organisations that from April 2005 would become the
Rotherwide CVS were currently working with District Nurses and Health
Visitors to meet the needs of the ‘hard to reach groups’ such as the
disabled and elderly;
The concept of ‘Community Champions’ had been embraced and a
number. These were trusted people from the local community with a
good knowledge of their community and were able to identify those
people from the community that needed help and put them in touch with
the relevant organisation;
The Rotherwide CVS would have a ‘multi-agency’ role and look to
identify and help with problems of the whole community particularly
hard to reach groups such as Black and ethnic minorities, the
unemployed etc;
Age Concern had advised that home advisers had been trained to test
electric blankets for the ‘hard to reach groups’. If the blanket needed to
be replaced, new blankets would be given free of charge through
sponsorship funding in cases of hardship;
In the view of the CsVS the Regeneration Partnerships excluding the
WARR partnership were currently very much town based and Rother
was relatively fractured in terms of these partnerships.
The Chairman thanked Gina Sanderson and Martin Fisher for their informative
presentation.
RESOLVED: That the presentation be noted.
(Councillor Mrs Prochak declared a personal interest in this matter as she was
the Chair of Acrobat and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct
remained in the room during consideration thereof).
(Councillor Vereker declared a personal interest in this matter as he was the
Rother District Council Representative on the Wealden and Rural Rother
Partnership and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained
in the room during consideration thereof).
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R38. BATTLE AND DISTRICT COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE
A short presentation was given by the Chairman of Battle and District CVS,
Councillor White. He explained the problems that the Battle and District CVS
had experienced in the past, how it had almost folded and the progress that
the organisation had made since. He introduced Members to Ruby Willis from
Mountfield, Tony Smith from Ashburnham and Tony Moore from Winchelsea
who had been recently appointed to the Board at an Extraordinary General
Meeting held in May 2004. The Chairman thanked Councillor White for his
presentation which had been well received by Members.
Consideration was then given to the report of the Chief Executive on the Battle
and District Council for Voluntary Service (BDCVS). This report built upon the
Council’s approach to enable the voluntary and community sector to increase
its capacity to provide valuable services to our communities and improve both
community and individual quality of life. There was currently much change and
uncertainty as to the future shape of the voluntary and community sector partly
driven by Government recognition of the role that well structured and effective
voluntary sector infrastructure can play a part in community wellbeing. Rother
voluntary sector organisations were planning to merge their operations in order
to achieve both economies of scale and external funding without losing their
local focus and ability to deliver across diverse Rother communities.
It was reported that due to poor past performance and the accumulation of
reserves by BDCVS, Cabinet resolved in December 2003 to make no annual
payment to them in 2004/05 and required BDCVS to show considerable
improvement by October 2004 when a scrutiny review would take place to
determine the future of the agreement. Since May 2004 improvements had
been made to both the structure of the organisation and the services BDCVS
were able to provide to voluntary and community groups in Battle and the
surrounding parishes. In order to develop their services the new BDCVS have
requested that Members consider funding for the following items:
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Total
improvements to office facility (signage, broadband and laser copier)
£1,500
increased office opening times (vol expenses)
£1,500
development of local resource centre
£500
further training, conferences, membership of national bodies £1,000
costs related to development of new Rother CVS
£1,000
£5,500
It was agreed that in light of the progress that the Battle and District CVS had
made, to recommend to Cabinet that the uncommitted sum in the revenue
budget for voluntary sector organisations be approved as funding for the Battle
and District CVS.
RESOLVED: That
1)
the Service Level Agreement 2004/07 with Battle and District Council for
Voluntary Service be confirmed; and
2)
Cabinet be requested to approve funding of £4,500 to the Battle and
District CVS.
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(Councillor Mrs Prochak declared a personal interest in this matter as she was
the Chair of Acrobat and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct
remained in the room during consideration thereof).
(Councillor Vereker declared a personal interest in this matter as he was
Rother District Council Representative on the Wealden and Rural Rother
Partnership and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained
in the room during consideration thereof).
(Councillor White declared a personal interest in this matter as he was the
Chairman of the Battle Council for Voluntary Service and in accordance with
the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during consideration
thereof).
R39. APPOINTMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE TO HASTINGS ADVICE AND
REPRESENTATION CENTRE
Members noted that at Council on 6 September 2004, it was agreed that
Hastings Advice and Representative Centre (HARC) should not be added to
the list of outside bodies and therefore an appointment would not be made to
this outside body.
RESOLVED: That the report be noted.
R40. SUB-COMMITTEES
Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Resources on SubCommittees. It was reported that currently the Constitution provided for
Overview and Scrutiny Committees to appoint up to 3 Sub-Committees.
Following the restructure and subsequent reduction in Overview and Scrutiny
Committees from 3 to 2 it was now considered appropriate to review this
provision and it was proposed that the Constitution be amended to allow for up
to 4 Sub-Committees of any one Overview and Scrutiny Committees to be
supported at any given time.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet be requested to recommend to Council that the
Constitution be amended to enable Overview and Scrutiny Committees to
appoint up to 4 Sub-Committees as they consider necessary from time to time.
R41. RESIDENTS BUDGET INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION FOR 2005/06
Consideration was given to the draft Residents Budget Information and
Consultation for 2005/06. The Committee were informed that Cabinet had
considered and approved the proposed budget consultation process to be
undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The final published document would be made available at the Community Help
Point, on the Internet and via email. The closing date for receipt of the
consultation papers would be mid November 2004, after which Cabinet would
make recommendations on the Budget taking into account the results from
consultation. Members were informed that the Residents Budget Guide would
be sent out at no cost to the Council to 30,000 homes.
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Once the amendments had been incorporated into the document it would be
emailed to Members of the Committee with a short deadline for comments as
the final documents had to be with the publishers by 1 October 2004.
RESOLVED: That the draft as amended be approved for publication.
(This item was accepted onto the agenda as a matter of urgency by the
Chairman, to enable it to be approved so it could meet the publication
deadline).
MATTERS FOR INFORMATION
R42. Resources Performance Sub-Committee – 9 August 2004.
CHAIRMAN
The meeting closed at 8.32 pm.
R040927LP
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Rother District Council
Appendix 1
RESOURCES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
WORK PROGRAMME 2004/05
Date of Committee
Subject
Sept 2004
Report from Performance Sub-Committee
Nov 2004
Informing the public about our services* (AP1)
Audit Services – Half Yearly Report to September 2004
Bexhill Town Council
Connecting with Communities**
Budget Options
Performance Plan 2005/06
Annual Audit Letter 2003/04
Budget Monitoring
Jan 2005
March 2005
Annual Report to Council
* Update reports / monitoring of Five Year Improvement Action Plan arising from
Access to Services Best Value Review – (Action Point number shown in brackets)
** Connecting with Communities
At the meeting of the Policy, Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee in
November 2002, Members received an update on the work of the Officer Working
Group established to implement the recommendations arising from the Connecting
with Communities national project. The brief of the Group was to consider the
Communication Strategy and Action Plan produced by the consultant and to work
through and develop the strategy. The Consultants carried out a residents survey in
2001/02 as part of that project and completed a follow up survey earlier this year. It
is intended that there will be an update report submitted to your next meeting giving
the results of the second survey together with an update on the communications
action plan.
WORK PROGRAMME ITEMS DEFERRED
Subject
Reason for Deferral
Revenue and Benefits
Deferred until 2005 as the new contract has
just been re-let for a 3-year term (Mar 2004)
Best Value Review of Elections and
Electoral Registration
Deferred pending a review of the entire Best
Value Review programme (June 2004)
Contracting Processes (major
outsourced contracts)
Deferred until March 2005
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