Report of Corporate Issues Overview and Scrutiny.
Title: Meeting held on Monday 24 August 2009.
Recommendations Actions from June meeting Job Evaluation:
Members requested a breakdown of affected posts by directorate and the range of loss in
monetary terms. Further Information was also requested for the appeals that had been
received and the number of posts involved. To be provided for the September
meeting.
Actions from today’s meeting 1. Think Efficiency:
Martin Vickers and John Spink to return to the meeting in November 2009 to provide
a progress report.
2. Attendance management/stress audits:
Karen Lucas to organise a sub group to consider this topic in depth.
______________________________________________________________
Executive Summary:
This report concerns the matters considered by C&SS scrutiny on Monday 24 August
2009
Issues considered were:
 Officers provided a progress report on Think Efficiency work streams; including
a summary on the financial savings. Members of the budget SC were invited to
the meeting.
 Annual scrutiny committee review.
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: These can be found on SOLAR
_____________________________________________________________________
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Not applicable
______________________________________________________________________
CONTACT OFFICER: Karen Lucas, Senior Scrutiny Support Officer
Tel: 793 3318 E-mail: karen.lucas@salford.gov.uk
______________________________________________________________________
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DETAILS
Members Attendance
Councillor
Cllr Turner
Cllr Jane Murphy
Cllr Coen
Cllr Tope
Cllr Dobbs
Cllr Miller
Cllr Cooke
Cllr B Lea
Cllr Deas
Cllr Jolley
Cllr Bramer-Kelly
Cllr Houlton
A – Apologies received.
May



A
A
A


N/A
N/A
June





July
R
e
c
e
s
s
Aug




A




Changed
c’tee


A
Changed
c’tee

N/A
N/A





Invitees:
1.
Apologies – Councillors B Lea and Miller.
2.
There were no interests to declare from the members of the committee.
3.
There were no questions from members of the public.
4.
Think Efficiency
Martin Vickers and John Spink were asked to return to provide a progress report on each
of the Think Efficiency work streams. The last progress report was provided at the March
2009 meeting.
Officers provided a detailed presentation outlining each of the five work streams and their
objective:
 Customer Services
 Administration
 Management Structure
 Procurement
 Common Functions
Customer Services current status is red. Administration and Management structures
status is amber. Procurement and Common Functions is a mixture of amber and green;
as this work stream contains a number of functions within it. This information is the
current rating based on progress to date (End of July 2009), to ensure the means are in
place to deliver the current years target efficiencies.
With regards to the financial savings summary, members requested more explicit
information for the next meeting; based on work streams, directorates and shortfalls.
Presently Management Structures and Procurements financial status are green+.
Customer Services status is red. All savings are pre-allocated across all the directorate
budgets for 2009/10 and they are expected to make good any shortfalls.
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The impact of jobs is 285.7 full time equivalent reductions for 2009/10, which will
increase to a total of 386 in 2010/11. In response to a member’s question regarding
opportunities for local citizens; the city council will be providing 12 work placement
opportunities for young people in care.
With regards to the future; focus will be on delivery of the new operating models for
Customer Services, new campus models for administration and ICT enablers.
Developments for 2010/11 include a procurement plan, commence the 2nd phase of
efficiencies, planning for phase 3 of agile working. Directorates have also been asked for
their top 5 ideas.
In house training will be centralised, therefore providing the opportunity to strengthen our
approach and make the most of our resources.
ICT delivery is a priority across all the services and incorporates the development of
present systems.
Consultation will continue with the Unions throughout as well as ongoing monitoring of
programmes by directorate and work stream.
Councillor Hinds informed members that he was confident that the work streams were
moving in the right direction and priorities were being met. He concluded that the public
would not see diminished services.
Agreed:
Martin Vickers and John Spink to return to the meeting in November to provide a
progress report.
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Annual scrutiny committee review.
Karen Lucas provided a brief presentation outlining the divisions covered by this
committee:
 Finance
 Human Resources
 ICT Services
 Customer Services
 Equalities
The topics covered by this committee are:
 customer & support services
 human resources
 ICT
 procurement
 complaints
 customer services/call centre
 equalities
 programme management
 marketing & communication
Members felt that the achievements for this committee so far included policy
development (Dignity at Work) and the visit to the call centre, which provided the
opportunity to go into the actual call centre office and talk to staff rather than just the
manager.
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They agreed that they need to ask for evidence rather than take information on face
value, to actual test out services, and to concentrate on issues where we can have most
impact; therefore members agreed to do an in depth piece of work on attendance
management/stress audits.
Agreed:
A sub group to be organised to consider:
 Review of the attendance management policy.
 Visits to best practice authorities – Tameside & Stockport.
 In house attendance management statistics – six months period per directorate.
 Comparative statistics from OLA’s
 Stress audits/impact on attendance management.
This will include meeting with officers from HR and directorates.
This work is linked to corporate priority – ‘workforce development’ (Ensure a pro-active
approach to the health and wellbeing of the workforce. March 2010. pg67/68)
6.
Work programme
Mobile phones.
It was agreed that the scrutiny support officer will provide a summary which will include
staff who have an XDA and mobile, and those who also claim landline expenses.
Information to be made available for the meeting in September.
Concerns were raised that the information obtained was provided via the service provider
and not from our in-house records.
Purchasing cards.
It was agreed that the scrutiny support officer will obtain the number of card holders,
clarify why there are cash advance fees, follow up on some of the unusual transactions
and clarify monitoring arrangements. Information to be made available for the meeting in
September.
Work programme agreed.
7.
Report from last meeting.
Councillor Tope said she was unhappy with the response from IT when asked for a copy
of the IT Upgrade Strategy. Karen Lucas to liaise with David Hunter on behalf of Cllr
Tope.
Report agreed.
8.
Forward Plan
No issues.
9.
Any other business.
Members raised concerns at the large numbers of spam emails they are receiving. Karen
Lucas to liaise with IT.
The next meeting will take place on Monday 28 September 2009.
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