Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Sian Walter-Browne 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies For Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Larkin and Williamson.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To Receive Declarations of Interest in any Contract or matter to be discussed at the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

3.

Urgent Business

Urgent business, if any, introduced by the Chair

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business received.

4.

Public Question Time

To receive Questions from the Public, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

Minutes:

There were no public questions received.

5.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 163 KB

The Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 22nd January 2019 are attached for approval.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny

Board held on 22nd January 2019 be approved as a correct

record.

6.

Minutes of the Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee pdf icon PDF 158 KB

The minutes of the Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee held on 18th December 2018 are attached for noting.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Health Scrutiny

Committee held on 18th December 2018 be approved as a correct

record.

 

7.

Minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Economy, Business Growth and Skills Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 461 KB

The minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Economy, Business Growth and Skills Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 7th December 2018 and 11th January 2019 are attached for noting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Economy, Business Growth and Skills Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 7th December 2018 and 11th January 2019 be noted.

8.

Minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Corporate Issues and Reform Overview and Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 121 KB

The minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Corporate Issues and Reform Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11th December 2018 and 21st January 2019 are attached for noting

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Corporate Issues and Reform Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11thDecember 2018 and 21st  January 2019 be noted.

9.

Minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Housing,Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 624 KB

The minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Housing, Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10th January 2019 are attached for noting.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Housing, Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10th January 2019 be noted.

 

Member queries in relation to the proposed briefing on the GM Children’s Plan and Age-Friendly Greater Manchester would be forwarded to the Governance and Scrutiny Officer for response.

10.

Virtual School Annual Report and Term Update pdf icon PDF 75 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to a report of the Headteacher of the Virtual School which provided the Board with an overview of the work of the Virtual

School in 2017/18.

 

The Board was informed that Oldham Virtual School worked to promote the educational achievements of Oldham’s looked-after children regardless of where they were placed. It did not itself provide education, but recognised that schools were responsible for the educational outcomes of their children and held them to account for the provision they offered and to ensured that the life chances of each looked-after child were improved.

 

The aim of the Virtual School was to close the attainment gap between children who were looked-after and their peers who were not. This included work on supporting access to education, re-engaging pupils and monitoring attendance and exclusions.

 

The Board noted the following:-

 

IMPACT OF THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL 2017/2018

·       In 2017 an improving picture of outcomes at Key Stage 2, ranking 19th (out of 151) nationally for % of LAC achieving expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths (38%) compared to National LAC (32%), Regional (35%) and our statistical neighbours (30.1%)

·       In 2017 increase in % of LAC pupils achieving grade 4 or above in English and Maths GSCE (30%) higher than LAC nationally (17.5%), regionally (16.8%) and against our statistical neighbour (18.6%); ranking 11th (of 151) nationally.

·       Re-launch of the ePEP system, providing training and support to key partners. Improved quality of PEPs for school age children, with better tracking and monitoring

·       No Permanent exclusions of looked-after children.

·       Admission support for social workers and carers for children starting in reception and moving into Year 7.

 

PRIORITIES FOR 2018 /2019

·       Implementation of new statutory duties

·       Workforce Development with the Virtual School team and key partners

·       Develop work with Early Years partners to improve ‘school readiness’ for looked-after children

·       Develop work with Post 16 partners to ensure robust pathways to further education and employment

·       Develop work with SEND partners to support the early identification of looked-after children with SEND

·       Reduce levels of persistent absence for our looked-after children

·       Reduce levels of fixed term exclusions for our looked-after children

·       Contribute to the development and implementation of the ‘Collaborative Framework’ for Oldham

·       Further develop systems and reporting linked to new staff roles within the Virtual School therefore improving data management and school performance

 

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·       Designated teachers – every school with a LAC had a designated teacher. The Council hosted termly forums for designated teachers and was looking to increase attendance at these.

·       Outcome of Ofsted inspection – requiring improvement, moving to good. A report on their recommendations would be brought to a future meeting and the Action Plan would be included in the work programme. A copy of the Ofsted report would be circulated to Members.

·       Work experience – this had been the main issue from the Pupil Voice survey and support was being built in for work experience and education beyond school. Significant work was undertaken to support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Oldham Education Disadvantage and Social Mobility Update pdf icon PDF 112 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Learning Service which provided a summary of the work of the Overview & Scrutiny Education Task and Finish Group on disadvantage and provided an update of the work of the Opportunity Area to influence social mobility for disadvantaged children and young people. Members noted that there was a specific education definition of “disadvantaged”.

 

The Board was updated on the work of the Overview & Scrutiny Education Task and Finish Group in relation to disadvantage. The Overview & Scrutiny Education Task and Finish Group was interested in local strategies on to reduce disadvantage and the use of the related Pupil Premium. They sought to gain an insight into the associated challenges and opportunities faced by schools and academies, and to consider how the Group could assist. Two

meetings had taken place with a selection of head teachers, officers and elected member representatives.

 

On 20th September, 2017 a round table discussion had taken place on the theme of ‘how to support social mobility and the attainment and wider achievement of disadvantaged children & young people in Oldham’. The elected members present were keen to support the schools, academies and the local authority in whatever way possible to help support the outcome.

 

On 21st November, 2018 the Overview & Scrutiny Education Task and Finish

Group met again to examine developments in the education of children and young people who were disadvantaged in the borough. At a meeting at the Oldham Sixth Form College, officers presented evidence relating to 2018 educational outcomes and the challenge for 2019 & 2020. This included SEND, the Opportunity Area and its focus on disadvantage. The ensuing discussion reflected on the improvements to provision since the previous meeting and it was agreed that a summary of the work reviewed on the day, including Opportunity Area support, should be presented to the Overview & Scrutiny Board.

 

The Board was also updated on Opportunity Area Support. In autumn 2017 the Department for Education (DfE) identified Oldham as one of twelve Opportunity Areas. Oldham was chosen because the data indicated that

children in the borough are less likely to have access to high quality education, employment opportunities and support when they need it than children from similar backgrounds, elsewhere.

 

The Board noted the Opportunity Area programme was a key part of the governmental priority of tackling social mobility and improving opportunities for young people in areas with both poor social mobility and schools that face challenges. The Oldham Opportunity Area was a collaborative venture by national and local government, education leaders and teachers, voluntary organisations and employers, to give children and young people across the borough the opportunities and support they deserved. It directed additional resources towards the borough over a 3 year period from 2018-2020.

 

Three priorities had been agreed and the Board was updated with progress against each of them. Programmes had been designed to strengthen the capacity of the local educational system across each of the 3 priority areas and it was anticipated that these priorities,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

GM2040 Delivery Plan Update pdf icon PDF 250 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Principal Officer, Transport and

Highways Policy which provided an update on the delivery of the GM2040 Transport Strategy Delivery Plan 1 and the development of draft Delivery Plan 2.

 

The Board was informed that, in 2017, GMCA published the Greater Manchester 2040 Transport Strategy (2040 Strategy) which set out a long-term approach to planning for the transport needs and aspirations of the GMCA, the ten individual GM Districts and the Greater Manchester

Local Enterprise Partnership (GMLEP).

 

The first GM2040 Delivery Plan covered the period 2016/17-2021/22. A Progress Report was published in November 2018 and provided an update on progress made in developing and delivering the schemes identified as part of Delivery Plan 1 over the period February 2017 – October 2018. This was summarised in the context of changes to the external environment and governance arrangements in Greater Manchester. The Progress Report also included an assessment of whether the interventions and policies were supporting delivery of the vision set out in the 2040 Transport Strategy in the form of an assessment against a series of key performance indicators (KPIs).

 

The Board noted that a second draft Delivery Plan for 2020–2025 had been developed in conjunction with the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) and was a statement of Greater Manchester’s transport investment and reform priorities for the next 5 years. It had been published alongside GMSF for consultation purposes. The closing date for responses, which could be made by email to 2040@tfgm.com or by making comments on the GMSF at www.gmconsult.org, was 18th March 2019.

 

Together the GMSF and the Delivery Plan documents demonstrated an integrated approach to transport and land use planning, which identified the strategic transport interventions required to deliver growth. Following consultation on the GMSF and the draft Delivery Plan 2, a final version of Delivery Plan 2 would be prepared for publication later in 2019, which would ultimately form part of the GMSF evidence base.

 

The Board noted the progress report and, in particular, the changes and progress that impacted directly on Oldham.

 

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·       Disabled access to Greenfield Station – this was linked to electrification and no progress could be made until a decision on this had bene reached. This was still a priority and other options would be considered if electrification was not taking place.

·       Could all electric vehicles use these charging points – yes, these were very technologically advanced and could provide rapid charging.

·       Progress re flood management schemes – an update would be circulated.

·       Transport services becoming fragmented – the policy was looking to deliver as a whole but it was acknowledged there was a lack of control over bus services.

 

RESOLVED :-

 

1.     The report be noted.

2.     That an update be provided in 12 months’ time.

3.     That an update on capital projects be added to the work programme for a report in September.

 

 

13.

Resident First Programme, Delivering Digital by Design Update pdf icon PDF 373 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Customer Development Manager which provided an update on the:

· Programme overview

· Programme priority areas

· Achievements and benefits to date

· Member engagement

· Next steps

 

The Board was informed that the Resident First Programme, also known as Digital by Design, was part of Oldham’s co-operative approach to making access to services easy and efficient, by enabling more residents to

self-serve, whilst continuing to support those who needed it.

 

The programme design principles included:

· Increasing efficiency

· Digital First

· Thinking like a service user

· Improving Digital Inclusion

· Data to Intelligence.

 

The Board was informed that Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the programme were now complete. The initial investment in the programme concentrated on improving and increasing the services accessed online. Phase 1 delivered some quick wins in a number of service areas based on service and political priorities, including a re-launched website which created a solid

foundation for self-service.

 

Phase 2 had concentrated on creating re-usable modular digital components that could be rolled out across the organisation (e.g. online form integrations, bookings and payments). This would increase efficiency and avoid the need to reinvent the wheel.

 

Following the programme’s work the channel shift statistics were encouraging,

showing an overall 10% increase in online activity and a 7% decrease in telephone contact. In the services worked with, there was on average a 20% drop in calls and a 27% increase in online activity. Customer satisfaction in those service had also been positive, from residents, members and

staff alike.

 

The Board was informed that there was still much more to do. In order to

ensure the increasing service demand, rising resident expectations in user experience and advancements in technology were met, the programme was moving into phase 3. This would explicitly focus on deep re-design of services that exploited technology, used automation and reduced service costs.

 

Phase 3 would look to be more fundamental in changing our delivery models to transform from a mainly mediated customer service offer to a predominantly self service one. Whilst improving the self serve offer it would be ensured that the mediated offer remained resilient to improve access for all, paying particular attention to those who could not self serve online.

 

The Board was informed the programme must also contribute to the Council’s financial challenges and had a £2m savings target to achieve by 2020/21.

 

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·       Could the systems be accessed through libraries – it was confirmed that libraries could provide computers and support to enable access. Work was ongoing around social inclusion and supporting those who could not access Council systems on their own.

·       Reduction of use of paper across the Council – Sharepoint, which allowed files to be used across activities was being trialled. Equipping officers with technology would reduce the need for paper.

·       Could local Councillors access what had been reported and repaired in relation to potholes – this suggestion would be taken back for consideration. It was also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Housing Strategy 2019 pdf icon PDF 453 KB

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to a report of the Principal Project Manager,

Economy.

 

The Board was informed that the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) was Oldham Council’s main strategic document for housing and interrelated services. It helped set out the strategic approach in tackling fuel poverty, improving house conditions, and meeting the allocations and homelessness responsibilities. It helped articulate the local strategic response to national and Greater Manchester housing priorities.

 

The Board were informed that the LHS underpinned and supported the delivery of a range of statutory housing responsibilities, ensuring that the Council could demonstrate that it had periodically reviewed the housing needs of its area in relation to both housing conditions and the needs of the

borough.

 

Further legislation required that when the Council carried out such reviews, they also had regard to the special needs of chronically sick or disabled persons and reviewed the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers residing in or resorting to the borough.

 

The LHS was supported by an up to date local housing needs assessment (LHNA) informed by a household survey and a large range of secondary data, which supported the strategic and statutory planning obligations of the local authority. The LHNA completed and complemented the assembly of the housing and planning evidence base for the borough.

 

The Board noted the new LHS was very much an evidence-backed strategy that added value to developing Oldham’s new Local Plan and was insightful into informing and supporting how the Council could act in response to the new house building targets arising from the publication of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, to deliver high quality and more diversity of

choice, tenure and price points in Oldham’s housing offer.

 

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

Infrastructure such as schools and doctors – the Place Plans were being mapped out and there would be workshops to identify issues in different areas.

Quality and affordability of housing – many approaches would be considered, not just outright sale. The aim was to make best use of current and new-build stock.

Could the Council decide what type of houses were needed – largely yes, as this would be supported from a strong evidence base.

Vision for Oldham as a whole to ensure mixed communities in most areas – the approach suggested by the evidence base would be used in discussion with communities and would not be definitive.

Options needed to make it easier for people to downsize and free up family houses – housing exchange schemes could be considered.

Addressing absentee landlords and unsuitable accommodation – work was going on across Greater Manchester to identify new and better ways of working with the private sector.

Input by voluntary sector and homeless – consultation would be very wide and the governance structure would be tasked with bringing all the strategies together.

What had the evidence shown so far – a huge rise in the over-75 population which would affect what types of housing were needed.

 

RESOLVED that:

1.     The phased  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Clean Air Plan - Outline Business Case pdf icon PDF 176 KB

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to a report of the Director of Environmental Services and a presentation.

 

The Board noted that, as directed by Central Government, the Greater Manchester Local Authorities were being asked to endorse the Outline Business case (OBC) for the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan, as part of the feasibility study being carried out on their behalf by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). The OBC was presented in detail at the meeting for consideration.

 

Members were informed that the Clean Air Plan would tackle the reduction in nitrogen dioxide and ensure the amount in the air was reduced to the legal limit. All of the Greater Manchester authorities were working together and, of the 152 stretches of road across Greater Manchester identified as needing action, 15 were in Oldham.

 

Members noted that there were 4 classes of Clean Air Zone and that this was not a congestion charge, as there would be no charge for compliant vehicles.

 

The Board was informed that the outline business case had to be submitted by 31st March 2019. Consultation would start on 15th May, with the full business case to be submitted by the end of 2019 and to come into force in 2021.

 

Greater Manchester was looking to start with the Class D option, focussing on buses, taxis and HGV’s initially and would then move to Class C, which would include vans. Government funding of approximately £250M would be required to make this happen in Greater Manchester.

 

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·       Had the government referred to providing funding – no

·       What would happen if there was no funding – the scheme would have to be considered in the light of the funding available.

·       How would it be enforced – the government would provide cameras and number-plate recognition systems.

·       Publicity for the Plan – this would be targeted at businesses as private cars would not be affected. TfGM had a communications group which would provide a standard message.  

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1.     That the Clean Air Plan OBC as presented be endorsed and recommended for approval.

2.     That a further update be provided to the September meeting of the Board prior to the final business case being submitted.

16.

General Exceptions and Urgent Decisions pdf icon PDF 120 KB

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to a decision authorised under Rule 17 of the Council’s Constitution.  The Chair outlined the process for the agreement of decisions under the Rules. 

 

RESOLVED that the General Exception and Urgency Decision related to the Auto Enrolment (Pensions) be noted.

 

17.

Overview and Scrutiny Board Work Programme pdf icon PDF 264 KB

The Board is requested to comment on and note the Overview and Scrutiny

Board Work Programme for the 2018/19 Municipal Year.

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to the Overview and Scrutiny Board Work Programme for 2018/19.

 

RESOLVED that the Overview and Scrutiny Board Work Programme for 2018/19 be noted.

18.

Key Decision Document pdf icon PDF 194 KB

The Board is requested to note the latest Key Decision Document.

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to the Key Decision Document which listed key decisions to be taken from 1st March 2019.

 

RESOLVED that the Council’s Key Decision Document be noted.

19.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

The date and time of the next Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting will be Tuesday, 18th June 2019 at 6.00 p.m.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the date and time of the next Overview and

Scrutiny Board to be held on Tuesday, 18th June 2019 at 6.00

p.m. be noted.