Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that subject to the inclusion of the decision to name the post holder or Cabinet post rather than the individual officer or Member where appropriate in the list of Outside Bodies (Minute 25), the Minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2008 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)       Mrs T Dean was present for this item pursuant to Committee Procedure Rule 2.24 and spoke. 

(2)      RESOLVED that: -

(a)      the report be noted and commended to the County Council together with a note of the comments made during discussion of this item;

(b)      a further interim report be presented to the next meeting of the Committee, giving an update on progress; and

(c)      the Members of the Informal Member Group be congratulated for their excellent work.

(a)               Corporate Governance Audit Report – Responsibilities of Statutory Chief Officers

(b)               Executive Leadership – Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

(c)               CFE Policy Overview Committee – New Sub-Committee and revised Terms of Reference for Children’s Champions Board

(d)               Publicising and Launching Select Committee Topic Review Reports

(e)               Overview and Scrutiny

(1)       Mr P B Carter made a declaration of Personal Interest in respect of Item 5 (b) as the Leader of the Council.

(2)       Mrs A D Allen and Mr P M Hill were present for this item pursuant to Committee Procedure Rule 2.24 and spoke.

(3)       In respect of Item 5 (a), the Committee agreed that NHS bodies and other relevant public, private and voluntary organisations would be consulted on the proposed amendment.

(4)       The Committee agreed that the Local Children’s Service Partnerships (LCSPs) Sub-Committee should not be “time-limited” (Item 5 (c)), but that its effectiveness should be reviewed after 1 year.

(5)       The Committee agreed that the membership of the LCSPs Sub-Committee (Item 5 (c)) should be expanded through the inclusion of non-voting Church and Teacher representatives.

(6)       The Committee agreed that the Public Relations Protocol for Select Committee Reviews and Reports and the process for launching these reviews (Item 5 (d)) did not need to be incorporated or embedded into the Constitution, but that they should instead be referenced within it. 

(7)      RESOLVED that the County Council be recommended to:-

(a)              amend the Constitution (subject to any views received from NHS bodies and other relevant private, public and voluntary organisations) to include the responsibilities of the Director of Adult Services (known in Kent as the Managing Director of Kent Adult Social Services) and the Managing Director of Children’s Services (known in Kent as the Managing Director of Children, Families and Education) as statutory chief officers, as described in report 5 (a);

(b)              formally confirm and reaffirm the adoption of the Leader and Cabinet Executive model in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and to approve the appropriate alterations outlined in paragraphs 4 and 5 of  Agenda Item 5 (b);

(c)              establish a sub-committee of the Children, Families and Education Policy and Overview Committee to have an overview of the Local Children’s Services Partnerships (LCSPs) on the terms set out in Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 5 (c) subject to the inclusion of non-voting Church and Teacher representatives and its lifetime not being “time-limited” but its effectiveness being reviewed after one year;

(d)              regularise the appointment of the Children’s Champions Board  by its adoption with the revised terms of reference set out in Appendix 2 to Agenda Item 5 (c);

(e)              approve the Public Relations Protocol for Select Committee Reviews and Reports attached as Appendix 1 to Item 5 (d);

(f)                approve (subject to the outcome of further discussions between the Policy Overview Co-ordinating Committee, the Chairman of the County Council and Members of the Cabinet) the process for launching Select Committee reviews and reports as set out in Agenda Item 5 (d); and

(g)              approve the proposed amendments to the Constitution in relation to Overview and Scrutiny as set out in the Appendix to Agenda Item 5 (e).

(1)               Mr P M Hill was present for this item pursuant to Committee Procedure 2.24 and spoke.

(2)   RESOLVED that Mr David Brazier be appointed as the County Council trustee on the Turner Contemporary Trust.

(1)               The Standards Committee’s responses to the questions set out in Appendix 2 to the report were tabled.  These differed from the proposed responses in respect of Questions 2 and Question 12 through the deletion of references to the widest possible definition of criminal offences, i.e., including Police cautions.  The Committee agreed to recommend the Standards Committee’s response to the County Council.

(2)  RESOLVED that subject to the incorporation of the suggested amendments made by the Standards Committee, the proposed response to the Department for Communities and Local Government consultation paper on the Code of Conduct for Members be approved.