Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2010 are correctly recorded, subject to Mr L Christie being added to the list of  “Also Present”, and they be signed as correct record.

(1)       Mr Mills, Ms Beer and Mr Magba-Kamara presented a report which sought the views of the Board on the draft Kent County Council (KCC) Equality Strategy 2010-13, along with the accompanying single equality scheme and action plan.  Officers explained their roles in relation to the development of the strategy.  The Equalities Act 2010 required KCC to produce equality schemes covering all protected characteristics i.e. age, religion, belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment in addition to the current duty to produce them for race, disability and gender, these are incorporated in the revised scheme so that KCC is prepared for the changes that will occur when the act comes into force in phases from October 2010. 

(2)       Mr Mills explained that the draft scheme had been considered at Corporate Management Team. He drew to the Boards attention that it had been decided not to include Appendix 3 (Equality Action Plan) at this point, work was being carried out on identifying the key actions which would reflect the business planning process.   He referred to the need to update KCC’s accessibility policy statement  which had been produced in 2004.

 (3)      Mr Magba-Kamara explained that the Equality Act 2010 was due to come into force on 10 October 2010 and there was currently a consultation being carried out on aspects of the new legislation which was due to end on 10 November 2010, therefore adjustments to the Strategy would be made as required.   Mr Mills emphasised that the Strategy was a work in progress.

(4)                     Members made comments and officers answered questions from Members which included the following:-

·                    As the draft Strategy seemed to pick up the governments “Big Society” it was important that the document was marketed well to get the maximum buy in.

·                    Officers explained that, although Customer Impact Assessments did not explicitly include disadvantaged groups as a separate category, this group tended to be made up of people who were included within the other socially disadvantaged categories. 

·                    Mr Mills explained that it was important that the Policy Statement was refreshed as it was important that it reflected the priorities of the new administration.

·                    It was confirmed that Sikhism was classified as a religion under the new legislation.

·                    Ms Beer confirmed that the Performance Related Pay system was monitored against equalities.

·                    Ms Beer explained that it was more difficult for part-time staff to receive an excellent rating.  Many part-time staff tended to be more junior and therefore they were looking to review the criteria for junior staff to include their added contribution and value to the organisation.

·                    In relation to the declaration rates for staff, Ms Beer stated that it was not compulsory for staff to complete this declaration. Declaration figures varied across the organisation for example Kent Adult Social Services was about 90% whereas other parts of the organisation were about 50%.  Overall the figure was over 50%.  Ms Beer undertook to supply the actual percentage figure for staff declaration.  She informed the Board that in relation to sexual orientation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

(1)   Mr Wickenden presented a paper which gave the Board the opportunity to look at the future items list for all of the POSC’s and HOSC and to consider whether there are cross cutting issues and if so how they could most affectively be considered. 

(2)       In relation to the issues of health visitors and Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services where there was overlap between the Vulnerable Children’s Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee (POSC) and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), the Chairman of the POSC stated that she had had a good constructive dialogue with the Chairman of the HOSC and if the item became urgent it would go on the next available slot on either agenda.  They had agreed that it was important to get matters dealt with in a timely way.  The Chairman of HOSC has undertaken to try to include these items in the HOSC work programme.

(3)         In response to a question Mr Wickenden explained that part of the agenda setting process for POSC’s was to ask for any item to be put on the agenda for scrutiny.  Regarding feedback to Cabinet, as agreed at the last meeting of the Board, feedback on the decisions taken at the September meetings of the POSC’s submitted to the Cabinet meeting on 11 October 2010.

(4)       Mrs Dean stated that it was essential that POSC’s were included in pre Cabinet work for radical changes in services.

(5)       RESOLVED that the report be noted and that Mr King be invited to come back to the next or following meeting of the Board to report on the Overview and Scrutiny survey and the way forward.

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(1)    Mr Wickenden introduced an update report on the current Select Committee Topic Review Programme and the resources available to deliver it.  He highlighted the request to extend the timeframe for the Renewable Energy Select Committee to enable it to meet with the large number of stakeholders prior to it being considered at Cabinet on 29  November 2010 and County Council on 16 December 2010.  Resources were available to start the reviews on Dementia and Educational Attainment shortly.  Assessment forms were awaited for the few Select Committee topic reviews that had been suggested by Members.

(2) Concern was expressed about there potentially being two Select Committee topic review reports received at County Council on 16 December 2010 and the need to make sure that there was adequate time to consider each of these reports.  It was agreed that every effort should be made to get these two Select Committee topic review reports on the agenda for the December County Council meeting but if this was not possible the preferred options would be to either just have them received at Cabinet or to receive them at a meeting of the Scrutiny Board 1 December 2010, rather than delay them to the April meeting of the County Council.

(3)       Mrs Dean raised an issue of Policy for the management of obstructions and temporary Items on the Highway which had already been considered at the meeting of the Environment Highways and Waste Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 25 May 2010.  She had seen a petition from a disability group which had the backing of the Royal Institute of the Blind and asked for a ban on all A frame advertising boards.   She stated that there were a couple of possible ways forward, it could be considered at Cabinet Scrutiny Committee but it was potentially a larger piece of work then they usually dealt with and therefore it might not be the appropriate place.  If the petition had 12,000 signatures it would trigger a 45 minute debate at County Council but that would not be long enough to give full consideration of the matter.  Her preferred solution would be to have a one day single issue Select Committee.

(4)       Mr Hibberd stated that the views of District Councils were being sought on this matter via the Joint Transport Boards and he did not believe that the matter should be considered further until their views were know. 

(5)       The Chairman reminded the Board that if a petition containing 12,000 signatures was received it would have to be considered at County Council .  He stated that this matter should only go back to the POSC once the views of District Councils were known. 

(4)    RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the progress of the Select Committee topic reviews on Renewable Energy and Extended Services and the proposed Select Committees on Educational Attainment and Dementia be noted

(b)       the timescale for the Renewable Energy Review be extended and that it reports to Cabinet on 29 November 2010 and if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

(1)       The Chairman invited Mr Smith to produce a report for the 3 November 2010 meeting of the Scrutiny Board on the way that he saw Overview and Scrutiny evolving.

(2)       Mr Wickenden reminded Members that there was a Chairmanship Skills training session on 17 September 2010.  Also that he was running a training session for Gravesham Borough Council Members in Questioning Techniques.

RESOLVED that the item be noted.