Agenda and minutes

1.    RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2014 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

1.    John Simmonds as Cabinet Member for Finance, stated that Cabinet and the Council had welcomed the draft implementation plan following the Select Committee report.  He was pleased that it gave a positive indication that the plans to address the issues identified in the Select Committee report are moving in the right direction.  A key concern, though, was ensuring that small providers are only chosen when they have sufficient capacity to deliver that which KCC needed.  The emphasis should be on supporting smaller providers to develop their skills and capacity to meet the market needs.

2.    Mr Whittle explained that the development of the new KCC Outcomes Framework and an updated Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) policy were taking place in parallel to the implementation planning being discussed today and these were expected to greatly assist KCC in responding effectively to the Select Committee’s recommendations.

3.    To summarise the key aspects of how KCC is approaching the issue of commissioning, Mr Whittle highlighted the following points; that understanding and adapting the supply chain for services was vital and that is was crucial that the VCS and small – medium businesses (SMB) could access this in order to compete effectively.  The planned approach to all future commissioning would be built around the need for proportionate and appropriate contracts with carefully designed specifications.

4.    The Social Value Act imposes a duty on KCC to consider how its decisions will impact on the community beyond simple financial considerations.  Mr Whittle commented that he believed that, as a Local Authority, KCC has always done this as part of its normal processes but that in future this would have to be made more explicit.

5.    Lydia Jackson explained that further work was being undertaken relating to consulting on European Union directives and considering the abolition of Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) as well as standardising contracts.  This is all hoped to streamline the commissioning process.

6.    Members commented that they were pleased that the Executive had responded positively to the Select Committee report.  Of note, the review of PQQs and support for the VCS and SMB were welcomed because these sectors do not have the finance or time resources to effectively compete within the strict system at present.

7.    Members raised the issue of the need for them to receive training on the new Frameworks so that they would be better able to support the process and effectively fulfil their more prominent role under the new approach.

8.    Members commented that the implementation plan would have to shift and evolve as the commissioning landscape did likewise and that this should be viewed as a continuous process.  It was also noted that KCC would take time to adapt to the new way of working.

9.    Members highlighted that a case by case approach should be maintained for commissioning, particularly to ensure better value in-house provision is not abandoned in favour of short-term private sector outsourcing.

10. Mr Whittle responded to the comments positively, agreeing that Social Value considerations include  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

1.    A Member stated that it was important that a guidance document was developed to assist Members understand the processes involved in Select Committees and included detailed guidance on interviewing and appropriate enquiry.  The Member explained that previous work undertaken with young people and people with addictions had highlighted the problems that can arise due to lack of interviewing experience and any failures to appreciate sensitive subjects and how to best approach them in the Select Committee format.

2.    The Member also suggested that the Select Committee Process more should more often include public involvement as per the Parliamentary system.  Previous Select Committees have successfully been preceded with advertising for public involvement in terms of being open to suggested areas of interest or avenues of questioning and the capacity to use expertise from members of the public. 

3.    A discussion took place where the Member explained that this had been achieved through advertising for public involvement and that the Research Officers then followed up with those that were able to provide useful and positive input.  It was highlighted by a Member that there was a risk that such public involvement could be hijacked by political activism that would be disruptive and not assist with meaningful investigation.  It was agreed by Members that the risk needed to be managed carefully but such an approach should be trialled.

4.    A Member expressed how pleasantly surprised they had been in their experiences of Select Committees where Members of all political parties had worked together to identify the best solution or way forward, regardless of previously held opinions or political ideology.  This led the Member to express that it was important to strive to prevent Politics from intruding to severely and that all those involve should focus on key practical issues of each Select Committee.

5.    Mrs Fitch listed the key recommendations included in the report so Members could confirm their approval:

·         Select Committees should remain as Sub-Committees of the Scrutiny Committee

·         A formal meeting of the Select Committee will be required to sign-off the final report but informal meetings will be held during its development.

·         Select Committee reports will continue to be taken to Cabinet for comment prior to be taken to Full Council for endorsement.

·         That the required constitutional changes will be submitted to Selection & Member services for review.

     RESOLVED that the Committee approve the above recommendations.