Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Martins.

Apologies had also been received from Councillors Dhindsa, Chair of Budget Panel and Councillor Rackett, Vice-Chair of Budget Panel.

Councillor Hastrick informed the Scrutiny Committee that with reference to minute number 57, she was on Watford Community Housing Trust’s Board and therefore would not take part in the discussion of that item. 

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2013 to be submitted and signed. (All minutes are available on the Council’s website.)

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2013 were submitted and signed.

The Chief Executive from Watford Community Housing Trust will be attending the meeting to update the Scrutiny Committee on the Housing Trust’s responses to the Task Group’s recommendations.  The latest update from the Housing Trust is attached.

The Task Group’s final report was presented to Cabinet on 2 December 2013 and the minutes of the meeting are attached as Appendix 1 for the Scrutiny Committee’s information.

The Scrutiny Committee received Watford Community Housing Trust’s latest response to the Task Group’s recommendations. 

The Chair welcomed Tina Barnard, the Chief Executive, and Gareth Lewis, Director of Property & New Business to the Scrutiny Committee.  She thanked them for attending the meeting and the speed with which they had responded to the requests for information and updates.

The Scrutiny Committee noted the responses and discussed some in more detail.

Recommendation 2 – To inform residents that their neighbourhood teams are available to clarify any issues.

Following a question from Councillor Aron about methods of communication with residents, Tina Barnard explained that in addition to “Gateway News”, leaflets were provided to tenants, which included all contact details of the Neighbourhood Teams and their photographs.  It was sometimes difficult to ensure that a particular officer was available if people arrived at the offices without an appointment.

The Chair asked whether it would be possible for all Councillors to receive a copy of “Gateway News” as she had seen it in the past and had found it extremely useful.

Tina Barnard stated that she would ensure that all Members received an electronic copy.

Recommendation 3 – the Handbook must be made more user-friendly, updated regularly and accessible to all residents.

In response to a question from the Chair, Tina Barnard advised that the next Communications Group meeting would take place in March.  The Group would look at the detailed draft of the handbook.  It was proposed that the final version would be produced soon after that meeting.  The aim was to ensure that all the information was available in one place and to reduce the number of separate leaflets.

Recommendation 4 – To improve clarity in presentation of bills sent to residents ensuring that all charges are clearly itemised.

Councillor Aron enquired how the Trust signposted people to staff and other organisations.  She acknowledged the Trust was required to produce the bills in a prescribed format but questioned whether the other information was lost.

Tina Barnard responded that this was a big challenge for the Trust.  When the bill was sent to residents it was accompanied by a letter which encouraged them to approach the Housing Trust, the Credit Union or Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) if they were experiencing difficulties.  In addition, the information was included in “Gateway News”.  The details were provided on a regular basis throughout the year.

Councillor Khan said that he wanted to thank the original Task Group, which he had chaired, for their work.  The Task Group had raised some good points which the Housing Trust had taken on board.  He said that a key issue which had arisen during feedback from residents was the accuracy and clarity of bills.  He referred to an example where some residents had been charged for Legionnaire testing even though they did not have a water tank.

Tina Barnard said that this was a valid point and it was acknowledged that some mistakes had been made.  She assured Members that anyone  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to review the outstanding actions and questions from previous meetings.

The Scrutiny Committee received updates on questions and actions raised at previous meetings.

PI 37 – Performance information

The Chair asked Members to put forward suggestions on which performance areas they would like to look at in more detail.  She had considered whether Members might want to scrutinise the automated telephone answering system used by the Council and monitor its progress since it had been installed.

Councillor Khan informed the Scrutiny Committee that the Audit Committee had reviewed the Council’s Risk Register.  One area of concern he had noted was homelessness and the potential pressures on the use of temporary bed and breakfast accommodation.  He suggested that this Scrutiny Committee might wish to review that area and find out how officers were trying to mitigate the potential risk.  It was agreed that officers would be approached to present a report to the next meeting.

HSC 3 – Health Scrutiny Committee Update

Councillor Khan commented on the financial position of the Health Trust and suggested that the Scrutiny Committee should become more involved in scrutinising health related matters and the practicalities.

Councillor Johnson stated that he felt mental health provision was lacking locally and needed investigating.

The Committee and Scrutiny Officer informed Members that the Health Scrutiny Committee had an extensive work programme and she would check to see if mental health was due to be scrutinised.

OS 4 – Outsourced Services Scrutiny Panel

The Chair welcomed Councillor Counter, the Chair of Outsourced Services Scrutiny Panel, and explained that at the Scrutiny Committee’s last meeting Members had been concerned about the amount of work required of the Panel and whether it had sufficient capacity or needed some support.

Councillor Counter said that it was still early days for the Scrutiny Panel and Members had not felt overwhelmed by the amount of work involved.  If required, the Panel could ask officers to arrange additional meetings when they were needed.  She explained the way the Scrutiny Panel was reviewing the contracts and building up the performance data it received.  Members were more interested in qualitative information rather than quantitative.

In response to a question from the Chair about training, the Committee and Scrutiny Officer informed Members that a session was going to be arranged after the elections in May and would be open to all Councillors.  The training would look at ways to scrutinise outsourced services and general questioning skills which would be useful for all councillors, especially scrutiny Members.

Members acknowledged Councillor Counter’s comments.  Councillor Khan suggested that Overview and Scrutiny Committee could direct work to the Panel if it was felt a particular outsourced service needed to be scrutinised.

Councillor Counter informed Members that she had extensive tendering experience in her role in the National Health Service.

RESOLVED –

1.      that officers be asked to provide a report to the next meeting on homelessness and how they were trying to mitigate any potential risk.

2.      that the updates be noted.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to review the latest edition of the Executive Decision Progress Report and consider whether any further information is required.

The Scrutiny Committee received the latest edition of the Executive Decision Progress Report 2013/14. 

RESOLVED –

that the report be noted.

Councillor Martins, the Council’s appointed representative to the County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee to provide an update.

The Chair stated that as Councillor Martins was not present at the meeting she would ask him to provide a written update.

Since the last Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Budget Panel has met on the following occasion –

·               Wednesday 15 January 2014

The minutes will be available on the Council’s website – www.watford.gov.uk/budgetscrutiny

The Chair of Budget Panel to provide an update to the Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee and Scrutiny Officer advised the Scrutiny Committee that Councillor Dhindsa, the Chair of Budget Panel and Councillor Rackett, the Vice-Chair, had been unable to attend the Scrutiny Committee and give a verbal update about the latest meeting.  It was noted that the minutes were available on the Council’s website, had been circulated separately to Overview and Scrutiny Committee and had also been circulated at the Cabinet meeting on 20 January when the budget report was considered..

The Chair asked the Committee and Scrutiny Officer to advise the Chairs of the Panels and Task Groups that, if they were unable to attend the meeting, they should forward a brief written summary.

There have been no meetings of the Outsourced Services Scrutiny Panel since Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s last meeting.

The Scrutiny Committee was informed that there had been no meetings of the Outsourced Services Scrutiny Panel since Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s last meeting.

Since the last Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Community Safety Task Group has met on the following occasion –

·               3 December 2013

The minutes are available on the Council’s website - http://watford.moderngov.co.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=209

The Chair of the Community Safety Partnership Task Group to provide an update to the Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Khan, the Chair of the Community Safety Partnership Task Group, referred members to the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2013.  He advised that the Task Group had reviewed the feedback on the questionnaires circulated to councillors, various organisations and the Police.  He had found it interesting that some of the councillors’ responses indicated that they did not know the names of their local Police officers.  The Task Group had agreed that all Members should be provided with details of their local Police officers and the reporting structures.

Councillor Khan encouraged Members to attend the forthcoming Members’ briefing on anti-social behaviour and Scan net.  At the Task Group’s next meeting they would review the briefing.

Councillor Khan reminded councillors that the Police and Crime Panel would be taking place the following evening.  At a recent meeting he had met the Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd, and had invited him to a future Community Safety Partnership Task Group meeting.

Councillor Khan stated that he was pleased with the Task Group’s good work during the current year.  It had set up a number of briefings for Members on community safety matters.  The role of the task group had been to take a strategic approach rather than individual matters.

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2013 were available on the Council’s website and had been circulated separately to Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

·               Thursday 6 February 2014 (For call-in only)

·               Thursday 6 March 2014

·               Thursday 27 March 2014 (For call-in only)

·               Thursday 6 February 2014 (For call-in only)

·               Thursday 6 March 2014

·               Thursday 27 March 2014