Agenda and minutes

It was noted that following receipt of the temporary resignation of Councillor Powell-Vaughan from the Committee, the Monitoring Officer, acting under delegated powers, had appointed Councillor P Baillie to replace her for the purposes of this meeting. 

To elect the Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2024-2025.

Item deferred to the next meeting.

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 20 June 2024 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes for the Committee meeting held on 20 June, 2024 be approved and signed as a correct record.

The Committee considered the report of the Scrutiny Manager which enabled the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee to examine the content of the Forward Plan and to discuss issues of interest or concern with the Executive. 

TRANSFORMATION UPDATE

The Committee considered the briefing paper and Cabinet report setting out the Transformation programme. 

Councillor Fielker, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members, Andrew Travers, Chief Executive and Executive Directors and James Fleming-Wills, Director of Transformation were present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting. 

The Committee discussed:

·  What assurances could be provided ensuring the delivery of the transformation programme was successful now and in the future. 

·  Capacity within the Council to deliver projects running concurrently.

·  What success looks like.

·  How innovations and new ways of working being developed through transformation demonstrate the programme is not just a platform for service cuts.

·  Steps being taken to ensure that programmes were resilient and not derailed by the loss of key staff members.

·  The required level of savings that the Council was confident of delivering by the end of 2025/26 through the transformation programme.

·  The expectation of the reduction in posts as a result of the transformation programme.

RESOLVED that a diagram identifying individual project timescales and programme interdependencies is shared with the Committee.

MTFS REBASE 2024/25 to 2027/28

The Committee considered the briefing paper and Cabinet report detailing the Medium Term Financial Strategy Rebase 2024/25 to 2027/28. 

Councillor Letts, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services and Mel Creighton, Executive Director of Enabling Services were both present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

The Committee discussed financial support for the transformation programme, levels of reserves and the rebuilding of the Capital Programme.

RESOLVED that, moving forward, the Committee agreed to consider Council finances at each meeting in which the performance of the Transformation Programme is scrutinised.