Agenda and minutes

The Committee was advised of apologies from Councillors Matt Furniss, Steven Lee, and Maddy Redpath and a substitution as detailed above.

In accordance with the local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must not participate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, the councillor must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

Councillors are further invited to disclose any non-pecuniary interest which may be relevant to any matter on this agenda, in the interests of transparency, and to confirm that it will not affect their objectivity in relation to that matter.

There were no declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.

To confirm the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 19 December 2023.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 19 December 2023 were agreed.

To consider an update on the Transformation and Collaboration Programme with Waverley Borough Council. 

Please note, the Transformation and Collaboration Programme report (with appendices) approved by the Executive on 23 November 2023 is included at pages 28 - 70.

The Joint Executive Head of Organisational Development introduced the item.  He advised the Committee that the Business Transformation Manager at Waverley Borough Council was also the Programme Manager for the Transformation and Collaboration Programme between the Guildford and Waverley councils.  The Joint Executive Head of Organisational Development advised the meeting that the Executives of both Councils had agreed initial funding to develop and cost proposals for decision.  He indicated that the business cases prepared for projects within the Transformation and Collaboration Programme would provide financial information on the proposed changes.

The Joint Executive Head of Organisational Development advised the Committee that the £700k of future savings from collaborative working identified in the report was a high-level target put forward using initial proposals from joint executive heads of service.  He indicated that much of the potential savings of £700k was reliant on joint working arrangements between the Councils and that a shared staff structure with harmonised terms and conditions was a fundamental workstream for the programme.  The Joint Executive Head of Organisational Development advised that options to co-locate staff within a shared building was a major project of the Transformation and Collaboration Programme.  The Joint Executive Head of Organisational Development highlighted the decision of the Executive to invite the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review the draft options appraisals, the recommendations and the costs and savings before any final decision by the Executive. 

With reference to presentation slides published within the papers for the meeting, the Programme Manager for the Transformation and Collaboration Programme presented an update to the Committee.  She confirmed that all services and operations were within the scope of the Programme and options would be considered through a business case process.  The meeting was informed that the co-location of staff was a priority project but was out of scope of the Programme and was being managed through the Place Directorate.  In addition, the Programme Manager advised that the harmonisation of policies and section 113 agreements to share officers were both outside the Programme’s scope. 

The Programme Managerexplained the two workstreams of the Programme; namely, Workstream One – a shared staff structure and terms and conditions, and Workstream Two – cashable savings projects.  The Committee was advised of the non-financial opportunities identified within the Transformation and Collaboration Programme, the limitations and restrictions within which the change had to occur, and the challenges of the change Programme change.  The Programme Manager informed the Committee of programme-wide challenges, including current IT incompatibility and limited resources to achieve the ambitious vison and objectives  of the collaboration.  The Committee was informed of the functions delegated to the Joint Governance Committee, which included responsibility for reviewing the Inter-Authority Agreement and collaboration risk register. 

In concluding her presentation, the Programme Manager highlighted the main early-stage risks associated with the Transformation and Collaboration Programme: a failure to prioritise; the financial risk that achieving the vison of the collaboration partnership will be too high; and the scarcity of project and programme management and other related skills  ...  view the full minutes text for item OS27

The Policy Officer, Strategy and Performance, introduced the report submitted to the Committee.  She advised the meeting that the report contained thirty-five quarterly KPIs, of which five showed as no data available.  The Committee was informed that ENV1 (domestic waste collected per household from the kerbside), ENV2 (household waste recycled and composted), and H&J3 (number of net new additional homes) were subject to a time lag in reporting data, H&J1 (average time to let void housing properties) was part of a wider review of void housing properties, and H&J4 (affordable new homes completed each year) was unavailable due to the officer who provided the data leaving the Council recently. 

With reference to a question about the increase in the amount of waste recycled and composted (ENV2) in quarter 1 2023/24, the meeting was advised that in waste data was cyclical in nature and some quarters would always be low performing with an improvement in the following quarter.  The Committee was informed that quarter 4 was always a poor performing quarter, but for 2022/23 it was very significantly so.  The meeting was advised that officers had been unable to fully establish why this quarter 4 was so low, but believed it was the combination of a series of events: including high street cleaning tonnages from gritted roads and the clearance of the remaining leaf fall; high post-Christmas refuse tonnages; a number of recycling rejections; a lower level of recycling than normal; and some errors in reporting following a change in waste classifications at the tip.

The Committee was advised that the Executive Head of Regeneration and Planning Policy would provide a written response to the question of what more the Council could do to encourage occupancy of the town centre shops.

Similarly, the response to a question on efforts to secure more temporary accommodation was that the Neighbourhood Housing Lead had been unable to attend the meeting in person but was happy to speak to the Councillor raising this issue.  In addition, the Committee was advised that two schemes were being planned to meet the need, but work had not started as the Council were currently reviewing all assets and the best use of them.

The Executive Head of Communications and Customer Services responded to a question about the measures put in place for training the Council’s call handling teams and, in particular, how these staff were trained to help residents with health conditions or impairments that may need extra care and time to help them with their queries.  The Committee was advised that all customer service staff attended equality and diversity training, customer service team leaders monitored calls for feedback, and training to help staff deal with customers with mental health needs was planned.

With reference to H&J4, the number of affordable new homes built each year, a Councillor questioned whether his proposal that the number of social homes be reported separately from the number of affordable homes had been progressed since last year.  The Policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item OS28

The Lead Councillor for Engagement and Customer Services introduced the item.  She highlighted the important and timely service that the Council’s customer services team provided to residents.  The Joint Executive Head of Communications and Customer Service indicated that the report submitted to the Committee showed continued improvement in customer service.

A Councillor praised the progress maintained by the customer services team.

RESOLVED:  That subsequent performance updates on the Council’s customer services be provided to Committee members by email.

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services introduced the item and thanked the members of the scrutiny working group that scrutinised the monitoring of the leisure management contract.  The meeting was advised that the report summarised the contractor’s performance on its operation of the Council’s leisure facilities at Guildford Spectrum, Guildford Lido, and Ash Manor Sports Centre for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. 

A member of the scrutiny working group present at the meeting praised the Spectrum facility and the work of the contractor and officers.

In response to questions, the Joint Executive Head of Commercial Services indicated that the ramp at the Spectrum was the responsibility of the Council and that seasonal staff at the Lido would be trained on how customers could feedback complaints and suggestions. 

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services advised the meeting that feedback from service users was gathered by Freedom Leisure and shared with Council officers.  A member of the Committee suggested use of a QR code posted near entrances to encourage users to give feedback online.

The Chairman thanked the Lead Councillor for Commercial Services and the Joint Executive Head of Commercial Services for attending.

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services introduced the item and thanked the members of the scrutiny working group that scrutinised the operation of the G Live contract.  She advised the Committee that a new contract to operate G Live was currently out for procurement and expected to commence in September 2024.  The Committee was informed that the financial performance of the venue in 2022-23 was the best since its opening in 2011.  The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services drew attention to the estimated economic contribution of G Live to the local economy in the past contract year – approximately £4.2million. 

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services praised the creative learning department at G Live and highlighted the Bugsy Malone Summer Youth Project. 

The Joint Executive Head of Commercial Services noted the financial performance of G Live, the attendance and wide range of events, and the success of catering at the venue.  He indicated that the venue now provided more street food than sit down meals.

In answer to questions on the profit sharing arrangements and the upcoming tendering process for the operation and management of G Live, the Joint Executive Head of Commercial Services indicated that the new tender had an absolute minimum requirement of no subsidy from the Council.

In response to a question, the Joint Executive Head of Commercial Services undertook to provide Committee members with details of the day and evening vacancy rates and hires for the venue.

The Chairman thanked the Lead Councillor for Commercial Services and the Joint Executive Head of Commercial Services for attending.

To agree the draft Overview and Scrutiny work programme.

The Senior Democratic Service Officer (Scrutiny) advised the Committee that the Draft Communications Strategy had moved from the March 2024 meeting to unscheduled items following a request from the Joint Executive Head of Communications and Customer Service.

The Chairman reminded members of the visit to The Hive on 24 January and outlined the items scheduled for the next meeting on 30 January.