Agenda and minutes

The Committee was advised of apologies for absence from Councillors Chris Blow and Jan Harwood 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.

In relation to item 5, Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health (EWMH) Service – Update, Councillors Fiona White, Angela Goodwin, and George Potter disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as Surrey County Councillors.

To confirm the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 1 March 2022.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 1 March 2022 were agreed.

The Senior Specialist Public Health gave a presentation on the current COVID-19 situation and the Council’s response.  She reminded the meeting that the Government’s Living with COVID plan had been introduced on 1 April and the changes in testing arrangements meant it was no longer possible to report community rates of infection.  The Senior Specialist Public Health advised the Committee that the Office for National Statistics did estimate the percentage of the population with COVID at a national and regional level, and that these estimated rates were reducing. 

The Committee was informed that Covid testing was still available to a number of different groups: NHS patients in hospital; people on COVID anti-viral and other treatments; NHS staff; and adult social care staff in care homes.  The Senior Specialist Public Health advised that the main focus of vaccinations was the 5–11-year-old age group and that pop up vaccination sites would continue in the Borough.  She stated that the vaccination rates in Guildford were in line with the average across Surrey and England. 

In response to a query from Committee members shared prior to the meeting, the Head of Environmental and Regulatory Services informed the Committee that information on obtaining Covid vaccinations was provided to Ukrainian refugees and their sponsors.

The Senior Specialist Public Health indicated that hospital admissions were decreasing and that as at 25 April there were 360 registered Covid-related deaths in Guildford. 

The Senior Specialist Public Health advised that the presumption was now for COVID-19 to be treated like any other infectious disease and for employers and employees to act accordingly.  She confirmed that the Council was reviewing its risk assessments for vulnerable clients or staff. 

The meeting was informed that service leads were being asked to consider work bubbles and training additional officers to ensure that key services and activities were maintained.  The Senior Specialist Public Health advised that the Council would redeploy staff if necessary.  The Committee was informed that test availability would be maintained for staff carrying out health or social care activities. 

The Senior Specialist Public Health advised that if staff had coronavirus symptoms but are well enough to work then, if possible, they would work from home.  She indicated that for staff were working from home was not an option then managers would make appropriate arrangements on a case-by-case basis. 

In response to a question, the Senior Specialist Public Health confirmed that the pop up vaccination sites would cater for all residents.  The Senior Specialist Public Health undertook to provide details to Committee members on the take-up of the latest vaccination dose and plans for the next tranche in the autumn.

RESOLVED:  That the updates to the Committee on the response to COVID-19 be discontinued.

To consider the new EWMH services, Mindworks Surrey.

The Executive Director for Children’s Community Services, Surrey and Borders NHS Foundation Trust (SABP), the Director of Children and Young People’s Services, SABP, the Children’s Emotional Health Alliance Programme Director, SABP, and the Chief Executive, Surrey Wellbeing Partnership, updated the Committee on Mindworks Surrey.

With the aid of presentation slides circulated in advance with the agenda papers, the Committee was advised of the partnership approach of Mindworks and the iThrive framework being used since April 2021.  The meeting was informed that the Mindworks contract was for seven years, with an option to extend for a further three years.  The meeting was informed that the iThrive framework was replacing the traditional delivery of children and adolescent mental health services.

The Children’s Emotional Health Alliance Programme Director, SABP, outlined the organisations and partners delivering Mindworks and the role of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in the development of the framework for Surrey.  The meeting was advised that the main Mindworks services were based around seven areas: access and advice; school-based needs; building resilience; intensive interventions (including the children and young people’s eating disorder services); crisis admission avoidance; reaching out; and neurodevelopmental services.

The Children’s Emotional Health Alliance Programme Director, SABP, informed the meeting of the ongoing challenge of recruiting staff to the Mindworks service across Surrey, but indicated that all seven new service areas were being delivered.  The Committee was advised of an out-of-hours phone line providing advice to parents and carers of children with neurodevelopmental need, such as autism or ADHD.

The Committee was advised of the school-based needs offer in Surrey, including multiple teams working collectively.  The Children’s Emotional Health Alliance Programme Director, SABP, indicated that every district or borough within Surrey had a named primary mental health worker and a community wellbeing lead, and would have a mental health support team.  The meeting was advised that the mental health support team for Guildford would be in place in September 2022.

The Children’s Emotional Health Alliance Programme Director, SABP, informed the Committee of the Amplify participation group, designed by young people and led by a young person with expert by experience.  The meeting was advised of the Mindworks launch event organised by Amplify and to be held on 14 May 2022 at Sandown Racecourse, Esher. 

The Children’s Emotional Health Alliance Programme Director, SABP, confirmed that demand for Mindworks services was increasing and partners were working collectively to reduce waiting times for services. 

During the ensuing discussion a number of questions were asked, and clarifications offered:

·        In reply to a question from a member of the Committee about the impact of the pandemic, the Executive Director for Children’s Community Services, SABP, confirmed an increase in both the number of children presenting in crisis and the complexity of their conditions.  She stated that improved collaboration with Mindworks partners meant that children were able to access help much earlier than under the previous CAMHS (children and adolescent mental health services).  The Director of Children and Young People’s Services, SABP, outlined the  ...  view the full minutes text for item OS71

The Joint Chief Executive of Guildford and Waverley Councils updated the Committee on the two strands of work being undertaken on the collaboration programme: the Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) and the joint shared management team.  The Committee was reminded that the heads of terms for the IAA had been agreed recently by full Council and were to be considered by Waverley Borough Council on 26 April 2022.  The Joint Chief Executive indicated that if the heads of terms of the IAA were approved by Waverley Borough Council then consultation would begin with senior managers over the future structure of the joint shared management team. 

In reply to a question, the Joint Chief Executive indicated that details of options and proposals for the shared management team could not be discussed in a public meeting while the formal HR consultations with employees were underway.

A member of the Committee asked for an indicative timetable for the creation of a joint executive and the appearance of business cases for potential mergers of services or operations.  In response, the Joint Chief Executive advised that he expected a joint management team in place by October 2022 and that it would be tasked with prioritisation and presentation of such business cases.

In response to a question from a member of the Committee about arrangements in the period between the departure of the Director of Resources and the establishment of a shared management team, the Joint Chief Executive advised the meeting that discussions were proceeding about possible interim arrangements for a Section 151 Officer for the Council.

The Chair thanked the Joint Chief Executive for his update.

A question session with the Lead Councillor for Economy.  Councillor John Redpath’s areas of responsibility include: Economic Development, Social Enterprise, Rural Economy, Heritage and Community Assets, Customer Service including Web Services.

The Chair welcomed the Lead Councillor for Economy and reminded the meeting of Councillor John Redpath’s areas of responsibility: Economic Development; Social Enterprise; Rural Economy; Heritage and Community Assets; and Customer Service including Web Services.  The Chair indicated that customer service would likely be the focus of questions for the Lead Councillor for Economy.

During the ensuing discussion with the Lead Councillor a number of points were made, and responses offered:

• In reply to a request for the priorities for each area of his portfolio, the Lead Councillor for Economy outlined the achievements of the Council’s Economic Development team over the past year, including the distribution of several government grant schemes.  The Lead Councillor for Economy stated that the connection of rural homes and businesses to highspeed broadband was a priority.  With reference to the heritage and community assets element of his portfolio, the Lead Councillor for Economy indicated that options for the future of the heritage service were being prepared.  The Lead Councillor for Economy advised the Committee that he favoured an accessible museum located in one of Guildford’s new town centre developments. 

• The Committee was informed by the Lead Councillor for Economy that customer services was the most challenging area of his portfolio.  He linked the deterioration in the customer service at the Council to cuts to the Council’s funding by government and advised that the Future Guildford transformation programme had introduced a single team of twenty-one staff to handle customer enquiries to the organisation, with seventy-five percent of queries handled online.  The Lead Councillor for Economy indicated that difficulties staffing the customer service team and insufficient options online were responsible for a shortfall in customer service at the Council.  He advised that key performance indicators for the Council’s customer service were made available to the public and discussed at the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee. 

• The Lead Councillor for Economy indicated he had somewhat limited involvement in social enterprise projects. 

• A member of the Committee suggested that, even accepting funding issues and the changes introduced by the Future Guildford transformation programme, there had been a rapid deterioration of Guildford’s customer service, to such an extent that the Council was now ranked very low in terms of its customer service.  Councillors advised the Lead Councillor for Economy that they were using their own MyGuildford accounts to report constituents’ issues and questioned whether there were plans for a version of the MyGuildford portal for Councillors.  In reply, the Lead Councillor for Economy suggested the value in Councillors helping residents to use the Council website and register for a MyGuildford account. 

• With reference to the Council encouraging the transferral of service demand online, members of the Committee questioned whether the Council could do more to aid the provision of sustainable and reliable broadband.  Suggestions were put forward by a member of the Committee that the Local Planning Authority should require provision of broadband to new properties and that the Council should consider involvement in the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.  In  ...  view the full minutes text for item OS73

The Chair reminded members of the Committee that the item had been deferred because the Lead Councillor for Environment was unable to attend the meeting. 

The Committee was advised that the item would be re-scheduled for its next meeting, on 7 June 2022.

To agree the draft Overview and Scrutiny work programme.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer (Scrutiny) advised the meeting that since the publication of the agenda two items had been scheduled: the Review of the Council’s ownership of Liongate House to July 2022 and the Monitoring of the Council’s Air Quality Strategy to November 2022.  In addition, the Committee was advised that the quarterly corporate performance monitoring reports currently considered by the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee might be moved across to the Overview and Scrutiny work programme.

The meeting was advised that a report on the Borough’s response to refugees (not just those from Ukraine, but Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere) had been requested by Councillors.

A member of the Committee questioned the advancement of the unscheduled items on the Overview and Scrutiny work programme and was advised that all items were being progressed.

The Committee agreed to add a review of the Dogbusters stray dog service and contract to the Overview and Scrutiny work programme.