233 Scrutiny Stage 2 Responses to Recommendations PDF 120 KB
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Decision:
The Executive Mayor and Cabinet, RESOLVED to;
1. Approve the responses and action plans attached to this report in Appendices 1, 2, 3 & 4;
2. Delegate authority to the officers identified in Appendices 1, 2, 3 & 4 to report back to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, or relevant Sub-Committee, within the periods specified in the agreed responses and action plans, and on progress made in implementing any action plan.
Minutes:
Cabinet considered the report on Scrutiny Stage 2 Responses to Recommendations arising from: Children & Young People Sub-Committee on 16 July 2024 (Appendices 1 & 2) and the Streets & Environment Sub-Committee on 22 July 2024 (Appendices 3 & 4).
Chair of Scrutiny and Overview Committee, Councillor Leila Ben-Hassell welcomed the recommendations which had been accepted and noted that the Scrutiny Streets and Environment Sub-Committee had found the contractor not being named within the contract award report challenging.
An update and feedback from Scrutiny & Overview Committee held on 19 November 2024 was provided.
Regarding the Complaints report, Scrutiny and Overview Committee welcomed the simplification of the complaints process and the data provided within the report. It was noted Croydon was one of only a few local authorities publishing the report, which was a positive but presented challenges in access to benchmarking data. The increase in complaints particularly regarding housing was in line with the national trend and opportunity for improvement to the Council’s services. The recommendations arising would be presented to the following Cabinet meeting.
Regarding the Equalities Strategy Annual Report, Scrutiny and Overview Committee had welcomed partners to discuss their involvement in the assessment process. The iterative nature of the work and therefore the need for clear priorities had been noted. Ensuring consultation reached ‘harder to reach’ groups was of high importance. The shift towards greater ownership at leadership level had been positive and the recommendations would include a mechanism of increased involvement by members.
The Council’s ongoing challenging financial situation detailed within the Period 5 Financial Performance Report was noted. There had been an in-year improvement of £800k and Scrutiny and Overview Committee had received more detailed information on the recovery plans to identify savings, which illustrated a one Council approach. It had been noted that the Council did not yet have clarity on the implications of the Autumn Budget and market pressures on the Council's in-year position and Medium-Term Financial Strategy.
The Executive Mayor and Cabinet, RESOLVED to;
1. Approve the responses and action plans attached to this report in Appendices 1, 2, 3 & 4;
2. Delegate authority to the officers identified in Appendices 1, 2, 3 & 4 to report back to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, or relevant Sub-Committee, within the periods specified in the agreed responses and action plans, and on progress made in implementing any action plan.