Agenda and minutes

To receive the appointment of Substitute Members.

There were no substitutes

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

There were no Declarations of Interest

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 2 March 2020.

Resolved that minute of the meeting held on 2 March 2020 be confirmed;

To update the Council’s Recovery Framework for Covid-19 on the four strategic objectives from the Framework.

The Committee received and report and presentation from the Head of Environment, Housing and Leisure that provided an update to the progress of the Authority’s Covid-19 Recovery Framework.

The framework was a structured approach with stages built upon the strategic objectives of the North Tyneside plan and with each objective having several workstreams of activity to move through the Recovery Framework phases:

Our People – Health & Wellbeing, Social Care, Community and support for Critically Vulnerable/Shielded, Schools.

Our Places – Housing Property and Construction, Highways and Town Centres, Covid Secure Workplaces, Culture, Sport & Leisure, Environmental Operations.

Our Economy – Business and Jobs.

Our Organisation – Finance, Digital Connectivity, Human Resources/Organisational Development, Political and Democratic Recovery.

A Member asked for clarification to how track and trace was operated within North Tyneside. The Director of Public Health provided information that every confirmed case of Covid was automatically referred to test and trace. A Tier 3 call handler who would initially pick up the case and call the person to gain all relevant details of the contacts they have had and provide advice. If a person works in a high risk/complex setting the case would automatically be escalated to Tier 1 test and trace system who are in the Public Health England (PHE) Health Protection Team who take responsibility of the test and trace activity.

It was stated that North Tyneside had an 85% completion rate on the follow up of confirmed cases with PHE Health Protection Team having 100% completion rate of all cases that are escalated to them.

It was emphasised that even though the region was doing well in test and trace, the Authority was continuing to look at how to improve to get 100% completion rate.

Every business in North Tyneside had received a letter with information and contact details of the Health Protection Team to what to do if they think have had case.

In the respect of Care Homes, these again received a letter providing information and guidance that they could open if they wished, however, if any positive cases arose it was expected that they close immediately.

The Head of Environment, Housing and Leisure provided assurance that Members would be involved in the phase 1 review before the Authority would move onto the next phase to recovery.

A Member questioned the relaxation of Licensing laws and asked the number of application of premises wanting to use the public highway to deliver their services. It was also asked how the Authority would control the operation of the working hours extension on construction sites.

The Head of Environment, Housing and Leisure stated the relaxation of Licensing laws process was required to be implemented very quickly to support business and licensees to move out door spaces and stated that any applications had to be processed within a 10 day period. There had been 5 applications received. It was highlighted that North Tyneside has implemented further restrictions, be requiring that all extended outdoor spaces being designated as smoke free areas, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item OV49/20

To receive an update on the Quarter 1 position of key 2020/21 projects and business cases within the overall Efficiency Savings Programme.

The Finance - Senior Business Partner attended the meeting and presented the Quarter 1 position of the key 2020/21 projects and business cases within the Efficiency Savings Programme.

The overall savings requirement for the 2020/21 business cases was £3.244m.

The Committee heard that the delivery of some of the savings proposed in 2020/21 were expected to be significantly impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic especially within Health, Education, Care & Safeguarding and Commissioning & Asset Management.

The update set out each project that would deliver the required savings whilst delivering priority outcomes within the agreed Efficiency Plan.

The financial position at the end of quarter one position was;

·         (£0.571m) had been delivered against the overall target via project activities outlined in associated business cases;

·         A further £0.802m was expected to be delivered against the targets during the course of the financial year;

·         £3.013m of the overall target remained to be delivered.

Agreed that the Efficiency Savings Programme: 2020/21 Quarter 1: Progress be noted.

To receive an update on the performance of the Technical Services Partnership.

The Committee received update for partnership performance for Q4 (January – March 2020) against the agreed Annual Service Plan for 2019/20. It also received the Annual Service Plan for 2020/21 for consideration.

The Council monitors performance of the Partnership on a monthly basis and Capita are required to meet a series of important performance milestones for each service they deliver on our behalf and these are known as Key Performance Indicators (‘KPI’s).

The KPI’s, divided into Category 1 (not linked to the payment mechanism) and Category 2 (linked to the payment mechanism) and each have an explicit target.

Performance scorecards were reported for each of the following service areas:

· Property Services

· Engineering Services

· Regulatory Services

At the start of each financial year the Committee receives the Annual Service Plan, which was included in the agenda for consideration.

Agreed that (1) the Technical Services Partnership - Capita outturn performance Q4 2019/20 and (20 the 2020/21 Annual service Plan be noted.

The Committee will be requested to pass the following resolution:

Resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test in accordance with Part 2 of Schedule 12A the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test in accordance with Part 2 of Schedule 12A the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Committee received the Capita financial outturn for 2019/20.

Agreed that the Capita financial outturn for 2019/20 be noted