Meeting documents

External Partnerships Select Committee
Tuesday, 14th September, 2004

Document:  04 - 14th September 2004
 

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS SELECT COMMITTEE held at Surrey Heath House, Camberley
 

 
 

+ Cllr Richard Brooks - Chairman
 

+ Cllr Bruce Mansell - Vice-Chairman
 

 
 

+

Cllr Frans Bennie

-

Cllr Ken Pedder

+

Cllr Bill Chapman

+

Cllr Bob Smith

-

Cllr Elaine Drummond

-

Cllr Stewart Stevenson (Deputy Mayor)

+

Cllr John Faulkner

+

Cllr Judi Trow

+

Cllr Melanie Longden

 

 
 

 
 

+ Present
 

 
 

Also present:     Councillors Keith Bush and David Whitcroft.
 

 
 

PART I
 

(public)
 

 
 

007/EP

MINUTES
 

 
 

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 1st June 2004 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
 

      
 

008/EP

POST OFFICE NETWORK REINVENTION SEMINAR
 

 
 

The Committee received the notes of the seminar on Post Office Network Reinvention, held on 22nd July 2004. Members welcomed both the opportunity to get a clear message to the Post Office on this issue and the subsequent press coverage generated.
 

 
 

009/EP

APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES WORKING GROUP
 

 
 

The Committee considered a report from the Appointments to Outside Bodies Working Group.
 

 
 

Members thanked the Working Group for this comprehensive review. The Committee noted concerns expressed in relation to the Council’s representation on the Surrey County Council Local Committee for Surrey Heath. Whilst this Council was represented on the Local Committee by portfolio holders (and, therefore the Majority Group) at the specific request of Surrey County Council, it was reported that all other local committees in Surrey had Borough Council representation based on proportionality. Members asked the Officers to clarify the current position with Surrey County Council and to report back to the next meeting.
 

 
 

Under recommendation 13 (b), Function 6, the Committee agreed to delete “will not admit of delay†and insert “cannot be delayedâ€
 

 
 

Under resolution 14(b), the Committee noted that consultation would be with all Group Leaders.
 

 
 

RECOMMENDED, That
 

 
 

(i)

the External Partnerships Select Committee be authorised to make future appointments to outside bodies;
 

 
 

(ii)

the Scheme of Delegation of Functions to Officers, at (a) Council, be amended as follows:
 

 
 
 

6.

Function

Exercised by

 

 

 

 

In respect of ad hoc appointments throughout the year which cannot be delayed until the next meeting of the External Partnerships Select Committee: tThe appointment or nomination of members and representatives on outside bodies, school governing bodies and education management committees; the appointment of trustees; and the identification of outside bodies, the attendance at meetings of which would be an approved duty for the purpose of the payment of allowances.

Chief Executive after consultation with the party group leaders.  All decisions to be reported in the next Information Bulletin.
 

 
 

(iii)

the External Partnerships Select Committee Work Programme for 2004/05 be amended to include the annual appointments to outside bodies on 22nd March 2005; and
 

 
 

(iv)

the draft protocol for Council appointments/nominations to outside bodies, as amended, and attached at Annex A, be adopted.
 

 
 

RESOLVED, That
 

 
 

(i)

the Leisure and Environment Select Committee be advised to consider a review of the management of Community Centres and in particular, the way they report, how they meet and the frequency of meetings; and
 

 
 

(ii)

the Chief Executive be advised to consider, under his delegated authority after consultation with the Group Leaders, the appointment of a Council representative to Disabled Access Surrey Heath (DASH);
 

 
 

(iii)

Officers seek clarification from Surrey County Council in relation to membership of local area committees and report back to the next meeting.
 

 
 

NOTED the position with respect to the number of Council representatives required for the A322 Route Management Study, West End – Bisley Task Group.
 

 
 

010/EP

SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN SURREY HEATH
 

 
 

(i)

At the previous meeting (minute 005/EP refers), the Committee had resolved that
 

 
 

(ii)

Councillor Bob Smith be asked to take the lead on investigations into identified issues around services for young people in the Borough;
 

 
 

(iii)

Any other Member who is able to assist in this project be asked to notify Councillor Smith;
 

 
 

(iv)

A report be submitted to the next meeting on the issues and the way forward; and
 

 
 

(v)

Joel Bailey be invited to attend the next meeting and make a presentation on innovative solutions being developed in Bisley on youth issues.
 

 
 

However, subsequent to the meeting, proposals emerged for the involvement of a wider range of external partners and an extended remit, to investigate the full gambit of services and issues across all agencies working with young people in the Borough. To facilitate this and to ensure that the Committee was satisfied with developments, consideration was postponed to this meeting, to allow for further preparatory work.
 

 
 

It was agreed that the next meeting, to be held on 23rd November 2004, would focus on services to young people in the Borough and youth issues, including antisocial behaviour, where this related to young people. The Committee would establish a working group in the interim, with a view to an initial report being submitted to the 23rd November 2004 meeting.
 

 
 

It was agreed that the following would be invited to the next meeting together with other external expertise as available:
 

 
 

Joel Bailey – Surrey County Council Youth Worker – Surrey Heath
 

Jonathan Olaose – Connexions
 

Alan Adams – Surrey County Council – Supporting People Team
 

Ben Williams and Julian Crabbe – Surrey Police
 

Jacqui Newson, Leisure Business Manager, Leisure Services Team.
 

Jackie Swaine – Policy Officer - Community Safety
 

Youth Council representative
 

 
 

Any Members wishing to serve on the Working Group were asked to notify the Chairman as a matter of urgency.
 

 
 

RESOLVED, That
 

 
 

(i)

a working group be established to consider youth issues;
 

 
 

(ii)

the working group be asked to submit an initial report to the Committee’s meeting on 23rd November 2004; and
 

 
 

(iii)

the speakers listed above be invited to the next meeting to address the Committee on youth issues.
 

 
 

011/EP

CHILDREN BILL
 

 
 

The Committee received a report on the implications to the Council of the Children Bill and the necessary actions to comply with this Act.
 

 
 

Members recognised that the implications of this report would impact across the Council and that it would be necessary for other committees to consider these as a matter of urgency.
 

 
 

RESOLVED, That
 

 
 

(i)

the implications of the Children Bill be included in the Committee work programme; and
 

 
 

(ii)

this report be referred to other appropriate committees for action.
 

 
 

012/EP

REFERENCE FROM THE EXECUTIVE – SPEED MANAGEMENT
 

 
 

The Committee had been asked by the Executive (minute 044/E refers) to monitor the speed management target for Surrey Heath.
 

 
 

In view of the complexity of this issue and the need to involve external expertise, the Committee agreed that a working group should be established to review the points raised and make recommendations for a way forward. Members were asked to notify the Chairman, as a matter of urgency, if they were prepared to serve on this working group.
 

 
 

RESOLVED, That a working group be established to consult with Surrey Police and Surrey County Council on an appropriate mechanism to allow this Council to monitor traffic management in the Borough and to report back to the Committee on progress, as appropriate.
 

 
 

013/EP

WORK PROGRAMME
 

 
 

Members noted the work programme for the municipal year, as amended to reflect the wishes of the Committee in relation to services to young people in Surrey Heath. It was also noted that the Committee programme would need to be flexible to be responsive to referrals from the Executive and partnership issues.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

CHAIRMAN
 

 
 

ANNEX A
 

 
 

DRAFT PROTOCOL FOR COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS/NOMINATIONS TO OUTSIDE BODIES
 

 
 

1.

Appointment/nomination of Members to serve on outside bodies shall be dependent on one or more of the following conditions applying:
 

 
 

(i)

where it is considered necessary to supplement existing communication channels established by officers;
 

 
 

(ii)

where the Council has a significant interest in the business dealt with by the body in question, e.g. by virtue of owning relevant premises; providing significant resource contributions; being a key partner; or the fact that the work of the Body is of strategic significance to the Council;
 

 
 

(iii)

where Council appointees are legally required;
 

 
 

(iv)

where the boards of registered charities are required to include Council appointed trustees in order to comply with their Articles of Association or Trust Deeds;
 

 
 

(v)

in other cases,  where such representation would bring clearly defined mutual benefits to both the authority and the body in question.
 

 
 

2.

Appointments/nominations to outside bodies are made by the External Partnerships Select Committee at its final meeting of each municipal year for the subsequent year, except for those years in which local elections are held. For those years, appointments will be made at the first meeting of the External Partnerships Select Committee in the new municipal year. Any vacancies arising during the remainder of the year will be appointed/nominated by the Chief Executive under delegated authority and after consultation with Group Leaders. All appointments are notified to Members through the Information Bulletin
 

 
 

3.

With the exception of the Surrey Heath Local Area Committee, where there are three or more appointments to an outside body and there are more nominations than the available places, the following principle will apply, in that two places will be offered, in the first instance, to the majority group with one or more places being offered to minority groups on the basis of proportionality.
 

 
 

4.

The basis of each appointment/nomination shall be identified in terms of whether the individuals concerned have been appointed:
 

 
 

(i)     to represent the Council on joint local authority bodies/consortia;
 

 
 

(ii)

to represent the Council by attending meetings of other organisations purely in an advisory capacity to:
 

 
 

·

observe proceedings; and/or
 

 
 

·

facilitate information exchange whilst promoting the interests of the Council as opposed to the body; or
 

 
 

(iii)

as executive members of other organisations (e.g. a director/trustee/voting member of a Management Committee) with an obligation to act in the best interests of the body concerned whilst conducting its business; or
 

 
 

(iv)     to exercise a combination of (ii) and (iii) above.
 

 
 

5.

Where the Council makes appointments/nominations on the basis of (iii) and (iv) above, officers shall assist, when requested, in seeking to verify whether the organisations concerned have adequate insurance cover in place to protect the Council’s appointees (Chapter 9.4 of the Constitution refers).
 

 
 

6.

Each organisation shall be requested to provide the Council with a clear statement of what is expected of Council appointees, e.g. in terms of the number of meetings to be attended and responsibilities associated with the appointment.
 

 
 

7.

In cases where organisations produce annual reports, the bodies concerned shall be required to forward a copy to the Council.
 

 
 

8.

Members appointed to outside bodies shall be requested to submit an annual report, in writing, to the External Partnerships Select Committee, with a view to the Council assessing the merits of continuing to make appointments to the organisations in question and indicating:
 

 
 

a)

the benefits contributed by the body to the wider community or specific targeted user group(s);
 

 
 

b)

the input of the councillor(s) on behalf of the Council and/or the outside body to the targets at sub paragraph a);  
 

 
 

c)

the continuing use to the Council of the input/services provided by the outside body; and
 

 
 

d)

whether or not the appointed Member would recommend continued involvement in the outside body.
 

 
 

9.

Should any issue arise at a meeting of the outside body which is of significance to the Council, the Member representing the Council should initially raise the issue with the appropriate Portfolio Holder and report to the next meeting of the Executive or Select Committee as appropriate.
 

 
 

10.

Where substitutes are appointed, it shall be the responsibility of the appointed Member to notify the substitute and the outside body in the event that he/she is unable to attend any meeting.
 

 
 

11.

The Chief Executive, in consultation with the Group Leaders, is authorised to identify outside bodies, for which the attendance of meetings would be an approved duty for the payment of allowances. Travelling expenses in relation to outside body shall be payable to appointed Members for journeys in excess of 3 miles.
 

 
 

12.

If the outside body appoints the Council’s representative to be its representative on another body (for example to be the representative of a borough-wide body/committee on a regional body/committee) the travelling and subsistence allowance claims shall be met by the Council in accordance with its allowance scheme.
 

 
 

13.

Members are requested to notify the Chief Executive (through Committee Services) in the event that any contact and/or other details change in relation to the outside bodies they serve on.