Agenda item

(Report by the Scrutiny Officer)

Councillor Stephen Woodliffe, Chairman of the Corporate and Community Committee, introduced a report by the Scrutiny Officer on a review of the Strategic Alliance undertaken by a Joint Scrutiny Panel of members from both authorities.

The review focused on four key areas of:

• To understand the progress that had been made so far in bringing together functions and teams across the alliance;
• To assess whether joint working on the planning and delivery of services had mitigated pressure on the Councils’ budgets; and whether projected savings (money and capacity) were being achieved;
• To understand the opportunities that had been secured by the Councils’ working collaboratively together;
• To understand how it had been possible to merge cultures, the difficulties that had arisen from this and how this could be managed. 

The Panel met on three occasions, interviewed six witnesses and conducted a survey of BBC and ELDC Councillors to canvass their views.  The results of the survey were attached at Appendix D of the report.

The report of the Joint Scrutiny Panel was set out in Appendix A of the report and contained eleven recommendations arising from the Panel’s considerations:-

1. That staff ‘snapshot’ surveys are reported to Overview / Scrutiny on a 6-monthly basis along with staff turnover figures, in order to monitor any significant changes;

2. Review the ICT roadmap priorities and ensure that shared email addresses for officers is given the highest priority;

3. To develop a shared strategy to ensure that staff are valued and given opportunities to progress, with a view to enhancing recruitment and retention;

4. To better communicate to staff, councillors, and residents any relevant updates or priorities, and to celebrate the successes across the alliance;

5. To provide opportunities for more collaborative working for all councillors, such as scrutiny panels, project groups, and other shared opportunities across the alliance / partnership, especially where there is commonality, e.g., licensing and planning policy;

6. To provide an opportunity for councillors to visit partner districts to meet other councillors and gain an awareness of the ‘place’ of other districts;

7. Move to an alignment of policies, e.g., procurement, climate change, and recycling;

8. To encourage the development of a strong sense of identity within the 3 areas of the alliance and the opportunities that they offer. This will help develop a sustainable, resilient, and vibrant economy and population;

9. To prepare a strategy so the partnership is fully prepared for the possibility of devolution.

10.  That the alliance should work together to lobby the government to ensure the financial sustainability of the IDBs on which the residents and the land of the 3 councils heavily rely;

11. To convene a shared scrutiny panel of the 3 Councils in the new Partnership at the end of the first and second year, in order to undertake a review of the Partnership and merged workforce.

The report had been considered at the meeting of the Corporate and Community Committee held on 4 November 2021, and referred to full Council.

Members welcomed the positive report, but raised some concerns regarding questionnaire responses identifying communication as an area for improvement and the lack of response to the survey had been disappointing.

In summing up Councillor Woodliffe thanked Members for their supportive comments and recognising the important function scrutiny played in the democratic process, and agreed to take on board the issues raised in respect of communication.

It was moved by Councillor Stephen Woodliffe, seconded by Councillor Judith Welbourn and