Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillor Charles Edwards.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

None.

To be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

The Chair wished to extend his sincere thanks on behalf of the committee to John Morrissy, Director of Organisational Change and Development, who would soon be retiring from the county council. The Chair highlighted that John had completed many sterling pieces of work for the committee and wished him all the best for the future. 

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

The Chair welcomed County Councillor Mike Goulthorp, Lead Member for Finance and Resources, and Kieran Curran, Head of Corporate Strategy and Policy, to the meeting.

A presentation was provided on a proposed programme of work to review, support, and enhance partnership working at the county council, overseen by the Communities, Cultural and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee with appropriate and regular consultation with, and input from, our services, Directorates, and external partners.

The committee thanked the officers for the detailed report and presentation, a copy of which is attached to the minutes.

Comments and queries raised from the committee were as follows:

·  The committee were supportive of commissioning a wider research project on partnership working and brought forward the suggestions of the establishment of a Task and Finish Group to further this piece of work, and / or the holding of an Evidence Day where officers within the authority be invited to share their experience and knowledge on partnership working. With the latter, it was highlighted that given the scale of the council, several quality assurance methods should be put in place in advance, including the creation of a standardized set of questions for each participant, and directly reaching out to those who would be in the best position to inform on the topic.

·  Members further highlighted that the experts on partnership working, who could inform and direct best standards practice, where those who were currently doing the job. Officers highlighted that a key priority of the strategy was to improve the standards and practice already in place, through continuous evaluation of performance against standardised measures.

·  The committee suggested that a benchmarking exercise, looking into the structure and functioning of partnership working in other authorities would be beneficial.  It was further highlighted that some organisations, including other county councils, have a 'partnership director' role within their leadership structure which could be a future consideration.

·  The committee also enquired into the possibility of a new committee on Strategic Partnerships, that would be able to directly interact with external organisations on a regular basis and receive regular reports on the effectiveness of ongoing partnerships.

·  The committee was informed of the necessity for potential partnerships to have a tangible benefit to the residents of Lancashire for them to be pursued. Officers highlighted how shared responsibilities can be fragile, and emphasised the importance of partnerships being structured, systematic, and bound by a formal agreement to mitigate this vulnerability.

·  Members noted that one of the most integral partnerships for the county council, that should influence its strategic direction, was community engagement and collaboration. In addition, the importance of clear communication to the public regarding ongoing partnerships and decisions was emphasised.

·  The committee suggested that gaps within the council's partnerships should be investigated. It was recommended that the wealth of knowledge and talent of the residents of Lancashire should be mobilised by increasing collaboration, and encouraging co-investment, with the county's universities.

·  The committee noted that partnerships between internal departments should be prioritised to ensure any decisions taken  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Chair welcomed County Councillor Peter Buckley, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cultural Services, Clare Platt, Head of Health, Equity, Welfare and Partnerships, Alison Wilkins, Senior Public Health Practitioner (Stronger and Safer Communities) and Lee Sculpher, Senior Partnership Analyst from Lancashire Police. to the meeting.

The report provided formed the annual update report to the committee, meeting the requirements of a Crime and Disorder Committee to oversee and review the delivery of joint responses on community safety as required under the Police and Justice Act 2006.

The committee thanked the officers for the detailed report and presentation, a copy of which is attached to the minutes.

Comments and queries raised from the committee were as follows:

·  The committee questioned why gender was not specified under the category of domestic abuse, despite it being a largely gendered crime. Officers explained that this data did exist, and further data could be circulated to the committee. In addition, the committee raised concerns as to the lack of data presented on violence against women and girls. It was explained that the issue was currently encompassed under a broader category of violence against the person, but the Violence Reduction Network in Lancashire, did record it separately.

·  It was noted that District councils received in-depth insights into crime figures across their areas. Members requested that a cross comparative report, with equal depth and spanning all of Lancashire's districts, be provided to the committee, to better understand and map crime profiles and concentrations across Lancashire's district borders.

·  It was suggested that where reports seek to provide overview accounts of crime data and highlight key issues, easily accessible links could also be provided on where to find in-depth reporting and data on all of the key issues. Members agreed this would be helpful.

·  Members requested that future reports also included updates on the progress on crime reduction and feedback on current strategies in place.

·  The committee questioned the figures for youth offending with referral orders and whether these had increased or decreased. Officers confirmed that this data was provided to the Lancashire Criminal Justice Board, the information could be obtained and circulated to members.

·  Regarding the proposed timeline and consultations for the new Lancashire Strategic Assessment, the committee questioned how they intended to engage with elected members. Officers confirmed that members would be invited to attend upcoming workshops, where there was further opportunity to put forward any issues specific to their local communities.

·  The committee requested that they have increased access to Lancashire Talking and data from the service and for this to be included in future reports where possible. It was highlighted that the service, which over 100,000 residents of Lancashire had registered with, would be a valuable representation of public opinion.

·  It was suggested a Bite Size Briefing could be provided to councillors on Domestic Violence and Domestic Homicide reviews.

Resolved: That the following recommendations be shared with the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cultural Services:

a)  A cross comparative report on crime statistics across Lancashire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The committee considered the work programme and updates from previously agreed recommendations for the 2023/24 municipal year.

Resolved: That the Community, Cultural and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee work programme for 2023/24, be noted.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the minutes, the chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency. Wherever possible, the chief executive should be given advance warning of any member's intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There were no items of urgent business.

The next meeting of the Community, Cultural and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee will be held on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at 10.30 am in Committee Room B – The Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston.

The next meeting of the Community, Cultural and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee will be held on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at 10:30am in Committee Room B – The Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston.