Issue - meetings

To present the Committee's draft work programme for 2024/25 for adoption.

a)    To adopt the Committee’s work programme for 2024/25.

b)    Agree to add an additional item, Charging Policy for Care (Adults, Health and Well-being Department) to the 26 September 2024 meeting.

The report was submitted by the Senior Language and Scrutiny Advisor.

Members were reminded that the Committee's Forward Programme was based on the matters discussed in the Committee's Annual Workshop held on 30 April 2024.

It was confirmed that three items had been scheduled for each meeting during the year, except for one specific meeting in November to only scrutinise the Social Housing field and a meeting in January to discuss Health matters such as concern about GPs, mental health and collaborative relationships with the ambulance service.

An update was given that the Senior Language and Scrutiny Advisor had received a request from the Adults, Health and Well-being Department for the Committee to consider adding a 'Charging for Care Policy' item for the 26 September 2024 meeting. It was explained that the Department was eager to receive observations and the Committee's considerations before submitting the report to the Cabinet. It was noted that this meant that four items would be scrutinised at the Committee meeting on 26 September 2024.

Members were encouraged to consider the matters they wished for the Departments to include in the reports to the Committee. It was reiterated that it would be possible for Members to discuss those matters in a series of preparatory meetings. It was emphasised that the aim of the preparatory meetings was to identify the main matters which required scrutiny within the fields, leading to supplementary questions in the formal meetings. It was confirmed that the Senior Language and Scrutiny Advisor would consult with the Democracy Services Officer to find suitable dates for the preparatory meetings, attempting to ensure that they would be hosted on Thursdays due to the availability of Members. It was acknowledged that this would not be possible on every occasion, but it was ensured that the time that the meetings would start would be 4pm because this time was convenient for the majority of the Members.

RESOLVED

a)    To adopt the Committee's work programme for 2024/25.

b)    To agree to add the additional Charging for Care Policy item (Adults, Health and Well-being Department) to the meeting on 26 September 2024.