The Overview and Scrutiny Commission met on 11 September 2024 to discuss key council priorities, the progress of the Change Team, and the effectiveness of the scrutiny function itself. Key decisions included the approval of the Scrutiny Annual Report and the Scrutiny Member Survey for presentation to the full Council.

Questions to the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive

Leader of the Council, Councillor Ross Garrod, outlined the council's priorities for the year ahead. These include the transition to a new contracted waste service in March 2025, with street cleansing brought back in-house. Housing development is set to commence on site in 2025. Effective budget management and setting a balanced budget remain paramount, with ongoing financial monitoring pressures in areas such as homelessness, children's social care, and adult social care. The council will continue to support residents affected by the cost-of-living crisis through initiatives like the £3m cost of living fund, half-term HAF programmes, and the council tax support fund. Citizens Advice advisors in libraries have provided over 4,000 sessions, resulting in approximately £230,000 financial benefit to residents.

In response to questions, Councillor Garrod confirmed that the 'Garth Road on the road' pilot was targeted at wards further from the main site. Dialogue with unions and staff is planned regarding TUPE arrangements for street sweeping. The council is committed to internships for individuals with learning difficulties, and an update will be provided. Pre-decision scrutiny of the waste contract will be made available to the scrutiny committee. The Safer Streets Patrol pilot, running since late August, has engaged with 72 individuals and received 45 reports via FixMyStreet, with intelligence shared with the Safer Neighbourhood team and licensing. The council will consider options following an analysis of the pilot.

Chief Executive Hannah Doody outlined her priorities, focusing on workforce recruitment, particularly for social care posts, and the launch of new corporate values. She also highlighted the upcoming LGA Peer Review and preparations for a CQC inspection in Adult Social Care. In response to questions, Ms. Doody noted that diversity rates are high across new senior roles and that hybrid working is monitored, with a current expectation of three days per week in the office. The council has robust plans in place for the release of prisoners, covering probation, substance misuse, and rehabilitation. Recruitment challenges persist for specialised social care posts, such as child protection and mental health. The Resilience Group conducts scenario planning for emergencies like flooding and tube station incidents, learning from investigations by the London Fire Brigade. Strategic risks are managed on a central register, with departments holding autonomy for their own risks.

Change Team

Asad Mushtaq, Executive Director of Finance and Digital, introduced Ruth Knox and Heather Begg from the Change Team. In response to questions, the team provided updates on the Members Casework Solution, with ongoing conversations with suppliers and IT colleagues, and addressing cyber security. They noted that previous data was collected pre-COVID and committed to returning with updated data following the new staff survey, which will be added to the work programme. Work is also underway to ensure Administration and Business Support staff are optimally deployed for cross-council working and resident-centric services, utilising technological advancements. Programme boards are held bi-monthly and feed into the Oversight Board.

Scrutiny Annual Report

Commission Members approved the Overview & Scrutiny annual report for presentation to the Council on 18 September 2024.

Scrutiny Member Survey

Members noted that the CfGS review is imminent and may impact the scrutiny function. The Scrutiny Team acknowledged that some data in the survey report was difficult to read due to the colour of the graphs.

Identify Questions for the Borough Commander

Any questions for the Borough Commander should be sent to the Scrutiny Team by 25 October.

Work Programme

The Commission's work programme for 2024/25 was agreed. Key items for future meetings include discussions on crime and policing, the Safer Merton Night-time Strategy, the Business Plan budget, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategy. The Commission will also plan questions for the Borough Commander and review its work programme.