The General Purposes Committee of Croydon Council met on Wednesday, 3 April 2024, to discuss proposed changes to the Council's Constitution. The committee recommended to Full Council the adoption of revised Tenders and Contracts Regulations, and also recommended changes to the Constitution relating to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Corporate Parenting Panel.

Proposed Changes to the Constitution Relating to the Health and Wellbeing Board

The committee reviewed proposed changes to the Council's Constitution concerning the Health and Wellbeing Board. These changes, developed with support from the Local Government Association (LGA), aim to update the Constitution following the Health and Social Care Act 2022 and improve the Board's decision-making processes and operational effectiveness. Key amendments include updates to membership arrangements and the establishment of an informal Health and Wellbeing Board Executive Group to develop work programmes and shape the Board's agenda. The Constitution Working Group suggested that the terms of reference should explicitly state that scrutiny members of the Council are not permitted to be members of the Board, to recognise the distinct roles of Scrutiny and the Health and Wellbeing Board. Councillor Joseph Lee, a member of the Health and Wellbeing Board, declared an interest during this discussion. The committee resolved to recommend the adoption of these proposed changes to Full Council.

Proposed Changes to the Constitution Relating to the Corporate Parenting Panel

The committee considered proposals to strengthen Croydon's corporate parenting approach, based on recommendations from a Department for Education (DFE) advisor and in line with the Children Social Work Act 2017. The proposed changes include expanding the membership of the Corporate Parenting Panel to incorporate external partners, young people, and children, with a young person serving as a co-chair and young ambassadors supporting subgroups. The panel's name is also proposed to be changed to the Corporate Parenting Board, aligning with common practice among local authorities. Officers clarified that the Board is advisory in nature and not a committee of Full Council, meaning there is no conflict of interest for members serving on both the Board and Scrutiny. Scrutiny members will be invited to attend Board meetings as observers. The selection process for the Care Experienced Young Person Co-Chair will follow HR procedures. The committee resolved to recommend the adoption of these proposed changes to Full Council.

Proposed Changes to the Constitution Relating to Tenders and Contract Regulations

The committee reviewed proposed revisions to the Council's Tenders and Contracts Regulations (TCRs). The Head of Procurement, Scott Funnell, highlighted that current processes were lengthy and that the proposed changes aim to streamline them, aligning with national procurement legislation and the practices of other local authorities. Key changes include revised governance thresholds and delegations for procurement processes and contract decisions, the removal of the requirement for the Contracts and Commissioning Board (CCB) to review all procurement reports (transferring responsibilities to the Chair of the CCB), and the replacement of the London Living Wage with the Real Living Wage. The report also noted that further revisions to the TCRs will be necessary following the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023 in October 2024. Members sought clarification on the impact of these changes on the Real Living Wage, with assurances that the intention is not to award contracts outside Croydon and that provisions exist to support local businesses. The committee resolved to recommend the adoption of the revised TCRs to Full Council and authorised the Monitoring Officer to update the Constitution accordingly. They also noted that changes to thresholds, delegations, and the wage policy were executive functions, and that further revisions to the TCRs would be brought forward once the impact of the new Procurement Act is understood.