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Agenda item

Committee Work Programme

Purpose:

To provide the Committee with an updated Work Programme for 2021/2022 and to consider the items listed below:

 

WP1

Dental Services

Heather McCulloch to attend

WP2

Leisure Services Questionnaire

Attached as WP2

 

Oxfordshire 2050 Plan - following public consultation

See separate agenda item

WP3

Staffing resource need / turn over and risk mitigation -  especially in Planning and other Departments that are short staffed

Phil Shaw & Jon Dearing to attend

 

Recommendation:

That the Committee notes the work programme and provides comment where needed.

 

Minutes:

Work Programme 2 - Leisure Services Questionnaire

 

Rachel Biles, Strategic Projects Lead, introduced herself and presented a slideshow summary of the on-line survey, which had been carried out during June to August 2021.  Numbers of responses, statistics relating to the respondents and the quality of the responses was outlined. 

 

Cleanliness had featured as an issue in the survey feedback, so as part of contract monitoring new monitoring officers were being appointed. These officers would act as ‘mystery shoppers’, and one of the key issues would be the cleanliness of the facilities.  Officers explained that ‘Quest’ was a national scheme for facilities, with the monitors using this as a benchmark.

 

Scott Wilson addressed Members and provided an overview of the steps that GLL had taken to tackle the Covid pandemic and encourage users back to the centres. 

 

Following a discussion relating to accessibility, Councillors were concerned as to how the surveys reached all age groups. It was noted that not many younger age groups had completed the survey and, as it was online only, many of the older generation, who did not have social media access, would have been unable to participate in the survey.  Officers confirmed that focus groups were held regularly with Age UK and youth groups but it had not always been possible to hold the sessions in person due to Covid. In addition, the survey had been circulated to all parish clerks alongside using social media platforms.

 

The Chairman thanked the officers for attending and looked forward to seeing the outcome of the new monitoring officers and their ‘mystery shopper’ visits.

 

Work Programme 3 - Staffing Resources

 

Phil Shaw, Business Manager - Development Management, and Jon Dearing, Group Manager for Resident Services, addressed the Committee.

 

Members noted that the retention of planning officers was a national problem, and that in the past WODC had lost planners to other local authorities.   The Council now had a career graded structure which meant they could nurture Planners into a graded structure and which in turn meant they could progress their career and have a salary to reflect this too.

 

Officers advised that with a larger administration support team and IT Dashboard with live data, it was easier to spot large caseloads. The future planned move to agile working and the recent successful recruitment of new planners should also help. In addition, the continuation of benchmarking with other Councils to ensure the Council kept up with the current trends of recruitment and staff retention.

 

In summary, the pandemic had stretched resources to the limit with the increase in applications, however, there was a belief that the worst was over. However, it had left scars with some staff suffering with mental health issues over the stress of the amount of applications coming through. Mr Shaw confirmed that Publica had measures in place to support the staff.

 

Conservation and Ecologist officers were also under pressure, with two flooding reviews ongoing.  However, skills mentoring and sharing over Ecology and Conservation areas was helping with the workload and broadening individual skillsets.

Councillors discussed the pressures of the last year and were pleased to hear that new measures had been put into place to address the challenges.

 

Councillors also praised the Planning Team and their efforts over the past year to maintain the service and requested that their thanks be noted.

 

Work Programme 1 – Dental Services

 

Heather McCulloch, Community Wellbeing Manager addressed the Committee.

 

Mrs McCulloch outlined the difficulties being experienced with dentistry and made reference to the Military Covenant which stated that military children and families should have access to dentistry, and to ensure that they were not disadvantaged.

 

Members noted that problems accessing dentistry was a much wider issue coverinf everyone and was a national issue too.  A discussion followed with Councillors commenting on the issue of dentistry as a whole.

 

Councillor Leverton suggested that in order to move this issue forward, the Council could write to the local Member of Parliament, asking him to look into the problems being encountered.

 

Councillor Crossland suggested that the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire should be made aware whilst Councillor Poskitt suggested writing a letter to the Armed Forces Minister.

 

Following advice from the Chief Executive, it was suggested that the relevant Cabinet Member be asked to write to the MP.

 

Mrs McCulloch highlighted a Youth Needs Assessment which would focus on Years 7 and 8 pupils of secondary schools.  She suggested that Members may like to hear the outcome and see the data once it had been gathered.

 

Committee Work Programme

 

Having considered the items above, it was agreed that the Youth Needs Assessment be added to a future workstream for the committee.

 

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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