Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies had been received from Councillors Elif Erbil and Mahtab Uddin.

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the minutes from the meetings of this Committee, held on 21 October  and 12 November 2020. The minutes from the OSC Budget Meeting held on 4 February 2021 are TO FOLLOW.

The minutes of the meetings  held on 21 October and 12 November 2020 were agreed.

The minutes of the OSC Budget meeting held on 4 February 2021 were agreed subject to the following amendments:

Minute number 28 should read 2021/2022 instead of 2020/2021

The introduction to the budget item should include reference to government support for 2021/22. Fay Hammond to confirm details which will then be included in the minutes.

Minute number 15 does not detail the question asked which was the next financial year the fees and charges have been increased by 5% what was the reason there was such a substantial increase? Fay Hammond confirmed all fees and charges have been reviewed, some have increased by 5% but not all of them. This would be dependent on a combination of factors such as market arrangements for certain fees and costs to deliver services. A combination of factors drove increases.

To receive a report detailing progress since the OSC Workstream and future proposals.

Fay Hammond, Executive Director Resources and Claire Reilly, Head of Procurement & Commissioning (Corporate & People) introduced the report.

NOTED:

1.    The report provides an update following on from the former workstream on Procurement Services which was paused due to Covid and then a change in Council Meetings, replacing workstream with the Overview & scrutiny Committee updates.

2.    The reports set out the original workstream and the progress that has been made, and changes that have occurred since the workstream, particularly those driven by Brexit and the opportunities to buy local in the future.

3.    The work undertaken since the workstream is set out in the report including the restructure to make the service more commercial and professional; focussing on a peer review that identified some areas where development and improvements were needed. An example of this is improving Contract Management.

4.    Progress is being made on ensuring that there is a sustainable procurement policy, one of the key areas of this is a focus on small businesses.

5.    The new Corporate Procedure Rules have been implemented.

6.    A draft revised Procurement strategy is currently being refreshed.

7.    It was suggested that further updates on this as it progresses could come either to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee or the Finance & Performance Scrutiny Panel.

Comments, queries and questions:

8.    Councillor Smith as the former Chair of the Procurement Workstream was invited to comment. Councillor Smith provided background on this. A large amount of expenditure each year goes to outside contractors and suppliers, so it is vital that value for money is achieved. The workstream was originally set up following concern that too many call ins were being raised on procurement processes where there had been only one or very few providers responding to the tenders. It was noted that there is a green paper from the government awaited.

9.    Following Brexit, it was queried whether the whole framework process set out by the EU will remain? Officers advised that there is a paper currently out for consultation detailing what is being proposed for procurement law post Brexit. The main thrust of this paper is transparency, accountability and simplification. The paper looks at simplify to one set of regulations and three routes to market; emergency, open and flexible. The department is reviewing the green paper and collectively as a London Heads of Procurement group this is also being reviewed to provide comments on the proposals. It is anticipated that new rules will not come in before January 2022. This means that the Public contract Regulations 2015 still apply, and the thresholds are still set by the EU. Officers agreed to check whether frameworks are referenced in the green paper.

10.With regards to Strategic Lead Management, how are the roles and responsibilities working within the teams and the central management of the process and how can this be improved? It was confirmed that as part of the peer review this is being looked at, going forward looking to lower the threshold value of procurement where  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To receive current statistical information relating to the Covid-19 pandemic within Enfield and the roll-out of vaccines.

Glenn Stewart, Assistant Director of Public Health introduced the presentation

NOTED

1.    In broad terms the data is moving rapidly in the right direction; the infection rate is going down, death rates are going down and vaccination rates are going up.

2.    Enfield has more testing sites than most other boroughs.

3.    The summary slide details Covid data for 6-12 February 2021. Data moves on very quickly for example vaccinations now stand at 60k.

4.    The slide detailing excess deaths since the start of the pandemic shows Enfield having the highest rate per 100,000 of the North Central London (NCL) boroughs. This may be due to the high number of care homes in the borough. The Covid-19 Actuaries Resource Group indicates that 30% of deaths are in the over 70’s and 36% in care homes.

5.    Page 12 of the agenda to follow pack shows the analysis undertaken on different ethnicities. This shows the rate per 100,000 and the figure on the top is the number of deaths.

6.    The siting of the test centres tries to follow where the infections are.

7.    The numbers of infections are higher in the younger age groups as demonstrated on page 14.

8.    The vaccinations data, where it shows a minus figure for example -469 for the 80+ age group means that the target (over 75% of this age group being offered the vaccine) has been overachieved.

9.    Vaccine uptake is shown by ward, the uptake is higher where the population is older. The vaccine programme was initially offered to those aged 85 and over.

10.The slide showing declined first dose of the vaccine covers two groups, those who do not want the first dose (under 1%) and those who have been texted but have not responded. The groups that have been disproportionally affected by Covid are those who are less willing to take the vaccine.

11.There is lots of work underway to increase uptake and combat vaccine hesitancy. The key focus of the communication is to build up confidence that the vaccine is safe. The approach is to map out the key communities, who the key community leaders are and look at how best the message may be given such us through community leaders, trusted people in appropriate languages and forms.

12. A vaccine hub has been set up at Chase Farm for people with disabilities and learning difficulties. This will have longer appointments to allow more time for reassurance and will also allow for carers to be vaccinated at the same time.

13.NCL uses a hybrid model for vaccinations hubs, roving model to pick up housebound patients and Romany and travelling communities and street or out-reach model to pick up any other groups.

14.There are 8 vaccinations sites in Enfield, 3 GP sites (Carlton House, Winchmore Hill & Evergreen Surgery, 4 Pharmacy sites (Aldermans, Atkinsons, Parkview and Pyramid pharmacies) and 1 mass site (Dugdale Centre).

Questions comments and queries

15. The Chair acknowledged how quickly figures change. Officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive a presentation on the Build the Change Programme.

Gary Barnes, Head of Build the Change and Sarah Cary, Executive Director Place introduced the report.

NOTED:

1.    Last March Cabinet approved the Corporate Property Investment programme as part of this approved the Build the Change programme.

2.    The vision of the Build the Change programme was to improve working practices, the environment, modernising the offices and bringing services closer to people who needed it most.

3.    Under the Build the Change programme Cabinet approved; the relocation of Housing/ Homelessness Service from John Wilkes House to Edmonton Green; relocation of Children’s and Family Services from Triangle House, Charles Babbage House and Claverings to Thomas Hardy House; design feasibility work should start to reconfigure Civic Centre and in principle to dispose of John Wilkes House and Charles Babbage House.

4.    In terms of Edmonton Green there has been very close working with the workforce. Now out to tender on this, expecting tender back in March with a Cabinet Member approval in early April, work to commence in May and completion in November 2021.

5.    The key issue for Build the Change is changing the ethos for staff. Work is not a place you go to, it is something you do. Rather than come into the office to write a report officers will come into office to work collaboratively with colleagues. This means the style of work will change, reducing the number of desks with more open collaborative spaces.

6.    In terms of progress of Children and Family Services hub, this is slightly behind, currently at end of concept design stage. Going forward looking at final designs before going to the market. Work is ongoing on relocating Archives Services away from Thomas Hardy House.

7.    In terms of the Civic Centre progress a major exercise on Test and Fit has been completed. The test fits demonstrate that all back-office staff (not depot or Park Avenue Staff) including Clavering staff will fit into the Civic Centre. Claverings will not meet EPC energy Staff in 2023, so major investment or redevelopment would be required if staff were not relocated.

8.    The April Cabinet report will suggest phase 1 focuses on reconfiguring ground Floor and floors 1-5 of the tower block and the ground and first floor of D Block. There will be a further report to Cabinet for phase 2 which will be B Block or the 5 remaining tower blocks. The Cabinet Report will seek approval of reprofiled budgets for Edmonton Green and Thomas Hardy House and seek approval of budget for works for phase 1 at the Civic Centre.

9.    Triangle House has been vacated and lease is being terminated. The IDLS Service will relocate from St Andrews to Enfield Highway Carnegie Building next month.

10. A key part of the Build the Change programme is smarter working policies and new ways of working for staff. The policy has identified 4 working style classifications; workplace specific workers, home based workers, flexible workers and Leadership roles. The majority of the council’s workforce will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To note the work programme.

The item on ICT & Digital Services went to the October meeting so this will be removed from the agenda in April.

The Executive Director Place requested details of what was required for the Partnership & Businesses item. It was noted that Partnerships & Business item will be on the agenda at the next meeting Officers will liaise and confirm outside of this meeting.

It was queried when the item on fly tipping was due to come to OSC. This had not been allocated to a meeting. It was suggested that this could come to the next meeting. Officers will liaise further with the Chair on this.

It was felt that fly tipping is a very important issue. As fast as the fly tipping is cleared more rubbish is dumped. Very stressful for residents on a daily basis. Cllr Yusuf confirmed that this item also went to the Environment & Climate Action Scrutiny Panel last year but felt that would also be helpful for OSC to consider this item.

Members identified the following issues for consideration under this item:

·         What is the strategy, plan vision on fly tipping?

·         What are the prosecutions like? How are we monitoring?

·         What are the long-term plans?

·         The report should cover the criminal activity and organised crime involved in fly tipping.

·         There has been a culture of fly tipping how can this be broken? Message needs to go to residents on this, how can you dispose safely, local charities, must change the attitude of residents, educate residents.

Councillors confirmed fully supportive of work undertaken but felt a broader approach is needed including prosecutions and the criminal element. Felt enforcement should be very harsh

To note the dates of future meetings as follows:

Business Meetings

Thursday 1 April 2021

Provisional Call-in Meetings

Wednesday 3 March 2021

Thursday 25 March 2021

Tuesday 27 April 2021

The dates of future meetings were noted.