Agenda and minutes

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the Performance Monitoring Panel meeting held on 15 November 2023 (enclosed).

AGREED:

That the minutes of the 15 November 2023 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

An update on actions which arose at the 15 November 2023 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting and the tracking of outstanding actions (enclosed).

Consideration was given to the actions which arose at the 15 November 2023 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting, and the tracking of outstanding actions.

AGREED:

That the responses to actions be noted.

Where a Councillor has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest the Councillor must declare the interest to the meeting and leave the room without participating in any discussion or making a statement on the item, except where a councillor is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of dispensation.

There were none.

There were none.

There were none.

Sustainable Products Policy

At the 12 December 2023 Policy Development Panel meeting, members agreed that performance review of the Sustainable Products Policy be indicated to the Performance Monitoring Panel (relevant minute from 12 December 2023 Policy Development Panel meeting enclosed).

At their meeting held on 12 December 2023, Policy Development Panel members had indicated that future performance monitoring of the Sustainable Products Policy be referred to the Performance Monitoring Panel. The minutes of that meeting were included in the agenda pack of the current meeting.

The Performance Monitoring Panel Chairman referred to the Sustainable Products Policy Action Plan, which was agreed at the 14 March 2023 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting, and of the progress summary which was presented to the Panel at the current meeting.

Members considered the information and agreed that a performance update report be presented to the Performance Monitoring Panel in six months’ time.

AGREED:

That a performance update in respect of the Sustainable Products Policy be presented to the Performance Monitoring Panel in six months’ time.

To note the current Key Decision Plan (enclosed).

Consideration was given to the Key Decision Plan dated 22 December 2023.

AGREED:

That the Key Decision Plan be noted.

Following a request by the Performance Monitoring Panel at its meeting held on 15 November 2023, a NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board contact, Sandra Williamson, will be in attendance to provide information relating to primary health care provision and patient strategy, and to answer members’ questions. 

Following a request by the Performance Monitoring Panel, Sarah-Jane Mills, Director of Primary Care and Community and Social Value for the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB); and Sandra Williamson, Director for Health Inequalities, Prevention and Regional Collaboration for the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, were in attendance to provide information relating to Primary Health Care provision and Patient Strategy, and to answer members’ questions.

The Chairman confirmed the background for the attendance request which had stemmed from the desire of members to obtain a better understanding of service level provision expectations, in order to be better equipped to answer residents’ questions. The following areas were stated as being of particular interest:

A presentation which detailed the following information was delivered to members at the meeting, and appended to the minutes:

In respect of General Practice:

• Commissioning;
• Integrated Care Board Governance;
• Contracts;
• Accountability;
• Access;
• Primary Care Access Recovery Plan – Lincolnshire;
• Appointments – same day;
• Appointments – within two weeks; and
• Appointments – by type;

In respect of Dental Services:

• Access to NHS dental services;
• Lincolnshire Dental Strategy; and
• Lincolnshire Dental Strategy workstream examples.

Members considered the presentation and update from the ICB representatives and made the following comments:

• Members thanked the two ICB representatives for their attendance at the meeting and for the informative and interesting presentation.

• Members queried whether the delivery of dental services in smaller towns and villages was to be reviewed.
  • The Director for Health Inequalities, Prevention and Regional Collaboration responded that:
    • Initiatives were in place across the whole of Lincolnshire relating to the retention of dental services and access improvement; and
    • A significant procurement programme was being developed for 2024/25 to target areas of most need;
  • The Director of Primary Care and Community and Social Value added that:
    • The rural nature of Lincolnshire necessitated regular service access reviews which considered the provision of both ‘centre-based’ and ‘mobile’ services; and
    • This was an area of ongoing development.

• Members asked how the general public could provide feedback regarding the delivery of primary health care services.
  • The Director of Primary Care and Community and Social Value responded that:
    • Primary Care Service providers had mechanisms for direct feedback at the point of provision, such as at dental and GP surgeries;
    • Feedback could be sent directly to both the ICB and Healthwatch via their respective websites; relevant links would be forwarded to members after the meeting;
    • Service development feedback could be given through attendance at engagement events, such as patient participation groups, surveys, and focus groups; and
    • When applicable, direct feedback may be invited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

• Members were encouraged that services were not reliant solely on digital provision. Many residents cited a preference for in-person engagement and not everyone had the technical skills or facilities to access health care provision digitally.
  • The Director of Primary Care  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

Following a request by the Performance Monitoring Panel at its meeting held on 15 November 2023, the Homelessness Reduction Manager will be in attendance to answer members’ questions.

Following presentation of the 2023/2024 Q2 Performance Report to the Performance Monitoring Panel on 15 November 2023, the Homelessness Reduction Manager attended to answer members’ questions.

The Homelessness Reduction Manager gave the following overview of the role of the homelessness service:

• To work with people who presented themselves to the team, including;
  • Residents who experienced difficulties with housing such as those coming to the end of a current situation where early intervention was key; or where individuals were already in a homeless situation; and
  • Residents who anticipated problems in the near future where general advice could be given; and
• Partnership working with Change4Lincs in liaison with the Rough Sleeper Team.

An update on requested data trends was presented to the Panel, which included that:

• 86 assessments had been undertaken, 31 of which were in Prevention, and 53 in Relief;
• The trends fluctuated seasonally with greater approaches made in the winter months and school holiday periods; and
• Identified trends reflected how the service operated.

Members thanked the Homelessness Reduction Manager for his attendance and the following comments were made:

• Members asked whether it was known whether those presenting as homeless were from outside of the district; was such information monitored; and was the provision of a hostel being considered.
  • The Homelessness Reduction Manager responded that:
    • The team established whether those presenting as homeless were SHDC residents, and this information was monitored ;
    • The obligations of the Council were limited to those with a local connection or where a person was fleeing certain situations, such as domestic abuse;
    • Where a local connection was not established, a person would be referred back to their origin local authority who were obliged to accept the case within ten days;
    • A hostel arrangement was being explored to improve the local situation; and
    • Assistance was refused by some homeless people and officers needed to be aware of individual circumstances when dealing with complex cases.
  • The Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership added that:
    • Complex homelessness cases which related to a range of serious health and addiction issues posed challenges across the whole S&ELCP area; Lincolnshire County Council had statutory responsibilities for some of the issues;
    • S&ELCP officers understood their areas and the individuals they were working with and actively collaborated with key partners for funding applications when these were identified; and
    • Whilst the establishment of a hostel would involve significant financial cost, this option was being explored in the partnership sub-region, in liaison with a network of partners, as part of a whole system, multi-agency approach.

• Members stated that rough sleepers needed urgent shelter and that the multi-agency approach presented barriers to immediate assistance. Consequentially, such cases presented at overstretched services such as the NHS, social care, and police.
  • The Homelessness Reduction Manager stated that the team was required to operate within a legal framework. Research needed to take place on a case-by-case basis in order to best support the individual going forward and prevent a cycle of homelessness; and
  • The Assistant Director –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

To update the Performance Monitoring Panel on the conclusions of the Review of Implemented Planning Decisions Tour, subsequent to the report being presented to the Planning Committee (report of the Head of Planning enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Planning which updated the Performance Monitoring Panel of the Review of Implemented Planning Decisions Tour, subsequent to being presented to the Planning Committee.

The Chairman introduced the report, on behalf of the Principal Planning Officer, and stated that the contents had been accepted by the Planning Committee at its meeting on 10 January 2024.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members noted the upcoming ‘five-year’ period of the current Local Plan and asked that comments from the Review of Implemented Planning Decisions exercise be considered as and when the Local Plan was to be reviewed.

• Members queried the action to be taken as a result of the exercise and stated that recurring issues persisted with issues, such as the placement of meter boxes, which previous recommendations had attempted to address. In this regard, members requested that a comment be sent to Planning Officers which requested that all recommendations throughout the report be taken into consideration for future planning applications.

AGREED:

Following presentation of the report to the Performance Monitoring Panel subsequent to presentation of the report to the Planning Committee:

a)    That the contents of the report be noted;

b)    That the comments of the Panel be noted by Planning Officers;

c)     That the Review of Implemented Planning Decisions occurred every two years, in place of the current process which occurred annually; and

d)    That for future Review of Implemented Planning Decision Tours, invitations be extended to include members of the Planning Committee.

To set out the Work Programme of the Performance Monitoring Panel (report of the Assistant Director – Governance enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistance Director –

Governance which set out the Work Programme of the

Performance Monitoring Panel and requested items for consideration

for inclusion.

The Democratic Services Officer introduced the report, and the following main points were highlighted:

• Scheduled meetings of the Panel and respective expected items were outlined at Appendix A; this included a meeting of the Joint Performance Monitoring Panel and Policy Development Panel on 25 January 2024 to scrutinise the 2024/2025 budget; and
• Appendix B detailed the Task Groups of the Panel.

The Chairman stated that:

·       It was his understanding that a Business Plan had been produced for the South Holland Centre. Since members of the South Holland Centre Task Group had been drawn from both the Performance Monitoring Panel and the Policy Development Panel, it had been suggested that a Special joint meeting be arranged for scrutiny of the Business Plan; and

·       Arrangements for the Special joint meeting would be circulated to members of both panels in due course. As a result, the South Holland Centre Task Group update, scheduled for the 19 March 2024 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting, was to be removed from the Work Programme.

AGREED:

That the content of the report be noted.

The Strategic Operational and Property Manager to provide a verbal update in relation to progress made towards completion of the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field Task Group recommendations agreed by Full Council at its meeting held on 26 July 2023.

Consideration was given to the verbal update of the Strategic Operational and Property Manager which updated the Panel on progress made towards the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field Task Group recommendations.

The Strategic Operational and Property Manager presented the following verbal update to the Panel:

• Following legal advice, an agreement had been made at the Full Council meeting held on 26 July 2023, to seek a suitable tenant for at least seven years in respect of the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field;
• The lease would include a fully ratified contract which included stated terms from the 1951 deeds, in accordance with Charity Commission requirements;
• Since July 2023, negotiations had taken place with an interested party;
• Subsequent to a meeting in October 2023, the interest party was keen to secure the lease, ideally before the end of March 2024; and
• ‘Heads of Terms’ had been produced and would be subject to agreement at Full Council.

Members considered the update and made the following comments:

• Members queried whether more than one interested party had been forthcoming?
  • The Strategic Operational and Property Manager responded that two interested parties had come forward initially but that circumstances had changed.

AGREED:

That the verbal update be noted.

There were none.

Under section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public were excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider any exempt information, if required.

The consideration of exempt information was not required.

To sign as a correct record the restricted minute of the Performance Monitoring Panel meeting held on 15 November 2023 (enclosed).

Members considered the exempt minute from the 15 November 2023 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting.

No comments were made.

AGREED:

That the exempt minute from the 15 November 2023 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting be signed as a correct record.