The Audit and Scrutiny Committee would develop the annual work programme to guide its work for 2015/16.  The work of the Audit, Scrutiny and Transformation Committee would be delivered by both Members working in groups and through formal Committee reports.  The Committee would make recommendations to other decision making committees and Council as necessary. 

Members discussed item 2.3 (removal of task and finish group to consider member engagement with the press from the work programme 2015/16) of the report and came to an agreement that the highly informative Communications training received by Mrs Murray-Green, together with a review of the Code of Conduct would be the best way to counteract the removal of this item.    

An amendment was MOVED by Cllr Barrett and SECONDED by Cllr Kerslake where the following should be added to item 2.1 of the report:

Review of the Members Code of Conduct in January 2016 with specific reference to, but not limited to member engagement with the media.    

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Kerslake and SECONDED by Cllr Trump to agree the recommendations in the report.

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY that:  

1.    The scrutiny work programme 2015/16 includes:

·         Review of the annual work programme

·         Hackney carriage fare setting process

·         Member/Officer communications and casework management

·         Budget Scrutiny

·         Revenues and Benefits shared service

·         Annual Report of the Audit, Scrutiny and Transformation Committee

·         William Hunter Way lessons learned Task and Finish Group

·         Review of the Members Code of Conduct in January 2016 with specific reference to, but not limited to member engagement with the media.    

2.    The Transformation and New Ways of Working Programme includes:

·         Contact Centre performance and progression of the Customer Access Strategy/the integration of further service areas into the Contact Centre.

·         The progress and implementation of the New Ways of Working programme, highlighting major milestones achieved and to follow.

·         A review of the ICT work programme that supports both of the above.

·         Liaison with other Chairs (to ensure co-ordination particularly any work to be undertaken pre-scrutiny).

3.    The following from the 2014/15 work programme be removed for 2015/16:

·         An officer report on the Appointment of an Interim Chief Executive.

4.    The work programme be reviewed and updated at each meeting of the Committee.

5.    The Annual Report of the Committee at Appendix C to be taken to the next meeting of Ordinary Council. 

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION

To enact the provisions of Part 4.4 of the Constitution that the Audit and Scrutiny Committee prepare an annual scrutiny work programme.