Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Maurice, Councillor Mitchell, and Councillor Ahmadi Moghaddam (with Councillor Fraser attending as a substitute).

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

There were no declarations of interest made during the meeting.

To hear any deputations requested by members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

No deputations were raised at the meeting.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 5 November 2024 as a correct record.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 5 November 2024 be approved as a correct record.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

There were no matters arising raised at the meeting.

The Chair agreed to vary the order of business on the agenda to enable the Scrutiny Progress Update - Recommendations Tracker (Agenda Item 9) and Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2024-25 (Agenda Item 10) to be considered as the first main items of business on the agenda. The minutes therefore reflect the order in which the items were dealt with at the meeting.

This report presents the scrutiny recommendations tracker for review by the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee

The Chair advised that, as discussed with the Committee, there were a number of recommendations that had previously been made in relation to supported exempt accommodation. Subsequent to further departmental discussions, there recommendation had been subject to further review with Laurence Coaker (Director Housing Needs and Support) having agreed to attend a future meeting in order to present an update regarding the recommendations and issues which had been raised by the Committee.

Members took the opportunity to thank Gerry Ansell (Director Inclusive Regeneration and Employment) for the response provided regarding the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (SCIL) and section 106 overview.  It was noted that a new report would be forthcoming to address the incorporation of resident and councillor feedback, as per the Committee's request with members keen to ensure this was presented to the Committee for input prior to final approval.

With no further issues raised the Committee noted the Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker report and update on key actions and information requests identified.

To provide an update on the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee’s work programme 2024-25.

The Committee received a report from the Deputy Director Democratic Services, which presented the 2024-25 work programme for the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee.

In considering the report, members were advised that the work programme had been developed to reflect a number of key changes, including modifications to Cabinet Members and their titles.  It was noted that the ‘Employment and Skills’ item would be considered at the February 2025 meeting. It was further noted that ‘Build Quality’, which had been a significant concern to the Committee now fell within the remit of Councillor Krupa Sheth as Cabinet member for Environment and Enforcement.

Having reviewed the proposed work programmed it was RESOLVED to approve the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee work programme (as updated) for the 2024-25 Municipal Year.

To receive the Safer Brent Partnership (SBP) Annual Report and review delivery of the SBP priorities and objectives for 2024-25.

Councillor Harbi Farah (Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, Jobs and Skills) was invited to introduce a report providing an overview of the Safer Brent Partnership Annual Report 2024. In presenting the report, members were advised that the information provided detailed the key activities, achievements and challenges of the Safer Brent Partnership over the past year. Early last year, a Community Safety Strategy based on a ‘Public Health’ approach had been adopted with a focus on early intervention. The executive summary of the report outlined the progress made in addressing community safety priorities and also identified areas for improvement and established priorities for the coming year.

Members were advised that the Safer Brent Partnership’s priorities in 2024 were broken down into the following 4 priority areas:

•         Priority 1: Tackling Violent Crime

•         Priority 2: Challenging Domestic Abuse, Sexual Abuse and Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls.

•         Priority 3: Focusing on Incidents Impacting our Community

•         Priority 4: Protecting those most vulnerable

Following Councillor Harbi Farah’s introduction, Will Lexton-Jones (Chair of the Safer Brent Partnership) continued by noting that his objective as Chair of the Partnership was to enhance the structure and delivery focus of the Board's operations, as well as the organisation, administration, and tracking of its governance. The Safer Brent Partnership convened quarterly meetings. Over the past year, a number of delivery groups, including Violence and Vulnerability, Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), CCTV and Anti-Social Behaviour as well as Prevent had been established to address the pillars of the Strategy. Each group was led by a designated official who was a member of the Safer Brent Partnership. The agenda for these meetings consisted of an Action Tracker and Delivery Tracker as standing items, enabling delivery leads to report on their progress and milestones. Interim governance had been integrated into the process to scrutinise actions and set the agenda for subsequent meetings. It was believed that adopting a 'Public Health' approach was the most effective way to address complex issues, such as knife crime.

In continuing, Kibibi Octave (Director Communities and Partnerships) noted that the community had played a significant role in shaping the Safer Brent Partnership Strategy. Community feedback had been incorporated into the action plans and brought to life in the report, with initiatives such as knife bins and mentoring in schools. However, it was acknowledged that further work remained to be done, particularly concerning vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and those who felt unsafe, as well as harder-to-engage communities. Simon Egbor (Head of Community Safety and Prevention) further added that the Community Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and commissioned providers had focused their efforts on diverting individuals away from crime and creating positive pathways for them, which included mentoring, addressing mental wellbeing, and engaging through sports.

Having thanked Councillor Harbi Farah, Will Lexton-Jones, Kibibi Octave and Simon Egbor for introducing the report, the Chair then moved on to invite questions and comments from the Committee in relation to the Safer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

This report sets out the main priorities that will form the basis of the development of the People Strategy 2025 which will align with the change programme as well as the council’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) priorities for review and comment by the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Mili Patel (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources) was invited to introduce a report providing an update on the development of the People Strategy 2025. In presenting the report, members were advised that the information detailed the main priorities that would form the basis of the development of the People Strategy which would align with the change programme as well as the Council’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) priorities. The executive summary of the report outlined the strategy would use the data held relating to staff and the local community, staff survey results and values workshop outcomes to drive equity, representation, and a future ready workforce. There would also be a focus on organisational priorities, gaps highlighted by the data, public sector priorities as well as industry best practice.

Following Councillor Mili Patel’s introduction, Musrat Zaman (Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development) continued by noting that the People Strategy 2025 was an emerging document designed to support the change programme and future-proof the organisation. The Strategy encompassed several strands, including the HR structure of the organisation, EDI initiatives undertaken, feedback from staff surveys, and values workshops. The Strategy aimed to cultivate a workforce fit for purpose, focusing on both recruitment and staff retention. Despite an ageing workforce reflective of the wider public sector, the Council successfully attracted local talent through graduate and apprenticeship programmes, which were taken up by community residents from diverse backgrounds. As a public sector organisation, the Council had been proactive in adopting family-friendly policies and enabling flexible working arrangements. However, compared to parts of the private sector, the Council could not compete with salaries, resulting in certain roles being challenging to recruit to. A new Recruitment and Resources Team had been established as part of the Strategy, with the resources component focusing on collaborating with managers to build their recruitment campaigns and offering a more commercial offer. Talent management was also fundamental to creating greater career pathways for progression.

Having thanked Councillor Mili Patel and Musrat Zaman for introducing the report, the Chair then moved on to invite questions and comments from the Committee in relation to the People Strategy 2025, with the following comments and issues discussed:

• As an initial query, with reference to paragraph 3.3.3 of the committee report concerning resourcing issues for specific roles, such as Housing Surveyor roles, members enquired whether alternative recruitment avenues had been explored, including approaching universities and the funding of training opportunities. Additional questions were raised regarding whether colleagues approaching pension age had the option for a flexible and staggered retirement process. In response, Councillor Mili Patel (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources) shared that the Council had achieved successful outcomes from the National Graduate Development programme with the success of a training programme in the Finance department also highlighted, with a good rate of return from trainees who were developed within the Council, left to work in the private sector, and subsequently returned to the Council due to its developmental support and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To present the findings and recommendations of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, following its review of the council’s Draft Budget 2025/26.

(Agenda republished to include this item on 24 January 2025)

Councillor Kennelly (Vice Chair) took over as Chair for the consideration of the item as Councillor Conneely presented the Budget Scrutiny Task Group Findings Report, which she had chaired.

Councillor Conneely expressed gratitude to the members who participated in the Task Group. It was noted that, despite recent statements regarding investment in local Councils, the scale of investment remained insufficient and did not address the need for fundamental reform of local government financing. The announcement of multi-year funding was acknowledged as beneficial. It was also noted that the Council had long opposed the creation of false privatisation and competition by requiring local authorities to compete for grants, with the indications of a departure from this approach by the new Government therefore also welcomed.  The Committee was informed that there were fewer proposals in this year's budget, reflecting the challenges in identifying how the Council could operate differently given the available finances and need to focus on prioritising the most vulnerable in the Borough. The Task Group was particularly impressed by the ideas of adopting a more localised approach to accessing services. For example, social services assessments could be conducted in community venues with the support of organisations already engaged with local residents, rather than requiring new referrals.

Having thanked Councillor Conneely for introducing the report, the Vice Chair then moved on to invite questions and comments from the Committee in relation to the Budget Scrutiny Task Group Findings Report, with the following comments and issues discussed:

• In response to details being sought regarding the understated benefits of the Community Wealth Strategy in the report, and with members noting the concrete financial returns from a local procurement perspective, Councillor Conneely, as Chair of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, responded that further discussions would have been desirable regarding the Community Wealth Strategy and procurement. Councillor Mili Patel (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources) added that Councillor Rubin and Rhodri Rowlands were working on the Procurement Strategy supported by changes being introduced through the Procurement Regulation Act. Furthermore, as a member of the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network, Councillor Mili Patel noted that a Social Value Toolkit was currently being prepared.

• Councillor Conneely as Chair of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group reported with regard to the Budget Scrutiny recommendations, there was a notable trend concerning financial stability. The Task Group collectively felt that, although financial cuts were undesirable, the Council was able to maintain better control than it would if it were to issue a Section 114 notice. Councillor Mili Patel (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources) conclusively noted that the recommendations were positive in terms of boosting investment and debt recovery, and that teams would be robustly examining these aspects moving forward.

Having reviewed the findings of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, it was RESOLVED to approve the Budget Scrutiny Task Group Findings Report for reference on to Cabinet and Full Council as part of the main Council budget proposals 2025-26.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Deputy Director Democratic Services or their representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

No items of urgent business were identified.