DRAFT Annual Report 2013/14

Making a Difference: Overview and Scrutiny at Staffordshire County Council

Contents

Page

Overview and Scrutiny at Staffordshire County Council 2013/14 1

Introduction 2

Strategic Planning Mechanisms – Achieving Excellence 3

Be healthier and more independent 9

Be able to access more good jobs and feel the benefits of economic growth 15

Feel safer, happier and more supported in and by their community 17

Case Studies 19

Working in Partnership 23

Going Forward 24

Further Information 25

Getting Involved 25

Appendix 26

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Overview and Scrutiny at Staffordshire County Council 2013/14

This Annual Report details the work that Staffordshire County Council’s four Select Committees undertook from May 2013-April 2014.

During 2013/14 overview and scrutiny functions in Staffordshire were carried out by four different Select Committees which hold the Cabinet to account and contribute to the continuous improvement of services. Some of the main ways in which they do this are by;

Contributing to the development of key policies and strategies - Select Committees have a role in supporting the Cabinet to develop key policies and strategies of the Council. Holding the Cabinet to account - Select Committees ensure that the Cabinet are implementing policy effectively and making good decisions in order to achieve the objectives set out in the County Council’s Strategic Plan. There are a number of ways in which scrutiny holds the Cabinet to account – including asking questions of Cabinet Members in public meetings and appropriate use of 'call-in' in order for decisions to be re-examined. Scrutinising partnership arrangements - Select Committees scrutinise how well the Authority delivers services in partnership with other organisations and bodies and has a special responsibility to scrutinise health services in Staffordshire under separate legislation.

Engaging with the community - Scrutiny has a responsibility to encourage Staffordshire residents, the County Council's partners and the local media to participate. This helps to ensure that scrutiny work is focussed on things that are important to the communities and citizens of Staffordshire.

Select Committees cannot make decisions like the Cabinet does, but acts as a constructive objective challenge, questioning decisions where necessary and working to amplify the voices and concerns of local people to drive improvements in services.

Select Committees Select Committees meet at least once every six weeks and sometimes more often. Each Committee puts together a list of the topics to look at. This is called the Work Programme. The Work Programme is changed at each meeting to include new items. The Work Programme will include:

the delivery of the County Council's and partners’ main aims; areas where the Committee’s involvement could help improve

performance; and/or priorities and concerns raised by the public.

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The four Select Committees that carry out overview and scrutiny work at Staffordshire County Council are:

Corporate Review Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee.

Each Committee is made up of elected County Councillors, which we refer to as Members. In addition to County Councillors the Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee includes co-opted representatives from the Birmingham and Lichfield Diocese and three co-opted parent governor representatives. The arrangements for Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee include Councillors from the eight District/Borough Councils in Staffordshire.

County Councillor Philip Ezra JonesChairman: Corporate Review Committee

County Councillor Kath Perry Chairman: Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee

County Councillor Brian EdwardsChairman: Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee

County Councillor John FrancisChairman: Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee

Introduction

The County Council continues along the path of transformation with a number of significant decisions being taken over the past twelve months as part of plans to drive forward the Council’s priorities. To support the Council’s modernisation agenda, the Council’s Strategy has been reviewed and a new strategic plan, Leading for a Connected Staffordshire Our vision for 2014–2018, has been developed. This sets out a clear vision for Staffordshire with a description of what the Council’s focus will be on over the next four years.

All four Select Committees continue to be involved in scrutiny of developments within the County Council and amongst partner organisations, with the opportunity to consider options for future services, explore initial engagement activity, examine proposals for consultation and scrutinise how feedback from consultation has been considered and made a difference. Select Committees have added to the transparency of the decision making process by holding discussions in public and making recommendations to the Cabinet. This has influenced decisions and the decision making process.

There has been wider engagement with the scrutiny process this year. A number of petitions have been submitted which have been discussed at Select Committees and members of the public have also attended Committee

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meetings, with those meetings discussing items subject to Call In, attracting most attention. To reach a wider audience and to encourage online discussion, a number of Health Accountability Sessions and Corporate Review meetings have been webcast. In addition Member and Democratic services have launched a Twitter account @StaffsDemocracy which has been used to promote County Council meetings. This has resulted in more Members tweeting about meetings and inviting the public to join in discussions. There are opportunities to develop our public engagement activity going forward and this year has been a useful test bed.

From time to time Select Committees decide to take a more in-depth look at a service or a particular issue and undertake a scrutiny review. This year the Select Committees have undertaken three reviews and approved two pieces of work which a predecessor Committee had undertook. These reviews have resulted in forty four recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet. The Select Committees have been robust in following up the implementation of recommendations and Cabinet Members have provided seven reports detailing progress. To undertake reviews Officers have been invited to give evidence to the Committee and Committee Members have also been proactive in visiting teams to meet professionals and listen to their views.

We would like to thank the Members, officers, external experts and other people who have participated in scrutiny over the last year. Without their contribution we would not have successfully undertaken the work described within this report.

Strategic Planning Mechanisms – Achieving Excellence

Select Committees undertake work to make sure that the Cabinet and officers that work for the Council are running an effective organisation. The Corporate Review Committee;

Leads on the overall management and coordination of all four Select Committees.

Holds the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council to account for their leadership and performance.

Scrutinises the Council’s performance, performance management arrangements, Strategic Corporate Planning, ongoing programme of improvement and transformation, support services including Finance, ICT, Human Resources, Organisational Development, Legal and Member Services and the Local Enterprise Partnership (now scrutinised by Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee).

Deals with decisions that are ‘called in’.

Corporate Review ran with a consistent theme during 2013/14 of scrutinising the Council’s strategic planning mechanisms as the Council reaffirmed its visions, values and behaviours. In September the Committee focussed on Achieving Excellence which set out how the Administration’s manifesto commitments could become practical and measurable actions for the Council.

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The Committee articulated a clear role for scrutiny in the development of plans going forward, including challenging the clarity of service specifications, ensuring that solutions proposed are robust and considering the potential unintended consequences of any decision or proposal being put forward.

The Committee received an update on progress around Achieving Excellence in December 2013 and in January 2014 commented on the Council’s draft Strategic Plan, which set out the Council’s overall approach to achieving its priorities prior to it being discussed at Cabinet and at the Full Council. Members understanding of, and role in, commissioning, effective use of the Forward Plan which details what decisions are likely to be taken by Cabinet in the future, and the importance of engaging the public were highlighted by the Committee. In March the committee considered the draft business plan, Delivering the Difference Together, which would drive delivery against the Council’s strategic priorities.

The Committee were involved in shaping the Council’s strategic plan and business plan and although the Council’s priorities going forward were not agreed until February 2014, the work of Staffordshire’s Select Committees during 2013/14 has been shaped around the Council’s vision and is referred to throughout this document. The agreed vision for the County Council, states that everyone in Staffordshire should have the opportunity to;

• Be able to access more good jobs and feel the benefits of economic growth

• Be healthier and more independent

• Feel safer, happier and more supported in and by their community.

To achieve the vision all need to work together, coordinate activities and make the best use of resources. Reflecting the renewed focus of the Council, the Council’s Select Committees have evolved to reflect these priorities.

Select Committee Strategic Priority

Corporate Review & MTFS Working Group

Well Run Council

Healthy Staffordshire Be healthier and more independent

Prosperous Staffordshire Be able to access more good jobs and feel the benefits of economic growth

Safe and Strong Communities Feel safer, happier and more supported in and by communities

Running the Business Well

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The County Council’s Business Plan 2014-2017, Delivering the Difference Together, describes how activity going forward will be focussed in seven main areas. These are;

Great place to live – Supporting and encouraging personal responsibility and community capacity alongside economic growth, connectivity and physical infrastructure are the catalysts for creating great places to live.

Living well – Encouraging people to take control of their lives and to have good health and wellbeing. Having good wellbeing can be simply described as being “healthy, happy and well-off.

Resilient Communities – Supporting people in need to help themselves…Help communities and individuals prevent, cope and recover from harm.

Best Start – Making the most of the early years of life is fundamental for the delivery of all three of the council’s priority outcomes.

Ready for Life – Regardless of age or personal circumstance, being ready for life means having the drive to want to attain a good job and the skills to do so, to support themselves, their families and their communities.

Right for Business – Business enterprise and innovation is vital to the future prosperity of the local area. This work will also seek to work better with businesses to ensure they play a key role in communities in terms of health, well-being and resilience.

Enjoying Life – Enjoying life focusses on what we need to do to enhance the wellbeing of our residents and foster pride in our people, places and cultural activity.

Customer Insight

To ensure that the County Council is delivering quality services it must consider the views of those using the services available. The Corporate Review Committee has examined corporate complaints and feedback and as a result has made a number of recommendations, requesting assurances that effective systems are in place to capture and learn from feedback being given to services which the Council now commissions other organisations to deliver or are delivered through partnership or a joint venture. The Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee also received information on customer feedback in relation to children’s social services and adult social care. Members asked how children and young people in Staffordshire could be encouraged to use the complaints process. In relation to adult social care, Members queried the variation in the proportion of complaints from different areas on the County and services user groups. The risks and safeguarding implications for vulnerable people who may be at risk of financial abuse were also highlighted. The Committee will be

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exploring this issue in more detail in the future when work on Direct Payments and Personal Budgets is undertaken.

Call In

During 2013/ 14 there have been four call ins considered by the Corporate Review Committee. This means that when a decision has been made, before it is implemented, four or more members of a Scrutiny Committee, or eight Members of the County Council (not members of the Cabinet or a Group Leader) have questioned a Cabinet decision which has resulted in it being reconsidered by Corporate Review. The decision cannot be implemented until after it has been discussed. The Committee has the opportunity to decide whether or not the decision should be implemented or if it should be reconsidered by Cabinet or discussed at Full Council.

Used sparingly and constructively Call In provides a final opportunity to unpick the potential impact of a decision prior to its implementation and to seek assurances that it will deliver a positive impact. Feedback has been positive about how Corporate Review has handled the Call Ins it has dealt with over the past year. There was free ranging debate with contributions from the members of the call in group, Cabinet Members and the Committee. Whilst voting to permit the decisions to be implemented, reassurances and recommendations made arising from Call In discussions have been taken through as part of the implementation of the proposals.

Best Start

Focus attention and support on making sure children are ready for school and early years’ education

In summer 2012 it was identified that delivering childcare for working parents could be delivered as effectively by non Council run centres. The intention was therefore to end direct local authority delivery of childcare in seven Children’s Centres across the County. In July 2013 the Corporate Review Committee considered the call in of the Childcare to Market decision which had approved the transfer of the County Council’s childcare resources to two private sector providers and the requirements to facilitate that change for example the transfer of staff to the providers under a TUPE agreement and the approval of a four year rent free period for the use of the Staffordshire Children’s Centres premises. Committee Members sought reassurances about the quality of service during and post transfer, more information on the number of staff affected and reassurance about the financial implications of the proposals.

Resilient Communities

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Ensure access to targeted intervention when people need it most e.g. victims of crime, violence or domestic abuse

In March 2014 the Corporate Review Committee considered the call in of the decision to review the Council’s Supporting People approach to providing housing support. The intention was to focus resources around early help and targeted support. Reassurances were sought over mitigation measures and crisis support. The decision was agreed and the Committee asked that the Cabinet Member took into account crisis support services including domestic violence services, that there should be dialogue with Members as the review progressed and that the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee would monitor progress.

Living well

Supporting independence at all ages and for those with disabilities and illnesses

In July 2013 the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee considered the consultation plan for the modernisation of day services for people with learning disabilities. The Cabinet Member advised that in the long term the Council’s day centres would close as more people with learning disabilities would receive a personal budget to spend how they wished, resulting in less reliance on services provided by the council. The Committee suggested a number of organisations who should be included in the consultation process and emphasised that the findings from the consultation should be considered. District and Borough Council representatives on the Committee undertook to inform colleagues about the consultation. In January 2014 the Committee submitted a formal response to the consultation, which, by a majority endorsed option 3 for most people to transfer to independent providers, whilst some County Council support to be maintained in the medium term. The Committee requested clarification on timescales and that the Council should be clear about the local offer for service users and their carers. Members highlighted that effective transport capacity to enable access to services and effective assessment and planning of individual support needs was important. The Committee requested that that the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee monitor the safeguarding implications of the decision and the assessment and the implementation plans.

In January 2014 the Corporate Review Committee considered the Call In of the decision that people with learning disabilities using County Council day services and eligible to receive social care, be supported to move to independent sector providers and that smaller, more specialist, in house provision developed in each district for service users with complex needs. Concerns were raised about a lack of alternative provision in partsof the County and the pace of implementation. The Cabinet Member confirmed that the national view was that modernising services to provide greater choice was best practice. After in depth discussion, by a majority, the

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Committee agreed for the decision to be implemented but the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee will be monitoring the safeguarding implications going forward.

Ready for Life

Promote active citizenship that connects communities and individuals in ways which create pride and confidence

In September 2013 it was reported to the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee that a county wide engagement exercise would be undertaken to explore how the public, third sector and the private sector could work together to deliver a ‘Youth Offer’ in Staffordshire. The Committee commented on the planned engagement activity and Members highlighted the need for businesses to be included in the initial engagement process. In November 2013, findings from the engagement exercise were shared with the Committee. The need for affordable and positive opportunities for young people and support for vulnerable groups were highlighted along with the need for better information, advice and guidance, greater partnership working and further engagement with parents. Committee Members stressed the important contribution of voluntary organisations in providing youth activities and requested that more information on consultation and engagement with young people to be included in future reports.

In response to formal consultation on the Youth Offer, Committee Members agreed that provision of youth services and its impact varied across Staffordshire and called for a risk assessment in each area. The Committee highlighted suggestions around the consultation process. Reassurance was sought that Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS) would be adequately funded to retain, recruit, mentor and support volunteers and Members recommended that the amount of funding devolved to the Districts to pay for youth activities should be variable depending on area demographics and not a set amount. Members highlighted that there was a need for clarity regarding the transition period and queried how the outcomes of any proposed changes would be measured.

In March 2014 the Cabinet Member confirmed that the Committee’s feedback to the consultation was helpful and the proposed £50,000 flat budget for each District has been removed in recognition that funding should be aligned to the needs of each individual area. The Committee agreed that Members should be involved in shaping the youth offer in their area and that they would expect to see clear evidence that more young people were engaging in activities as a result of any changes which may take place.

In April 2014 the Corporate Review Committee considered a Call In on the decision to provide youth activities differently. The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and the Cabinet Support Member for Public Health and Community Safety stressed the Local Authority’s statutory duties and the wide

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variety of services already delivered via SCVYS. The importance of Information, Advice and Guidance to improve awareness amongst young people of the services available to them was highlighted. After a debate it was resolved that the decisions of the Cabinet in relation to the future provision of Youth Services are supported and actioned. The Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee will be considering the progress in implementing the decision in September 2014 and monitoring what has been achieved as a result of the changes being made.

Be healthier and more independent

The Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee is responsible for scrutiny ofmatters relating to the planning, provision and operation of health services in the Authority's area, including public health, in accordance with regulations made under the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and subsequent guidance. The Committee has the power to make reports and recommendations to NHS bodies and respond independently to health related consultations from Government and external agencies. The Committee takes the lead in scrutinising the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Living well

Support independence at all ages and for those with disabilities and illness

As part of its responsibilities to scrutinise services for vulnerable adults, the Committee examined the Living My Life, My Way Strategy which set out the vision and approach to achieve improvements for disabled people and to provide seamless transition from childhood to adulthood. The strategy included seven priorities each supported by commissioning intentions and described the approach that the Independent Futures service, which was formed in April 2013 with the merging of adults’ and children’s social work, would take. The Committee agreed to support the strategy subject to a number of recommendations which included a request for co-ordinated consultation on the strategy prior to implementation, assurances around the capacity to implement the decision and the sustainability of providers.

In March 2014 the Committee received an update on Independent Futures. In response to a drop in performance, work had been paused on alternative delivery models to focus on a creating an ‘All Age’ service from the existing workforce structures. A business and finance plan had been developed to improve performance and a plan describing the operating model, work force structure, organisational development, cultural change, communication and success criteria against which the service would be judged was being developed. This plan was expected to be agreed by April 2014 and the Committee will, going forward, continue to monitor developments and

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requested information detailing the measureable outcomes and a case study example.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) had been raised by Members as an area of concern in the 2012 scrutiny review of Lower Level/Preventative Mental Health Services and by the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee who identified the difficulties in accessing mental health services for young people who had left care. In January 2014, the Committee considered a report on CAMHS which outlined the County Council, Schools, CCGS and NHS England’s responsibilities in this area. The Committee were advised of the commissioning arrangements across the Local Authority and the National Health Service intended to ensure the full range of services necessary to meet the mental health needs of children and young people and provide clear referral routes for the different levels of support. The Committee noted the provision of CAMHS and will be following progress in this area. Members requested that the draft CAMHS Strategy be presented to the Committee at the earliest opportunity and that the final draft of the Suicide Prevention policy be brought back to the Committee for scrutiny at a later date.

Improving the wider determinants of health to improve quality of life for all

In August 2013 Members received a detailed presentation on the Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013/14. The Strategy is intended to address health and wellbeing needs and inequalities in the population, whilst taking into account the changing demographic and disease profile. There was discussion regarding the cost of health care being unsustainable and to address this there would need to be a fundamental shift of resources to community care and a focus on prevention, early intervention and a ”Life Course” approach. Views were being sought on how the strategy could be delivered, how resources could be used better and what could be discontinued and done less often. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy would inform the commissioning intentions of the five Clinical Commissioning Groups in Staffordshire, the local NHS services and Staffordshire County Council. Members discussed why the three priorities had been chosen for the first year and debated the move towards prevention and the impact of this on the residents of Staffordshire. The Committee agreed that the Strategy should be supported and will be monitoring the implementation of it going forward.

In April 2013 public health responsibilities were transferred from the NHS to the County Council. In March 2014, the Committee discussed plans to change the way in which public health had been delivered previouslythrough a programme called Achieving Excellence in public health. Changes to the way public health is delivered is intended to support the prevention and early intervention agenda by managing need in a more proactive way. For example, instead of spending significant amounts of money on treating obesity and its related conditions, there would be investment to support

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people to eat a healthy diet from an early age and to be active in their daily lives. The three areas for the Public Health Plan 2014-15 include sexual health and wellbeing, child health and wellbeing (School Nursing) services for 5 to 19-year-olds and lifestyle services (comprising of nutrition, weight, physical activity and a range of prevention initiatives). The Committee endorsed the plans to invest in new programmes and will be considering progress.

In December 2013 the Corporate Review committee received an overview of the developing Sportshire proposals designed to co-ordinate opportunities in respect of sport and culture to address issues around health and wellbeing, inward investment, jobs and activities for local communities. The report highlighted the work of the 2012 Steering Group, which developed a Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Legacy Action Plan. This action plan included a 2012 charter, which partners had signed up to. Members highlighted that increasing participation in sport to improve health outcomes was only part of an overall picture and that links should also be made with licensing activity and the proliferation of hot food takeaways. Members raised concerns regarding sport in primary schools not being prioritised and queried the level of inter school sports taking place. The Committee also identified the need to increase capacity to support smaller clubs’ sports clubs to access funding streams. The Committee referred to the impact of the Paralympic games and were keen to see measures to include disabled people in sport. Overall the Committee endorsed the principles underpinning the development of the County Council’s Sportshire vision and framework in the context of the County’s business priorities and community outcomes.

Enable positive behaviour and support for those who need it most.

Members of the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee have scrutinised a number of issues this year in relation to the throughput of patients in the healthcare system. The Committee have examined the appropriate use of Accident and Emergency Services, the roll out of NHS 111 and delayed transfers of care which is when people cannot leave hospital at the appropriate time as the right care is not available for them in the community.

In December 2013 Members raised concerns about the advice and promotion of Accident and Emergency Services (A&E) as there was evidence that A&E facilities were being used as a default by the public which had resulted in the inappropriate use of expensive services. Members heard how the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s) were being proactive in persuading the public to use A&E facilities differently or to self-help. The Committee agreed to undertake further work with the CCGs on the issue of access to GP appointments and requested the results of a survey beingundertaken in North Staffordshire on the use of A&E. The District Council and Borough Council scrutiny committees were asked to find out about the use of their local A&E services and to share any information gathered with the Select Committee. In light of what the Committee have been told they will continue to monitor the use of A&E in 2014/15.

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In March 2014, Members were informed that the contract for the Staffordshire NHS 111 System had been awarded to Staffordshire Doctors Urgent Care (SDUC) following the withdrawal of the original service provider NHS Direct. NHS 111 is a new phone line that's being introduced to make it easier for people to find out where and how to access local health services. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and should be used by people when they urgently need medical help or advice but it's not a life-threatening situation. Members highlighted the need for Call Handlers to have the right training and for calls to be responded to within good time with minimal repeat calls. Members have requested more information on the performance of the service and will be visiting the call centre in person to find out first hand how calls are being handled.

It is important that there is a continual flow of patients in to and out of hospital settings to ensure that all can access services when they need them. The difficulties in discharging patients however was raised with Members on their visits to hospital settings and in response, in March 2014 the Committee formed a working group to consider this issue in more detail. Local NHS Trusts, CCGs and the Staffordshire and Stoke-on – Trent Partnership Trust which provides adult social and community healthcare within Staffordshire, provided details of the difficulties in ensuring timely discharge from hospital and the work being undertaken to respond to this. Evidence was presented that a significant proportion of patients in hospital beds did not need to be there but clinical care in the community was not available and currently demand was outstripping capacity. Poor performance over the winter was another issue that needed to be addressed. Members have raised a number of issues arising from the contributions of representatives and work is ongoing in this area.

Prepare for later stages of life and ensure a high quality of years as well as increased life expectancy

Macmillan Cancer Support estimates there are currently 2 million people living with or beyond cancer in the UK and this figure is set to double to 4 million by 2030. In November 2011 the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee considered the development by the CCGs, in conjunction with Macmillan Cancer Support, of the Transforming Cancer and End of Life Care Programme. The programme is a partnership between Macmillan Cancer Support, the CCGs in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, Public Health and both Local Authorities. Members were advised that the aim of the programme was to radically transform the way care is commissioned and delivered, both for cancer services and also for end of life care services. Members sought clarity on whether the programme was financially driven and the Committee undertook to write to the South East Staffs and Seisdon CCGs who were not taking part in the programme. Members queried the capacity in the community to deliver services away from hospitals and the importance of the monitoring performance, the training role of the “Key Worker” and having a point of communication for carers and

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patients was highlighted. It was agreed that the national survival rates statistics should be used as the bench mark to determine performance locally and when available this information be shared with the Committee. Going forward the Committee will monitor the progress of the programme.

Major Reconfigurations of Services

Where a local NHS body is considering proposals to develop a health service or where there may be a significant change in the way a service is provided, the relevant overview and scrutiny committee should be informed. The Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee has been consulted on a number of issues by local health bodies this year where substantial variations in the provision of services have been anticipated.

In October 2013 the Committee were invited to consider a proposal to reorganise local hyper acute stroke services. Following the reorganisation of Stroke Services in London, which reduced the number of hyper acute stroke services in favour of fewer more specialist centres, patient care had improved. NHS England recommended that this approach be replicated and Staffordshire and Shropshire Cardiac and Stroke Network were tasked with leading on this work locally. The Network identified Burton Hospital Foundation Trust as a potential provider of hyper acute stroke services. However subsequently the Trust had withdrawn their application to provide these services as they could not meet the benchmark of 600 stroke patients annually at the tariff price. As a result East Staffordshire CCG were charged with identifying an alternative provider and plans were being considered for patients to go to the hyper acute stroke unit at Derby Hospital. Although it was not clear which hospital South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG would use as Hyper Acute Stroke Unit for the patients of Lichfield and Tamworth, Members raised concerns about potential increase in travelling times for patients. The Committee will be consulted on the outcome of the review and continue to monitor the implications in 2014/15..In March 2014 the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee considered the proposals of Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to decommission the Day Case Theatre and Surgical Ward and to review the Endoscopy Service at Sir Robert Peel Hospital. The Committee had received a petition from local people opposing the closure of the ward and theatre and representatives were invited to address the Committee. Members heard how the decline in the number of procedures, changes in legislation and the findings of a service review which had been undertaken in response to the Keogh Report had resulted in the proposals. It had been identified that it would be too difficult to sustain a future viable clinical theatre service for the Day Case and Surgical Ward, but in relation to the Endoscopy Service a decision would be made in May 2014 following a comprehensive audit. Reassurance was given that there was no intention of closing the hospital site. Members requested clarification on the consultation process and shared concerns about the potential impact of decommissioning of Day Case Surgery and Theatre on waiting lists and the increase in patient

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travelling times. The Committee will continue to monitor progress and have requested more detailed proposals on the services that may be delivered from the site and clarity on where services would be accessed before the implementation of any proposals takes place.

Holding Trusts to Account

The Francis Inquiry report was published in February 2013, examining the causes of the failings in care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between 2005-2009. In November 2013 Members received an update on progress to address the issues raised. The ongoing work to develop working relations with Health Watch and other focus groups was discussed as was the extensive effort that had gone into developing scrutiny processes to provide a clear route of scrutiny for access by local councillors and communities. A Joint Code of Working protocol between Staffordshire County Council and Stafford Borough Council had been developed and held up as an example of good practice by the Centre for Public Scrutiny. The revision of the Code of Working had made the scrutiny of Stafford Hospital Trust the absolute responsibility of the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee. The Committee queried how confidential and personal information could be considered and it was confirmed that patient confidentiality would not be compromised as the Trusts self-assessment reports did not include individual or confidential information. Members agreed that rather than relying on local patients groups and similar organisations it was better for the Committee to work with the Trusts to trigger follow up inspections. Members were informed that the County Council was seeking to develop strong links with Health Watch which may lead to information being referred directly into the Select Committee. Members highlighted the need to raise public awareness of scrutiny.

Health Accountability Sessions were introduced in Staffordshire in February 2011 to enable local health scrutiny committees, District, Borough and County Committees, to join together to hold a Health Trust to account. Sessions involve County and District /Borough Committee Members inviting a Trust to a meeting situated in the local community. Trusts are asked to provide a self assessment report to the Committee which details key issues, priorities and projects of work that the Trust is undertaking. Members of the public are invited to attend and to submit questions and the Trusts’ reports should focus on patient safety and quality of care. This year seven accountability sessions have taken place, which have provided Members with an opportunity to identify issues arising and current priorities for each Trust. Common issues such as the difficulties in the recruitment and retention of nursing staff, the handling of complaints and patient discharge issues have been identified and where necessary Members have used this information to undertake further work.

Another way in which the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee monitors the performance of NHS Trusts is to consider their Quality Accounts. Each Trust must submit their Quality Accounts to the Committee and Members

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have scrutinised the contents of all local quality accounts ensuring that all relevant information is included and identifying any key points for further investigation. This year analysis of the Quality Accounts has identified issues around staffing, in particular recruitment and development, finance, quality performance and the determination of priorities.

Be able to access more good jobs and feel the benefits of economic growth

The Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee is responsible for scrutiny of achievement against the Council’s strategic ambitions for promotingprosperity and economic growth. The Committee is also responsible for thescrutiny of highways infrastructure and connectivity. In addition the committee looks at priorities around education, learning and skills. As well as County Councillors, statutory education co-optees sit on this committee.

Enjoying Life

Encourage people to participate in social and leisure activities that they enjoy by promoting the attractiveness of the County to tourists, businesses and residents.

In December 2013 the Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee considered proposals to adapt and reposition Staffordshire’s library offer. The Cabinet Member for Children, Communities and Localism, informed Members that the Stafford Library building was not ideal, with access difficult for many as it is on a number of levels and it had a poor main entrance. The proposal to make use of community hubs for future library services was applauded, with Members recommending that consideration be given to the Fire Service hubs when looking for co-location opportunities. Members also highlighted that closer working with Parish Councils would help develop community working. The Select Committee agreed that there was a need to ensure value from the library service, however the proposal to move Stafford Library and the Shire Hall Gallery raised concerns and in March 2014 the Committee considered a petition of 2,915 signatures against the proposed removal of the Library, Gallery and other facilities from Shire Hall and the sale of the building. There was in-depth discussion regarding the significance of the building for local people and the unsuitability of the building for library use and a Member formally proposed that the Shire Hall Gallery should not be sold. This proposal was seconded but following a show of hands defeated. However by bringing the petition to the Select Committee there had been an opportunity to discuss the current situation and have a full debate on the issue, holding the Cabinet Member to account. It was agreed that input from the Committee will inform a second paper, Achieving Excellence – Libraries in a connected Staffordshire: part 2 which will be discussed in more detail before a decision is taken.

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Right for Business

Create the right conditions for increased employment in more and better jobs.

As part of its role to scrutinise the Council’s strategic ambitions for promoting prosperity and economic growth, the Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee received an update on the preparation of a new Minerals Local Plan for Staffordshire. The minerals industry employs 700 people locally and there are a further 4000 related jobs. With this in mind there needs to be an effective Local Plan to guide decisions on mineral planning applications. The Council’s Planning Committee approved the draft Plan for public consultation and Members heard how the consultation would provide an opportunity for feedback prior to preparing the final Plan which will be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. The Committee agreed to set up a small working group to consider the Plan in more detail and produce a response to the consultation. In May 2013, after considering the consultation document the Committee recommended that as part of any planning permissions given there is a requirement made on a developer to maintain the road network during the operation of the site; mineral operations should be required to liaise with local communities and that the local member must be included in liaison groups for mineral extraction sites; and, the Restoration Guarantee Bond or other financial guarantee to cover all or part of the restoration and aftercare costs be used routinely rather than as an exception.

In April 2014 the Cabinet Support Member for Environment and Rural Affairs, discussed with Members the Staffordshire Rural Forum which is an informal network of organisations with an economic, environmental or social remit. By early 2013 the Staffordshire Rural declaration had been signed by over forty organisations and the Rural Forum’s priorities and desired outcomes were published in the Staffordshire Rural Strategy. The Committee noted that all District and Borough Councils within Staffordshire had signed the Rural Declaration except Newcastle and a Committee Member agreed to discuss the appropriate contact for the Rural Forum with officers at Newcastle Borough Council so the lack of engagement could be addressed. Members referred to a recent publicity campaign which promoted Staffordshire as the “hidden county” and asked that the Select Committee receive details of tourism within rural Staffordshire and the wider county.

Great place to live

Create the right conditions to attract and grow business in Staffordshire

The Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee have been involved in scrutinising the Council’s decision to select a strategic partner to deliver

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services that support the economic growth and physical infrastructure of the County. These services are known as Infrastructure+ and include services to support highways, the environment, Country Parks and Rights of Way and transportation. In considering the full Business Case for Infrastructure+ in February 2014, following the identification of Amey LG Ltd as the preferred bidder, Members noted the proposed innovative approaches to customer service and that the partnership arrangement meant the Council had a majority share in the contract. The Committee highlighted the importance of Councillor and public views being taken into account of going forward and that the Staffordshire economy should benefit from jobs created by the new partnership arrangement.

Feel safer, happier and more supported in and by their community.

The Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee is responsible for scrutiny of safeguarding vulnerable people, community safety and localism. In particular priorities around:

• Safeguarding children• Safeguarding vulnerable adults• The Council’s responsibilities regarding reducing crime and the fear of crime and wider Community Safety priorities (referring matters as appropriate to the Police and Crime Panel where responsibility sits with the Police and Crime Commissioner).

Resilient Communities

Ensure effective safeguarding for the most vulnerable in our communities

At their first meeting in July 2013 the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee agreed a report on the Abuse by Professionals from the predecessor Committee. The Committee’s report built on previous work which had explored the Quality Assurance and Regulation in Adult Social Care, following concerns that there had been a 49 per cent increase in adult safeguarding referrals in 2011-12 in comparison to 2010-11. Members made a number of recommendations to the Executive regarding training for staff and Members, public awareness raising and having a clear referral process for the handling of any concerns, the pay and terms and conditions for care staff, including agency staff and the involvement of local mental health providers with the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub(MASH). In addition, Committee Members had expressed concerns regarding the safeguarding risks associated with direct payments and personal budgets and wished to be reassured that the Council had committed the level of resources required to meet the increase in referrals. Members also sought reassurance that the Council has taken steps to encourage an open and honest culture and that contracts with care providers included procedures to encourage staff to share their concerns about any safeguarding issues. Members wanted to see more

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unannounced checks by the Council’s quality monitoring team and wanted all partners to be represented at monthly information sharing meetings.

In September 2013 Members were informed that progress had been made since the Committees review on the Abuse by Professionals, both mental health trusts were now involved with the MASH and work was underway to encourage the Clinical Commissioning Groups to attend monthly information sharing meetings. In October 2013, Committee Members, accompanied by Members of the Corporate Parenting Committee, undertook a visit to the MASH. This was an opportunity for Members to find out how the referral process works in practice and how agencies work together to appropriately respond to safeguarding concerns. The MASH enables professionals to swiftly gather and share information with one another, provides an opportunity to put an incident into context in a confidential environment, and an opportunity for professionals to use their own judgement and disagree with one another. The Committee had supported a request by the Cabinet Member for an additional £160,000 to be made available through the Medium Term Financial Strategy to support the MASH. Other recommendations within the Abuse by Professionals report included awareness raising on the work of the MASH amongst County Council contact centre staff and Members, expanding Mental Health Partnerships in the MASH, staff training (and agency staff training), steps to encourage staff to report concerns at an early stage and that contracts with care providers have clear thresholds in place for referrals.

In November 2013 Members agreed that where possible they would accompany the Quality Assurance Team on assurance visits to adult social care establishments. Both the Chair and Vice Chair had the opportunity to go on visits and valued the chance to see the process in practice. The Committee continues to be concerned with the quality assurance and regulation in adult social care and an in depth report on the Quality Assurance process will be presented to the July 2014 meeting, updating the Committee on developments.

Build a joint approach to responding to crime and addressing the causes of crime

In July 2013, the Police and Crime Commissioner presented his draft Police and Crime Plan entitled Safer, Fairer, United Communities for Staffordshire 2013-2018. The key focus of the plan was to encourage agencies to become strategically aligned around four priorities, early intervention,

supporting victims and witnesses, managing offenders and public confidence. Whilst Members agreed that the plan was a vision of how different organisations and the public should be working together to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, regional and serious organised crime, they highlighted the need for detailed delivery plans to accompany the strategy. Members remarked on how well local policing in partnership was working in their local divisions. The MASH was held up as a good example of multi-agency

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working and Members sought reassurance regarding future funding. The Police and Crime Commissioner provided an update to the Committee on community safety matters in March 2014. He provided verbal reassurance that steps had been taken to achieve more operational police time, with civilians doing work to release Police Officers to do their jobs. He acknowledged that work on domestic violence was fragmented but confirmed that there had been increased investment in the MASH. Regarding funding for Community Safety Partnerships the Police and Crime Commissioner confirmed that savings had been made in the business end of policing which had contributed to the increase in funding.

Case Studies

Case Study 1

Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) Working Group

Whilst the Strategic Plan sets out the vision for the County Council and how this will be achieved, the Medium Term Financial Strategy details how services will be funded and how taxpayers’ money will be used and managed in a time of reduced resources. The Corporate Review Committee set up a working group to consider the development of the Medium Term Financial Strategy. The Working Group undertook a series of interviews with Cabinet Members, senior officers and representatives from the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust between November 2013 and January 2014 to examine how the County Council would meet its financial obligations and manage with the resources available. The main areas of investigation for the Working Group included the;

Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust, Families First, Looked After Children Infrastructure+.

There was evidence that the process of preparing the County Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2014 – 2019 and setting the 2014/15 Annual Budget and Council Tax had been carried out robustly and the working group concluded that in accepting the assurances around ongoing monitoring, the proposals met the principles of a good and balanced budget, subject to the working group’s comments and recommendations. The recommendations from the working group included

specialist support to the Authority when undertaking further negotiations with health partners,

absolute clarity over cash savings arising out of the Section 75 agreement,

the need for ongoing management of risks in respect of intervention strategies for troubled families, the cost implications of fostering should people choose to remain in care from 18-21

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years and management of the Infrastructure+ contract taking on board learning from past contract negotiations.

the need for ongoing dialogue across public services in Staffordshire to deliver enhanced services and savings to meet the needs of local people and communities.

The working group will continue to monitor progress of the MTFS periodically during the course of the coming year. By providing challenge during the development of the MTFS, the annual budget and council tax setting process the Committee helped to ensure that the Cabinet developed a good and balanced budget.

Case Study 2

Scrutiny of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust & Trust Special Administrator Arrangements

In September 2013 the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee considered the Trust Special Administrator's (TSA) draft recommendations on the future of services for people who use Stafford and Cannock Hospitals. The Committee queried the potential loss of maternity services, the lack of financial details, the implications of dissolving the Mid Staffordshire Trust, the transfer to other Trusts and the sustainability of the proposals.

Following this initial meeting, Members undertook comprehensive further investigation with all the main stakeholders which included the Chief Executives of all other Acute Trusts, the Ambulance Service and the local CCGs to identify the potential implications of the TSA’s recommendations and whether they were financially viable going forward.

At the end of September, the Committee submitted a formal response to the TSA’s recommendations seeking assurances around capacity, asking that consideration be given to other models of maternity care and expressing concern that the proposals did not result in a break even financial position. Issues were also raised regarding the potential risks that the proposals posed to the local healthcare economy over the medium term.

In February 2014 a Health Scrutiny Accountability Session of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was held on the same day that the Secretary of State made his announcement in relation to the future of the Trust. The initial TSA recommendations had been amended reflecting the Committee’s and the wider public’s concerns regarding maternity services, and it was confirmed that a Midwife Led Unit would remain at Stafford Hospital. Members of the management team from the Trust attended the meeting with representatives from the Trust Special Administrators and the Clinical Commissioning Groups. Committee Members from the County, together with Members from District and Borough Council and members of the

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public had the opportunity to challenge Trust representatives on progress with improving their care and services against their current performance. There was a wide range of questions, with emphasis on the Trust’s recruitment of nursing staff, in particular the current arrangements put in place due to a shortage, the Trust’s financial performance, complaints management and discharge arrangements. A presentation was also provided on the next steps following the announcement and the way forward during transition. Members requested a breakdown of Serious Incidents and the Health and Safety Executive Action plan. Pressures on the Trust were noted and going forward the Committee will continue to scrutinise the transition process and implementation of the TSAs recommendations as the Trust is dissolved.

Case Study 3

Preparations for Ofsted Inspection on School Improvement and the longer term effectiveness of educational support services

In September 2013 a report outlining details for the new Ofsted arrangements and Staffordshire’s preparation for inspection was presented to the Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee. The Committee agreed to establish a working group to look in more detail at the school improvement arrangements and to help support the Authority’s inspection preparation, acting as a critical friend.

The working group met four times throughout September and October to consider the new Ofsted inspection process, assess the current school improvement arrangements, scrutinise the documentation supporting this and establish the authority’s readiness for an inspection of their school improvement arrangements. Members found that work had been undertaken to make the information that Ofsted would wish to see easily accessible. For example the Self Assessment document has been re-written, a School Improvement Framework document had been produced and a data dashboard has been developed as a management tool to support school improvement.

The Committee were impressed with the data dashboard and recommended that Staffordshire school governors have access to it and that Members be given details of briefing sessions on the dashboard via the Members Bulletin and contact local schools to ensure they attend. The Committee found that there had been a number of changes to the structure, roles and responsibilities of those within education and skills and recommended that the webpages, both intranet and internet, be updated to

reflect this. Finally although the Committee was impressed by work undertaken by key officers there were concerns that as a result of the transition of staff to Entrust, which is a joint venture between the County Council and Capita, key expertise within the Council had been lost. The Committee therefore recommended that the lessons learnt from this commissioning process should be shared with all Cabinet Members.

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Progress against these recommendations will be followed up by the Committee.

Case Study 4

Member Visits to Families First teams

This year the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee have undertaken two substantial pieces of work exploring the systems in place to support and safeguard vulnerable children. Following the recommendation of a previous scrutiny inquiry which had explored the development of a new service called Families First, which bought together the different Children’s Services in the County, Members undertook visits to Families First Local Support Teams and Specialist Safeguarding Units in 2013. These visits were followed by additional visits to the Families First Teams that support Staffordshire’s looked after children in December 2013.

Local Support Teams operate in the Districts of Staffordshire and work with children and young people that have a problem that can’t be solved by their family or school. The teams provide more intensive support to these young people to try to prevent the situation worsening which would make them more vulnerable. Members found that where teams were co-located with the Specialist Safeguarding Units which provide more intensive Social Work intervention to ensure children and young people are safeguarded, there were many positives and recommended that the colocation of services be extended to include health partners, the police and District Housing Teams. Whilst overall the Committee’s findings were positive Members did highlight concerns about the lack of use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) by organisations other than Local Support Teams, increasing caseloads and poor IT systems. In January 2014 an update on the implementation of recommendations was presented. Members were pleased to see that progress had been made in many areas including the development of co-location specifications, moves towards greater joint commissioning of services by the County Council and health and a pilot of a new CAF process with partners underway. Relationships were also being built with District and Borough Councils and successful recruitment of staff had filled vacancies within Families First.

Members enjoyed the opportunity to meet staff face to face and had found conducting semi structured interviews a useful exercise. Building on this approach, in December 2013 Corporate Parenting Panel and Select Committee Members agreed to undertake joint visits to the Looked After Children’s teams. Members conducted interviews with

Fostering Support Teams, the Throughcare Teams which support older looked after children and those leaving care, the Care Management Teams which support younger looked after children, Virtual School representatives who support looked after children with their educational needs, the Adoption Teams, the manager of the Disability Resource Centres and the Family Link

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Team which arranges short breaks for disabled children. The Committee were impressed with the dedication of staff and the innovative practice taking place, they did however make a number of recommendations regarding the resources available to enable staff to do their jobs as efficiently as possible, highlighting travel times and the need to support mobility working with better IT access. Some teams were struggling to keep up with demand, or were restricted in what they could do as a result of the need to keep up with the daily pressures of the job and members recommended that the staffing arrangements for the Virtual School be reviewed and the impact of proposed restructures of services considered. The Committee recognised the success of the teams in recruiting more foster carers and adopters but identified the challenges in supporting additional foster and adoptive families with limited resources. Members were supportive of innovative practice which was preventing children going into care in the first place, supporting young offenders not to offend again and ensuring opportunities for disabled children whilst giving their families a break and requested that consideration be given regarding the future arrangements for the provision of these services going forward. The Committee was particularly concerned about the support for young people leaving care and welcomed the Staying Put Policy which enabled young people to remain living with their foster carers beyond eighteen, and made recommendations with respect to young people’s access to mental health services, work placement opportunities and appropriate housing. Members will be following the implementation of the recommendations and have requested an update from the Cabinet Member on progress.

Working in Partnership

In terms of working in partnership and exploring the commissioning of services, the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee has held accountability sessions with all of the local NHS Trusts and has scrutinised the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board. The Committee also had the opportunity to explore the Trust Special Administrators plans relating to Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and made a number of suggestions in terms of the health economy going forward. The Committee is also in the process of considering all the individual Quality Accounts of the local NHS Trusts in Staffordshire and will be providing feedback on them.

The Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee has explored how partners are working together to safeguard vulnerable adults and children and has received annual reports from the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Partnership and the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board. In addition Members have had the opportunity to visit the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) which

brings agencies together to screen safeguarding referrals to identify the most appropriate response. In addition Members have visited the offices of Local Support Teams, some of which are collocated with health and police colleagues.

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The Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee has examined the relationship that the County Council has with Entrust which is a partnership between Capita and the County Council, Infrastructure+ arrangements and the Rural Forum which brings agencies together to collaborate and act on behalf of rural businesses and communities.

Going Forward

Throughout this document, topics that the Select Committees will continue to scrutinise and monitor are referred to. The Select Committee role is vitally important as the Council strives to use resources in the most efficient way to meet the needs of the citizens of Staffordshire. Key priorities for the Select Committees in 2014/15 include;

Continued scrutiny of changes to the local health economy as Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust is dissolved and other health providers are commissioned to provide services. Access to and quality of services is of vital importance for the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee who will be closely monitoring the implantation of the Trust Special Administrator’s recommendations as approved by the Secretary of State.

The Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee will be monitoring the safeguarding implications of recent changes in the ways in which services are delivered in Staffordshire. Work will also commence to explore how best to support children under the age of five in Staffordshire and their families.

The Prosperous Staffordshire Select Committee has begun a project exploring the numbers of children missing from education. Due to the safeguarding implications that this work may highlight a member of the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee has been invited to join the group.

Scrutiny continues to evolve and develop and during the year additional items will be added to the Work Programme, responding to issues as and when they arise. The Select Committees will be rigorous in identifying issues to scrutinise and identifying opportunity to feed new insight into the development of services for the communities of Staffordshire.

Building on the work of the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee opportunities for wider engagement of frontline staff, service users and the public in informing the evidence base of scrutiny investigations will be explored. There will be greater use of calls for evidence as part of in-depth working group investigations and accountability arrangements. This is where external expertise is sought by Select Committees through public calls for evidence via social media and the press. This will bring to light

a mix of opinions and views that will be supportive of specific investigations undertaken by scrutiny members. This approach will be targeted at investigations for which there is the likelihood of key impact to encourage wider involvement.

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Further Information

If you would like to see the final reports of the scrutiny reviews which took place this year you can find them on the County Council’s website: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/decisionmakingcouncil/roleofscrutiny/scrutinylibrary/library.aspxIf you are interested in attending to observe meetings or finding out more about what’s on please follow us on Twitter @StaffsDemocracy or check out our Select Committee pages at: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/decisionmakingcouncil/roleofscrutiny/What-is-Overview-and-Scrutiny.aspx

Get Involved

We are always keen to hear from the public, so if you would like to get involved in scrutiny, either to suggest a review or to contribute to some of the work we have planned for next year take a look at our website to find out how. http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/decisionmakingcouncil/roleofscrutiny/GetInvolved.aspxAlternatively you can contact the officers listed below.

Duncan WhitehouseDemocracy Manager - Scrutiny and Governance 01785 276154duncan.whitehouse@staffordshire.gov.uk

Tina Randall Scrutiny and Support Manager - Prosperous Staffordshire & Safe and Strong Communities Select Committees01785 276148tina.randall@staffordshire.gov.uk

Nick Pountney Scrutiny and Support Manager – Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee01785 276153nicholas.pountney@staffordshire.gov.uk

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Appendix 1

The Local Government Act 2000 modernised Local Authority decision making arrangements, introducing the overview and scrutiny function and making the majority of functions that Councils carry out the responsibility of the 'Executive' or 'Cabinet’. In Staffordshire the Leader of the Council, Councillor Philip Atkins, has appointed nine Cabinet Members who each have an individual area of responsibility, similar to that of a Government Minister. The Cabinet is a decision making body which:

Makes decisions in accordance with the policy framework decided by the Council;

Oversees and determines how the budget is spent; and Undertakes performance management.

Scrutiny Committees have evolved over time to reflect the County Council’s Priorities. The table below details changes to the Select Committee structure in Staffordshire.

Assets and Budget Scrutiny

Committee

Corporate Review

Committee

Children and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2007

Regeneration and

Infrastructure Scrutiny

Committee

Social Care

Scrutiny Committee

Communities Scrutiny

Committee

Health Scrutiny

Committee

Corporate Review

Committee

Assets and Budget Scrutiny

Committee

Children, Young People and Families

Scrutiny Committee

CeasedMay 2011

Communities Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2011

Regeneration and

Infrastructure Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2011

Schools and

Colleges Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2011

Health Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2011

Social Care

Scrutiny Committee

CeasedMay 2011

Corporate Review

Committee

Assets and Budget Scrutiny

Committee

Communities, Crime and

Culture Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2012

Education Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2012

Enterprise, Environment and

Transport Scrutiny Committee

Ceased May 2012

Health Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2012

Safeguarding Scrutiny

CommitteeCeased

May 2012

Corporate Review

Committee

Assets and Budget Select

CommitteeCeased

May 2013

Safeguarding and Public Protection Select Committee

CeasedMay 2013

Health Select Committee

CeasedMay 20013

Prosperity, Skills and Education

Select CommitteeCeased

May 2013

Safe and Strong Communities

Select Committee

Prosperous Staffordshire

Select Committee

HealthyStaffordshire

Select Committee

Corporate Review

Committee