Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Peter Wilson. Councillor Alistair Morwood attended as substitute.

To be approved as a correct record for signing by the Chair.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the minutes of the meeting of the Shared Services Joint Committee, held on Tuesday, 2 November 2021, be approved as a correct record.

To be approved as a correct record for signing by the Chair.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the minutes of the meeting of the Shared Services Joint Committee, held on Tuesday, 16 November 2021, be approved as a correct record.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

None.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive attached.

The committee received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which provided an update on shared services between Chorley and South Ribble Borough Councils.

The report highlighted staff satisfaction, savings and benefits and progression against service development objectives, which members welcomed.

A framework for future reporting was also proposed, with general updates considered at every meeting in addition to quarterly performance reports and an annual review.

There was a general consensus among members that the report should be considered at both authorities’ Council meetings, given its importance in highlighting the benefits of shared services. Officers undertook to facilitate this.

It was also suggested that the report be presented to the Scrutiny Committees of each authority and it was advised that the Chairs of each Scrutiny Committee could request this.

Members welcomed the high staff satisfaction figures but expressed belief that these would be lower given the significant changes undertaken recently.

In response, it was clarified that the staff satisfaction pulse survey included those services shared within phase 1 and not those recently incorporated into a shared service, such as IT or customer services.

It was also explained that the responses from the pulse survey were in line with the shared services responses on satisfaction within the wider staff survey.

A query was raised regarding one post within the Legal service which was 100% South Ribble-based. Clarification was provided that this post related to Land Charges, which is not shared due to differences in operational setup although it was acknowledged that this post could provide an opportunity for further shared work.

Members also requested that additional savings of £500,000 as a result of the shared finance and audit departments be recognised within the report.

The report was noted.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive attached.

The committee received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which outlined options and proposals for the future development of Chorley and South Ribble Borough Councils’ shared services relationship for the committee to endorse.

The report recommended that proposals for a further phase of shared services be developed. This would be targeted at functions and roles where there is an identified need for change and would be on a smaller scale to that of the first two phases.

A review of management capacity across the two councils to ensure delivery of priorities was also proposed and members were advised that initial discussions and information gathering were already underway to support this.

A review and refresh of the principles to guide the development of shared services, which the two councils agreed in 2019, was also suggested.

Members commended the progress of shared services since 2019 and the benefits that this afforded the councils and their employees.

In response to concerns around the time constraints of the report being forwarded to Full Council in February, the Chief Executive reiterated that the Shared Services Joint Committee were being asked to endorse the proposals for Full Council to approve.

A report on phase 3 proposals would be presented to the Shared Services Joint Committee in late 2022.

It was also suggested that additional proposals may be put forward to improve capacity amongst management and members requested that an additional meeting of the Shared Services Joint Committee be convened prior to Full Council meetings in February to discuss these further.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the Shared Services Joint Committee

1.     endorse the principles for the future of shared services as set out at paragraph 17;

2.     endorse the proposed approach to the future development of shared services; to develop a future phase that is targeted at developing resilience in service delivery and to undertake a review of management capacity;

3.     hold an additional meeting prior to Full Council meetings in February to discuss proposals for additional management capacity; and

4.     note that these proposals will be presented to the Full Council meetings in February for decision.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the following items of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

By Virtue of Paragraph 3: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) Condition: Information is not exempt if it is required to be registered underThe Companies Act 1985 The Friendly Societies Act 1974 The Friendly Societies Act 1992 The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 to 1978 The Building Societies Act 1986 (recorded in the public file of any building society, within the meaning of the Act) The Charities Act 1993

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Local Government Act.

Report of the Director of Communities attached.

The committee received a confidential report of the Director of Communities which outlined proposals for a shared pest control service between Chorley and South Ribble Borough Councils.

Members welcomed the proposal and the assurance that staff within the current services were supportive of the proposal.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the Shared Services Joint Committee

1.    note and agree the shared pest control service proposal for approval at each Full Council meeting and

2.    note the forecast saving of £2.8k at South Ribble Borough Council and additional cost of £33k at Chorley Council.