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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street, London E8 1EA. View directions

Contact: Tracey Anderson 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

1.1  Apologies from absence from Cllr Hercock.

 

2.

Urgent Items / Order of Business

Minutes:

2.1  There was no urgent items and the order of business was as per the agenda.

 

 

3.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

3.1  None.

 

4.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 53 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

4.1  The minutes of the previous meeting held on 14th December 2016 were agreed.

 

RESOLVED

 

Minutes were approved.

 

5.

Update on Elections in 2016 pdf icon PDF 57 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

5.1.  The Chair welcomed to the meeting Tim Shields, Chief Executive and Dan Paul, Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (HR&OD) from London Borough of Hackney, to give an update on the successes of the solutions implemented following the 2015 Election Services review and how the Elections Team have responded to the volume of elections in Hackney during 2016.

 

5.2.  The Commission received information about the problems experienced with voter registration / postal votes for the London Mayoral election and dispatch delays for the Mayoral borough election in 2016. 

 

5.3.  The report attached on pages 23-27 provided information about the elections carried out in Hackney in 2016.  The main points highlighted from the report were:

·  The commission previously received information on the IT system and performance and issues related to performance in the team.

·  A new team structure was implemented and the team has been trained to use the new IT system

·  In 2016 the elections team carried out 7 elections 3 of which were borough wide.

·  41,000 people registered to vote

·  The processed operated have highlighted some areas for improvement

·  It was noted approximately 900 staff are required to run a borough wide election

·  Changes in statutory duties have increased the election teams workload significantly and it is not expected to change

·  Hackney currently has 167,000 active voters on the register.

·  The elections team still need to continue with the work to remove people from the register.

 

5.4.  Question, Discussions and Comments

 

(i)  Members commented on concerns that had been raised about the move to the Individual Electoral Registration (IER) system and the impact of this on multiple occupancy households.

 

The Head of HR & OD confirmed the Council removed 30,000 people from the register in 2015.  He explained this was a statutory duty.  In addition to this the Council received and processed 41,000 voter applications from 1st April – 9th June 2016.  The publish register currently stands at 180,000.

 

(ii)  Members pointed out residents had made contact about polling cards and missing information related to postal voter registration, instruction or the person to contact for postal votes.

 

The Commission was informed if people registered late their application would still continue through the system for a voter registration however the information about postal votes would not be included because they were outside the timescale to obtain one.

 

(iii)  Members recapped on the problems to date being related to staff, systems and volumes of resident complaints about the election process.  Members asked officers for reassured that all the problems identified have been resolved.

 

The Head of HR & OD acknowledged there have been a number of problems in the past which have been covered by previous reports to the Commission.  It was pointed out the problems experienced in 2015 were not the same problems experienced in the 2016 elections.  For the Mayoral election the error causing the delay to distribution was as a result of the word conservative being spelt incorrectly.  The error was managed through the HR processes.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Performance Review pdf icon PDF 80 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

6.1.  The Chair welcomed to the meeting Mayor Phillip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney, Cllr Geoff Taylor, Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Services, Cllr Rebecca Rennison, Mayoral Advisor for Advice Services and Homelessness Prevention, Ian Williams, Group Director Finance and Corporate Resources, Kay Brown, Director Customer Services and Rob Miller, Director of ICT from London Borough of Hackney.

 

6.2.  This performance review discussionwas aimed at establishing the approach that Overview and Scrutiny should take in conducting performance review of a service provision.

 

6.3.  The purpose of this session is for scrutiny to be assured that the performance monitoring information used by the responsible officer and Executive enables them to identify the risks, meet service users’ needs and carry out service improvements.

 

6.4.  The Commission selected a small number of service areas for review to look at the performance information, available and monitored by the Council in relation to that service provision.

 

6.5.  The service areas selected for this meeting were:

·  ICT

·  Revenues and Benefits

·  Council Tax

·  Temporary Accommodation

·  Hackney Service Centre.

 

6.6.  A report from the ICT service area is on pages 31-35 of the agenda and a presentation from the customer services is on pages 37-50 of the agenda.

 

6.7.  The service areas under customer services are: Revenues and Benefits, Hackney Service Centre (all front facing services including registrars) and housing needs (temporary accommodation).  The main points from the presentation were:

 

6.7.1.  Revenues and Benefits service areas is a long established service that the council holds a comprehensive suite of data for.  With data the Council has the ability to bench mark against other local authorities.

 

6.7.2.  The Housing Needs service is a more recent addition to customer services and the council does not hold the same level of comprehensive data like revenues and benefits.  The Customer Services Director is looking at a new system to help build up a comprehensive suite of data.

 

6.7.3.  The performance indicators in the report are statutory indicators the council is required to report on.

 

6.7.4.  The council tax collection target is 94%.  The performance information on revenue collection is the statutory information the service area is required to report.  From this data they monitor cash collection and the benefits awarded against outstanding net collectable debt.  Currently the Council is on track to achieve the target.  The Council has also increased the number of residents taking up the option to pay by direct debit.  Collection by direct debit takes longer to come in but this allows them to analyse collection and forecast income more accurately.

 

6.7.5.  Data is collected on customers who visit into the service centre.  The council has collated this data over 4 years and have used this data to monitor trends of footfall to the HSC and payment types.  As more services move online they will be monitoring the trends and impact of this on the footfall into the HSC.  They can also monitor online and credit card payments.

 

6.7.6.  Since the Council closed its staff counters in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Council Budget, Commercialisation and Income Generation pdf icon PDF 53 KB

Minutes:

7.1.  The Chair welcomed to the meeting Cllr Geoff Taylor, Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Services and Ian Williams, Group Director Finance and Corporate Resources from London Borough of Hackney.

 

7.2.  The Commission asked the Council to provide information about services that have the potential for income generation - beyond increasing fees and charges – and to provide an overview of the Council’s approach and work on income generation for services across the organisation and their potential for commercial activity.

 

7.3.  Group Director Finance and Corporate Resources presented information and the mains points from the presentation were:

 

7.3.1.  The core spending power and grants that currently exist are:

·  Council tax

·  New Homes Bonus

·  Revenue Support Grant

·  Business Rates

·  Public Health.

 

7.3.2.  Commercialisation is a mind-set not about adding a few extra charges to fees.

 

7.3.3.  The true meaning of commercialisation is to make a profit. 

 

7.3.4.  There are a number of services operated by the council that cannot be commercial.  It was noted that the majority of the markets that local authorities operates in they cannot make a profit due to legislation restrictions, although local authorities can cover costs.  The example was given of waste services being a service that can offer direct competition to commercial organisation whereas parking services is a municipal fee.

 

7.3.5.  It was highlighted that the council could think commercially for their contracts.  This would require managers in the organisation to think commercially when setting up and reviewing contracts.  For contracts like the Hackney marathon, there would be an expectation that these contracts when negotiated are generating a revenue. 

 

7.3.6.  The capital scheme is also an area the council could take a commercial approach.

 

7.3.7.  Commercial property portfolio is an area being developed by the council but the organisation is also mindful that they have a community that will ask the council to provide affordable rents.

 

7.3.8.  In terms of commercial thinking the council needs to look at its niche skills and develop those.

 

7.3.9.  If the council wanted to explore setting up a commercial entity, the commission was told the following should be taken into consideration:

 

A company needs to have directors and the directors of the company have a duty to ensure the company is profitable.  All decision made should be based on what is best for the company not the community.  This could pose a conflict politically for councillors especially if they are on the executive board of the company.  Directors of the Board have to act to preserve the company.

 

7.3.10.  There could be the opportunity to explore the prospect of a local energy company, but the council needs to consider who would manage the organisation and its role in the decision making of the organisation.

 

7.4.  Questions, Answers and Discussions

 

(i)  Members referred to setting up an organisation and enquired if the council should had considered employing professionals in that area of expertise.

 

The Group Director Finance and Corporate Resources confirmed the council could consider hiring professionals within the service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Governance and Resources Scrutiny Commission - 2016/17 Work Programme pdf icon PDF 53 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

8.1.  Members discussed the performance review item and made the following comments:

 

8.1.1.  They would like access to a suite of oversight information that helps to identify the health and risks to the organisation.

 

8.1.2.  Review a sample of the management data used by managers.

 

8.1.3.  Develop a list of 20 areas that councillors could monitor and review.

 

8.1.4.  Members discussed having a set of indicators that are critical that reflect the current position and risks.

 

The Group Director Finance and Resources asked the Commission to clarify if they wanted indicators on the health of the borough of the health of the organisation as they were very different.

 

8.2.  Members discussed the Brexit update item and suggested having information on the council’s thinking, risks and mitigating actions.  This information to include an update on the current situation, trends, impact on exports, schools and suppliers.

 

8.3.  Noted the Government’s Industrial strategy was scheduled to be published.  They should consider how it relates to local devolution and how the Council can take advantage.

 

8.4.  In relation to commercialisation Members discussed having the following information

·  Trading rules constraints and legislative framework linked to commercialisation for the organisation

·  More examples on different service areas generating income – list of areas

·  Key principles the organisation adopts when embarking on income generating activity is it social benefits, profit etc.

·  Competitive advantages.

·  Services – housing, industrial waste, energy and schools services

·  Fees – leisure services, parking

·  Property development.

 

9.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

9.1  None.