STATEMENT OF THE CORPORATE AND PARTNERSHIPS OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Since the Chairman’s last statement to Council on 17 May 2023, the Corporate and Partnership Overview and Scrutiny Committee has met once on 5 June 2023, when the following items were considered:

· Annual Review of Councillor Locality Budgets 2022/23

· Workforce Report

· North Yorkshire Refugee Resettlement Update

· Annual Update on Library Services

· Notice of Motion on PFCC to Resign – feedback on this item is shown elsewhere on the Council Agenda

At the committee meeting on 5 June 2023, members raised the following issues:

· Whether the Locality Budgets scheme could be adapted to allow roll over of remaining balances to the following year;

· The poor integration of ex district/borough staff, particularly those still based in district/borough offices;

· The increase in sickness levels (though still below national picture) particularly due to stress/depression/anxiety;

· Staff working longer hours whilst working from home;

· Concerns about the number of refugee families that may present as homeless on 16 August 2023 following closure of the Bridging Accommodation Hotel commissioned by Home Office.

· The delay in receiving reimbursement from government for the resettlement support provided to individuals resettled under the UKRS scheme (and the Afghan resettlement schemes), which includes exceptional needs expenditure for people with complex needs, typically persons with SEND.

· Heating costs in community libraries

· The drop in volunteer number post-covid

The Committee’s Foodbanks Scrutiny Review is also continuing with the Task Group scheduled to meet again on 17^th July 2023 improved stock management; there was increasing demand for food banks in the county.

The next meeting of the Committee is on 11 September 2023 and the following items are scheduled for scrutiny at that meeting:

· Bi-annual update on work of the Stronger Communities team and progress update on the corporate volunteering project – Marie-Ann Jackson, Head of Stronger Communities

· Update on the Operation of the Parish Portal and Parish Council engagement

· Bi-annual Update on Community Safety Plan Delivery & Partnership Working

· Youth Justice Performance Update

· Annual overview of the National Resilience Standards and NYC’s current performance, together with an overview of ongoing Resilience and Emergencies work

The work of the committee will continue to evolve as scrutiny of aspects of the work of the former district and boroughs councils is taken on as well as scrutiny of some of the changes associated with the creation of the new North Yorkshire Council.

COUNCILLOR DAVID IRETON

7 July 2023