Archived decisions

Section One: 2005/06

The first section of this appendix lists reviews which were undertaken and completed during 2005/06.

In some cases although the review has been completed, initiatives may still be ongoing with work being carried out via service plans or project plans.

Completed internal reviews - those reviews initiated and led by Hampshire County Council

    Review

    Responsibility of

    Members

    engagement

    Timeframe

    Comments as at June 06

    Arts Service Review

    R&H - Nicola Horsey

    R&H PRC

    2005/06

    Completed

    Museums and Archives Service Review

    R&H - Caroline Dudley

    R&H PRC

    2005

    Completed

    Best value review of community engagement (consultation)

    CX - Keith Kerslake

    P&R SSC

    06.06.05

    June 2005

    Completed

    Environment Dept, Discretionary service review

    Env - Stuart Jarvis / Linda Tartaglia-Kershaw

    Env PRC Report scheduled for 7 September 06 PRC

    2004/06

    Completed

    The review identified a need to gather better feedback from the public and stakeholders as part of a "customer first" approach.

    Speed Management

Members on the Policy Review Committee were asked to;

    · consider levels of spending on speed management issues as to whether it should increase, decrease or remain the same.

    · support measures to increase opportunity for public involvement and comment on speed management measures

    · comment on proposals for a strategy for use of temporary speed indicators, casualty reduction measures at black spots and funding for non priority sites to be raised from district and parish councils

    Env - Alison Quant / Peter Bayliss

    2004/05

    Completed

The review concluded that;

    · the Council must focus on casualty reduction.

    · the scope and opportunity for local people to have their say will be widened

    · where engineering solutions are not justified, we will engage with district councils to use vehicle activated signs to raise speed awareness.

    · in future, speed management audits will be applied to any new developments or programmes that are part of the Local Transport Strategy.

    Environment dept review

    How the department can best deliver its services to provide a local and effective presence for customers.

    Env - Alison Quant

    2 x Exec Members for Environment

    2005/06

    Completed

    It was identified that benefits could be achieved by greater cross team working, having teams working on a geographic basis rather than a discipline basis. Therefore a new organisation structure has been put in place to achieve better cross-team working and greater emphasis on local service delivery.

    Review of HR structure

    HR - Pauline Lucas

HR Strategy was approved by Cabinet October 05

/decisions/decisions-docs/051024-cabine-R1014123419

    2005/06

    Completed

Customers have been surveyed and closer consultation mechanisms put in place.

HR performance metrics have been identified and agreed and the HR SLAs and Service plan are now in place.

HR development programme launched in January 06 to address key skills gaps.

    Review of external research with secondary head teachers to ascertain feedback on current service performance

    PBRS - Karen Murray

    BLPP / Leader

    2004/06

    Completed

    Research with Head teachers has been completed and informed the new Service Level Agreement which will go to schools in autumn 2006 for commencement in April 2007

    Thematic health reviews:

    · out of hours health service

    · public health & wellbeing

    CX - Denise Holden

    Health Overview & Scrutiny

    2005/06

    Completed

    Scrutiny Review - Project Integra

    P&R SSC

    Full Council

    8.12.05

    2005/06

    Completed

    Equality and Diversity best value review

    HR - Jane Goodwin

    P&R SSC

    Report 11.04.05

    2004/06

    Completed

    Flexible working

    incorporating mobile working and Matisse project

    Jane Page, HR Business Partner for Environment leading on this and linked into the Matisse project and proposed Ashburton Court rebuild.

    Leader/ Social Care PRC /

    2005/06

    Completed

    HR have prepared a high level action plan which seeks to co-ordinate and link into all the various projects and bring together interested parties to ensure we lever maximum advantage from the key projects. HR will form an internal 'expert' team to support delivery.

    Occupational Health Unit

    This review is linked with `Improving Attendance' review below

    HR - Michelle Smart

  

    2004/06

    Completed

    A new Occupational Health Manager and new Company Doctors have been appointed to provide a business focused service. Schools have agreed to fund their OH provision which has allowed recruitment of the prerequisite OHAs.

    Work will be ongoing and will be carried out as part of the Wellbeing Strategy.

    Improving attendance

    HR - Sarah Stone

  

    2005/06

    Completed

Targets are to reduce absence by at least one day per employee over 3 years reducing costs on agency staff and on overtime cover absence

Managers will have a guide to manage short term and long term absence

Staff will know what is expected of them.

    Procurement `health check' and review programme

    The County Council commissioned an independent review of its progress on implementing the recommendations contained in the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government (NPSLG) and its procurement activities.

    The reports prepared by the consultants indicated that the County Council is fully committed to meeting the milestones and requirements of the NPSLG and has performed well in meeting them.

    PBRS - Neil Jones

    2004/06

    Completed

Internal reviews have also been completed for a number of areas of expenditure, such as corporate travel and venues, and work on other areas is in progress.

Departments have also continued to develop their procurement strategies and service delivery arrangements in parallel with these developments and, during 2005/6, this has included work on construction (buildings) and the highways professional services contract.

    Review of buildings with low environmental potential

    PBRS - Mike Fitch

    BLPP / Leader

    2005/06

    These reviews are part of the Procurement review programme.

    As above.

    Review, enhancement and renegotiation of existing engineering term contracts which are due for renewal November 2006

    PBRS - Steve Hall

    BLPP

    2004/06

    Evaluation of Integrated Children with Disabilities Teams pilot including JENI and SHIP

    Joint Children with Disabilities(CWD) Strategy Group

    CS - Howard Firth

    Report was supposed to go to the Children's PRC but it didn't!

    2004/06

    Completed

    These pilots were reviewed by the Joint CwD Strategy Group 23 May 2005 and it was agreed that the three projects be retained but with merged budgets and a single steering group.

    Pensions administration - this review was part of the Business Process Innovation Programme

    CT

  

    2005/06

    Completed

    There was a successful transition to new Payroll arrangements, with the Payroll Technical Section retained in the department and a new Payroll Service Centre set up as part of the HR department in Eastleigh.

Completed external reviews - those reviews led by external bodies to which Hampshire County Council contributed

    Review

    Responsibility of

    Members

    engagement

    Timeframe

    Comments as at June 06

    RETIS project

    Aim - to understand work being undertaken by HCC and partners in respect of social inclusion.

    RETIS is a French acronym relating to the European Regional Social Inclusion Network

    CX - Mike Gardiner

    Executive member for community planning and regeneration

    2005

    Completed

A peer review was conducted in Hampshire during 2005 which looked at how those who use HCC services are involved in their development and review.

    Adoption inspection - CSCI led

    Children Services - Steve Love/ Sue Kocaman

    2005

    Completed

    The Inspectors found that there were six areas where the service performed well, with improvements to be made in respect of eight statutory requirements. The Inspectors also made a number of `good practice' recommendations.

    Fostering inspection - CSCI led

    Children Services - Steve Love/ Sue Kocaman

    2005

    Completed

    The results of the Inspection were favourable, with three areas of the service being commended, and only one statutory recommendation for improvement and one good practice recommendation.

    Covert Surveillance - Corporate Inspection by the Office of the Surveillance Commission (OSC)

    CX - Val Pitman

    Governance Committee

    June 2006

    2006

    Completed

    Inspection took place in January 06 to check how the Council complies with the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Audit Commission Reviews which did not take place

    Pooled budgets and joint commissioning

    CT - Paul Carey-Kent

    Cabinet via Annual Audit letter

    2005/06

    Audit Commission advised in September 05 that due to resource changes this work would not be going ahead.

    Grant claims

    Management arrangements

    CT - Paul Carey-Kent

    Cabinet via Annual Audit letter

    2005/06

    Information management

    ITS - Andy Holdup

    E-gov't Steering Group / Cabinet via Annual Audit letter

    2005/06

Section Two: 2006/07

The second section of this appendix lists reviews which were agreed in June 2005 and which start or continue in 2006/07.

Internally-led reviews which form the 2006/07 Review Programme

    Review

    Responsibility of

    Members

    engagement

    Timeframe

    Comments as at June 06

    Adults' Social Care Services - review of arrangements in light of the Children Act and Adults Green Paper:

    Structure

    Assets, incl accommodation
    Support Services
    Service delivery

    CX - Peter Robertson / CT - Jon Pittam

    SSD - Kevin Allen

    PBRS - Ian Parker

    Cabinet

    2004/06

    Ongoing

    Children's Services -

    review of arrangements in light of Children Act:

    Structure

    Assets, incl accommodation
    Support Services
    Service delivery

    CX - Peter Robertson / CT - Jon Pittam

    CS- Colin Hardy, Kevin Allen

    PBRS - Ian Parker

    Children and Adult Services Strategic Planning Group / Cabinet

    Children Services Board / Cabinet

    2004/06

    Ongoing

Developing the Structure of Children's Services report went to Cabinet 25 July 2005
/decisions/decisions-docs/050725-cabine-R0809093615

    Review of catering in OP residential homes

    PBRS / SSD - Amanda Frost / Vincent Oliver

    Not yet decided

    2005/06

    Ongoing

Currently the Catering Pilot is underway in four of six selected residential/ nursing homes for older people

    Hawthorne Court - Sarisbury Green, Linden House - Lymington, Cornerways - Winchester, Ticehurst - Aldershot

    Passenger Transport

    Keith Wilcox

    Env PRC

    2005 - May 2009

    Ongoing

Passenger Transport Area Reviews. A programme of reviews involving conventional bus & community transport around the county on a district basis resulting in new tenders. A critical aspect of the review process is the engagement of stakeholders in the process.

    Democratic and decision-making processes

    CX - Share D'All

    P&R S&SC / Cabinet

    2004/06

    Ongoing

Work is underway with IT Services to build a more accessible and comprehensive Decision Programme which will then enable further work to be carried out into increasing democratic accessibility and decreasing bureaucratic processes. The expectation is that the programme will be in place in the Autumn of 2006.

    Member training / induction review

Full review of Member training delayed due to the delay of the review of the democratic process

    CX - Vicky Jolly

    Cabinet

    2004/07

    Ongoing

    Review of the democratic process will define Members roles i.e. Scrutiny role, Local role, Executive role

    Once roles are finalised the priorities for training and development can be defined and planned. Likely to take place in 2006/07

    Office accommodation - Strategic Property Review

    PBRS - Andrew Smith, Karen Murray, Ian Parker

    Cabinet

    Report

    27.02.06.

    2005/06

    Ongoing

    Community safety service

    PBRS - Andrew Smith/ Tony Langstone

    Cabinet

    2005/06

    Ongoing

    Democratic Review: Scrutiny

    CX - Share D'All

    P&R SSC and PRC Chairmen

    2005/06

    Ongoing

    Progress is being made towards a more evidence based and impact targeted form of scrutiny. It is expected that changes to the constitution will be made in Full Council in May 2006 and that at that point the new ways of working will start.

    Democratic Review: Community Engagement/HATS

    CX-Share D'All

    Cabinet &

    HATS Chairmen

    2005/06

    Ongoing

    The Leader has appointed members to be Chairmen and recruitment of officers will take place to be in post by the Autumn.

    e-government Transactions

    IT- Hugh Langford

    P&R SSC?

    2003/06

    Ongoing

    The 2003 strategy is nearing completion with 98% of service transactions being electronically enabled.

    A new strategy for the three year period 2007-09 is in preparation.

Externally-led reviews continuing in 2006/07

    Review topic

    Responsibility of

    Members engagement

    Timeframe

    Comments

    Review of Discovery Centres, incorporating Cultural pathfinder

    The Cultural Pathfinder programme is a national initiative promoted by DCMS and the LGA. 13 (?) LAs have been given CP status for particular projects they are undertaking.

    CP authorities are required to undertake an evaluation of their projects against a common evaluation framework and share their results with other LAs in various conferences and seminars.

    R&H - Chris Edwards

    R&H PRC / Cabinet

    2005/07

    Ongoing

HCC's is based on Gosport Discovery Centre. We are now in the second year of the two year programme. The evaluation is ongoing, but we expect that we will be asked to produce some sort of final report at the end of 2006. This will be useful to us in our own continuing evaluation of the Discovery Centre programme, but is not a formal review.

    Rural Pathfinder

    Env - Merrick Denton-Thompson/Ros Rutt

    Cabinet

    Report 22.05.06

    2005/07

    Ongoing

    /decisions/decisions-docs/060522-cabine-R0512154602

    HCC considers, through the preparation of an integrated Rural Strategy for the CC's activities, how it can build on the successes and lessons learned from the Rural Pathfinder programme and integrate these into its delivery of rural services, so that they are more effective, efficient, customer-focussed and with greater local accountability.

    This is an extension of the 'Preparedness Review' carried out by General Register Office Inspectors

    PBRS - Barbara Botley

    Any findings will be reported to Leader as part of general report on regulatory services.

    2005/06

    Ongoing

We have not had any further information at present from the General Register Office - they are mainly concerned at the moment to ensure that HCC are ready for online registration (now put off until early 2007) - we are in line to be a pilot authority so will be prepared.

    Budget monitoring -

    Business process innovation programme

    CT - Anne Hibbert

    Governance

    Committee?

    2005/06

    Ongoing

Phase 1 looked at the budget monitoring processes. Phase 2 is currently reviewing the use of technology. Phase 3 will review options for change.