Issue - meetings

To update the Orbis Public Law Joint Committee on the progress on the integrated service. 

The Committee considered a report on the work done to integrate the ORBIS Public Law partnership, introduced by Philip Baker.

Key points issues raised during the meeting:

The Committee were informed that the OPL Interim Leadership Team had been working undertook significant work last year on starting to design single teams.  The approach which is set out in the paper details a time recorded audit had been undertaken to achieve base data. Workshops, meetings and input from ORBIS Human Resources had also taken place. It was noted that more work towards cost efficiency was required. Next steps are to appoint a full time Head of OPL.  However, due to Surrey County Council (SCC) reviewing participation in OPL, the appointment has been paused while OPL await the outcome of this.

The integration of insurance claims has moved forward with the handling of claims for BHCC and SCC moving from Orbis to OPL, where East and West Sussex County Councils are already covered. The management of staff at partner’s offices has been a useful test prior to other cross partner team forming.

The first OPL Advocate has been appointed and started carrying out advocacy for all partners. Two further posts are to be recruited, however it remains a challenge. It was noted that in-house advocacy resulted in savings over instructing external advocates.

OPL has jointly procured a new legal services framework which covers the provision of external legal services advice, representation and casework.

It was noted that the performance data for the monitoring activity pilot recorded data time spent on a file, but not the efficiency.

Performance data for quarter 3 was noted.

Following questions from the Committee on the presentation it was noted that savings have been made by using in-house advocacy with added resilience across partners. Staffing levels were also discussed with confirmation that the number of blank open files on the charts represented those not completed. 

Resolved: That the Committee dually noted the report and endorsed the continued approach.