Agenda item

23.1     The Chair introduced the report which outlined the Committee’s latest work programme. The Chair asked the Committee for any further comments or proposed changes to the work programme and the following was discussed:

·       Cross cutting work between People and Place Scrutiny Committees: There was a request for an update from the Scrutiny and Audit Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs Group on how any issues which cut across both Place and People Scrutiny Committees’ remits would be scrutinised. . The Chair confirmed that there was an upcoming meeting of the Scrutiny and Audit Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs and information from this would be shared with the Committee.

·       Loneliness and Isolation: A question was asked about the membership of the Loneliness and Isolation Stewardship Group. The Director of Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) noted that this membership was drawn from a range of voluntary organisations in East Sussex and this list could be circulated to the Committee.

·       Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Pressures: The Chair asked the Director of Children’s Services to provide more information to the Committee in relation to current SEND pressures. The Director of Children's Services proposed that a briefing on this could be circulated to the Committee for their March meeting, to include the pressures from increased Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications and the Department’s work with the Department for Education (DfE) and other local authorities on a funded programme to pilot elements of the Government’s SEND and AP Implementation Plan.

Forward plan

23.6           The Committee considered the Council’s Forward Plan of executive decisions, There was a request for more information about the Approval for the Local Visitor Economy Partnership application submission, the setting up of Experience Sussex and the Sussex Visitor Economy Strategic Plan Framework and the potential for this to cut across People and Place. It was agreed that this would be explored outside of the meeting.

23.7           There was a request for additional information on the decisions to award a main contractor for the Heathfield Youth Hub and award a main contractor for the Joff Youth Hub, Peacehaven, including on anticipated numbers of young people who would use the centres, and the proposed transport links to those locations. The Director of Children’s Services informed the Committee that information on the proposals made to secure funding for the youth clubs could be provided to the Committee.

23.8           The Committee RESOLVED to:

1) agree the updated work programme, subject to the addition of a briefing on SEND pressures and information on youth club funding proposals being circulated to the committee, and the addition of an item on SEND pressures to the March 2024 committee agenda.

2) Note the upcoming items on East Sussex County Council’s (ESCC) Forward Plan in appendix 2 of the report; and

3) Note the updates on Scrutiny Reviews and Reference Groups contained in section 3 of the report.

4) Appoint Councillors di Cara, Geary, Howell and Ungar to the CQC Assessment Framework Reference Group.

5) Appoint Councillors di Cara, Field and Howell and Nicola Boulter, Parent Governor Representative to the Scoping Board for the School Attendance Review, with John Hayling as a substitute if Nicola Boulter was unable to attend, and to circulate proposed Terms of Reference for agreement by the committee virtually.