Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

Briefing Note of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a Briefing Note of the Director of Business and Investment which provided an update on the delivery of the Coventry Cultural Strategy 2017-2027, including progress on new governance arrangements and the development of a new Strategy Action plan 2025-2027.

The Cultural Strategy set out a ten year-vision for the cultural life of Coventry, building on the existing heritage and culture of the city.  The Strategy was structured around the following Five Goals for cultural growth in the city, each of which was under-pinned by ‘Seven Big Ideas’ that support the transformation of the cultural life of the City:-

·  Partnership

·  Lifelong Learning

·  Diversity

·  Health and Well-Being

·   Economic Growth

The Seven Big Ideas outlined in the Strategy are:

·  Place Partnership

·  Creative Production Hubs

·  City is a Festival

·  Seven Years Younger

·  Nation in Coventry

·  Diverse City

·  Getting Coventry Moving 

Work to refresh the implementation of the Strategy in 2022 identified the need for an enhanced focus on climate change and Coventry’s Green Future, creating a greater alignment for the Strategy with Coventry’s Climate Strategy objectives. A further refresh is now required to respond to subsequent and evolving changes in the operating environment for the sector. This includes the impact for the sector of the City of Culture Trust going into administration in 2023; the cost-of-living crisis and other societal changes; and the appointment in July 2024 of a new Head of Culture and Creative Economy at Coventry City Council (a post jointly funded by the City Council, Coventry University and the University of Warwick – to support delivery of the Strategy and sector development). The need for new governance aligned to this required refresh has also been a central consideration – specifically in relation to the forming of a Coventry Cultural Compact through close collaboration between the city’s cultural sector and wider partners.

Cultural Compacts are partnerships designed to support the local cultural sector and enhance its contribution to development and delivery of City outcomes, with a special emphasis on cross-sector engagement beyond the cultural sector itself and the local authority. The Briefing Note outlined events led by local creatives, focussing on the future of culture in Coventry and which aimed to secure a mandate from the cultural sector and key stakeholders for the next steps, including:-

·  Testing that the aims of the Cultural Strategy were still relevant, and seeking sector input to future delivery plans, with the Council playing a convening and enabling role. 

·  Putting forward a refreshed governance model for the Culture Works cultural compact, with feedback being gathered and taken into consideration in terms of next steps. 

·  Introducing a new piece of work to develop a culture-specific communications strategy for Culture Works and wider Strategy implementation. 

Following these events and the refresh, it is proposed that “Cultural Engagement and Opportunity” is added as an overt Strategy Goal in the refresh. This will support increased focus on cultural participation and the infrastructure required to support this. To ensure both diversity and partnership are established as central  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

Briefing Note of the Director of Human Resources

The Committee considered a Briefing Note of the Director of Human Resources which:-

·  Provided an oversight of published complaint reports and outcomes for 2023-24

·  Outlined the additional reporting and oversight requirements arising from the new Local Government and Social care Ombudsman (LGSCO) Complaint Handling Code (the Code)

·  Provided information relating to the complaints system and how recommendations arising from complaints that have been investigated have been progressed.

The Briefing Note indicated that the Council is expected to address complaints in accordance with the relevant statutory complaints processes (The Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006 or Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009) and / or the advice and guidance issued by the LGSCO under their powers under section 23(12A) of the 1974 Local Government Act. 

Statute requires preparation of an annual report on the operation of the complaints process and the lessons learnt or service improvements arising from them for both Children’s Services and Adult Social Care complaints. These are required to be publicly available, and are published on the Comments, Compliments and Complaints area of the Council’s website.

In addition, the LGCSO issues an Annual Review letter each July in respect of those complaints (both statutory and non-statutory) which have exhausted the Council’s complaints process and been escalated to, investigated and decided by the Ombudsman. A report similar to those noted above is prepared following receipt of the LGSCO’s letter.

The following three reports were appended to the Briefing Note:-

·  Children’s Services Complaints and Representations Annual Report 2023-24

·  Adult Social Services Complaints and Representations Annual Report 2023-24

·  Complaints to the LGSCO Annual Report 2023-24

The Briefing Note indicated that in February 2024, the LGSCO issued their new ‘Complaint Handing Code’ (‘the Code’) setting out their expectations for complaint handling by local Councils, together with new overview and scrutiny guidance. Councils are encouraged to adopt the Code as soon as practicable, with the LGSCO considering adherence to the Code as part of their complaint investigations from April 2026 onwards. Under the Code it is expected that all Councils will now produce an overall annual complaints performance and service improvement report for scrutiny and challenge. This is to be reported through the appropriate governance arrangements and published on the complaints section of the Council website, alongside the response to the report from the relevant governance arrangement.

In addition to this the Code stipulates that Council’s should assign lead responsibility for complaints in governance arrangements in order to “support a positive complaint handling culture”. The Code refers to this role as the “Member Responsible for Complaints”, and that it is for each Council to decide whether the role is carried out by an individual or committee depending on the governance arrangements in place. The Briefing Note indicated that, given that Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee already review the existing annual complaints reports, it would appear appropriate that they are designated to review and respond to the Council’s overall annual complaints performance and service improvement report moving forward.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered their Work Programme and Outstanding Issues for 2024/25.

Further to Minute 73/24 above, it was noted that a 3 month progress report on the Cultural Strategy would be added to the Work Programme.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of urgent public business.