The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee of Wiltshire Council met to elect a chair and vice-chair, and to discuss the Overview and Scrutiny work programme. Councillors were also scheduled to discuss temporary agency staffing procurement and overview and scrutiny member remuneration.

Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

The first item on the agenda was the election of a chair and vice-chair for the forthcoming year.

Developing the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to discuss the development of its work programme, considering topics recommended by the previous committee, comments on the strengths and weaknesses of overview and scrutiny during the 2021-25 council term, and next steps for creating a comprehensive work programme reflecting the priorities of the council and Wiltshire residents.

The report pack included a list of topics recommended for inclusion in the OS work programme, and the committee was invited to consider these for the 2025-29 council term. Topics falling outside the committee's remit would be referred to the relevant select committees.

The report pack stated that the committee's discussion was only the beginning of a longer process to develop a work programme. The following steps were proposed:

• A face-to-face session for all backbench members on 1 July 2025, including training in how to conduct effective scrutiny and an issue prioritisation exercise.

• Meetings between select committee chairs and vice-chairs and their cabinet and director counterparts to gain a more informed understanding about their priorities and plans.

• Ongoing discussions at formal meetings, informal committee workshops, and engagement with relevant partners and stakeholder groups.

• Allowing all backbench members to request an item on the next meeting agenda of the relevant select committee.

The report pack noted that the work programme should also provide space for topics proposed throughout the year by individual members, requested by the cabinet, and raised by the public, and that the work programme should be viewed as a live document that is constantly reviewed and updated.

The report pack also included a list of task groups and rapid scrutiny exercises that had been suggested for continuance under the new council, including:

• Stone Circle Governance Task Group
• Children’s Select Committee Standing Task Group
• Adoption West Joint Scrutiny Panel
• Children and Young People Mental Health Task Group
• Residential Care and Complex Care
• Budget and Major Contracts Task Group
• Post-16 Education Provision
• Youth Homelessness Rapid Scrutiny Exercise part 2
• Climate Emergency Task Group
• Urgent Care Reporting Rapid Scrutiny Exercise
• Continuing Health Care Funding Eligibility Rapid Scrutiny Exercise
• Mental Health Strategy Rapid Scrutiny Exercise

The report pack also summarised the strengths and weaknesses of the council's approach to Overview and Scrutiny during 2021-25. Strengths included:

• Largely constructive OS-Executive working relationships.
• Some good opportunities to influence policy at an early stage.
• A mostly apolitical and collaborative culture.
• An OS work programme focused on the council’s key priorities.
• An appropriate balance of proactive-reactive OS.
• Examples of good engagement and support from officers across the council.
• Invaluable scrutiny officer resource.
• The use of information briefings to inform and educate councillors.
• Particularly valuable work undertaken by OS task groups and rapid scrutiny exercises.
• OS member questions being submitted in advance on certain topics, allowing detailed responses to be provided.
• Progress made towards reducing the time spent on report introductions and presentations at select committee meetings.

Areas for development included:

• A return to the working relationships between OS and the Executive seen previously.
• To achieve consistent, positive engagement from senior officers on all issues raised by OS, even where challenging.
• To secure consistent attendance from Executive members at select committee meetings and an open mind with regard to all recommendations.
• Reports and presentations to select committees to be of a reasonable length and level of detail to facilitate identification and scrutiny of the key issues.
• Proposals to be brought to OS with sufficient notice to provide a genuine opportunity for meaningful scrutiny and influence on the final outcome.
• Where possible committees should ask for questions in advance of meetings.
• To use task groups and rapid scrutiny exercises more proactively.
• OS to be more proactive in identifying and pursuing work priorities beyond the Cabinet forward work programme.

Temporary Agency Staffing Procurement

The committee was scheduled to receive a report on temporary agency staffing procurement. The agenda supplement included a report which stated that the council's current contract for the supply of agency staff was awarded in 2021 for three years, with an option to extend for one year, and that this option was exercised to extend the contract to 21 September 2025.

The report pack stated that the tender would be run in compliance with relevant UK procurement legislation, and that the requirement had been designed to assist the council in managing its temporary worker requirements as efficiently and effectively as possible, as well as mitigating any risks of fines associated with using personal services companies, commonly known as IR35¹.

This risk is in relation to the proper payments of taxes due to HMRC based on their status in relation to employment rather than contracted services.

UPDATED Report - Temporary Agency Staffing Procurement

The report pack stated that the council has an ongoing requirement for agency staff to deliver its business priorities, and that a contract to deliver temporary agency services supports this need. It also stated that the council is committed to reducing its reliance on agency staff by strengthening its strategic recruitment approach, including developing targeted talent pipelines, improving workforce planning, and expanding initiatives to attract, develop, and retain skilled professionals in hard-to-fill roles.

The report pack stated that the main considerations in the procurement of a new contract are:

• To provide a simple to use, efficient and compliant portal for managers that need to hire high quality temporary workers.
• To secure high-quality management information, enabling the council to better manage its temporary staff requirements in collaboration with the successful supplier.
• To incorporate the capability to integrate data from the provider’s system with the council's Oracle ERP system, enabling a comprehensive view of total workforce costs and ensuring effective control management.
• To enable an effective competition, the details of what is required need to be clear and as accurate as possible, where relevant including the necessary statistics for role usage and projections for future usage.
• To direct all agency spend through the framework wherever possible and appropriate to continue to keep ‘off-contract’ spend to the absolute minimum.
• To manage its services well in the face of reduced funding from central government.
• To address internal constraints of, for example, recruitment freezes.
• To deliver social value in Wiltshire by promoting local employment, sustainability, community well-being, and inclusion, while also supporting SMEs to drive the growth and development of the local economy.
• Provides scope to enable easy agency to permanent conversion without incurring significant fees.

Overview and Scrutiny Member Remuneration 2024-25

The committee was scheduled to discuss the allocation of the Overview and Scrutiny Fund, which is part of the council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme, for 2024-25. The report pack stated that the Wiltshire Council Member Remuneration Scheme was adopted by Full Council in 2017, following a review by the Independent Remuneration Panel, and that the scheme retained a £15,000 OS fund and defined its purpose as, “To remunerate councillors to recognise significant additional responsibilities undertaken as part of overview and scrutiny activities. A scheme on how to allocate the fund will be prepared and approved annually by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.”

The report pack stated that the following activities are considered eligible for remuneration within the scheme for the 2024/25 municipal year:

• Chairing active task groups, including standing task groups.
• Leading rapid scrutiny exercises.
• Vice-chairing select committees that do not attract a special responsibility allowance (SRA).
• Representation on active project boards.
• Chairing active scrutiny panels.

The report pack also included a schedule of OS Remuneration Fund allocations for 2024/25.