The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee are scheduled to meet to elect a chairman and vice-chairman, discuss the Overview and Scrutiny work programme, consider temporary agency staffing procurement, and set out the allocation of the Overview and Scrutiny Fund.

Temporary Agency Staffing Procurement

The committee will receive a report on temporary agency staffing procurement. The council's current contract for agency staff was awarded in 2021 for three years, with an option to extend for one year, which was exercised to extend the contract to 21 September 2025.

The report recommends that the Cabinet:

• approves a new contract for temporary agency staffing via a competitive procurement process
• delegates authority to the Director of HR & OD, in consultation with the Cabinet Members responsible for Finance and Staffing, to manage the competition, award the contract, and handle any future extensions
• approves a £20 million budget for the Temporary Agency Staffing Contract, with a three-year original contract term and an option to extend for another 12 months.

The council is required to re-tender for a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to supply its temporary and permanent labour. The solution must integrate with the new Oracle ERP system implemented in November 2023. Wiltshire Council has a current vendor neutral solution with Matrix, awarded through MSTAR (Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources).

The main considerations in the procurement of a new contract are:

• providing a simple, efficient, and compliant portal for managers to hire high-quality temporary workers
• securing high-quality management information to better manage temporary staff requirements, including a system for regular, accurate data collection to meet Department for Education (DfE) reporting requirements for Social Worker Agency Regulations
• incorporating the capability to integrate data from the provider’s system with the council's ERP solution
• directing all agency spend through the framework
• managing services with reduced funding from central government
• addressing internal constraints, such as recruitment freezes
• delivering social value in Wiltshire by promoting local employment, sustainability, community well-being, and inclusion, while also supporting SMEs
• providing scope for easy agency to permanent conversion without significant fees.

The specification will include requirements to adhere to Wiltshire Council’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

Developing the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The Overview and Scrutiny (OS) Management Committee will discuss developing its work programme. The agenda includes topics recommended for inclusion by the predecessor committee, comments on the strengths and weaknesses of OS during the 2021-25 council term, and next steps for creating a comprehensive work programme.

Appendix A lists topics recommended for OS work by the previous council. The committee will consider including these topics in a new work programme for the 2025-29 council. Topics outside the OS Management Committee's remit will be referred to relevant select committees.

The following steps are proposed to develop the work programme:

• 1 July 2025: A face-to-face session for backbench members, including training in effective scrutiny and an issue prioritisation exercise.
• Summer/Autumn 2025: Meetings between select committee chairs and vice-chairs and their cabinet and director counterparts.
• Ongoing: Select committees can determine their own approach to forming work priorities, led by their chair and vice-chair.
• Ongoing: Backbench members can request items on select committee agendas.

The OS work programme should also accommodate topics proposed throughout the year by individual members, the Cabinet, and the public. The programme will be a live document, reviewed and updated regularly.

The report notes that on 20 May 2025, the Full Council agreed to create a select committee dedicated to scrutinising finance and procurement issues. Officers were authorised to draft constitutional amendments for approval by the Full Council on 22 July 2025, after which the new committee can begin work.

The following task groups and rapid scrutiny exercises have been suggested for continuance:

• OS Management Committee: 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
• Environment Select Committee: Climate Emergency Task Group
• Health Select Committee: Urgent Care Reporting Rapid Scrutiny Exercise, Continuing Health Care Funding Eligibility Rapid Scrutiny Exercise, Mental Health Strategy Rapid Scrutiny Exercise

The OS Management Committee considered the strengths and weaknesses of its approach during 2021-25, noting the following key strengths:

• Constructive OS-Executive working relationships
• 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
• Good engagement and support from officers
• Invaluable scrutiny officer resource
• The use of information briefings to inform and educate councillors
• Valuable work undertaken by OS task groups and rapid scrutiny exercises
• OS member questions being submitted in advance
• Progress made towards reducing the time spent on report introductions and presentations

Key areas for development include:

• A return to the working relationships between OS and the Executives seen previously
• Consistent, positive engagement from senior officers
• Consistent attendance from Executive members and an open mind with regard to all recommendations
• Reports and presentations to be of a reasonable length and level of detail
• Proposals to be brought to OS with sufficient notice
• 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

Overview and Scrutiny Member Remuneration 2024-25

The committee will discuss the allocation of the Overview and Scrutiny Fund, part of the council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme, for 2024-25. The Wiltshire Council Member Remuneration Scheme, adopted in 2017, includes a £15,000 OS fund to remunerate councillors to recognise significant additional responsibilities undertaken as part of overview and scrutiny activities.

The proposed scheme for 2024/25 includes remuneration for:

• 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 current standing task groups are the Financial Planning Task Group and the Children’s Select Committee Standing Task Group.

A fixed payment of £1,500 has been allocated to four key positions:

• Vice-chairman of the Children’s Select Committee
• Vice-chairman of the Environment Select Committee
• Vice-chairman of the Health Select Committee
• Chairman of the Financial Planning Task Group

Shares for other activities are allocated based on the number of meetings led, capped at £1,500 per activity. No more than two fund shares are awarded to any one councillor.