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Overview and scrutiny 28 January 2020.
Local Adult Social Care Services
Representatives from Local Adult Social Care Services met with Councillors at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Epping Forest District Council on Tuesday 28 January.
The organisation covers many social care services in Epping Forest including blue badge issue, help to live at home, housing options and care schemes and health and wellbeing services. 33,590 new requests for support were received by the organisation in 2018/19.
Councillors took the opportunity to ask Alexandra Green (Director of Local Delivery West) and Moira McGrath (Director of Commissioning) questions about the service on wide range of issues relating to the provision, planning, management and performance of adult social care services across the district.
Local High Streets Task and Finish Panel
Overview and Scrutiny have created a new Task and Finish Panel to review the future of High Streets in the district. Terms of reference and membership were agreed and Councillor Jo Share-Bernia was named Chairman.
Transformation programme
Accommodation Strategy
Councillors noted progress made on the Council’s Accommodation Strategy.
Planning permission for works on the Civic Offices have been approved and consultants Gardener and Theobald have been commissioned to develop the tender and refurbishment plans alongside Bisset Adams (Architect) and BWB (Mechanical and Electrical engineers).
A phased approach to decant staff from the Civic building to other locations began in January and will continue until June 2020.
People Strategy
A verbal update and presentation about the progress of the People Strategy and it’s associated projects were given by Chief Executive, Georgina Blakemore.
Service Directors, Service Managers and Team Managers are now in place and consultations for the all staff restructure are complete. Recruitment for two Strategic Directors and one Chief Operating Officer is now in progress.
Group company structure
Overview and Scrutiny received updates on the activities undertaken to establish a group of companies wholly owned by the council, the Qualis Group.
Each subsidiary will have a specific role:
- Qualis Management, a services company – to initially deliver the repairs and maintenance service to the council housing stock
- Qualis Commercial, a development company – to directly undertake development activity for the council
- An investment company – to hold assets for long term rental
An Interim Managing Director has been appointed and will set up the companies over the next six months.
Councillors reviewed Cabinet’s decision to support the transferral of ownership of 5 development sites in Epping and Waltham Abbey to Qualis Commercial and approve the Qualis Management Business Plan.