Meeting documents

Details of all Members’ interests in District, Town and Parish Councils can be viewed on the Council Website at

County Councillors membership of Town, City, Parish or District Councils and this will be displayed in the meeting room (Where relevant).

The Statutory Register of Member’s Interests can be inspected via request to the Democratic Service Team.

Ruth Hobbs declared an interest as Vice-Chair of Governors, Greenfylde Church of England First School, Ilminster.

The Committee is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9 September 2021 were approved as a correct record.

The Chair will allow members of the public to ask a question or make a statement about any matter on the agenda for this meeting. These questions may be taken during the meeting, when the relevant agenda item is considered, at the Chair’s discretion.

There were no questions submitted by members of the public.

To receive an update from the Governance Manager, Scrutiny and discuss any items for the forthcoming work programme. To assist the discussion, attached are:

a) The Committee’s work programme

b) The Committee’s Outcome Tracker

Please use the following link to view the latest Cabinet Forward Plan of planned key decisions that have been published on the Council’s website Cabinet Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Committee considered and noted the Committee’s current work programme and outcome tracker and the Council’s Forward Plan of proposed key decisions in forthcoming months including forthcoming Cabinet meetings.

The following comments and questions were raised by the Committee: -

-      Dr Rob Hart was asked to provide an update  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider presentation from Amelia Walker, Assistant Director Education, Partnerships and Skills

Note: The Chair will be allowing 1 hour for this agenda item to allow for discussion.

The Committee received an update and PowerPoint presentation from the Council’s Assistant Director for Education, Partnerships and Skills, Amelia Walker who set out the changes to education and governance arrangements in Somerset.

Details around Schools Forum reform were set out to the committee in addition to key findings of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider presentation from C Merchant-Jones, Strategic Manager, SEND.

Dr Hart, Assistant Director, Inclusion will give an update on the WSoA by way of introduction to the item and the focus on EHCPs.

Note: The Chair will be allowing 1 hour for this agenda item to allow for discussion.

The Committee received a PowerPoint presentation introduced by the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing Councillor Clare Paul and presented by the Council’s SEND Strategic Manager Claire Merchant-Jones and the Council’s Assistant Director for Inclusion Dr Rob Hart.

The presentation covered the following areas: -

-      Numbers of Education and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Chair may raise any items of urgent business.

Meetings of the Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year are as follows: -

-      Monday 8 November 2021 @ 10 am

-      Wednesday 1 December 2021 @ 2 pm

-      Tuesday 25 January 2022 @ 10 am

-      Monday 28 February 2022 @ 10 am

-      Monday 4 April 2022 @ 10 am

Meetings will be held in The Luttrell Room, County Hall, Taunton.

There were no other items of business.