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.

There were no new declarations of interest made at the meeting.

The Committee is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

The minutes from the meeting held on Wednesday 1 December 2021 were noted and no amendments suggested.

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 work programme and outcome tracker and the Council’s Forward Plan of proposed key decisions in the forthcoming months, including Cabinet meetings, was considered. During the discussion the following matters were discussed and highlighted: -

·           The agenda items scheduled for the February meeting

·           Cllr Revans – highlighted the important issue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider the report and presentation.

The Chair welcomed the following to the meeting for this agenda item – the Council’s Deputy Director Children Services, Ms Claire Winter, the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) Business Manager, Ms Caroline Dowson, and the Participation Officer, Ms Fi Phur.

Ahead of the PowerPoint presentation and consideration of the report,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider the MTFP report for Children and Families Services and discuss the recommendations. The report considered at the Cabinet meeting held on 19 January 2022 and associated appendices is also attached.

A PowerPoint presentation outlining the context to the Children’s Services Business Plan will follow.

The Chair welcomed the Council’s Deputy Director Children Services, Ms Claire Winter and Ms Sian Kenny, Strategic Manager, Finance Business Partnership to the meeting for this agenda item. The advisory board had received a report from the Director of Finance which summarised the key areas of specific interest within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive update from the Chair of the Task and Finish Group – ‘Continuity of Children’s Services through Local Government Reorganisation in Somerset’

The Chair provided a brief verbal update on the Task and Finish Group – Continuity of Children’s’ Services through Local Government Reorganisation, which the advisory board noted. It was also agreed that the full statement will be shared with members and is set out below: -

The Task and Finish  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

(a)  Scrutiny Review update

(b)  Family Safeguarding in Somerset - interim evaluation

If Committee members have any questions or comments on the information, please contact fabbott@somerset.gov.uk in the first instance and before the date of the Committee meeting.

The advisory board noted the information item which had been circulated since the last meeting: -

(a)  Family Safeguarding in Somerset - interim evaluation

It was noted that the decision had been taken that did not need to proceed with taking the scrutiny review update to the Scrutiny Committee, as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The Chair may raise any items of urgent business.

There were no other items of business.