Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online/Virtual. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting. Please contact FitzroyAntonio.williams@southwark.gov.uk for a link to the meeting.

Contact: Everton Roberts 020 7525 7221  Email: Everton.roberts@southwark.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES

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    To receive any apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Anood Al-Samerai and Councillor Karl Eastham.

2.

NOTIFICATION OF ANY ITEMS OF BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIR DEEMS URGENT

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    In special circumstances, an item of business may be added to an agenda

    within five clear working days of the meeting.

    Minutes:

    The chair informed the commission of an additional item that had not been listed on the agenda – ‘Additional evidence from children and young people about their experiences of education through Covid.

     

    The chair informed the commission of late items contained on Supplemental Agenda No.1

     

    ·  Item 8 – Local Economy: Revitalisation of High Streets and Town Centres – Draft report of the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission

    ·  Item 9 – Education: Children’s Experiences and Education through Covid – Draft report of the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission

3.

DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS AND DISPENSATIONS

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    Members to declare any interests and dispensations in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting.

    Minutes:

    Councillor Peter Babudu declared that his sister had facilitated the attendance of the young people to give evidence to the commission on children’s experiences and education through Covid.

4.

MINUTES

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    To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2021.

    Minutes:

    It was reported that the Minutes would be submitted to the next meeting for approval.

5.

Procurement: Accessibility and Social Value - Update

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    To receive an update from the cabinet member for Finance, Business and Jobs, and Director of Law and Governance on progress since cabinet consideration of the Response to the Education and Business Scrutiny Commission report on Procurement: Accessibility and Social Value (Cabinet meeting, December 2020).

     

    Note:  The cabinet report ‘Response to the Education and Business scrutiny commission report on Procurement: Accessibility and Social Value’ has been circulated with the agenda for background information only.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    The commission received an update from Councillor Rebecca Lury, Cabinet Member for Finance, Business and Jobs, and Doreen Forrester-Brown, Director of Law and Governance on progress in response to the Education and Business Scrutiny Commission report on Procurement: Accessibility and Social Value.  The commission also heard from Elaine McLester, Head of Procurement.

     

    Councillor Lury, explained to the commission that the recommendations had not been progressed as far as she would have liked, due partly to the impact of Covid which had set back a considerable amount of work across the council, with a need to focus on how the council responds to the pandemic, and also due to constraints in terms of staffing within the procurement team, which had been caused by difficulties in filling vacant posts.  There were currently only two full time staff, with three roles to be filled. 

     

    Councillor Lury updated the commission on action taken against a number of the recommendations.  In terms of data collection, Councillor Lury advised that the team was doing quite well in terms of collecting data going forward, but historical data was more of a challenge.  Councillor Lury felt that focus needed to be on what data the council should collect going forward to make sure that the processes were right first, and then with additional capacity, historical data could be looked at with consideration of what the council would want to collect from previous procurements.  Councillor Lury advised that the E Procurement system already collected a lot of data and that data collection was being built into the procurement process as well.

     

    In relation to tendering requirements, Councillor Lury explained that there were a number of constraints that the council had been subjected to, which were as a result of Brexit and the national government needing to update a number of the regulations.  Further clarity was awaited and once received, amendments to contract standing orders could be undertaken as well as updates to guidance and procurement templates.

     

    In respect of work around social value, Councillor Lury sought a steer from the commission on consideration of what social value is, specifically based on the findings in the context of the investigations undertaken by the commission.  Councillor Lury highlighted that within the Fairer Futures Procurement Framework, one of the changes that had been made was a limit around social value, in that it would apply to goods and services contracts over £4m and £15m for works contracts.  Councillor Lury stressed that the council needed to be conscious of the impact Covid has had a really significant impact on all businesses and asking them to provide even more information and detail as part of a procurement process might actually hinder businesses coming forward and being able to partake.  Councillor Lury felt that it was important to think about what the council was trying to measure and to consider what the most important things were to the council in terms of social value and what was to be sought from businesses.  There was also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Fairer Future Procurement Framework - Briefing

7.

Local Economy: Revitalisation of High Streets and Town Centres - Draft report of the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission

8.

Revitalisation of High Streets and Town Centres - Scrutiny Review

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    To hear from Southwark Chamber of Commerce to inform the commissions scrutiny review.  Southwark Chamber of Commerce provides network and business support to businesses in Southwark.  Further information about Southwark Chamber of Commerce is available via the following link: https://southwarkcommerce.com/what-we-do/

    Minutes:

    The commission heard from representatives associated with Southwark Chamber of Commerce to inform the commission’s scrutiny review.  In attendance were, Sarah Moore-Williams, London Southwark Bank University, Edward Cree, British Land, Scott Bebbington, KALMARs Commercial.

     

    Ms Moore-Williams informed the commission that the South Bank University was undertaking some contract research for Lambeth Council and Lewisham Council on what is happening on the high street.  Research was due to start in Deptford High Street where the university would be undertaking a footfall survey and would also be looking at premises.  From the extrapolated results, the university would make recommendations for improvements and things a business could do around social media marketing to raise the profile of their business, along with any online retail that they could do.

     

    Ms Moore-Williams also informed the commission of research previously undertaken by the University for Elephant and Castle traders on footfall and where to best place their new pitches.  The research undertaken with the traders made the university aware of the need for local businesses to upskill in areas such as social media, online retail and marketing, and website design.  Ms Moore-Williams expected that there would be the same type of demand in other areas of Southwark as well.

     

    Ms Moore-Williams informed the commission of the Help to Grow scheme the government was initiating, which was being run through the Chartered Association of Business Schools.  The scheme was being delivered by many universities in the country, including South Bank, delivering programmes to SMEs to upskill their businesses, primarily on marketing and communication skills, which were needed to improve their businesses.

     

    The commission then heard from Edward Cree, British Land.  Mr Cree informed the meeting that British Land, owned about 4 billion pounds worth of retail and 14 million square feet and that British Land used to be the UKs largest landlord of retail.  They had consistently seen a change in consumer habits, driven by a number of things. Online retail, which was already happening, had been accelerated by Covid.  Mr Cree explained that consumers had a functional purpose to buy a product, and that they also had an experiential purpose to go shopping.  He advised that where the experience isn’t pleasant, then the consumer would choose to do the functional shop, which was now easy to do without the need to leave their home.  High streets therefore needed to somehow get the consumer out to experience something pleasant.  Mr Cree stressed the need for clean, safe streets and adequate public toilet facilities to support this. 

     

    Mr Cree mentioned that Covid had highlighted the importance of social connections for mental wellbeing and advised that high streets needed to create an environment that promoted that social connection, such as somewhere nice to eat, or somewhere to sit down with friends and pass the time.  This space had to be safe, clean, vibrant and fun.  These things provided a reason to go out to the high street rather than the functional shop.  Mr Cree acknowledged that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Education: Children's Experiences and Education through Covid - Draft report of the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission

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    To review the first draft of the commission’s report on Children’s Experience and Education through Covid.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    Ahead of considering the draft report, the commission received further evidence from some young people, Jane and Olivia on their experience of education through the pandemic.  Both young people attended a Southwark secondary school.

     

    Jane, aged 16 informed the commission that she had found locked down quite difficult as her school experience was not just about the academics, it was also about interacting with her friends and teachers.  She felt the experience had taken a toll on her mental wellbeing.  Jane explained that because of her parents working hours she often saw friends and teachers more than her parents.  If there were to be another situation like now, then it would be good if could be arranged that children could go into school every so often so that the school experience could be maintained.

     

    Olivia, aged 15 reported that she also found the experience of the second lockdown difficult and found the first lockdown experience easier because it had been quite new and less pressurised.  She felt that there had been also more pressure to try and keep the same kind of routine as they had at school due to them going through the GCSE exam process.  She expressed that the different resources they received from school had been helpful.  As with Jane, Olivia felt that if a similar situation was to happen again that it would be more helpful if the schools were not completed closed and that sessions were made available where children could come in to school and ask for help from teachers.  It had been more difficult to ask for help from teachers during the lockdown as it was more difficult for teachers to teach in the same manner as if they were actually in school.

     

    Following the initial introductions, Jane and Olivia responded to questions around the following areas:

     

    ·  Government guidance on exam process this time round,

    ·  Exams vs mixture of exams and assessments

    ·  Catch up sessions over the summer period

    ·  Any positive elements of the last year with a shift from the standard classroom teaching experience which may have helped, which would be worthwhile continuing.

    ·  Support for children returning to school

     

    Following a brief discussion, the commission noted the draft report drafted by the Chair of the commission.

10.

Work Programme 2020-21