Agenda item

MEP - PROPOSAL TO SHORTEN THE INTERNAL SCHOOL ORGANISATION DECISION MAKING AND DETERMINATION PROCESS.

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, all members of the MEP team were redeployed for a period of around 4 months to work in other critical areas in the department and as such were only able to complete very limited amounts of project work. Prior to the pandemic, the team had planned to undertake several statutory consultations (in relation to school reorganisation or federation matters) with imminent commencement, all of which had to be postponed with rescheduled dates to be confirmed. This did not include any statutory school reorganisations that would have been brought forward as a result of the conclusion of the MEP review.

 

The redeployment of the MEP team resulted in a delay to school re-organisation proposals of around 6 months due to the need to establish new timelines for each proposal and update all documentation with the most recent data sets. With regards to Carmarthenshire County Council’s investment programme, all projects with contractors on site at the time of initial lockdown were shut down and closed, with re-commencement dates continually being approved to allow works to continue. As a result, it was anticipated that the pandemic will have a significant impact on the MEP programme in terms of funding and timelines.

 

The MEP team were now in the process of undertaking all the work planned prior to the pandemic and were working on developing the MEP Review and new timescales for the postponed statutory consultations. It was hoped that all relevant project related matters could still be undertaken within a timescale as close to the original as possible, however, it was expected that there would be some delay to determination and implementation.

 

In order to be able to progress with any school re-organisation proposals (that could be linked to investment projects), consideration had been given to reducing the Internal School Organisation Decision Making and Determination Process once more. Whilst it was accepted that reducing the process will not wholly alleviate the delays incurred due to the pandemic, it will go some way to help the MEP team to re-prioritise required consultations in an effective and

timely manner.

 

It was noted that currently consultation was required with the Scrutiny Committee and the Executive Board at Stages 1 and 2 with the addition of full Council at Stage 3 in order to determine the proposal.  It was proposed to remove consultation with the Scrutiny Committee from Stages 2 and 3.  This is due to the Executive Board being able to approve Stage 2 and County Council being able to approve Stage 3. This would reduce the process by approximately 2 months. Consultation would therefore progress as follows:-

 

Stage 1 Education & Children Scrutiny Committee and Executive Board

Stage 2 Executive Board

Stage 3 Executive Board and County Council

 

The proposal still ensured that the Scrutiny Committee was able to formally consider the proposal before any public consultation is agreed and also allowed members of the Scrutiny Committee to determine the outcome of the proposal as members of full Council. They will also be consulted with during the formal 6 week consultation period (if permission to consult is granted by the Executive Board).

 

The following question was asked in relation to the report:-

 

·         Asked why it was felt that the first stage was the best stage at which to consult with the Scrutiny Committee, the Head of Access to Education explained that it is at the very beginning of the process that the Committee is able to influence the process and it would not be possible to shape the proposal after it has been out for consultation. 

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

 

6.1      That the proposal to shorten the internal school organisation    decision making and determination process be endorsed;

6.2       To recommend that the Executive Board progress with the         amended process for progressing statutory proposals and consultation as detailed in the report i.e. the removal of        consultation with the Education & Children Scrutiny Committee at      Stages 2 and 3.

 

 

 

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