No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Yusuf Patel - 01274 434579)

There were no appeals submitted to review decisions to restrict documents.

The following referrals have been made to this Committee up to and including the date of publication of this agenda.

The Committee is asked to note the referrals listed above and decide how it wishes to proceed, for example by incorporating the item into the work programme, requesting that it be subject to more detailed examination, or refer it to an appropriate Working Group/Committee.

There were no referrals to the Committee.

The Strategic Director Corporate Resources will submit a report

(Document “G”) will submit a report which seeks to inform members of a

forthcoming procurement and award of new contract(s) for Personal

Protective Equipment (PPE) and Corporate Uniform for a term of three years

from 12^th December 2020 to 11^th December 2022, with an option of a one-

year extension, subject to satisfactory performance of the appointed

supplier(s).

Recommended –

That the report is noted and the option to undertake the procurement exercise and publish the PPE and Corporate Uniform framework as an open competitive tender is supported. 

(Ian Westlake - 07971 540171)

The report was seeking to inform members of a forthcoming procurement and ward of new contract(s), for Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE) and Corporate Uniform for a term of three years from 12 December 2020 to 11 December 2022, with an option of a one year extension, subject to satisfactory performance of the appointed supplier(s).

The expenditure across the current contract has averaged at around £262,000 per year until the start of the pandemic in March 2020.  Expenditure from March 2020 to August 2020 currently stands at £9.7m, approximately £1.6m per month.

Members were keen to explore the approaches being used by Bradford Council officers to assist local suppliers. 

In response, officers indicated that as part of the procurement framework, they would be looking at local providers and would also be undertaking marketing and advertising at a local level.

Resolved-

(1)  That the option for an open OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) tender for the provision of personal protective equipment be undertaken by the Council with the framework divided into lots to encourage SMEs (small, medium enterprises) and local suppliers to bid for Council’s business be supported.

(2)  That the comments raised by members at the meeting be taken into consideration during this procurement exercise.

Action:           Strategic Director, Corporate Resources

                                                            (Ian Westlake – 07971 540171)

The Assistant Director, Office of the Chief Executive will submit a report (Document “H”) which provides the final annual progress update on the Council’s current Equality Action Plan and outlines how the Council has delivered against its Equality Objectives for 2016-20. The report also presents for consultation drafts of the Council’s Equality Objectives for 2020-2024 and a draft Equality Action Plan.

The report acknowledges that whilst there were some areas where the Council has made good progress, there are others where the Council still has more to do and this needs to be embedded as part of the revised Equality Objectives and Equality Plan.

Recommended –

Committee is asked to:

(1)       Accept and comment on the final progress update on the current          Equality Objectives 2016-20 as provided in section 3 to Document          “H” at 3.2.

(2)       Comment on the proposed draft Equality Objectives and Equality         Action Plan 2020-24 referred to in Document “H” in section 3 at    3.8 and contained in Appendix 2.

(3)       Comment on the proposed actions to further progress     development of the Equality Objectives as outlined in section 3 to   Document “H” from 3.3.11 to 3.3.17 and contained in Appendix 2.

(4)       Subject to comments and amendments made by this Committee           being             reflected in the draft Equality Objectives and Equality Plan    and to the proposed actions to support further progress on             developing the Equality Objectives 2020-24, recommend that      Executive approve the proposals contained within this report.

(5)       That Members request a progress update on the Equality            Objectives 2020-24 in 12 months’ time and annually thereafter. 

(Philip Witcherley - 01274 431241/434401)

The report provided Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee members with the final annual progress update relating to Bradford Council’s current Equality Action Plan and also outlined how the Council has delivered against its Equality Objectives for 2016-20.  The report also presents for consultation drafts of the Council’s Equality Objectives for 2020-2024 and a draft Equality Action Plan.

This report also acknowledged that whilst there was some areas where the Council had made good progress, there are other areas where the Council still had more to do and this needed to be embedded as part of the revised Equality Objectives and Equality Plan.

Members enquired about how Bradford Council staff could complain if they felt discriminated against.

In response, officers highlighted that staff can raise their concerns through the Bradford Councils grievance process or the Councils whistle lowing process.  Officers also stated that an Human Resources  helpline had been introduced during the Pandemic, for staff to be able to raise any concerns.

Members were concerned that it had taken up to a year to carry out the staff engagement exercise.

Officers stated that they had undertaken staff engagement previously and also meet the Chief Executive sessions, with the focus of these sessions being on the livid experience of staff.  Further to this, monthly staff had been undertaken prior to the lockdown.

Councillors were also concerned that there were only two ethnic minority Directors in the Council and they were in Children’s Services.  Therefore members were keen to explore what the position was in other Council departments and how this underrepresentation was being addressed.

Bradford Council officers indicated that all departments worked collectively in relation to recruitment, but there was room for improvement.  Members heard that having balanced recruitment panels was helpful.   Officers also said that they needed to work through the development opportunities for ethnic minority staff and developing shadowing, mentoring and leadership management programmes.  Officers acknowledged that they did need to more in this area.

Members were in agreement that they wanted to keep an overview of the Equality Objectives for the Council.

Resolved-

(1)  That it be recommended that the Executive approves the proposals contained within the report (Document “H”).

(2)  That a progress report relating to the Equality Objectives 2020-24, be presented to this Committee in six months time.

Action:  Acting Assistant Director, Office of the Chief Executive

                                                            (Philip Witcherley – 01274 431241)

The Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee will submit a report (Document “F”) which sets out the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme for 2020/21. 

Recommended –

(1)       That members consider and comment on the areas of work        included in the work programme.

(2)       That members consider any detailed scrutiny reviews that          they may wish to conduct.

(Mustansir Butt - 01274 432574)

The report included the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee work programme for 2020-21, as well as the list of unscheduled topics.

The work programme also contained details of the scrutiny reviews, that the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee, is currently undertaking.

Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee members discussed and made amendments to the work programme.  Members also discussed the scrutiny reviews which the Committee is undertaking and particulary focused on the Hate Crime Scrutiny review and individuals and groups that still need to be engaged with, as part of the consultation phase of the scrutiny review.

Resolved-

That Members considered the work programme and agreed to complete the informal information gathering sessions for the Hate Crime and Fireworks Scrutiny Reviews and to then commence the Domestic Violence Scrutiny Review.

Action:           City Solicitor

                                                                        (Mustansir Butt – 01274 432575)