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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
There were no declarations of interest received.
The minutes of the meetings held on 15 January 2026 and 5 February 2026 were approved as true and accurate records.
Members considered the items from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Officers emphasised that the Innovation and Continuous Improvement Programme is a critical document for shaping the Council’s future direction. Officers outlined that the authority has adopted a more resilient and sustainable approach to achieving financial savings while also driving innovation and transformation across the organisation. Reference was made to the recently presented Medium Term Financial Strategy, with officers noting that a different approach is now required to deliver efficiencies and savings over the coming years. The programme is structured around six key themes, and the work underpinning it will be essential as the council develops and delivers programmes and projects over the next five years. Officers stated that the intention is to identify opportunities to transform and innovate how services are delivered, ensuring improvements for residents while achieving these outcomes at reduced cost, reflecting the financial realities facing the authority. Members commented that the document was a positive and welcome piece of work, noting that if the ambitions it sets out are achieved, the Council will be operating in a fundamentally different way. Particular reference was made to proposed changes relating to income generation and the exploration of commercial opportunities. Members sought reassurance regarding the organisation’s capacity to deliver these elements, emphasising that an increase in commercial leases or procurement activity would place additional demands on teams such as Estates and Legal, which would need sufficient capacity to ensure timely and thorough delivery. Officers were asked to what extent this capacity issue had been considered to avoid bottlenecks and ensure the effective progression of the programme. Officers reported that additional organisational capacity is required, particularly in programme and project management, to ensure that key projects can be effectively driven forward. They explained that expecting existing officers to deliver and oversee major projects alongside their core duties represents a significant challenge. As a result, strengthening capability in this area has been identified as a priority to improve governance, ensure delivery, and support effective management of the programme of work. Officers confirmed that the strategic team is now working with services to identify the projects that will form the foundation of the wider programme, stressing the importance of avoiding siloed working and instead developing cross‑directorate projects that provide the greatest overall benefit to service areas and to residents. They noted that some elements of the programme have not yet been fully scoped, as this will form part of the next phase following approval of the programme. Members were assured that they would be kept informed as these projects progress, including updates on how they evolve, their anticipated impacts, and the outcomes expected from this next iteration of work. Members highlighted the importance of ensuring that considerations around workplace assets extend beyond the needs of individual departments and align with the council’s wider corporate strategy and organisational aims. Members expressed concern regarding the council’s historic approach to managing heritage buildings, noting previous frustrations about how such assets have been handled. They cautioned that while asset disposal can sometimes appear to be an easy option, it may lead to additional issues in the longer term. In the context of the strategy potentially accelerating or encouraging further disposals, members emphasised the need to carefully assess the impact of losing heritage or otherwise significant buildings within communities before any decisions are taken, ensuring that broader implications and responsibilities are fully considered. The member emphasised the importance of capturing feedback from frontline staff to support service‑led transformation. They noted that such feedback is often extremely valuable, drawing on their own experience of engaging with staff in different service areas. The member highlighted inconsistencies in how feedback is gathered across the organisation, given the wide variety of teams and working environments. They stressed the need for a standardised approach to collecting and utilising frontline insight, while also recognising that staff may be reluctant to raise issues directly with line managers, particularly where the concern relates to managerial practice or inefficiencies within the team. The member suggested that a clear and supportive mechanism is required to empower staff to share feedback safely and constructively. They concluded by emphasising the broader importance of this process to driving meaningful service transformation and achieving better outcomes with the resources available. Officers outlined that in developing the draft programme, engagement had already taken place with senior leadership networks. Reference was made to the Communications and Marketing Review on the agenda, noting that the recommendations would support improved engagement with both residents and staff in relation to innovation and transformation projects. Assurance was given that all cross-directorate projects would involve comprehensive engagement with the entire workforce through a range of mechanisms suited to operational needs. Officers stressed that hearing the voice of every member of staff was essential, as frontline employees were often best placed to understand service delivery challenges. Failure to engage meaningfully with staff, risks developing solutions that will not adequately address operational problems. Members were assured that all available avenues would be used to engage with staff across the organisation. It is important to acknowledge that the staff will be delivering the services, so it is paramount that a solution is developed that can be delivered effectively by them. Members observed that all public organisations were undertaking similar transformation work and highlighted that long-serving public sector staff could be conditioned to think in traditional ways, making it difficult to adopt external or innovative perspectives. The value of bringing in people with outside experience to support change was emphasised. Officers confirmed that the Council routinely engage with external partners where appropriate. It was noted that comparable strategies exist across other authorities and that NPT already has several transformative projects underway. Although the document itself is new, significant progress has already been made and external expertise will continue to support this work when beneficial. Members noted that the workforce of the authority is its biggest asset. Members queried how often the job descriptions are updated and reviewed? Particular reference was made to complaints received from members of the public in relation to front line staff. Officers advised that job descriptions should be updated every year with the performance appraisal. Where a job description changes substantially then the Line Manager and Head of Service would be required to approve the job descriptions and go through the job evaluation process. It was confirmed by officers that there is no database where all job descriptions can be viewed as they are management documents, however the information can be obtained from relevant managers. Following scrutiny, the recommendation was supported to Cabinet.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Following questions from members on the process of the documentation of complaints, officers confirmed that when a member raises a complaint or compliment on behalf of a resident, it is processed in accordance with the Complaints and Compliments Policy. Procedures are followed accordingly to make sure that the case is recorded and responded to appropriately. These figures are included within the quarterly performance monitoring figures. Officers confirmed that they have identified and recognise that the approach with regards to handling complaints and compliments does need to be strengthened. There needs to be a consistent approach across the whole authority, with regards to how they are managed and recorded. Officers referred to the MyNPT app for councillors which will have a tracking mechanism for complaints so that members will be able to see what the responses are, how the complaint is being dealt with and an understanding of how the complaint is closed. Members queried if there was any data with regards to how the MyNPT app is currently working, if the subscription is growing and if it is working as expected. Officers outlined that there is currently a marketing campaign underway to promote the app. There are currently 9,000 subscribers. There is steady continued growth and when new services are added it is expected to spike. In terms of the data perspective, officers confirmed that there is far better data from a resident perspective available, in comparison to before the app was launched. It was noted that implementing the new complaints process consistently across the whole authority would be challenging. Members highlighted the difficulty for officers in recognising when routine correspondence should be logged as a complaint and the significant training required for both customer services and wider service areas. If applied correctly, the system should provide valuable data to inform service improvements. There were concerns about the practicalities of ensuring complaints are logged as such, even when the word ‘complaint’ is not used. Refence was made to the Council’s comparatively low complaint levels and it was suggested that tracking any increase towards expected levels would be necessary. Officers outlined that they were currently exploring a central triage to determine what can be put in place to allow for a more corporate oversight of complaints and compliments that are received. Currently that oversight is not available apart from when the statistics are reported quarterly. A central triage will strengthen corporate oversight and ensure that there’s better consistency in terms of how complaints are handled and also assist in distinguishing between what is a complaint and what is a service request. Data collected from complaints will be used as part of the more holistic approach to recording and presenting performance monitoring. Members queried how the new policy links into the Council’s wider Innovation and Continuous Programme to ensure that feedback directly inform transformation priorities? Officers confirmed that customer experience runs through everything that is carried out within the authority. Regardless of the service that the customer wishes to engage in, they still should experience the same customer journey. Officers will be looking at improving the quality and depth of the data that is collected from the revised policy, so that it can be better analysed, and this can inform the programme for change. Following scrutiny, the recommendation was supported to Cabinet.
Members considered items from the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Members raised concern about the absence of consultation or communication with elected members on the review. It was noted that members had not been engaged in any discussion on the matter and highlighted that the recommendations did not reference member communication. It was also raised by members that Council communications are being issued without members prior awareness, causing difficulties for members when they are responding to public queries. Members sought clarification on if they were intended to feature within the process and their role in future communication activity. Officers confirmed that with regards to social media or press releases they are signed off by officers and members who are affected or who are quoted within the release. The required protocol is followed with regards to this. The review has identified significant areas that needed to be improved and how officers communicate both internally, with members and residents, was one of the areas for improvement. A number of recommendations will address these points moving forward. It was recognised that similar to other policies of the authority, there needs to be a consistent approach with everybody clearly understanding the protocols of who needs to be informed, when and why. Officers confirmed that they would review the list of consultees to determine if members were involved. It was outlined that the review remains an evolving piece of work, with further elements to be incorporated as responses and detailed plans are developed. It was confirmed that recruitment to key posts is underway, and if there are successful appointments, the service would be better placed to progress the more substantial recommendations. A query was raised with regards to staffing changes relating to establishing the new service structure, and officers clarified that any organisational change within the Council, would go through the required procedures, in accordance with the management of change policy. Members acknowledged the depth and thoroughness of the review. Members were keen to understand what recommendations are going to be taken forward and which ones are not. Officers advised that they would be continuing to engage and update members on the progress of the recommendations being taken forward. Following scrutiny, the report was noted.
Members considered the Performance Monitoring items.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. There were no questions. The report was noted.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. There were no questions. The report was noted.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. There were no questions. The report was noted.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Officers gave a brief presentation to members, as circulated within the supplement pack. Key points from the report were highlighted to members. Members queried if there was any way of realising how the lifting of the two-child benefit cap, will help assist residents of NPT? Officers advised that they did not hold that information but could make enquiries with the DWP to see if the information could be obtained and circulated to members. Members acknowledged the good work that has been carried out by the Welfare Rights team. It was noted that five members of staff are grant funded. The teams’ pivotal contribution to work relating to the pension credit scheme was acknowledged. Members were advised that the team has relied on various grant sources for approximately twenty years, with the Share Prosperity Fund being the most recent funding stream. Discussions remain ongoing regarding the emerging Local Growth Fund and the extent to which it may support this work. It was confirmed that funding for the posts has been extended until the end of June to allow every opportunity to identify alternative financial support. Although no definitive answer is currently available, the significance of the welfare right team’s role was emphasised, and members were assured that they would be kept informed of developments. Members emphasised the importance of being kept up to date, particularly due to the budget implication. Concern was expressed, that should the service continue without grant funding, the Council may need to consider using reserves to sustain it. Cabinet Members confirmed that the associated SPF risk has been explicitly identified in the forthcoming budget report and acknowledged that, if the posts require retention, this will create financial pressure for the next and future years. Officers confirmed that schools have family liaison officers who work with families that are experiencing poverty and they can signpost them adequately. Following scrutiny, the report was noted.
There were no urgent items.
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