Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Guildhall, Bath. View directions

Contact: Jack Latkovic  01225 394452

Items
No. Item

31.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

32.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE

The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out under Note 6.

 

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Officer drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

 

33.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Minutes:

Councillors Brian Simmons and Patrick Anketell-Jones had sent their apologies to the Panel.  Councillor Vic Pritchard was a substitute for Councillor Anketell-Jones.

34.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest,  (as defined in Part 2, A and B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

Minutes:

There were none.

35.

TO ANNOUNCE ANY URGENT BUSINESS AGREED BY THE CHAIRMAN

Minutes:

There was none.

36.

ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC OR COUNCILLORS - TO RECEIVE DEPUTATIONS, STATEMENTS, PETITIONS OR QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE BUSINESS OF THIS MEETING

At the time of publication no notifications had been received.

 

Minutes:

Susan Charles addressed the Panel by saying that the Panel had made a site visit of Keynsham Leisure Centre parking facilities for disabled in May 2014 and she asked the Panel if there was any progress on that matter.

 

The Chairman said that he had not received any update, or comment, from the relevant officer or Cabinet Member.

 

The Panel expressed their concerns that appear to be no progress to address the disability access issues.

 

The Panel REQUESTED a written response from the relevant officer, and/or the relevant Cabinet Member, within ten working days from today.

37.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 46 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chairman.

38.

Cabinet Members' updates (30 minutes)

Members of the Cabinet will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel Members may ask questions.

Minutes:

The Chairman informed the meeting that the Panel had received an update from Councillor Ben Stevens (attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes).

 

The Chairman informed the Panel that Councillor Stevens (Cabinet Member for Economic Development) could not attend the meeting of the Panel due to a trip to China.

 

The Panel asked for the following information to be included in the next Cabinet Member update from Councillor Stevens:

 

·  Councillor Beath requested more information on the London Road Project.

·  Councillor Martin asked for more information on student accommodation within Enterprise Area Masterplan.

·  Councillor Ward suggested that Panel should offer their congratulations for the Tripadvisor Award and also for Bath Riverside awards.  The Panel agreed with Councillor Ward.

·  The Panel requested that cost benefits analysis and also objectives of Councillor Stevens’ trip to China be included in the next Cabinet Member update.

 

The Chairman informed the Panel that he had not received an update from Councillor David Dixon (Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods), whether in written or verbal form.

 

Councillor Dine Romero (Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Young People) to update the Panel on the re-modelling of children centres’ and, as one of ways forward to consider ‘Right To Buy’ option, with staff interest to run that/those buildings.

 

Councillor Romero explained that the Council would have to consider business plan before making a decision on whom to sell those premises.

 

The Chairman said that the Panel should be kept involved in this issue as it falls within its remit.  The Chairman commented that the Council had been looking at the staff mutual model at the moment and asked if there had been any consideration of other options, such as Co-operative model, Charity Limited Company model or Charity Incorporated Organisation model..

 

The Chairman also suggested that the Panel should be kept up to date with the commissioning model and how would that fit with EU procurement rules.

 

The Chairman welcomed the principle behind re-modelling of children services.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Romero on her update.

 

 

 

 

Appendix 1 pdf icon PDF 38 KB

39.

Safe Places Scheme (formerly Community Safety Zones) update (30 minutes) pdf icon PDF 40 KB

The report updates the Panel on the ‘Safe Places Scheme’ – formerly known as ‘Community Safety Zones’ for adults with learning disabilities.  The report has been prepared by Yoursay Advocacy.

 

The Panel are asked to receive the report and to identify any questions arising from the report,

Minutes:

The Chairman invited Nigel Young, Paul Rogerson and Kirstie Mann (from Your Say Advocacy) to give a presentation.

 

The following points were highlighted in the presentation:

 

·  B&NES Networks

·  ‘Safe Places Scheme’ formally ‘Community Safety Zones’

·  Community Safety Zones’

·  ‘Community Safety Zones’….our Journey

·  ‘Safe Places’….. So what happened next?

 

A full copy of the presentation is available on the Minute Book in Democratic Services.

 

The Panel welcomed the presentation.

 

Councillor Furse asked what would be typical safe places and what would be seen as typical hate crime.

 

Nigel, Paul and Kirstie replied that there were no typical safe places, as per definition, though there were 61 safe places across B&NES.  All of these 61 safe places had signed up to work with the Police.  A reporting form for people with learning disabilities had been designed and accepted by the Police. 

 

Nigel, Paul and Kirstie highlighted great work by Sergeant Geoff Cannon who had helped a lot with the Safe Places Scheme.

 

Nigel, Paul and Kirstie also said that there were different instances of hate crime.  People with learning disabilities had been called names, had been victims of befriending (which became massive problem in some areas of B&NES) and had been victims of physical assaults and other violent abuse.  Unfortunately, many of these incidents had not been reported.

 

Councillor Ward welcomed the idea of safe places and asked what criteria had been used to identify a place that could be seen as safe place.

 

Nigel, Paul and Kirstie responded that members of the BANES Networks Community Interest Company (an organisation owned and run by people with learning disabilities across B&NES), together with Your Say Advocacy, had been visiting different places in ‘mystery shopper’ style and then decide if the place could be identified as safe place.  Very few places that were identified as safe places said no to the scheme. 

 

Councillor Beath asked what would have to be done in order to raise awareness on this issue.

 

Nigel, Paul and Kirstie responded that process of reporting was not simple.  The biggest task was to get through providers and commissioners of services for people with learning disabilities. 

 

The Panel supported work done by the BANES Networks Community Interest Company and Your Say Advocacy in terms of the Safe Places Scheme.  The Panel also recognised contribution and commitment from Sergeant Geoff Cannon on this matter.

 

Councillor Martin asked which pockets of the area had not been coverage and how people with learning disabilities were treated on public transport, in particular in buses.

 

Nigel, Paul and Kirstie commented that a list of places and venues had been monitored by the BANES Networks Community Interest Company and Your Say Advocacy.  Those places with the biggest risk had been looked first, at different times of the day.

 

In terms of the public transport – there was a great support from the British Transport Police on trains, and people with learning difficulties felt safe.  However, buses were still not designated as safe places. 

 

Nigel,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

40.

Update on Apprenticeship , Work Placements, Work Experience, Internships and Volunteering Policy (30 minutes) pdf icon PDF 55 KB

The Panel will receive an update on the Council’s Apprenticeship Work Placements, Work Experience, Internships and Volunteering Policy.

 

The Panel are asked to consider an update following the previous panel presentation on the 23rd May 2013, concerning the proposed Apprenticeships, Work Placements, Work Experience, Internships and Volunteering Policy, which was adopted by full Council in September 2013.

Minutes:

The Chairman invited Duncan Kerr (Senior Employment and Skills Officer) to introduce the report.

 

The Panel asked if, and how, schools were engaged in apprenticeship programme.

 

Duncan Kerr replied that engagement with schools had not been that good though the Council would be looking to improve in this field with a help of Economic Strategy.

 

The Panel asked how realistic work experience placements were.

 

Duncan Kerr replied that work experience placements were currently mainly at construction sites.  Duncan Kerr highlighted excellent collaboration between Radstock College and Purnell site in Paulton.

 

The Panel commented that construction sites might be benefiting from the scheme and they asked what has been happening with other industries in terms of apprenticeship scheme.

 

Duncan Kerr responded that the Council committed to be more proactive in this area.  The Council had engaged with the Department for Work and Pensions in order to look into opportunities at other sectors.

 

The Chairman said that he was disappointed that schools did not engage fully with the programme.

 

Duncan Kerr highlighted on existence of different websites committed to the scheme and who had had online facilities for employers to put their apprentice requirements.

 

It was RESOLVED to note report.   

41.

Panel Workplan pdf icon PDF 49 KB

This report presents the latest workplan for the Panel.

Minutes:

It was RESOLVED to note the workplan.

 

Councillor Beath suggested that the Panel should review what had happened since the special meeting of the Panel around the new Avon and Somerset Police Operating Model - progress made, key issues and future plans.

 

The Panel agreed with this suggestion.

 

The Chairman and Councillor Beath said that they would present this proposal to the next PDS Chairs and Vice-Chairs meeting.