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Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Democratic Services 01827 709264 

Items
No. Item

33.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received form Councillor R Kingstone and Councillor S Smith.

34.

Minutes of the Previous Meetings pdf icon PDF 203 KB

(To receive the minutes of the two previous meetings)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2022 were approved as an accurate record.

 

(Moved by Councillor R Claymore and seconded by Councillor R Rogers)

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2022 were approved as an accurate record.

 

(Moved by Councillor D Maycock and seconded by Councillor J Wadrup)

 

35.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of Members’ interests (personal and/or personal and prejudicial) in any matters which are to be considered at this meeting.

 

When Members are declaring a personal interest or personal and prejudicial interest in respect of which they have dispensation, they should specify the nature of such interest.  Members should leave the room if they have a personal and prejudicial interest in respect of which they do not have a dispensation. 

 

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

36.

Update from the Chair

Minutes:

The Chair thanked Councillor R Claymore for her work on the Committee.

37.

Homelessness Strategic Update 2022 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

(An update from the Portfolio Holder for Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing, Officers and a representative from the Heart of Tamworth Community Project)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair introduced the Portfolio Holder for Homelessness Prevention & Social Housing, Councillor Alex Farrell, the Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods, Tina Mustafa, the Head of Homelessness and Housing Solutions, Sarah Finnegan and Terry O’Brien, a representative of the Heart of Tamworth Community Project who were at the Committee to provide the Homelessness Strategic Update.

 

Councillor J Jones joined the meeting at 6.08pm.

 

The presentation covered the following areas:

1.    The national context, including the relevant governmental departments.

2.    Definitions of homelessness, including rough sleeping

3.    Data regarding homelessness, including the rough sleeper count on 3 November 2022, as well as data on the reasons identified in Tamworth for approaches to the Council. The top five reasons for approaches to the Council were as a result of being asked to leave by friends and family, the end of private rented tenancy, relationship break-ups, domestic abuse and the end of social housing tenancies.

4.    Achievements of the homelessness strategy, including the successful delivery of the rough sleeping initiative (July 2021 to June 2022) where 23 clients were assisted.  Since the start of the pandemic 143 people were moved into settled and supported accommodation.

5.    Winter relief project, in collaboration with the Heart of Tamworth Community Project, which would be supporting the homeless this winter by providing a floating support offering befriending services, weekly surgeries, sign posting, supporting day to day activities, providing places of warmth and linking with other service providers such as Everyone Health, local branch of MIND and the Sacred Heart.

6.    Homelessness Hub initiative which would be proposed to Cabinet in February 2023.  This would involve the development of housing first to enable tenancies to be sustained, with the outcome being settled accommodation. This was expected to involve partners and stakeholders to provide a tailored service to prevent homelessness. 

 

The Committee sought and received the following clarifications:

1.    The reasons for clients refusing help, where it was reported that at times this could be because whilst they present as rough sleeping, this may not be the case or because they want to remain where they are although where this was the case the Council would engage with partner organisations to seek to provide support.

2.    Whether the full £100,000 Government funding provided to the Council for the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) in July 2021 was spent as expected, where it was confirmed that this had been the case.  It was spent on neighbourhood coaching, mental health worker and a specialist nurse to provide out of hours outreach and included a personal budget to provide specific support to rough sleepers.  For their work on this RSI the Council was identified as best practice by Homelessness Advice and Support Team (HAST).  An impact assessment was required by the Government and the Council had produced metrics and case studies to complete that.

3.    Whether the Council was ready for the coming winter and the expected financial difficulties and the possibility of homelessness figures rising, and how the Council was prepared for this. It was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

38.

Recovery & Reset Update

(An update on the SMART Working, Third Sector & Vulnerability and Customer Services Offer workstreams from the Assistant Directors, Neighbourhoods, Partnerships and People)

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods and Recovery & Reset Programme Director, Tina Mustafa, the Assistant Director, People, Zoe Wolicki and the Assistant Director Partnerships, Jo Sands to the meeting to provide an update on the three following workstreams:

1.    SMART Working

2.    Customer Services Offer

3.    Third Sector & Vulnerability

 

On the SMART Working workstream the Assistant Director, People reported that this was successfully implemented on 1st April 2022, which was the culmination of an extensive project which involved:

 

1.    A full review of terms and conditions

 

  1. Agreed the definition of a home, site or hybrid worker and agreed the designation of the staff to those three types of worker:

·         Site based – 37.5% (157 staff)

·         Home based – 41% (172 staff)

·         Hybrid – 21.5% (90 staff)

 

3.    A summary of agreements reached with the recognised Trade Unions, and then shared with all employees and consultation commenced.  This included 1-2-1 consultation with all staff to implement the new set of terms and conditions and staff designation. 

 

4.    Devising a rota for 2 days per month team attendance.

 

5.    Issuing all employees with a new statement of particulars (contract of employment) detailing their designation in advance of 1st April 2022 and detailing changes to their individual terms and conditions of employment.

 

6.    Providing an appeals process for employees to appeal their designation. 

 

Following from this, all HR Policies were being reviewed to reflect the new terms and conditions, check for legal compliance and best practice and to ensure the three designations of home, hybrid or site workers were referenced.

 

It was reported that a six month review was underway which included an ‘All Staff’ Survey which had been issued on 24th November 2022 to obtain feedback from staff on their experience of SMART working.  All feedback from this would be reviewed and help to inform building need / space requirements.

 

The Committee sought clarifications in the following areas:

1.    The wellbeing and loneliness aspect of working from home, where it was reported that there was an option for home workers to work from site up to 2 days a week, and the Assistant Director assured the Committee that significant work had gone into considering staff wellbeing and support and the 2 days per month team days aimed to support staff wellbeing.

2.    Whether the heating costs being incurred by home workers was a factor being highlighted by staff.  The Assistant Director reported that it was too early to know whether this was the case and that home workers were eligible for a home working allowance which reflected the HMRC allowance (when working from home due to COVID).  It was agreed that the home working allowance, which was part of the SMART working policy would be circulated to members. 

 

On the Customer Services Offer workstream the Assistant Director, People reported that a face to face service had continued through the Tamworth Information Centre at the Assembly Rooms which enabled the Council to provide direct advice, signposting to Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

39.

Responses to Reports of the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

(Update on responses to the Reports of the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee)

Minutes:

The Chair reported that the Committee’s recommendation (as below) from 18th October 2022 meeting, in respect of the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk report, was taken to Cabinet.

 

RESOLVED that the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee recommend to Cabinet that it consider whether all public facing staff should complete suicide prevention / awareness training.

 

At 10th November 2022 Cabinet meeting, Cabinet agreed:

 

1.

that the recommendation as worded above is referred to the Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service to expediate suicide and awareness training to all public facing staff as appropriate

 

2.

that all Councillors should receive Mental Health First Aid Training

 

3.

that a session is organised for all Councillors to receive a presentation from the Samaritans to update Councillors on the ongoing work; and

 

4.

to release specific contingency where necessary to allow this training to go ahead. 

 

40.

Consideration of matters referred to the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee from Cabinet or Council

(Discussion item)

Minutes:

No new items.

41.

Update on health related matters considered by Staffordshire County Council pdf icon PDF 120 KB

(To receive the Digest from Staffordshire County Council’s Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee and an update from County Councillor T Jay)

Minutes:

The Chair reported that he would request a written update form County Councillor T Jay which would be circulated to members.

42.

Forward Plan

Please see the link to the Forward Plan:

 

http://democracy.tamworth.gov.uk/mgListPlans.aspx?RPId=120&RD=0&bcr=1

 

 

Minutes:

No further items were identified.

 

43.

Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Work Plan pdf icon PDF 116 KB

To consider items for Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee Work Plan

Minutes:

The Committee considered and updated the Work Plan as follows:

 

Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Work Plan

Work Plan

Work Area Themes for the Year

1.  Mental Health & Wellbeing

Topics

Target Meeting

Additional information

Inpatient mental health pathways and community mental health services pathways

 

 

Substance misuse / addiction

 

Contact new local service provider

Loneliness / isolation

 

 

2.  Homelessness & Housing

 

 

Topics

Target Meeting

Additional information

Housing Strategy – performance reporting

Regular reporting – meeting dates to be confirmed – starting January 2023

Invite Portfolio Holder & Executive Director, Communities, Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods / Partnerships

Homelessness Hub 

24th January 2023

Assistant Director, Neighbourhoods

Homelessness Winter Relief Update

March 2023

To receive feedback on the outcomes in March 2023.

Disabled Facilities Grants – process

24th January 2023

To understand these Grants and the processes followed from a wellbeing perspective.


 

Other suggested topics for Committee consideration

Green and open spaces

28 March 2023 meeting

Assistant Director, Operations & Leisure invited

Attainment and Skills in Tamworth (including young people’s experiences)

To be confirmed

Working Group (WG) to be formed – WG Chair - Councillor R Kingstone & D Maycock & others

Safeguarding updates (2 per year)

18th October 2022 & 28th March 2023

Invitation to Portfolio Holder and Officers

CPR & Defibrillator awareness and community engagement

Targeting Autumn 2022

Liaise with local charity (Have a Heart)

Progress within schools in implementing guidance this area

 

Specific topics to feed in to Staffordshire County Council (separate from main Themes)

Topic

Date of planned Staffs consideration

Additional information

Wider determinants of health in Tamworth, including diet / food vulnerability / healthy eating / social prescribing

 

Also understanding the role of schools at sixth form, secondary & primary level.

 

Extend an invitation to voluntary sector to understand current initiatives eg Community Together CIC

 

Strategic Transformation Programme (STP)

 

To tie in with County consideration when dates for County consideration known

Possible Working Group topics

Armed Forces Covenant

 

Working group to be formed.  Cabinet member identified (Cllr T Clements)

Attainment & Skills in Tamworth

 

WG Chair - Councillor R Kingstone & D Maycock & others

Public Toilets (following full Council referral)

 

 

Working group members:

Councillors Claymore, Maycock and Wadrup

 


Upcoming Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee Meetings

 

Meeting dates:

24 January 2023

28 March 2023

 

Upcoming Relevant County Council Meetings

 

 

Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Staffordshire County Council

 

  • 30 January 2023
  • 20 March 2023

 

 

 

In terms of the working groups underway it was reported that:

1.    Public toilets - the aim was to bring any recommendations to the Committee from the public toilets working group by the March meeting, with possibly an interim update in January 2023.

2.    Migrant travelling community – there was planned to be a cross scrutiny committee working group formed with members of the Infrastructure Safety & Growth Scrutiny Committee.