Agenda and minutes

Councillor Mick Warren.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 January 2017.

RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting held on the 12 January 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

Councillor Stuart Gardiner declared a non pecuniary interest in connection with the Local Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) on the grounds that he was a member of the board. 

To provide an opportunity for Members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the Agenda

There were no declarations of the existence of a party whip.

A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes, but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned, where there are a number of speakers.

Note: in order for officers to undertake and background research, it would be helpful if members of the public notified the Scrutiny Officer listed at the foot of the Agenda at least one working day before the meeting with brief details of the matter to be covered.

There were no members of the public present who wished to speak.

Robert Templeton, Independent Chair of Cheshire East Safeguarding Adults Board to present the Safeguarding Adults Board annual review.

Robert Templeton, Chairman of the Cheshire East Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) presented the Cheshire East SAB Annual Report to the Committee.

Robert explained the purpose of a SAB was to help and safeguard adults with care and support needs.  This was achieved through:

·         adherence to statutory guidance and the Care Act 2014;

·         person-centred safeguarding practices and being outcome focused;

·         partnership working;

·         accountability through timely and proportionate responses from agencies when abuse or neglect have occurred; and

·         monitored safeguarding practices.

The SAB had three core duties: it developed and published a strategic plan, published an annual report and commissioned safeguarding adult reviews (SAR’s) for any cases that met the criteria.

The Annual Report for 2015/16 covered the first year of operation under The Care Act 2014.

Robert gave the Committee a brief summary of actions that the SAB had focussed on for 2017.  These included the development of sustainable performance measures, further partnership working and implementation of the recommendations from the Peer Review in May.

The Committee explained that its main future interest in annual reports of the safeguarding board would be in relation to outcome based performance measures.  Robert agreed to return to the Committee at a mid-term point for an update and further discussion on SAB progress against outcomes.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That Robert Templeton be invited back to attend the Committee in September 2017 to review outcomes at the mid term point;

(b)  That the Strategic Housing Manager be requested to invite the Director of Public Health to join the officer working group on HMOs to ensure that Health implications are taken into account in the group’s deliberations.

The Committee to consider a report of the Head of Communities.

Steph Cordon, Communities Manager attended the meeting and gave a presentation on the Safer Cheshire East Partnership (SCEP).  On the current Work Programme, the Committee had included an item to develop the Community Cohesion Strategy. 

The report circulated with the agenda related to a piece of work in Crewe that had developed out of the Connected Communities Framework.  The Framework outlined the Council’s approach to connect with communities and the voluntary and faith sector.  The Framework was divided into five themes:

·         connected to people;

·         connected to services;

·         connected to neighbourhoods;

·         connected to voluntary, community and faith sector organisations; and

·         connected to decision making.

Members referred to issues connected to some areas within the Borough  containing significant numbers of houses of multiple occupation (HMO).

Mark Nedderman advised there was an officer led Task and Finish Group that was gathering evidence to review the licensing of HMO’s, which would report to the Environment and Regeneration Committee. 

Insofar as the Safer Cheshire East Partnership (SCEP) Annual Strategic Assessment was concerned, Steph informed the Committee that there were several new and emerging issues identified in Cheshire East, these included psychoactive substances, radicalisation (which included animal rights protest groups), scams/mass marketing, human trafficking and modern slavery.  Steph advised there had been concerns about the issue of human trafficking.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That an item to review Connecting Communities be added to the Work Programme;

(b)  That a future meeting of this Committee be held at The Lighthouse in Crewe.

(c)  That an item be included in the work programme to scrutinise Human Trafficking on 25^th April.

(d)  That a Communities departmental organisational chart be circulated to the Committee.

To review the current Work Programme

The Committee reviewed the recent revisions to its work programme.

RESOLVED-

(a)  That the report be received and noted.

(b)  That a date be set for the Committee to scrutinise ESAR.

(c)  That a date be set to review outcomes of the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) report against the Committee’s original recommendations.