Agenda and minutes

This was received from Angela Pedder.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2015 be taken as read and signed by the Chair as correct.

Questions on the following topics were put to the Board under the Open Forum arrangements.

Traffic Congestion - Mr Preist

In addition to the circulated answer, the concerns expressed that there was a need for a long rather than a short term approach to congestion was acknowledged.

It was stated that, following a full debate on traffic congestion at the March meeting of the City Council’s Scrutiny Committee - Community, the City Council’s Principal Project Manager would report back to the next Scrutiny Committee - Community on the way forward 9 June 2015. The Chair also undertook to meet again with Mr Preist and the Exeter Civic Society.

Anti Social Behaviour and Students – Mr Brownbridge

Mr Brownbridge highlighted:-

·         considerable disturbance and distress caused to residents by students during freshers week and beyond and the need for the University to act to curb this unacceptable behaviour including sanctions on guilty students, increased Estate Patrols, effective police presence in residential areas and use of CCTV cameras for real time feeds to the Police on the ground;

·         lack of sanctions or charges brought to date against students;

·         positive action by the University to manage the situation next September/October; and

·         introduction of a “Late Night Levy” on the alcohol trade.

Superintendent Perkin acknowledged that the October 2014 freshers week had been more raucous than normal and that there had been an anti social behaviour summit with the University Chief Operating Officer, the Head of Security and City Council staff. Following refusal of entry to university staff at certain licensed premises, three licensed owners had been advised that this was unacceptable. A plan was being developed covering the City Centre and residential areas regarding this time of the year and would be considered by the Community Safety Partnership.

Phil Atwell acknowledged the value of the summit, referred to the Best Bar None initiative to which a number of licensed premises had signed up and confirmed that the University would be robust in addressing excessive behaviour and transient noise issues. He advised that students were written to at home before leaving for University, briefed on arrival on desired conduct and that three levels of sanctions could be imposed on students, the most severe being expulsion from University. He undertook to respond further to Mr Brownbridge, including figures on the number if sanctions.

Meals in School Holidays – Saxon Spence

Saxon Spence updated the Board on progress with the Exeter hub of the Devon and Cornwall Food Association and the work undertaken with the Exeter Food Hub on exploring provision of meals during school holidays for children in need. She circulated the Association newsletter and a paper she had presented to the County Council and its response as well as that of the Exeter Food hub. The County Council’s Head of Education and Learning had reported to the Devon Education Forum on local authorities and partners supporting families with children in food poverty who did not receive Free School Meals out of school and would report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The City Council’s Involvement and Inclusion Officer presented the report proposing amended terms of reference for the Exeter Board to ensure an appropriate focus on its strategic and community support roles. With severe cuts in public finances there had been increasing recognition of the role of community groups and organisations in addressing community needs and achieving outcomes through co-design and co-delivery.

It was proposed that the Board take a leading role in working with communities on this agenda. At the same time, it was considered that the Board should enhance its strategic role and consider and champion broad based issues and matters impacting on the city and the work of both councils. In this respect, care would be taken to ensure that topics, include those originating through the Open Forum process, would be channeled through other groups, such as the Exeter Health and Well-being Board, Exeter HATOC and each Council’s scrutiny committees as appropriate.

It was proposed that the Board’s terms of reference be amended to reflect a renewed focus on the Board’s strategic and community roles.

The Chair and City Council Leader welcomed this approach and supported the focus on strategic issues with other matters referred to the relevant City and County committees or other forums. It was noted that the Open Forum session, with five questions addressed at this meeting, offered opportunities for the public to engage and that it was important to encourage continued involvement. However, some questions, as with planning and highways issues this evening, could more appropriately be referred to alternative forums.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)  the following revised terms of reference be approved:-

·         Consider cross-cutting issues and funding opportunities of strategic, political or financial significance that will have an impact on the city and with regard to the work of both Councils.

·         Promote a more joined-up approach with Exeter’s communities to encourage collaboration, enterprise and innovation in line with local needs.

·         Respond positively to approaches from communities wishing to work in a different way and consider how decision making and/or funding could be delegated to a local level where there is appetite and capacity to use it.

·         Consider where funding might be aligned or pooled to promote better value for money, better outcomes for communities and avoid duplication.

·         Encourage co-design and co-delivery of services and prioritise these initiatives for Exeter Board grants or ‘in kind’ support.

·         Representatives from  the voluntary, community, business, health, police, further and higher education, inter-faith and cathedral communities be invited to participate in a future meeting, as appropriate, as “associate members.”

·         That an “open forum” be allowed for the public to ask questions and raise issues relevant to the work of both Councils (time limited to 15 minutes in total (and normally 3 minutes each speaker). It will be the Chair’s discretion to accept these questions in the context of the Board’s terms of reference and where applicable refer the proposer/submitter of the question to the relevant DCC or ECC Scrutiny Committee. The Board can only respond  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

The Chair advised that the Leaders of the City and County Councils had met and were to meet again on 30 April to agree a way forward and funding for grass cutting and weed clearance in the City. A three year programme had been proposed to be jointly funded by both authorities and with financial support from the Board. The City Council Leader confirmed that a three year programme was a more efficient approach and that joint action was important with the Rugby World Cup and Euro Rugby 7’s tournament to be held in the City and because of the high public profile of this issue.

Responding to the Chair of Exeter HATOC, who suggested a report to the next Board meeting, the Chair advised that Members would learn of the decision resulting from the Leaders’ meeting as soon as possible after the 30^th.

RESOLVED that the Board support the proposed three year programme of grass cutting and weed clearance and agree in principle to support the funding of the programme.

Mark Lane updated the Board on progress with the continuation of youth service provision in the City:-

Knight Club

ICSA had commenced running the Club at the beginning of April and there was now a youth service again in the area.

West Side

Invest in Devon funds had been made available to fund the repair of the roof and the boiler had been replaced. It was anticipated that the City Council and the YMCA would shortly agree terms of a new lease.

Phoenix

Exeter Board funding would be used to support youth service use of the Wonford Community and Learning Centre but a separate application for funding would need to be submitted to the Youth Modernisation Fund of Invest in Devon if necessary. Some windows had been boarded up recently following vandalism and he would update Members on the latest position.

Members thanked Mark Lane for his hard work during this difficult period of transition and he undertook to keep local Members appraised of progress in the respective areas.

RESOLVED that the position be noted.

The County Council’s Senior Commissioning Officer presented the report detailing the work of Devon’s Social Care services in protecting vulnerable people, supporting independent living and providing improved life outcomes for children and young people. He highlighted the work undertaken to ensure children with housing problems are kept safe and work to help adults with housing problems to independence. A joint protocol had been agreed to deliver some shared services for specifically preventing homelessness in 16/17 year olds. His report also detailed the delivery through the commissioned services. The different roles of social workers and Care Direct was explained and he advised that there had been a move away from gender specific accommodation.

The City Council’s Housing Options Manager reported that the health needs of the homeless community had been highlighted through the development of the ICE project and a potential service redesign was being put forward including integrated health care options with SHOT, health clinics at Gabriel and St Petrock’s to address health inequalities and increase engagement opportunities and a multi agency approach to homeless hospital discharge cases.  Help for single Homeless Funding had been obtained from the DCLG for Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) with around £80,000 of this directed toward implementing a MEAM approach to clients with the most complex needs, many of whom were homeless clients. Further, front line workers were receiving in depth Appreciative Enquiry training to assist in unlocking barriers to engagement.

Rough sleeping had been a problem for many years with no easy solution to this complex and challenging problem. Rough sleepers gravitated to Exeter where there were greater support opportunities for their lifestyle including health and accommodation resources. The majority of rough sleepers accepted as in ‘priority need’ had alcohol and substance misuse issues with some with mental health problems, and it was often difficult to provide the right type of community based treatment options for people that could or would not use the normal referral pathways or client engagement approaches.

Good progress was being made with support workers becoming increasingly skilled at engaging clients who tended to keep themselves to themselves and contract holders had developed their understanding of higher needs homeless people and adapted their services to meet specific needs. The eviction rate from hostels/supported accommodation had substantially reduced and was now only used in exceptional circumstances with more people choosing to complete recovery programmes at hostel/supported accommodation services as services were re-designing their provision around the needs of the residents.

Devon County Council’s Social Care Commissioning Team was one of the partners currently supporting Devon Partnership Trust (DPT) plans for the re-commissioning of a Devon Dual Diagnosis service, the aim being to offer accommodation to people that have problems with both mental health and substance use. It provided a practical forum for Health, Housing and Social Care commissioners to work more closely together on the delivery of better services for people with complex needs who were typically at greatest risk of rough sleeping. 

Members thanked the officers for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

(a)  To note grants made by the Funding Sub Group attached; and

(b)  To note the following dates of Sub Group meetings, commencing at 2.30pm:-

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Thursday 29 October 2015

Thursday 17 December 2015

Thursday 3 March 2016

Thursday 9 June 2016

Thursday 8 September 2016

RESOLVED that:-

(1)  grants made by the Funding Sub Group be noted; and

(2)  the following dates of Sub Group meetings, commencing at 2.30pm be noted:-

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Thursday 29 October 2015

Thursday 17 December 2015

Thursday 3 March 2016

Thursday 9 June 2016

Thursday 8 September 2016

(a)  Exeter Health and Wellbeing Board

Minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2015.

(b)  Community Safety Partnership – Executive Group

Minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2015.

The Board noted the minutes of the meetings of the Community Safety Partnership held on 12 January 2015 and the Exeter Health and Well Being Board held on 3 February 2015.

RESOLVED that a representative of the Devon and Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service be invited to attend a future Board meeting to speak on current issues. 

Board Meetings

Thursday 30 July 2015 – Civic Centre (revised date)

Thursday 24 September 2015 – County Hall

Thursday 19 November 2015 – Civic Centre

Thursday 14 January 2016 – County Hall

Thursday 28 April 2016 – Civic Centre

Thursday 28 July 2016 – County Hall

Thursday 22 September 2016 – Civic Centre

Future Business

Members are asked to consider topics and themes and whether to have sight of the forward plans of the City Council’s Executive and the County Council’s Cabinet and of Scrutiny Committees.

            Transition Town Exeter and Economic Development Strategy

      Exeter Cultural Strategy 

            Exeter Respect

RESOLVED that the following dates and venues for meetings be noted:-

Thursday 30 July 2015 - City Centre

Thursday 24 September 2015 - County Hall

Thursday 19 November 2015 – Civic Centre

Thursday 14 January 2016 – County Hall

Thursday 28 April 2016 – Civic Centre

Thursday 28 July 2016 – County Hall

Thursday 22 September 2016 – Civic Centre