Agenda item

Councillors Owen (Portfolio Holder for the Housing Revenue Account), Bull (Portfolio Holder for Communities and Neighbourhood), Councillor Morse (Portfolio Holder for Customer Access) and Councillor Bialyk (Portfolio Holder for Sport and Physical Activity and Health and Wellbeing) to present half yearly updates for 2016/17.

Councillors Owen, Morse, Bull and Bialyk presented the following progress reports on priorities within theHousing Revenue Account, Customer Access, Communities and Neighbourhoods and Sport and Health and Wellbeing:-

Housing Revenue Account

The Portfolio Holder provided the following updates:-

• work on the Housing Revenue Management Board was progressing and a report would be submitted to this Scrutiny Committee and Executive when proposed changes to the Constitution had been put forward;
• tenants would be able to report on the quality of contractor services through the City Council website;
• three Older Persons Property Services Officers would be appointed as part of a new model for supporting residents of older persons’ accommodation; and
• a contractor had been engaged to undertake a stock survey for report in June.

Responding to Members, he advised that, in respect of the scrutiny of contractors’ work, not only the quality but the timing of work completed was being examined, including whether work was completed at the first visit by the contractor.

The Service Lead Performance, Strategy and Resources enlarged on the changes made to support older people following Devon County Council’s withdrawal of the warden service. The three service officers, together with the Housing Community Partnership Officer and Community Patrollers would provide an enhanced service, working together on housing related support and, although social care and health did not fall within their remit, they would ensure necessary contact with relevant agencies. Tackling social isolation was a key element and improved use of existing community rooms would be a target.

Customer Access

The Portfolio Holder focussed on homelessness in her report. A tabled update showed that Exeter Safe Sleep operated between 20:30 and 08:00 each night offering safe and secure accommodation for people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets of Exeter. She praised the work of Julian House staff and City Council housing and planning officers and it was noted that a number of people had expressed an interest in volunteering. Occupancy, excluding the opening night, had varied between a low of 14 on New Year’s Eve to a high of 28 on 29th December. A press release had been issued.

Julian House wished to encourage clients to stay consistently and engage to develop support plans and focus on not returning to the street. The focus was on helping people move on into accommodation.

Communities and Neighbourhoods

The Portfolio Holder reported the following:-

• as part of the Grass Roots Grants programme, Executive would shortly consider recommendations from the Exeter Community Forum Panel;
• the introduction across the Council of how Asset Based Community Development can assist key services;
• roll-out of the Community Builder funded social prescribing/community resilience programme involving Exeter Community Forum, ICE and the NHS;
• draft implementation plan for the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy; and
• renewal of Fairtrade City status.

There would be seven Community Builders, previously community organisers, working to improve community connectivity as well as involving GP surgeries to help reduce unnecessary visits to surgeries.

Sport and Physical Activity and Health and Wellbeing

The Portfolio Holder focussed on the St Sidwell’s Point and Bus Station development in his update, a contractor for the project to be selected by the end of the month. Work was progressing on contract preparations for the Leisure Complex operator procurement, the City Council having previously agreed that there should be an external provider to run this facility, the first of its kind in the UK. It was essential to ensure that the contract delivered the best conditions for both the public and employees of the selected operator. December 2018 was the anticipated opening date.

Interim solutions were being worked up with bus service providers for the 18 month period of construction/change over for the new bus station and it was noted that both schemes were ahead of the Crown Estates part of the re-development in terms of implementation and delivery. Members would receive briefings as the schemes progressed, including the state of the current leisure market generally. Details of progress were also available on line through the Leisure Complex and Bus Station Programme Board, which was a public meeting.

Get Active Exeter was working alongside the Greater Exeter Sports Board on activity programmes throughout 2017, beginning with a launch of a ‘This Girl Can’ project to encourage women and girls into Sport and Physical activity. A particular focus would be given to traditionally hard to engage inactive families, targeting busy adults. This would be achieved via community focus groups, activity in the workplace and collaborative working with delivery partners. He referred to a Change4Life Sugar Smart City Launch at County Hall on 23 January 2017.

People Scrutiny Committee noted the reports of the Portfolio Holders.