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Contact: Sonia Stewart - Tel: 0191 433 3045 - Email:  SoniaStewart@Gateshead.Gov.Uk 

Items
No. Item

CPL21

Minutes of the last meeting pdf icon PDF 116 KB

The Committee is asked to approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 17 September 2018.

Minutes:

RESOLVED -  That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2018 be approved as a correct record.

 

CPL22

Go Gateshead Health Equality Audit pdf icon PDF 3 MB

Report of the Strategic Director, Corporate Resources

Minutes:

The Committee received a report to provide an update on the Health Equity Audit undertaken within the Go Gateshead Sport and Leisure Service.   The Audit was undertaken by the Public Health team twelve months ago.

 

A major limitation of the HEA is that the leisure card data represents customers that have a card (provided personal details) but for the purpose of the report it is not possible to provide an analysis of how ‘active’ the various card holders are in terms of frequency of visiting facilities and type of activity chosen.

 

Data was captured at a single point in time in December 2017, however it is acknowledged, that there are significant limitations in the data, which result in the need to make some assumptions which are highlighted, throughout the report.  The caveat with the leisure card data is that the data represents customers that have a card (provided personal details) but for the purpose of the report we are unable to analyse data regarding usage of the facilities by individuals.

 

Data is not held on the current system for non-card paying customers in relation to determining customer demographics, or the reason for use of the facility.  Data is also not captured regarding the use of the facilities from events, or from informal or formalised groups who play a major part in the utilisation of the Go Gateshead Sport & Leisure facilities, ie football, swimming clubs, schools etc.

 

Two key recommendations have come out of the study as follows:

 

(a)  Improve data collection and data quality to understand service usage.

(b)  Target work with particular communities (geographical and communities of interest) to improve service use.

 

The service aims to have:

 

(a)  Fit for purpose and relevant leisure facilities that lie at the heart of communities.

(b)  A better understanding of the needs and aspirations of the people of Gateshead in terms of their physical activity needs.

(c)   Raised physical activity levels amongst all sections of the community and improved health and wellbeing of Gateshead residents.

 

The service is currently devising a refreshed business plan which will be modelled upon the recommendations set out within this report.  Therefore in response to the Health Equality Audit findings the service is currently:

 

(a)  Improving data collection regarding

a.    All protected characteristics

b.    Non-card holders including wider community activity

c.     Group based users such as schools and clubs

d.    Exploring options to consider data collection on ‘non GO card holders’ of leisure services in Gateshead.  This would be useful to determine the reason why non Go card holders are using the facilities, the frequency they use them and what can be done to move these customers to leisure card/annual memberships and what the barriers to this may be.

e.    Capture more qualitative (case study) information to demonstrate health and wellbeing impact of the service.

(b)  Developing a community engagement plan to target and include:

a.    Areas of deprivation

b.    Communities of interest such as looked after children and children with a disability, as well as geographical  ...  view the full minutes text for item CPL22

CPL23

OSC Review - Work to Address Skill Shortages and Increase Employment Opportunities - Evidence Gathering pdf icon PDF 92 KB

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

Minutes:

The Committee heard that this was the 4th evidence gathering session as part of the Review to Address Skills Shortages & Increase Employment Opportunities.  The previous sessions had focussed on early years/ pre 16 / post 16 /post 18 and career progression.

 

The Committee were advised that today’s session would focus on retraining and retention of staff, in particular those over age 45.

 

The Committee first heard from Carly Hinds, from the Education Development Trust.  Carly advised the Committee that the Fuller Working Lives project was delivered by Education Development Trust in Partnership with DWP and NELEP. 

 

Carly advised the Committee that the Fuller Working Lives strategy was produced by the DWP in February 2017.  It had an ambition to increase retention of older workers within the labour market and to change the perception of employers and individuals.    Education Development Trust, including the National Careers service became involved in the Fuller Working Lives pilot in 2017.  The Trust have worked in partnership with DWP and JCP and worked in conjunction with the North East LEP as a priority included within their 2024 vision:

·                “A reduction in inactivity levels in our 50 plus workforce, as skills investment enables our older workers to remain in work.”

 

It has been identified that we are getting older and it is inevitable that we need to stay in work longer as this means we are better off financially and for health benefits.  We are leaving the labour market earlier now that in 1950 this generation is facing a unique set of problems.  They face 10 hours of informal caring per week, there is more potential for them to have dependents and are working full time. 

 

 

Fuller Working Lives offer three main elements of support:

 

·         Consultancy support to help with succession planning delivered via workshops

·         Careers fairs to get 50 plus customers into work

·         Career Reviews which were held in employer premises to facilitate a dialogue between the employee and employer regarding the remainder of their career, this can often be more successful with an individual who is impartial like ourselves.

 

When work is completed a high-level feedback report is provided to the employer to enable them to understand needs, aspirations and increase retention and recognise potential of staff. 

 

The Careers Advisers are level 6 qualified, and they work with individuals in a confidential space to explore issues with an impartial person.

 

There have been some challenges:

 

·         The Lack of a National Campaign reflected in both EDT delivery areas

·         NE employers struggling to prioritise 10 to 15-year problem in a difficult economic environment

·         SMEs reluctant to engage

·         Large amount of engagement work to secure delivery of MLCR

The project has been awarded further funding to deliver Fuller Working Lives in 2019.  They are promoting the mid-life career reviews.  Consultancy support will be available to 14 business and will be delivered on an individual basis.  The project will be setting up some ‘What The Future Holds’ careers fairs.

 

The Committee then heard from Martin McDonnell and Julie  ...  view the full minutes text for item CPL23

CPL24

Managing the Environment - Progress Update pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Report of the Service Director, Development, Transport and Public Protection.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report to update on progress made with environmental enforcement across the borough.

 

The new on-street environmental enforcement officers have commenced activity and are located within the Parking Services team within Communities and Environment.  The service went live on 8 January 2019.  To date they have issued 31 Fixed Penalty Notices for offences, including dog fouling, littering, littering from vehicles, fly posting and graffiti. 

 

Operations are intelligence led and there has been a focus on hotspots based on information received from ward members previously.  Councillors and members of the public are encouraged to email CE Environmental Enforcement mailbox with requests for service.  Priorities will then be set based on the nature of the issue and availability of resources. 

 

The Enforcement Team in Development, Transport and Public Protection carries out a wide range of functions, including Planning and Highways Enforcement and more recently since 2016, Environmental Enforcement.

 

Further to the last report in April 2018 the approach taken by the Enforcement team to tackle environmental issues has four streams:

 

·         Reactive work dealing with antisocial issues

·         Proactive work dealing with antisocial issues

·         Reactive work dealing with criminal issues

·         Proactive work dealing with criminal issues

 

The volume of work dealt with by the team is extremely high with over 6000 complaints about waste related issues being received since April 2018.

 

The bulk of the work carried out in this area involves issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to the perpetrators of small scale flytipping.  Adopting this approach has proved to be extremely effective, offering a low cost and proportionate response carrying a deterrent effect and to date there continues to be no repeat offenders.

 

Since April 2018 60 further FPNs have been issued bring the total to 174 since the team started issuing at the end of 2016.  In the vast majority of cases FPNs are paid, however, if they are not the perpetrator is prosecuted. 

 

Proactive approaches to dealing with antisocial behaviour now have an established place in the team.  The Lobley Hill & Bensham/Saltwell Waste Pilot focussing on 320 houses in the two wards has now been completed and an evaluation is being prepared.

 

The enforcement team regularly come across serious criminal activity and since April 2018 a further 24 individuals and businesses have been prosecuted for waste offences.  Penalties include fines totalling £13,237 and costs totalling £5,609, 2 community orders and vehicles used to commit offences have been seized.  Warrants have been issued for more than 10 persons who have failed to attend court when summonsed.

 

The Enforcement Team carried out regular enforcement exercises targeting waste, crime in partnership with other enforcement agencies including Northumbria Police, HM Revenue and Customs, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Environment Agency.

 

The online reporting platform developed with the Digital Team in the Office of the Chief Executive is proving to be an efficient and effective process for the public, Members and Officers to report flytipping with increased accuracy, including uploading photos and pin pointing locations.

 

RESOLVED -  That the information  ...  view the full minutes text for item CPL24

CPL25

Annual Work Programme pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Report of the Chief Executive and the Strategic Director, Corporate Services and Governance

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The work programme for the 2018/19 Municipal Year was presented to the Committee for information.

 

The emerging themes for the 2019/20 Municipal Year was also presented to the Committee for their views.  The Chair asked that How we manage Derelict Spaces within the borough be added to the work programme for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED -      (i)     that the current work programme for the 2018/19 Municipal Year be noted.

                            (ii)    that the additional suggestion be considered along with emerging themes for the work programme 2019/20 Municipal Year.

 

 

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