Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

South Councillor Sue Lawson submitted apologies.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Joint Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 12 September and 9 November 2017 (attached). 

The minutes of the meetings held on 12 September and 9 November 2017 were agreed as an accurate record and were signed by the Chairman, subject to the following amendment:

In the attendance for the 12 September meeting, delete “John Walsh” whose name had been repeated.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman. 

None.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

None.

Report of the head of housing and environment (attached).

The committee considered the annual report of the South and Vale Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

Karen Brown, community safety team leader, introduced the report. Also present to answer questions were Vale Councillor Eric Batts, chairman of the CSP, Councillor Caroline Newton, Cabinet member responsible for community safety, Liz Hayden, head of housing and environment, Diane Foster, community safety and licensing service manager and Superintendent Rory Freeman and Chief Inspector Paul Powell, Thames Valley Police.

The report had two recommendations:

1)     To note the progress that the South and Vale CSP made in 2017/18 in delivering its priorities and statutory functions; and

2)     To support the CSP’s view that the 2018-19 plan will focus on the protection of vulnerable people, prevention and early intervention, reducing re-offending and serious organised crime and terrorism.

In response to members’ questions, the committee was informed that:

·         Data in the report related to police sectors so referred to towns and their surrounding areas.  More detailed information was provided to Neighbourhood Action Groups and was available on the Police.uk website.

·         It was not yet possible to monitor the effects of initiatives such as Safe Places, “Hotel Watch” and “Ask for Angela” and it might take some years to identify a trend.  However, it was intended to include case studies in next year’s report.

·         Sovereign and SOHA were members of the CSP and attended joint tasking meetings. Housing association caseworkers attended neighbourhood anti-social behaviour meetings.

·         It had not been necessary to serve any community protection warnings or notices in 2017/18.

·         The current budget included a significant carry forward from previous local area agreements.  However actual expenditure exceeded funding provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

·         It was not possible to compare burglary data for 2017/18 with previous years’ as, from April 2017, the home office recording categories for burglary had changed.

·         The CSP was looking at the feasibility of applying Public Space Protection Orders to vehicles to prevent unauthorised access onto public spaces.

·         The police were always looking for opportunities to sign people up to their alert system and urged councillors to sign up, if they had not already done so, and to encourage others.

·         The accident and emergency admissions victim originating form currently only included data from John Radcliffe and Horton General hospitals. If possible, admissions data from other Thames Valley hospitals would be included in next year’s report.

Following further discussion, the chairman, on behalf of the committee, thanked the CSP representatives for their informative report.

RESOLVED: to:

(a)  to note the progress that the South and Vale Community Safety Partnership (CSP) made in 2017/18 in delivering its priorities and statutory functions 

(b)  to support the CSP’s view that the 2018/19 plan will focus on the protection of vulnerable people, prevention and early intervention, reducing re-offending and serious organised crime and terrorism.  

Adrianna Partridge, head of corporate services, informed the committee that, following discussions with the co-chairmen, she would be circulating a self-assessment questionnaire to members

Responses would be used to shape a tailored development programme for members and substitutes on the committee and to improve the support officers gave to committee members.

To review the attached scrutiny work schedule. Please note, although the dates are confirmed, the items under consideration are subject to being withdrawn, added to or rearranged without further notice.

The committee noted its work programme and requested that a report on unlawful encampments be submitted to a future meeting.