Agenda and minutes

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

None.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Joint Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2019 (attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2019 were agreed as an accurate record and were signed by the Chairman.

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. 

The Chairman welcomed members to the first Joint Scrutiny Committee meeting of the new Councils.

He reported that the scrutiny function was one of the key checks and balances to the council decision making process, acting as a “critical friend” to the Executive.

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

None.

To consider the report of the head of housing and environment (attached).

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

Liz Hayden, head of housing and environment, and Karen Brown, community safety team leader, introduced the report. Also present to answer questions were South Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment, Vale Councillor Ruth Molyneaux, Cabinet member for housing needs, community safety and licensing, and Chief Inspector Matt Bullivant, deputy local area commander, Thames Valley Police.

The report had two recommendations:

1)     To note the progress that the South and Vale CSP made in 2018/19 in delivering its priorities and statutory functions; and

2)     To support the CSP’s view that the 2019-20 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:

·         The councils’ websites were being updated which would make it easier to report anti-social behaviour.  However, members of the public were advised to report anti-social behaviour to the police.

·         The CSP had a legal duty to provide a Community Trigger, which gave victims and communities the right to require agencies to review cases of persistent anti-social behaviour if they felt that the issues had not been properly addressed. Two triggers had been received and action plans for both completed.  These and any new triggers would be monitored.

·         All members of Pubwatch in South and Vale had signed up to the “Ask Angela” initiative which had been widely publicised. 

·         A total of 66 guardcams (covert cameras) had been installed for vulnerable people in 2018/19. The cameras provide reassurance to victims of crime and are in place for approximately three to six months. 18 people chose to retain their cameras and purchased them from the CSP.

·         Funding for Homeless Oxfordshire, to help offenders during their transition to stability, was no longer provided by the CSP as it was now mainstream funded through the adult pathway.

·         Evaluation of a project to raise awareness of female genital mutilation was expected imminently.

·         A review of hate crime training would be carried out in 2019/20.

·         It was difficult to establish whether the significant increase in reports of some hate crimes was due to an increase in crimes, better reporting and/or changes in the Home Office categorisation of offences.  However, the actual number of recorded hate crimes remained extremely low.

·         There were two test purchase operations for underage drinking in 2018/19. Officers clarified that these operations were only carried out where intelligence suggested that underage sales were taking place.

·         There were currently three Public Spaces Protection Orders, in Abingdon, Henley and Thame, to address alcohol related anti-social behaviour and other issues.

·         The average waiting time for support for victims of domestic abuse across the county was 201 days.  Officers were working with providers to understand the reason for the long waiting time and to clarify how victims are supported by other agencies during this period.

Following further discussion, the chairman, on behalf of the committee, thanked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.