Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the register of interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they might have in respect of the business on the agenda.

Councillor Taylor declared a personal non prejudicial interest in relation to the called-in item, as a life member of the York Civic Trust, in respect of the Trust’s interest in the Castlegate premises.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Thursday 30 October 2014.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or audio recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or,if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there had been eight registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme and that three Members of the Council had also requested to speak.

Heidi Haywood, spoke as manager of the Door 84 Youth Club, to express her concerns at the proposed changes to the services currently provided at Castlegate. She referred to the proposed move to West Offices, which would be the first point of contact for vulnerable young people, and highlighted the unsuitability of the building. She requested members not to support the proposed changes and support relocation to a building dedicated to young people. 

Dr Stephen Wright spoke as a local resident and early intervention physiatrist referring to the successful work undertaken at Castlegate. In particular he referred to the need for more outreach work with young people around mental health issues and to future problems if any barriers were put in the way of young people gaining access to help when required. He highlighted the need for agencies to work together, combining resources to provide early assistance and for further consultation.

David Smith referred to his campaigning over mental health issues in the city over a number of years. He referred to Castlegate, a service set up by the Council specifically to meet the needs of young people, a popular, safe and effective place. He highlighted the inappropriateness of West Offices and referred to references, both in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and from the Health and Wellbeing Board in which they recommended improvements in mental health in the city and the need for early intervention. He also referred to a lack of consultation with those affected which included the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Voluntary Sector.

Hannah Jobling, spoke as a Lecturer in Social Work at the University of York, highlighting the specialist work provided by Castlegate. She referred to the breadth of knowledge available,  and to the lifetime of savings the service provided from a small investment in young peoples services. She reiterated the need for early intervention and to a holistic approach provided with partners asking that young people should not bear the brunt of the cuts.

Lara Foster spoke in support of the Castlegate petition, pointing out that the centre provided a lifeline for young people. She referred to her experiences of using Castlegate, to the services it offered and to the invaluable help it had provided. She pointed out that the centre had enabled her to turn her life around and the debt she owed the service.

Dawn Moores spoke to ask Members to reconsider their decision in relation to the Castlegate Centre and its services. She confirmed that staff were looking at alternative plans for the provision however this would prove to be difficult prior to the 31 March 2015 deadline. She referred to numerous strategies and plans which all promoted the need for a holistic and wraparound approach to dealing with young people’s services.

John Walker spoke on behalf of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

To approve and sign the minutes of meetings of the Committee held on 26 September and 8 October 2014.

Resolved:  That the minutes of meetings of the Committee, held on 26 September and 8 October 2014 be approved and signed by the Chair as correct records.

To consider the decisions made by the Cabinet at their meeting held on 9 October 2014 in relation to the above item, which has been called in firstly by Councillors Brooks, Douglas and Doughty and secondly by Councillors Aspden, D’Agorne and Runciman in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.  A cover report is attached setting out the reasons for the call-in and the remit and powers of the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee (Calling-In) in relation to the call-in, together with the original report and the decisions of Cabinet.

Members received a report which asked them to consider the decisions made by the Cabinet, at their meeting held on 9 October 2014, in relation to the Children’s Services, Education and Skills Transformation Programme. This included approval of the Business Cases for Early Years, Services to Young People and the School Improvement and Skills Service but in particular the proposals for the services run from Castlegate.

Details of the Cabinet’s decision were attached at Annex A to the report and the original report to the Cabinet meeting, attached at Annex B.

The original decision had firstly been called in by Councillors Brooks, Douglas and Doughty on the following grounds:

·        The current location of Castlegate is far less imposing than for example West Offices and the move would therefore be worse for young and especially disengaged people

·        It is at odds with the Health & Wellbeing Strategy & Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and their emhphasis on the greater need for counselling as a preventative service.

·        It flies in the face of the government parity of esteem for mental health services.

·        There has been inadequate consultation with the most affected groups.

·        The budgetary savings may not materialise if, as a result of the change of location, the currant uptake of the service is not maintained and the number of Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETS) rises.

Secondly the decision had been called in by Councillors Aspden, D’Agorne and Runciman who were opposed to the decision to close Castlegate and re-locate the remaining services to West Offices for the following reasons:

·        When Castlegate opened 2007, it brought together a number of agencies and different funding streams to offer a comprehensive support service for young people in a user-friendly, accessible and flexible location.

·        Through offering effective support and advice the centre has an outstanding track-record of helping keep young people safe, healthy, off drugs, out of the criminal justice system, in suitable accommodation and in work.

·        This effective early-intervention is crucial in many areas, including mental health where half of all diagnosable conditions start by the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 21. 

·        The closure of Castlegate, cuts in services, and the re-location of remaining services to West Offices jeopardises all this work and abandons the commitment to effective early-intervention.

·        West Offices – a large, public and corporate building – is not a suitable location for the services which will remain.

·        This decision has been taken with little consultation or prior notice and without properly considering alternatives.

·        We would urge Cabinet to withdraw the proposal and, at the very least, delay the closure of Castlegate in order to ensure that other options, such as suitable co-location with another service, can be considered.

The Chair referred to the following additional information which had been circulated at the meeting:

·     Email from Dr Louise Barker, Mental Health clinical lead for the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, expressing her concern regarding the closure of Castlegate. In particular in relation to the knock on effects on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.