Agenda item

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order B13:

 

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1

 

(i)           From Cllr B Burton

 

Making York a Trauma Informed City

“Council notes:

·        Trauma can be experienced through exposure to emotionally distressing experiences. This could be a single incident, or prolonged exposure to difficult and upsetting circumstances. Sources of trauma can be varied and complex;

·        Understanding of trauma and the impact it has on survivors is well established, highlighting that its effects can be significant, wide-ranging and affect many aspects of people’s lives;

·        47% of children in the UK will experience at least one Adverse Childhood Experience, such as physical or sexual abuse or neglect, and 1 in 10 people in the UK will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some time in their life;

·        Trauma can result in increased likelihood of a range of negative outcomes including lower life expectancy, increased likelihood of being diagnosed with a mental illness and a heightened risk of death by suicide; 

·        Certain groups, including people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, women, those who’re care-experienced, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+?community are disproportionally affected by trauma;

·        Organisations that adopt Trauma-Informed approaches provide more positive experiences for trauma survivors; 

·        Scotland, Humber & North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership, numerous NHS Trusts and many local authorities have adopted Trauma-Informed approaches as best practice;

·        Under the Humber and North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership, there are four phases to becoming Trauma-Informed: Trauma Aware, Trauma Sensitive, Trauma Responsive and Trauma-Informed;

·        Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) used their own Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) protocol up until 2018, which identified people exhibiting many types of typical trauma responses under the label of BPD+, despite this not being a nationally recognised diagnosis.

 

Council believes:

·        People who have, or who are experiencing, trauma can experience many barriers when accessing services. These can be complex and sometimes misinterpreted by professionals;

·        Services or organisations can unintentionally retraumatise or cause additional trauma to service-users. Implementing a Trauma-Informed framework reduces the risk of this occurring;

·        Trauma-informed approaches benefit both trauma survivors and frontline staff;

·        Service users and staff must have a voice in the decision-making process of the organisation and its services;

·        Consistent and thorough implementation of a Trauma-Informed approach is an important way for schools and education settings to better understand and respond to the needs of children and young people;

·        Successful implementation of Trauma-Informed approaches in the city will require a multi-agency approach and buy-in from external organisations;

·        The use of the BPD+ protocol in the city by TEWV NHS Trust meant many people with severe trauma were provided with inadequate care. Though TEWV stopped officially using the BPD+ protocol in 2020, many residents accessing services more recently continue to report - through Healthwatch York and other voluntary and community sector organisations - the use of processes linked to the BPD+ protocol.

 

 

 

 

Council resolves:

·        To take steps to become a Trauma-Informed City and commits to working in partnership to embed Trauma-Informed frameworks across services and partner agencies, working in co-production with trauma survivors;

·        To ask the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care and Executive colleagues to explore the introduction of a Trauma-Informed framework across Council services;

·        To request the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care explore the introduction of training for staff and councillors, including e-learning modules, that enables City of York Council to become a Trauma-Informed organisation;

·        To work with partner organisations to implement a city-wide approach to raising awareness of the impact of trauma and how becoming Trauma-Informed can help to support trauma survivors;

·        To consider the implications of making it a requirement in commissioned contracts and services that partner organisations can demonstrate they have, or are implementing, a Trauma-Informed framework;

·        To recommend the Health, Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee request a report from TEWV NHS Trust on its prior application and progress in moving beyond the use of the BPD+ protocol, an assessment of current staff understanding and the outlining of any trauma-informed approaches it is implementing.”

 

(ii)         From Cllr Fisher

 

Safeguarding future library provision

 

“Council notes:

 

·        The decision by Budget Council to reduce funding for York Explore by £300,000 in 2024/25

·        The petition signed by 3246 residents, presented at Budget Council on 22 February 2024, expressing opposition to this cut

·        The statement made by the Chief Executive of York Explore at Budget Council on 22 February 2024, on behalf of the Board, which set out the positive difference that York’s libraries make to communities across the city

·        The significant investment the previous Lib Dem led administration put into our library services and buildings

·        The 18 January 2024 independent review of English public libraries that held up York’s 15 year contract with Explore as an exemplar in long term planning to other local authorities

·        The 26 October 2017 motion “Library Services in York” that urged the executive to commit “that there will be no reduction in the total number of staffed libraries across the city.

Council believes:

 

·        That York’s libraries are much more than ‘books and cake’ – they provide a range of services and support which benefits people of all ages and all backgrounds

·        That City of York Council must adhere to its contractual obligations in respect of its relationship with York Explore, and all other organisations with whom it has contracts

·        That there is considerable concern as to what impact the cut in funding for York Explore agreed for 2024/25 and proposed for 2025/26 will have on the scope and type of services that York Explore will be able to provide in future years.

Council resolves:

 

·        To ask the relevant Executive Member to engage proactively in the next three months with York Explore, service users and, through Scrutiny, elected members of all parties in order to ensure that future library provision in York continues to meet residents’ needs and expectations

·        To ask the Executive to work with York Explore to ensure that there will be no reduction in the total number of staffed libraries across the city

·        To ask the Executive to work with York Explore to ensure that the mobile library will not be cut.”

(iii)        From Cllr Steward

 

Affordable Housing Motion

 

“Council notes:

 

1.    The continuing, unacceptable, reality of too many people unable to afford to buy homes.

2.    That many reasons for this are beyond Local Authorities’ remits but there remain big influences they can still have.

 

Council notes ongoing progress on the Local Plan and believes getting a valid Plan signed off remains the biggest step forward for the council to help meet housing demand, including further formalising Affordable Housing policies.

 

Whilst in no way undermining the policies in the Local Plan, council believes there is always more that can and should be done to help people own homes. To further this, council believes the relevant officers, scrutiny and executive should examine elsewhere in the county and look to broaden the affordable housing criteria to be based on residents paying no more than a set percentage of their incomes in mortgages, rather than houses be valued at a more traditional reduced level of market value.”

 

(iv)        From Cllr Baxter

My Vote, My Voice

“Council welcomes the My Voice, My Vote campaign promoting the right to vote and the removal of barriers to voting for the 1.5m learning disabled and 700,000 autistic adults living in the UK.

It notes:

• 40% of the population don’t know these groups have an equal right to vote;

• 80% of people feel that polling stations are inaccessible for disabled people as a whole;

• only 12% of disabled voters were aware of their legal entitlements during the 2023 local elections, including available polling station support, in the wake of new rules around voter identification;
• the excellent work of council officers in ensuring relevant council teams and contracted services working with vulnerable adults explain how they can register to vote.  

 

Council believes everyone should have a right to vote and disability and difference should be no barrier to voter participation. 

 

Further, it believes democracy is best exercised when all groups are represented and that low turnout for one demographic indicates disenfranchisement.

 

Council resolves to request the Returning Officer:

 

·        considers the city’s polling stations for any accessibility improvements;

·        considers how greater awareness of voting rights through social media activity can be advanced, particularly for hard-to-reach groups;

·        provides as much detail as possible on the different roles for which individuals stand for election, to encourage greater voter participation, subject to relevant legislation.

 

And requests the Chief Operating Officer write to the relevant Minister within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on:

 

·        ways to make registering to vote easier, while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, in order to increase voter participation.”

 

(i)    Making York a Trauma Informed City

 

Moved by Cllr Whitcroft, seconded by Cllr Steels-Walshaw.

 

“Council notes:

·        Trauma can be experienced through exposure to emotionally distressing experiences. This could be a single incident, or prolonged exposure to difficult and upsetting circumstances. Sources of trauma can be varied and complex;

·        Understanding of trauma and the impact it has on survivors is well established, highlighting that its effect can be significant, wide-ranging and affect many aspects of people’s lives;

·        47% of children in the UK will experience at least one Adverse Childhood Experience, such as physical or sexual abuse or neglect, and 1 in 10 people in the UK will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some time in their life;

·        Trauma can result in increased likelihood of a range of negative outcomes including lower life expectancy, increased likelihood of being diagnosed with a mental illness and a heightened risk of death by suicide; 

·        Certain groups, including people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, women, those who’re care-experienced, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+?community are disproportionally affected by trauma;

·        Organisations that adopt Trauma-Informed approaches provide more positive experiences for trauma survivors; 

·        Scotland, Humber & North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership, numerous NHS Trusts and many local authorities have adopted Trauma-Informed approaches as best practice;

·        Under the Humber and North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership, there are four phases to becoming Trauma-Informed: Trauma Aware, Trauma Sensitive, Trauma Responsive and Trauma-Informed;

·        Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) used their own Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) protocol up until 2018, which identified people exhibiting many types of typical trauma responses under the label of BPD+, despite this not being a nationally recognised diagnosis.

 

Council believes:

·        People who have, or who are experiencing, trauma can experience many barriers when accessing services. These can be complex and sometimes misinterpreted by professionals;

·        Services or organisations can unintentionally retraumatise or cause additional trauma to service-users. Implementing a Trauma-Informed framework reduces the risk of this occurring;

·        Trauma-informed approaches benefit both trauma survivors and frontline staff;

·        Service users and staff must have a voice in the decision-making process of the organisation and its services;

·        Consistent and thorough implementation of a Trauma-Informed approach is an important way for schools and education settings to better understand and respond to the needs of children and young people;

·        Successful implementation of Trauma-Informed approaches in the city will require a multi-agency approach and buy-in from external organisations;

·        The use of the BPD+ protocol in the city by TEWV NHS Trust meant many people with severe trauma were provided with inadequate care. Though TEWV stopped officially using the BPD+ protocol in 2020, many residents accessing services more recently continue to report - through Healthwatch York and other voluntary and community sector organisations - the use of processes linked to the BPD+ protocol.

 

Council resolves:

·        To take steps to become a Trauma-Informed City and commits to working in partnership to embed Trauma-Informed frameworks across services and partner agencies, working in co-production with trauma survivors;

·        To ask the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care and Executive colleagues to explore the introduction of a Trauma-Informed framework across Council services;

·        To request the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care explore the introduction of training for staff and councillors, including e-learning modules, that enables City of York Council to become a Trauma-Informed organisation;

·        To work with partner organisations to implement a city-wide approach to raising awareness of the impact of trauma and how becoming Trauma-Informed can help to support trauma survivors;

·        To consider the implications of making it a requirement in commissioned contracts and services that partner organisations can demonstrate they have, or are implementing, a Trauma-Informed framework;

·        To recommend the Health, Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee request a report from TEWV NHS Trust on its prior application and progress in moving beyond the use of the BPD+ protocol, an assessment of current staff understanding and the outlining of any trauma-informed approaches it is implementing.”

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was

 

Resolved: That the above motion be approved.¹

 

(ii)   Safeguarding future library provision

 

Moved by Cllr Fisher, seconded by Cllr Knight.

 

“Council notes:

 

·        The decision by Budget Council to reduce funding for York Explore by £300,000 in 2024/25

·        The petition signed by 3246 residents, presented at Budget Council on 22 February 2024, expressing opposition to this cut

·        The statement made by the Chief Executive of York Explore at Budget Council on 22 February 2024, on behalf of the Board, which set out the positive difference that York’s libraries make to communities across the city

·        The significant investment the previous Lib Dem led administration put into our library services and buildings

·        The 18 January 2024 independent review of English public libraries that held up York’s 15 year contract with Explore as an exemplar in long term planning to other local authorities

·        The 26 October 2017 motion “Library Services in York” that urged the executive to commit “that there will be no reduction in the total number of staffed libraries across the city.

 

Council believes:

 

·        That York’s libraries are much more than ‘books and cake’ – they provide a range of services and support which benefits people of all ages and all backgrounds

·        That City of York Council must adhere to its contractual obligations in respect of its relationship with York Explore, and all other organisations with whom it has contracts

·        That there is considerable concern as to what impact the cut in funding for York Explore agreed for 2024/25 and proposed for 2025/26 will have on the scope and type of services that York Explore will be able to provide in future years.

Council resolves:

 

·        To ask the relevant Executive Member to engage proactively in the next three months with York Explore, service users and, through Scrutiny, elected members of all parties in order to ensure that future library provision in York continues to meet residents’ needs and expectations

·        To ask the Executive to work with York Explore to ensure that there will be no reduction in the total number of staffed libraries across the city

·        To ask the Executive to work with York Explore to ensure that the mobile library will not be cut.”

Cllr Coles then moved, and Cllr Lomas seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:

 

“ Under Council Notes:’

-      insert the following new 1st bullet point:

·        The £34 million black hole in council finances up to 2027 and the very real risks to future Library Services should the council ever have to issue a Section 114 notice;

-      In the 1^st bullet point (now the 2^nd) after ‘2024/25’ insert ‘in order to protect the long-term financial stability of the Council;’

-      In the 4^th bullet point (now the 5^th) after ‘buildings’ insert ‘with capital investment maintained and continued by the current Labour administration;’

-      Insert the following new 6^th bullet point:

·     Significant changes to the financial landscape of Local Authorities that saw a real terms cut to York of 50% in Government Grant/its Business Rates retention replacement between 2011 and 2024;

 

In the 5^th bullet point, (now the 7^th)

-     delete ‘independent’ and insert ‘national’

-     After ‘libraries’ insert ‘led by Conservative Life Peer, Baroness Sanderson of Welton,’ 

-     After ‘Explore’ insert ‘- signed in 2019 -’

-      After ‘ local authorities’ insert ‘yet made scant reference to local authority funding that libraries depend on;’

 

Under ‘Council believes:’ 1^st bullet point

-      After ‘books and cake’ delete ‘they provide a range of services and support which benefits people of all ages and all backgrounds’ and insert ‘and there is an opportunity to develop the range of services and support they offer to reduce health inequalities across the city, address digital exclusion and tackle loneliness and isolation for people of all ages and backgrounds;’

 

Under ‘Council resolves’

In the 1^st bullet point,

-      After ‘Executive Member’ insert ‘and council officers’.

-      After the first ‘to’ insert ‘continue’

-      Change ‘engage’ to ‘engaging’

-      After ‘expectations’ insert ‘including reforming the mobile library service and retaining the number of staffed libraries and library services, including to outlying areas not covered by Gateway or Explore libraries across the city;’

-      Add in the following new 2^nd bullet point

·        To request the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care and the Leader of the Council write to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Arts Council, to clarify the council’s financial position and to reassure them of the council’s commitment to York’s libraries and archives;

-      Delete the last two bullet points ‘To ask the Executive to work with York Explore to ensure that there will be no reduction in the total number of staffed libraries across the city’ and ‘To ask the Executive to work with York Explore to ensure that the mobile library will not be cut.’”

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

 

The motion, as amended, now read as follows:

 

“Council notes:

 

·        The £34 million black hole in council finances up to 2027 and the very real risks to future Library Services should the council ever have to issue a Section 114 notice;

 

·        The decision by Budget Council to reduce funding for York Explore by £300,000 in 2024/25 in order to protect the long-term financial stability of the Council;

 

·        The petition signed by 3246 residents, presented at Budget Council on 22 February 2024, expressing opposition to this cut;

 

·        The statement made by the Chief Executive of York Explore at Budget Council on 22 February 2024, on behalf of the Board, which set out the positive difference that York’s libraries make to communities across the city;

 

·        The significant investment the previous Lib Dem led administration put into our library services and buildings, with capital investment maintained and continued by the current Labour administration;

 

·        Significant changes to the financial landscape of Local Authorities that saw a real terms cut to York of 50% in Government Grant/its Business Rates retention replacement between 2011 and 2024;

 

·        The 18 January 2024 national review of English public libraries, led by Conservative Life Peer, Baroness Sanderson of Welton, that held up York’s 15 year contract with Explore - signed in 2019 - as an exemplar in long term planning to other local authorities, yet made scant reference to local authority funding that libraries depend on;

 

·        The 26 October 2017 motion “Library Services in York” that urged the executive to commit “that there will be no reduction in the total number of staffed libraries across the city.

 

Council believes:

 

·        That York’s libraries are much more than ‘books and cake’ and there is an opportunity to develop the range of services and support they offer to reduce health inequalities across the city, address digital exclusion and tackle loneliness and isolation for people of all ages and backgrounds;

 

·        That City of York Council must adhere to its contractual obligations in respect of its relationship with York Explore, and all other organisations with whom it has contracts;

 

·        That there is considerable concern as to what impact the cut in funding for York Explore agreed for 2024/25 and proposed for 2025/26 will have on the scope and type of services that York Explore will be able to provide in future years.

 

Council resolves:

 

·        To ask the relevant Executive Member and council officers to continue engaging proactively in the next three months with York Explore, service users and, through Scrutiny, elected members of all parties in order to ensure that future library provision in York continues to meet residents’ needs and expectations, including reforming the mobile library service and retaining the number of staffed libraries and library services, including to outlying areas not covered by Gateway or Explore libraries across the city;

 

·        To request the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care and the Leader of the Council write to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Arts Council, to clarify the council’s financial position and to reassure them of the council’s commitment to York’s libraries and archives.

 

On being put to the vote, the amended motion was declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was

 

Resolved: That the above motion, as amended, be approved.²

 

(iii)     Affordable Housing Motion

 

Moved by Cllr Steward, seconded by Cllr Rowley.

 

“Council notes:

 

1.    The continuing, unacceptable, reality of too many people unable to afford to buy homes.

2.    That many reasons for this are beyond Local Authorities’ remits but there remain big influences they can still have.

 

Council notes ongoing progress on the Local Plan and believes getting a valid Plan signed off remains the biggest step forward for the council to help meet housing demand, including further formalising Affordable Housing policies.

 

Whilst in no way undermining the policies in the Local Plan, council believes there is always more that can and should be done to help people own homes. To further this, council believes the relevant officers, scrutiny and executive should examine elsewhere in the county and look to broaden the affordable housing criteria to be based on residents paying no more than a set percentage of their incomes in mortgages, rather than houses be valued at a more traditional reduced level of market value.”

 

An amendment to the above motion had been moved by Cllr Pavlovic and formerly accepted by the Conservative Group as follows:

 

“Under ‘Council notes’:

-      Point 1, after ‘homes’ insert ‘nor rent homes in the private rented sector, placing increased pressure on the social housing waiting list;’

-   Insert a new point 2 as follows,

·     ‘That unaffordable housing impacts on York’s future prosperity as fewer young professionals, families and essential workers can access suitable accommodation;’

-      In the 2^nd bullet point (now the 3^rd) delete ‘That many reasons for this are’ and insert ‘That the property market remains predominantly market-driven and therefore’

 

In the final paragraph,

-      Split the two sentences into two separate paragraphs.

-      In the last sentence, after ‘council,’ delete the word ‘believes’ and insert ‘resolves:’ theninsert a bullet point and add before ‘the relevant officers’ ‘That following adoption of York’s Local Plan’

-      after the word ‘examine’ insert ‘examples’

-      change ‘county’ to ‘country’ and insert after ‘country’ ‘that seek to make housing more affordable for their residents, including through any powers available at Mayoral Combined Authority level;’

-      Then insert a second bullet point:

-      delete ‘and look to’ and insert ‘This should include consideration of’

-      add ‘ing’ to ‘broaden’

-       after ‘criteria to’ insert ‘include’ and delete ‘be based on’

-      Insert a full stop after ‘mortgages’ then insert ‘It should also compare such an approach with existing council policy of homes for sale’

-      delete ‘rather than houses be’

-      insert after ‘market value’ ‘arising from s106  developer contributions’.

-      Insert the following additional third bullet point:

·        ‘Further, to request Executive reviews the council’s policy on developer social housing contributions, with an assessment of whether adding new council homes through this mechanism would improve the supply and quality of nationally-defined affordable homes to York residents.’”

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

 

The motion, as amended, now read as follows:

 

“Council notes:

 

1.      The continuing, unacceptable, reality of too many people unable to afford to buy homes nor rent homes in the private rented sector, placing increased pressure on the social housing waiting list;

 

2.      That unaffordable housing impacts on York’s future prosperity as fewer young professionals, families and essential workers can access suitable accommodation;

 

3.      That the property market remains predominantly market-driven and therefore beyond Local Authorities’ remits but there remain big influences they can still have.

 

Council notes ongoing progress on the Local Plan and believes getting a valid Plan signed off remains the biggest step forward for the council to help meet housing demand, including further formalising Affordable Housing policies.

 

Whilst in no way undermining the policies in the Local Plan, council believes there is always more that can and should be done to help people own homes.

 

To further this, council resolves:

 

•        That following adoption of York’s Local Plan, the relevant officers, scrutiny and executive should examine examples elsewhere in the country that seek to make housing more affordable for their residents, including through any powers available at Mayoral Combined Authority level;

 

•        This should include consideration of broadening the affordable housing criteria to include residents paying no more than a set percentage of their incomes in mortgages. It should also compare such an approach with existing council policy of homes for sale valued at a more traditional reduced level of market value, arising from s106 developer contributions;

 

•        Further, to request Executive reviews the council’s policy on developer social housing contributions, with an assessment of whether adding new council homes through this mechanism would improve the supply and quality of nationally-defined affordable homes to York residents.”

 

On being put to the vote, the amended motion was declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was

 

Resolved: That the above motion, as amended, be approved.³

 

(iv)    My Vote, My Voice

Moved by Cllr Baxter, seconded by Cllr Rose.

“Council welcomes the My Voice, My Vote campaign promoting the right to vote and the removal of barriers to voting for the 1.5m learning disabled and 700,000 autistic adults living in the UK.

It notes:

• 40% of the population don’t know these groups have an equal right to vote;

• 80% of people feel that polling stations are inaccessible for disabled people as a whole;

• only 12% of disabled voters were aware of their legal entitlements during the 2023 local elections, including available polling station support, in the wake of new rules around voter identification;
• the excellent work of council officers in ensuring relevant council teams and contracted services working with vulnerable adults explain how they can register to vote.  

 

Council believes everyone should have a right to vote and disability and difference should be no barrier to voter participation. 

 

Further, it believes democracy is best exercised when all groups are represented and that low turnout for one demographic indicates disenfranchisement.

 

Council resolves to request the Returning Officer:

 

·        considers the city’s polling stations for any accessibility improvements;

·        considers how greater awareness of voting rights through social media activity can be advanced, particularly for hard-to-reach groups;

·        provides as much detail as possible on the different roles for which individuals stand for election, to encourage greater voter participation, subject to relevant legislation.

 

And requests the Chief Operating Officer write to the relevant Minister within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on:

 

·        ways to make registering to vote easier, while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, in order to increase voter participation.”

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was

 

Resolved: That the above motion be approved.⁴