Agenda item

To consider an update on the first seven months of implementation of the Neighbourhood Caretakers and the future development of this work.

Officers introduced the report seeking the Committee’s feedback and input into the progress of the Neighbourhood Caretakers model, 7 months after its implementation and how it could be developed further. It was confirmed that the Caretakers team had with done walkabouts in every Council ward with Ward Councillors, community groups, and public works teams to identify work that was required.

The Committee broadly welcomed the work undertaken as part of the Neighbourhood Caretakers model in the past 7 months and thanked officers involved for the work undertaken. Members raised several areas where the Committee felt improvement could be made, including around the promotion of work that had been undertaken. Members asked whether Ward Councillors could be informed of when work was completed and whether before and after photographs could be shared. Officers confirmed that both suggestions should be the case and that they would seek to ensure Ward Councillors were updated on work that was undertaken following Neighbourhood Caretaker walkabouts, so that Councillors could further promote the work that had been undertaken. Members also asked that when the Council advertised work that had been undertaken by the Neighbourhood Caretakers team, that it include information on how other residents and community groups can get involved.

Members raised challenges of undertaking walkabouts in several of the city’s larger wards, particularly in rural areas. Members noted that while the walkabouts in these wards had been useful, due to the geography of the ward, the walkabouts had focused on a smaller section of the ward and not all its villages and communities. Therefore, for bigger wards Members suggested the idea of central meeting in the ward with maps to identify areas where work was required. Officers agreed with the challenges posed by larger wards in capturing all the work that was required on a walkabout and noted that they would explore the idea of a central meeting bringing together those with local knowledge to identify areas for potential work by the operations teams. Members also asked about whether the Council was exploring upgrading to a GIS mapping system. Officers noted that York map was currently used, and upgrading was under consideration with the cost of set up and running cost of any system part of that consideration.

The Committee enquired about what would happen with work that did not meet the required level for intervention this year or work that feel outside of the Neighbourhood Caretakers scope. Officers confirmed that any work that was outside of the team’s scope would be passed onto other relevant teams, while work which was un scope but would not be completed this year would be included as part of future years workstreams. It was also confirmed that the wider public realm team continued with there scheduled work as the Neighbourhood Caretakers were a planned resource for specific work identified.

Resolved:

                         i.         To recommend that the Council ensures that the work Neighbourhood Caretakers team is shared with Ward Councillors and to explore how to further promote the ability for communities to get involved in future walkabouts;

                        ii.         To recommend that for future work in larger wards to explore central planning meetings in situations where it is not possible to walk around the entirety of a ward.

Reason:     To contribute to the development of the Neighbourhood Caretaker model.