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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Housing and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee |
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Date |
23 January 2023 |
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Present |
Councillors Fenton (Chair), Pavlovic (Vice-Chair), Cuthbertson, Fitzpatrick and Vassie |
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Apologies
In attendance
Officers present |
Councillors Baker and Wells
Councillor Craghill Superintendent Fran Naughton
Jane Mowat, Head of Community Safety Denis Southall, Head of Housing |
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20. Declarations of Interest (17:35)
At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest or other registrable interest they might have had in respect of business on this agenda, if they had already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. Cllr Pavlovic declared that he was previously employed in the homeless sector and was involved with the resettlement contract pre-2016.
21. Minutes (17:35)
Resolved: That the minutes of the last meeting held on 7 December 2022 be approved and signed as an accurate record.
22. Public Participation (17:37)
It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
23. Safer York Partnership (17:37)
The Head of Community Safety presented the report on the Safer York Partnership which covered the emerging priorities, including City Centre Crime and Antisocial Behaviour (ASB), Counter Terrorism, Domestic Abuse, Serious/High Risk Antisocial Behaviour and Serious Organised Crime, that would inform the production of the new strategy for 2023-2026. She also discussed the community safety issues which have impacted on the work of the Community Safety Hub in the last six months and outlined the work that has been undertaken to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour in York. The Officer and the Superintendent for York and Selby were present to answer questions from Members.
Members discussed the report and raised some questions regarding City Centre Crime and ASB, and the Officer stated that ASB levels have been low but that it had been difficult to gather data on it due to the preventative efforts that were undertaken. She went on to say that the Council were in regular contact with Sergeants and PCs to understand any ASB issues and the Superintendent explained that the prevention of violence against women and girls continue to be a priority across the city.
Counter Terrorism efforts and issues, especially around the York Christmas Markets in 2022, were queried by the Committee. The Officer confirmed that the Markets were required to fill in an operational requirements form annually, which was a comprehensive risk assessment document, and venues had to attend training provided by York Council in conjunction with the North Yorkshire Police and the North East Counter Terrorism Police. She also stated that she would take the Members’ comments surrounding the exclusion of Blue Badge holders and the level of crowds to the Safety Advisory Group so it could be explored in future consultations.
The Committee then considered the Domestic Abuse priority and questioned some of the data within the report, including on the increased levels of abuse and the wards with the highest volume of reports, and the Officer stated that she would circulate these figures to the Committee. She also confirmed that a training programme on this priority would be available to professionals who were involved with the Domestic Abuse Board, including York Council staff.
The High Risk ASB priority was discussed by Members who brought up a number of topics and in response to questions, the Officer and the Superintendent noted the importance of multi-agency work for intelligence sharing and programmes to engage with young people. The Officer then explained how other agencies, including support services, were involved to tackle ASB. Members also enquired about the enforcement of buskers and the Officer stated that they were managed by Make it York who would be the first form of contact and it would then be escalated if necessary. The Officer also stated that she would present a report on the Peterborough programme and further detail on the multi-agency work in York for the Committee at a later date.
Members concluded by discussing the Community Safety Strategy and requested an opportunity for Members to comment on the new strategy, its priorities and any problems it may have.
Resolved:
i. That the information related to the delivery of the Community Safety Strategy be noted.
ii. That the Committee contributed their views in relation to the potential strategic priorities for the Community Safety Strategy 2023-2026.
iii. That the data surrounding the levels of domestic abuse be shared with the Committee.
iv. That a further report detailing the Peterborough programme and multi-agency work in York be presented at a future meeting.
Reason: to update Members on the performance of the Safer York Partnership and facilitate contribution to development of future strategy.
24. Update on the Resettlement Pathway (19:07)
The Head of Housing presented a report which provided an update on the work in progress to review the single homeless resettlement pathway which developed the early intervention and intensive support approach for single people who become homeless or are rough sleeping. He noted that:
· The Community Wellbeing Contracts have been extended until January 2024 but these may be extended further.
· The Council had successfully bid for Rough Sleeping Initiative money and this has resulted in the development of a range of services, including the Navigator Team and the Housing First initiative.
· A series of workshops were held to form the review but the review was paused due to staffing issues in Adult Social Care Commissioning. This has now been resolved and the review would resume.
Members discussed the pathway and in response to questions, the Officer explained that it was centred around 6 key themes: trauma-informed approach, person-centred approach, strengths-based approach, positive-risk taking approach, collaborative approach and a well-supported and fairly remunerated workforce.
He then commented on the Navigator Team expansion, their flexibility, the successful work they have completed with entrenched individuals, and how it fits in with the delivery model of the pathway. Members also enquired about the newly reopened nappads and the Officer explained that the Council were working with the Salvation Army, who own and manage the units, to ensure the units were operational and remained in the city.
The Committee raised concerns about the type of specialist housing available for people with complex needs. The Officer stated that there was a specialist approach for prison leavers where accommodation and support services were available. He explained that there was an ambition for the specialist mental health housing, and support cluster units, which were paused due to procurement challenges, to be reinvigorated and some of the support posts have been recruited to implement the scheme.
The Officer concluded by stating that there were different tiers of housing support for individuals ranging from accommodation with onsite support to a lighter touch approach based on their needs.
Resolved:
i. That the ongoing review of the Resettlement pathway and interim contractual arrangements that have been put in place to continue the existing service until the pathway review is concluded and a future delivery model is agreed be considered by the Committee.
Reason: To keep the Committee updated on work in progress to review the single homeless Resettlement pathway.
25. Work Plan (19:37)
Resolved:
i. That the Committee receives an update on repairs, damp and mould in social housing, and on the state of play with Tenants’ Choice improvement works at the next scheduled meeting.
ii. That the Committee receives a report on the Housing Management Officer Pilot along with any early feedback at the next scheduled meeting.
Reason: To ensure the Committee has a program of work for 2022-23.
Councillor Fenton, Chair
[The meeting started at 5.35 pm and finished at 7.39 pm].