Agenda, decisions and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

None.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Approved.

Resolved that the Minutes of the People Policy Development Committee held on 26 January 2022 be approved and signed as a correct record subject to the wording in Minute 43 “Work Plan 2021-2022” being amended as follows:

“Resolved that the Work Plan be approved subject to……”

Noted.

Amy Hawkins, Interim Head of Adult Services provided a presentation on the Financial Assessment Guidance for Social Services Charges

She outlined the overarching Charging Policy (Social Services) which was quite a lengthy document and not very user friendly for the public.  Therefore, the Financial Assessment Guidance document was being produced to compliment it.

The Draft Financial Assessment Guidance would include information on:

•              Process

•              Information required

•              General expenses

•              Disability related expenses

•              Statutory amounts

•              Minimum Income Amounts

It would also outline details of:

•              Charging for care and support services

•              Services with no charge

•              Review of charges

•              Personal assessment

•              Maximum charges

She outlined what was and wasn’t included:

E.g. Income and some benefits

Minimum income amount (MIA) after the charging

‘Basic entitlement’ for living costs

MIA = ‘basic entitlement’ + 35% + 10% of that amount for disability related expenditure

Swansea 51 MIA (Swansea has 51 different categories)

In order to make the guidance document as user friendly as possible, participation in its development was being undertaken with:

•              Social Work Team

•              Direct Payment Forum

•              Parent Carers Forum

•              People Policy Development Committee

The Interim Head of Adult Services explained that this the start of process and other groups and partners would be consulted, prior to the final formats, which would include both bi-lingual and “easy-read” versions.

The Committee asked various questions, which were responded to by the Interim Head of Adult Services.

The Chair thanked the Interim Head of Adult Services for the informative presentation.

Noted.

Katie Spendiff, Rights Policy and Partnership Co-ordinator provided a verbal update on:

Swansea Council’s Children’s Rights Scheme:

·                    Since the launch, work had continued to determine performance indicators for what making rights a reality looked like in practice, and how it could be measured. The Children’s Rights Network had commenced the process of co-production which would continue via two separate working groups through to April 2022. One group would focus on Participation and Empowerment, and the other on Embedding, Accountability and Equality. 

·                    The Partnership and Involvement Team had facilitated 30 members of the Children’s Rights Network to consider what each of the five principles and those performance indicators might look like. This information would feed into the two working groups above with a view to a first draft of the Action Plan by 1 April 2022.

·                    Work would continue to ensure the Children’s Rights Scheme complimented and aligned with Human Rights City Work and Wellbeing Assessment work.

Votes at 16:

·                    Young people aged 16 and 17 were now eligible to vote in the forthcoming elections and young people aged 14 plus were eligible to register to vote. A collaborative project with Democratic services and the Education Department had commenced with a tender being awarded to Swansea MAD (Music, Arts & Design) working with Secondary Schools to develop a social media video entitled “your vote your future” promoting votes at 16, changes in law enabling young people to vote, voting as a democratic right and information about how to register to vote. 

·                    Votes at 16 Ambassador recruitment was underway with 7 secondary schools already having nominated their youth ambassadors whose role would be to promote and encourage their peers to register to vote for the forthcoming elections. Ambassadors would be supported in schools and youth settings to promote votes at 16 and registration to vote. The Votes at 16 Ambassadors project was a collaborative project between Democratic Services, the Partnership and Involvement Team and Secondary Schools.

·                    A resource pack was being developed to support ambassadors to encourage registration to vote amongst their peers, including posters, promotional material, opportunities to register in votes during school time, assembly sessions, lesson plans for schools to use and ‘your vote matters’ badges for pupils. ‘Ambassador’ pin badges and pens had also been purchased in order to promote young people’s right to vote in the forthcoming elections.

·                    Work would continue with ambassadors during half term and they would be supported in their setting between 1^st March and Easter half term.

·                    Registration and vote at 16 changes posters had been designed.  These would be shared and promoted in city centre locations as well as in community buildings.

LGBTQ+:

·                     Equali-tea packs had been distributed to all secondary schools in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.  The Partnership and Involvement Team had spent two full days facilitating the pack in Secondary Schools who had requested support to teach the pack during PSE lessons. 

·                     The Junior Safeguarding Board also facilitated 3 sessions – 1) with CMET in Swansea (particularly the working group of the Board who were looking at equality and non-discrimination), 2) with NPT Corporate Parenting Board, and 3) with Western Bay Children’s Safeguarding Board. These sessions took place between 1-23 February.

Young Women’s Safety:

·                    The Partnership and Involvement Team, in partnership with Sports Development were due to launch the first ‘Us Girls’ session specifically aimed at 14-18 year old women on Thursday 24^th February. This session formed part of the wider Us Girls project but was uniquely dedicated at older girls, and would focus on personal safety. The half-day session would be split into three sections:

-                  a sports taster session (based on issues raised about young women’s specific opportunities to exercise);

-                 specialist JUDO session (based on request for tools for personal safety and self-defence), and;

-                 a consultation session to delve further into the findings from the young women’s safety work in order to identify the next steps.  An opportunity had arisen to link with park lives to facilitate specific young women’s couch to 5k sessions (similar to the health walks) where Park Lives/Sports Development/Partnership and Involvement Team could facilitate safe and dedicated running sessions for young women.

·                    Purple flag funding for safe night time economy for young women / 16 plus who worked in the night time economy in Wind Street and the City Centre.  The funding would be utilised for vulnerability training and safe routes home for those who worked in pubs and restaurants.

Listening to learners:

·                     A Pupil Voice Professional Learning Community (of secondary school teachers) had been created to work with pupils to develop ‘A pupil voice manifesto’. Learners would determine issues important to them and produce a manifesto for Swansea Council to respond to and act upon in the coming months.

The Committee asked various questions, which were answered accordingly by the Rights Policy and Partnership Co-ordinator.

The Chair thanked the Officer for the in-depth update and suggested that some of the issues raised would be interesting topics for the People Policy Development Committee to consider in their Work Plan for 2022-2023.

Approved.

The Chair presented the Work Plan for 2021-2022.

Resolved that the Work Plan be approved.