Agenda, decisions and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosureofinterests

 

Noted.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interest was declared:

 

Councillor V M Evans – Minute No. 7 – Employee of Great Western Railway

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

Approved.

Resolved that the Minutes of the Recovery and Future Generation Policy Development Committees held on 27 April 2021 and 20 May 2021 be approved and signed as correct records.

Noted.

The External Funding Manager, supported by the Employability Mentor Team Leader and the Principal External Funding Officer, provided a presentation on ‘Swansea Council Employability Provision’ which included: -

 

·                Background and Current Delivery Across Swansea Council

·                Communities for Work

·                Cam Nesa

·                Workways +

·                Workways Plus STU

·                Communities for Work +

·                Support Offered

·                Funding Source

·                Employability Support Process

·                PDC Focus 1 – Employability Work with Prison Leavers

·                Key Issues and Discussion Points

·                PDC Focus 2 – Supporting Individuals Who Informally Helped or Supported Others During the Covid-19 Pandemic – Our Offer

·                Key Issues and Discussion Points

 

Questions and discussions focused on:

 

·                Referral Scheme – how referrals were made

·                Downturn in referrals

·                Amount of Young People securing work placements – 40 placements had been secured that week with Kick Start

·                Use of agency staff – Audit to undertake a full review

·                Kick Start Scheme - setting up paid placements through the Kick Start scheme with Corporate Property and Waste Management

·                Beyond Bricks & Mortar Scheme

·                Support for volunteers who had provided support through the Covid-19 pandemic – lifelong learning offer

 

The Chair thanked Officers and looked forward to further updates in the future.

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

Noted.

The Community Integration Partnership Manager provided an update to the Committee in respect of High Street and Community Safety.

 

Following unfavourable comments in the press in 2019 regarding High Street, a Critical Incident Group was established. A number of work streams were set up which operate on a partnership working basis. The current work streams consist of: -

 

1)           Criminality and Anti-Social Behaviour – Lead by South Wales Police

2)           Substance Misuse – Lead by Barod

3)           Street Sex Working and Exploitation – Lead by Women’s Aid

4)           Public Realm – Lead by Swansea Council

 

Partnership working unblocked some difficulties in agencies working together as well as provided the opportunity for new ideas and approaches to tackle problems.

 

The Community Integration Partnership Manager highlighted some short term outcomes and medium to long term outcomes listed below: -

 

Short Term Outcomes

·                Community engagement

·                Identifying funding resources

·                Making links with other partners and departments

·                City Centre Rangers – Ranger now dedicated to the High Street

·                Adaptability of development space - not just for Local Authority use

·                Possibilities in respect of public realm

Medium to Long Term outcomes

·                Potential closure and future adaptability of The Strand tunnel

·                Improved Security and Lighting at Jockey Street tunnel

·                Test out ideas with Community

 

It was reported that funding had been secured for a community space and refurbishment had started on three empty business premises at the top of High Street. This area / community space would need to be shaped by the Community. 3000 leaflets had been circulated in the community to local schools, businesses and residents etc. to gain views on what the community space would look like. Some ideas to date had been pop up youth clubs, carpentry classes, greening project and workshop to make planters. There had been a good response from the leaflet drop with many parities showing interest in being involved. Further events were being held to follow up on the leaflet drop.

 

Further successes around the Swan project, outreach work, joint engagement, joint patrol and drug-warrants were also highlighted.

 

Discussion and Questions focussed on the following: -

 

·                Governance structure 

·                Role of partners

·                Number of police patrolling streets

·                Community engagement – effect of Covid-19 and continued engagement throughout the pandemic

·                Importance of Co-production in community engagement and progressing work on Co-production for the whole Council

·                Process of naming, designing and use of community space – ensure the  space could be used by partners / third parties as well

·                Possibility of funding streams from community grants

·                Possibility of rolling out community space to other areas if it works well

 

The Chair thanked the Community Integration Partnership Manager and his team for all their commitment and hard work on the High Street.

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

Noted.

The Deputy Chief Executive and the Strategic Change Programme Manager provided an update on the Recovery Plan.

 

Good progress was being made in respect of Vaccinations, however new variants were keeping the Council in a position of response and not recovery. The Council was still supporting the Track and Trace programme, the Vaccination Programme as well as providing advice to businesses and communities of fighting Covid-19. The Council was also supporting the All Wales Vaccination Certification Service and had processed approximately 19,500 Vaccination Certificates. The Deputy Chief Executive thanked the team for their work.  

 

The Strategic Change Programme Manager highlighted some areas of progress which included:

 

·                Appointment of the post Strategic Change Programme Manager.

·                Steering Groups had been set up

·                Work Stream leads were starting to report successes and feed into the Board

·                Reporting mechanisms were in place

·                In terms of Risks, there were no red risks for the current year and no high risks

·                Monthly review of the Corporate Risk Register

·                Review of Governance

·                Leadership on future work plans

·                Discovery workshop held for staff

·                A grant bid had been submitted for the economic and environment strand

·                Meetings were scheduled with the Communication Team and I.T. to discuss the future

·                Develop Transformation Framework

·                Updates were due to be provided to Scrutiny and Audit

·                Stakeholder meetings were to be held around services required in 10 years’ time

·                Review the Medium Term Financial Plan

 

The Committee and Officers discussed possible areas / topics for the Committee to consider:

 

·                What services would be delivered in the future and how they would be delivered

·                Sustainable Development Policy

·                Co-production Policy

·                Supporting wider conversations / engagement with wider groups

·                Human Rights City

·                Culture of the Organisation in light of the new ways of working / agile working

·                Community Safety

 

The Chair thanked the Officers.

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

The Workplan 2021/22 be updated accordingly.

The Chair presented the ‘Workplan 2021/22’

 

It was noted that Transport would be looked at by the Economy & Infrastructure Policy Development Committee and the Youth Council / Youth Forum would be looked at by the Education & Skills Policy Development Committee.

 

The Committee discussed topics and provisionally scheduled the following

 

27 July 2021 –                      Co-production

28 September 2021 –         Consultation and Engagement Strategy

                                                Community Safety

26 October 2021 -                Sustainable Development Policy

30 November 2021 -           Recovery from the Exit from the European Union

 

The Committee would also look to schedule a workshop on Co-production

 

Resolved that the Workplan 2021/22 be updated accordingly.