Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mrs P Cooper and C R Oxby.

The Chief Executive reported that having received a notice under Regulation 13 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, he had appointed Councillor T Ashton as a replacement member of the Committee in place of Councillor Mrs P Cooper for this meeting only.

There were no declarations of interest at this point in the meeting.

During consideration of the minutes, it was clarified that in relation to minute number 5, whole time fire fighters were referred to as technicians and retained fire fighters were operators.

RESOLVED

            That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2018 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to the above clarification.

There were no announcements from the Chairman, Executive Councillors or Senior Officers.

(To receive a report by Michaela Finan, Libraries and Heritage Client Lead, which provides an update of the contract performance information to enable the Committee to fulfil its role in scrutinising the performance of the second year of the out-sourced Library Contract to Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).  Representatives from GLL will be in attendance at the meeting)

Consideration was given to a report which provided an update of the contract performance information to enable the Committee to fulfil its role in scrutinising performance of the second year of the out-sourced Library Contract to Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).

Members were informed that the decision to outsource LCC's statutory library service was taken to enable the delivery of a cost effective, high quality library service in an ongoing environment of constraint.  It was noted that the key aims of the outsourcing was:

·         To increase levels of service performance

·         Improved customer's experience

·         Service transformation

It was reported that the Library Service contract with GLL commenced in April 2016, and GLL had now entered Year 3 of a 5 year contract with an option to extend the contract by a further 5 years.

First year progress had been reported to the Committee the previous year, and it was felt that it would be beneficial if an annual report was brought to the Committee over the course of the contract.  Members were informed that overall performance was very good, with KPI's being met.  However, it was noted that there had been a couple of KPI's which were not met, but this had been due to the adverse weather experienced in the County in February and March 2018, as the larger library vehicles could not get out in the snow.

Conversations were taking place around how the IT model could be improved and what it may look like.  Customer expectations in terms of IT were growing rapidly, and there was a need to balance that with what it was possible and cost effective to deliver.  GLL continued to review the mobile service to make it as efficient as possible.

A query was raised regarding the removal of computers from Boultham library and members were advised that this was the result of an exceptional set of circumstances and the authority was working with GLL and a number of other community groups that were looking to supply an alternative community offer.  It was noted that there were three libraries – Birchwood, Ermine and Boutlham – which were the subject of discussions.  Expressions of interest were currently being received to run all three of these libraries, and these would then undergo an evaluation process.  It was acknowledged that the IT issues experienced in this library was a temporary situation, and it was hoped that a new provider would be announced in the early autumn and work would get underway quickly to restore the IT provision.

The Committee was introduced to two representatives of GLL, Diana Edmonds (National Libraries Director) and Nicola Rogers (Partnership Manager for Lincolnshire Libraries) who were in attendance at the meeting provided updates on the work taking place within Lincolnshire libraries as part of the GLL contract.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

(To receive a report by Lynne Faulder, Financial Inclusion Officer, which provides information and overview on Financial Inclusion activity, the financial inclusion challenges facing Lincolnshire as well as the local context, key drivers and priorities)

Consideration was given to a report which provided the Committee with information and an overview on financial inclusion activity, the financial inclusion challenges facing Lincolnshire as well as the local context, key drivers and priorities.

The Committee was guided through the report and received a brief presentation which provided further information in relation to the following areas:

·         Financial exclusion – some of the impacts

·         Who is financially excluded

·         Financial inclusion – information, advice and support

·         Financial inclusion – challenges include:

·         Next steps and future priorities.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and presentation and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was highlighted that the adverts for pay day loans, some with interest rates of 1500% were contributing to issues around finance.

·         It was commented that in libraries there were advice centres and surgeries which provided advice on applying for universal credit as well as access to computers.  An additional pot of funding had also been allocated to Citizens Advice to help people having issues in applying for universal credit.

·         In terms of tackling financial exclusion, it was acknowledged that there had been issues and problem, but the relevant organisations were now coming together to take a collaborative approach.

·         It was queried whether this issue was around 10-20 years ago, and whether it had got worse, and if it would still get worse in the future.  Members were advised that the issue of financial exclusion had always been there, but the recent financial crash had placed people in new territory financially, and the banking sector was only just starting to relax. 

·         In terms of numbers it was not thought that a significant improvement would be seen in the immediate future.  However, the more work that could be carried out collaboratively, then there was a better chance of things improving. 

·         It was noted that this subject was getting more time and attention on the national agenda.

·         It was suggested whether a lot of financial problems started at home, with the lack of emphasis placed on the importance of saving, and the need for instant gratification for people who wanted the latest gadget was another issue.  however, it was acknowledged that this was not the cause for all people with financial issues, and there was an element of the population in dire poverty and they needed as much help as possible.

·         It was clarified that the people being financially excluded were not those who were being reckless with credit cards etc. that was a different issue.  However, it was agreed there was definitely a need for more education programmes in relation to finance.

·         It was commented that one area where regulation was needed was those companies whose interest rates (whether loans or credit cards) were extortionate, and there was a lot of bad practice within this industry.  It was queried what could be done to challenge this.  Members were advised that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

(To receive a report by Samantha Hardy, Programme Officer – Community Engagement, Public Health, which provides an update on volunteering for Lincolnshire County Council and supporting volunteers across Lincolnshire)

Consideration was given to a report which provided the Committee with an update on volunteering for Lincolnshire County Council and supporting volunteers across Lincolnshire.  The report included information on the opportunities for volunteering and the value and impact of volunteering and how their invaluable contributions would have been recognised during Volunteers Week.

It was reported that the age range of volunteers was increasing, and people were starting young and kept going.  It was also noted that there was a move away from people joining big organisations, but instead were creating smaller groups to tackle local issues which could be fairly short term.  People were now having a different experience of volunteering.

The Committee was informed that there were between 1000 and 1500 volunteers within LCC in a variety of areas, with many in the heritage service.  There was also an emergence of spontaneous volunteering, usually occurring in emergency situations, such as the severe snow which fell in early 2018, these volunteers would appear within the community and given assistance, and then disappear when things returned to normal.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was considered important to encourage people to go out and volunteer.

·         In terms of safeguarding, it was queried whether there was an option for just one DBS check, as one member commented they had had to have DBS checks three times as they were involved in three different activities involving children.  Members were advised that this had now been implemented, and the emphasis was now on the person to have a DBS check, rather than the organisation carrying them out.

·         It was believed that there were a lot of people who would like to volunteer, and there was a need to let people what opportunities were available.

·         It was requested whether councillors could have a copy of the volunteers welcome pack, and officers agreed to circulate this.

·         It was queried how appreciation was shown for those people who volunteered for LCC, and members were advised that a letter had been sent from the Leader of the Council thanking volunteers for the amount of work they did.  According to feedback, this has been very well received.  It was also noted that service areas held their own celebration as well.  Members were advised that the Council had achieved the Investing in Volunteer Standards award which set a professional standard for volunteers.

·         In terms of emergency planning, it was queried whether the authority worked with town and parish councils.  Members were advised that within the community engagement team there were two officers that were dedicated to working with town and parish councils, and volunteering was including within the emergency plan.

·         One member commented that she volunteered for several different things, and whilst there didn't seem to problem recruiting volunteers to be involved in a 'hands on' manner, where groups struggled was in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

(To receive a report by Simon York, Area Manager – Planning, Protection and Prevention, which informs the Committee of the of the Prevention and Protection activities undertaken in support of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue's Prevention and Protection Strategies which engage with the community with the aim of preventing fires occurring)

Consideration was given to a report which aimed to inform councillors of the Prevention and Protection activities undertaken in support of the Prevention and Protection Strategies.

It was reported that Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue had a number of strategies for reducing the risk to the communities of Lincolnshire.  Prevention and Protection were the two strategies which engaged with the community with the aim of preventing fires occurring.  It was noted that these areas of service delivery rarely made the headlines and members of the community were not always well informed about the extent of the activities delivered to support the strategies.

The Local Government Association Peer Challenge had taken place in September the previous year, and one of the main observations was that councillors would benefit from a clearer understanding of the Prevention and Protection work carried out by the Service.

Members were advised that the Integrated Risk management Plan set out the Service Prevention and Protection Strategy, the Annual Service Plan and Service Policy identified how the strategy would be delivered and within that, the Community Safety Framework set out the main activities undertaken.. key fire safety targets and activities were also set out in the Annual Service Plan.

Members were guided through the report and provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report, and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was noted that 47% of fires nationally were due to arson, and it was queried whether this figure was the same for Lincolnshire.  Members were advised that the figure was slightly lower for Lincolnshire, but it was still a significant problem.

·         It was noted that the success rate for prosecutions for arson was very low as the Service did not have the sufficient level of resources.  Although if there was a high profile incident, officers would find out the details of the action taken by the Police.

·         It was noted that trends were monitored and activities co-ordinated to catch perpetrators.

·         It was queried whether something similar to 2fast 2soon could be developed in relation to arson, and members were informed that Fire and Rescue did deliver education to year 7 pupils about arson and the consequences of these types of fires.

·         It was noted that arson was one issue that the Service did not focus on as much, as more people would die from accidental dwelling fires than any other type of fire.

·         It was queried whether insurance premiums would go down for those organisations that signed up for the prevention scheme, and it was expected that insurance companies would require some form of assurance.

·         It was queried whether chip pan fires were still an issue, and it was confirmed that they were, but they were not as prevalent as they used to be.  It was noted that for the most vulnerable people, where they were still using things which could be hazardous, such as chip pans, the Service had a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

(To receive a report which provides key performance information that is relevant to the work of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee.  Lead officers for the service areas will be in attendance at the meeting)

Consideration was given to a report which provided the opportunity to consider key performance information that was relevant to the work of the Committee.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         Anti-social behaviour incidents reported to the police – it was suggested that this needed to be focused to a local area. 

·         There had been a shift towards those shops with illicit stock not keeping it in the shop, but instead keeping it in the back, or ordering it in on request. 

·         It was commented it was better to look where large amounts of contraband were being kept or who the suppliers were.  This change in behaviours could make it more difficult for trading standards.

·         Members were informed that investigative processes were much slower for trading standards due to processes which were involved, and it was noted that discussions were in place regarding merging the Police Licensing team with the Trading Standards Licensing team.

·         Anti-social behaviour incidents reported to the Police – it was noted that these figures did not include district housing providers.  It was noted that a computer system had been jointly procured which would be used as a single database for anti-social behaviour reports.  This should give a comprehensive review of where anti-social behaviour incidents were taking place, regardless of who reported them.

·         It was noted that in relation to HMIC and the reporting of crime data the majority of missed crimes were held in 2 main records.  One was around the DASH (Domestic Abuse Stalking and Harassment) pro-forma and may have made mention of past incidents.  It was noted that although the police had not complied with HMIC FRS with the reporting of data, no safeguarding situations had been missed, and no one had been left less safe than they should have been.  It was noted that Lincolnshire Police had been rated as good for helping people.

·         Primary Fires – concerns were expressed regarding the increase in dwelling fires.  Members were noted that the increase was mainly due to vehicle fires, which were mainly arson related as people were stealing cars and then setting fire to them.  56% of these fires were due to cooking related incidents and in many cases the fire would have burned out before Fire and Rescue arrived and therefore no action would be taken.

·         It was also noted that trends occurred nationally with numbers of fires going up or down.  At the moment, nationally there was a downward trend.  It was queried whether this could be due to homes being safer due to increased number of people having alarm systems.  Members were advised that the increase in automated system was leading to more call outs on occasions when normally fire and rescue would not have been called as people had been able to put out the fire themselves.  It was acknowledged that these systems were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

(To receive a report by Daniel Steel, Scrutiny Officer, which provides the Committee with the opportunity to consider and comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year to ensure that scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit)

Consideration was given to a report which enabled the Committee to comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year to ensure that scrutiny activity was focused where it could be of greatest benefit.

During discussion of the work programme, the following was noted:

·         An item on Community Hubs would be added to the work programme;

·         In relation to the Street Lighting scrutiny review report, OSMB would consider the outcome report by Councillor Young, but there would be implications for this Committee's work programme in future.

·         It was requested whether the performance data which would be received at the March 2019 could include up to date figures on anti-social behaviour incidents.

RESOLVED

1.    That the work programme as set out in Appendix A to the report be noted.

2.    That the additional items highlighted above be added to the Committee's work programme.