Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual - Online Meeting via Microsoft Teams. View directions

Contact: Nick Harrison  Democratic Services Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

22.

Apologies for Absence/Replacement Members

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Mrs C J Lawton.

23.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

24.

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 15 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 248 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 15 September 2020 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

25.

Announcements by the Chairman, Executive Councillors and Chief Officers

Minutes:

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service - Integrated Risk Management Plan

The Chairman reported that he had attended a meeting of the Executive on the 6 October 2020, where he had presented the views of the Committee. The Executive had taken on board the Committees comments, particularly about student accommodation in Lincoln and the low response rate to the consultation. He commended the Committee for their excellent work in scrutinising the Plan at their previous meeting.  

 

Daniel Steel – Scrutiny Officer

 

The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, thanked Daniel Steel for his hard work and dedication to the work of the Committee and wished him well in his new position in the Registration Service.

 

Les Britzman - Chief Fire Officer

Councillor N Worth, Executive Councillor for Culture and Emergency Services,

reported that Les Britzman had agreed to take up a secondment opportunity within the wider County Council team leading a strategic, corporate project focussed on a full review and re-commissioning of the back-office services. Les would leave his role as Chief Fire Officer on 16 November. Councillor N Worth and the Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, paid tribute to his hard work and dedication in his current role and expressed how proud they were of Les's many achievements. Les thanked the committee for their support.

 

Arrangements for an interim Chief Fire Officer were under consideration and the Committee would be updated on the outcome in the near future.  The interim arrangements would need to focus on supporting the Fire and Rescue Service and Emergency Planning given the current challenges, so the Public Protection Service including Community Safety/Trading Standards/Coroners and Registration Services would transfer to Andrew Crookham, Executive Director Resources.

 

26.

Future of the Heritage Service in Lincolnshire pdf icon PDF 39 KB

(To receive a report from William Mason, Head of Culture and Nicole Hilton, Assistant Director – Communities,which invites the Committee to comment on the future of the Heritage Service in Lincolnshire. The report is being presented to the Executive on the 03 November 2020. The views of the Scrutiny Committee will be reported to the Executive as part of the consideration of this item)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor N Worth, Executive Councillor for Culture and Emergency Services, reported that the Council had set out a six point plan for the future of the heritage services with the aim of making the services provided much more accessible to all. The heritage of the County was of national and international importance and everyone should have the opportunity to see and explore the great things about the county. The Council was thinking long-term how it could deliver its offering in the best way possible. It was important to work together as Greater Lincolnshire to have a strong and unified voice to ensure the County was heard at a national level. The aim was to influence decisions, bring funding and investment, work with national and international cultural institutions and ensure access to the best blockbuster exhibitions and events. He reported that Lincolnshire had some inspirational artefacts, architecturally brilliant buildings and a wonderful natural environment, to enjoy now and in the future. Together with partners, sponsors and private institutions, the Council would work to create a strong identity with a narrative totell the story of the county, bringing together the areas culture and history in a unique way. To get the investment the County deserved and to collaborate to create a powerful and attractive offer, there was a need for a strong voice at a national level, and it was believed a truly unified cultural offering was the best way forward to make the best case for external funding, which was urgently needed and overdue. Further heritage investment would provide a real boost to the economy, tourism and make a significant difference to attracting new businesses and visitors coming to the County.

 

The aim was to make Lincolnshire an even greater place to live, work, visit and study. Working with partners to create 'centres of excellence' which would bring together museums, art collections, archives and aviation heritage in a number of well-placed sites across the County – allowing more of the County's rich treasures to be displayed. The Council would continue to work with partners to bring nationally recognised and world renowned art and cultural exhibitions and installations to our attractions across the county.

 

The Head of Culture introduced a report which invited the Committee to comment on the future of the Heritage Service in Lincolnshire. The report was being presented to the Executive on the 3 November 2020. The views of the Scrutiny Committee would be reported to the Executive as part of the consideration of this item.

 

The report expanded on the vision outlined by Councillor N Worth and the six point plan which included:- having a strong voice at a national level; embracing Greater Lincolnshire as a whole, making heritage and art available to all; telling the story of the County differently; securing the investment the County deserved; making memories County-wide in super-sites across Greater Lincolnshire; working with partners to deliver the best quality, immersive art and culture.

 

In summary, the long term vision for Greater  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

27.

Heritage Service Update pdf icon PDF 255 KB

(To receive an update report from William Mason, Head of Culture and Nicole Hilton, Assistant Director – Communities, on the actions undertaken in regard to the recommendations relating to the future of the Council's heritage service approved by the Executive on 3 September 2019)

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update report from the Head of Culture, on the actions undertaken in regard to the recommendations relating to the future of the Council's heritage service approved by the Executive on 3 September 2019.

 

The Head of Culture updated the Committee since the last meeting on the arrangements following the termination of the lease of Gainsborough Old Hall and the return of the Hall back to English Heritage. He reminded the Committee that the majority of English Heritage staff had been furloughed due to Covid-19 and discussions on an operational plan had therefore been impacted by this. The handover would take place in the next week and English Heritage had confirmed that they would retain the majority of the loan collections, set dressings and infrastructure and so the Council would not be handing over an empty Hall. English Heritage had recently notified Lincolnshire County Council that the Old Hall was unlikely to open before the summer of 2021 at the earliest.

 

The impact of Covid-19 on culture and tourism across the country had been significant, however the report demonstrated how the Cultural Services had maintained engagement with audiences and local communities and had provided safe and enjoyable spaces for communities and tourists to return. This had resulted in post lockdown visits significantly higher than the national average. Progress towards a sustainable commercial model was illustrated, including hosting the two most popular blockbuster exhibitions in LCC history whilst generating 70% of service costs compared to a national average for local authority run heritage Services of 30%.

 

The report highlighted that despite extensive and on-going work undertaken by Council officers with regards to the recommendations relating to the Usher Gallery, it had not yet been possible to find common ground with The City of Lincoln Council. The Council’s position remained that, other than the proposal in the original business case, the only sustainable model that fitted with the wider vision was joint use of the building. It was still possible for an option to be considered where the majority of the space was used for art and functioning as a single supersite, however there were limitations associated with the Gallery in terms of space, security and environmental controls. If those options were taken up, then it would be a different model of supersite, with a likely mix of public and community service space.

 

The vision for the Culture Service was to move to a Cultural Enterprise Model that delivered culture-based products and services to generate earned income and ensure the enterprise's long-term sustainability and development. The report also made reference to changes to the portfolio of heritage sites.

 

It was reported that the County Property Services were in discussions with a group of local organisations who were looking to take over Alford Windmill. The service would continue to focus on a sustainable way to protect the future of Ellis and Burgh le Marsh mills.

 

 

Conversations were on going about Trust status to ensure the Council was fully informed about  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

28.

Registration and Celebratory Services Annual Report pdf icon PDF 62 KB

(To receive a report from Sara Barry, Head of Safer Communities, and Julie Waller, Acting Head of Registration, on the Lincolnshire Registration and Celebratory Services Annual Report which requests the Committee to note the progress and performance of the service and consider timescales for further reports and actions)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from the Head of Safer Communities and the Acting Head of Registration, on the Lincolnshire Registration and Celebratory Services Annual Report which requested the Committee to note the progress and performance of the service and consider timescales for further reports and actions.

 

The primary objective of the Service was to fulfil the statutory obligations for the registration of births, deaths, stillbirths, marriages/civil partnerships and citizenship with related ceremonies as well as to provide a support function to HM Coroners. The service also conducted a range of discretionary ceremonies for example naming, renewal of vows, funeral and memorial services. These were all periods of immense change for families, and the care and customer service that was delivered played an important part in these transition periods. The service was fully supported by the fees charged across the complete range of services.

 

The report focused on the registration and celebratory activities for the service, including performance over 2019/2020 and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Reference was made to how each of part of the service had performed and been impacted by the pandemic.

 

It was noted that a report on the Coroners Service would be submitted to the next Committee meeting.

 

RESOLVED:     The Committee receive the report and note the performance of the Registration and Celebratory Service over the past year and the challenges faced as a result of Covid-19.

29.

Community Hub Year 4 Update (2019-2020) pdf icon PDF 253 KB

(To receive an update report from Louise Egan, Library and Heritage Client Lead, on the performance of the Community Hub Model to enable the Committee to fulfil its role in scrutinising the service delivery)

 

Minutes:

The Committee received an update report from the Library and Heritage Client Lead, on the performance of the Community Hub Model to enable the Committee to fulfil its role in scrutinising the service delivery.

 

A new model of service delivery for Lincolnshire Libraries had been introduced in 2016. The aim and objective was to ‘create an affordable Library Service, which meets Lincolnshire’s needs.’ This required a new way of delivering services and the creation of new partnerships with the communities. Greenwich Leisure Limited had been awarded a five year contract to deliver 15 core libraries across Lincolnshire. Community groups had been approached to deliver the remaining former Tier 3 libraries under the banner of 'Community Hubs'. The development of Community Hubs was driven by two Council priorities. The first was the desire to give communities more control and a bigger role in delivering services. The second was ensuring services remained affordable within the Council's reduced budget. Community Hubs were community-run facilities, operated by volunteers under a grant agreement with the Council.

 

Since the commencement of the Community Hub model, the Hubs had gone from strength to strength. Many had established customer groups, had invested in redeveloping the sites and had increased the use of the Hubs with the implementation of additional activities; such as storytimes, Lego Club and craft activities.

 

The later part of the 2019-20 operational year had seen all the Community Hubs close, in line with the Core Libraries and as a result of Central Government advice in the response to Covid-19. Since 5 September 2020, 26 sites had commenced service delivery; 7 offering 'click and collect' of pre-reserved items and 19 had moved to the browsing phase of recovery, wherein customers could access the sites and browse stock.  Of the 26 open sites, 11 were currently offering access to customers to use the PC’s available.

 

One member thought that the sign outside Boultham Community Hub should be made clearer to show that it contained a library. It was reported that the Community Hub model was flexible to enable other activities to also operate from the site, so whilst all hubs delivered a library service, they also served their individual communities by offering other amenities as well, which then contributed to the sustainability of the site. The sign indicated that it was a Hub but also had the words 'Library' underneath. It was noted that this and other facilities were publicised via the web and other forums.

 

RESOLVED:    The Committee receive the report and continue to endorse the Community Hub Model as community-run facilities and thank all the volunteers who help kept them running.

 

30.

Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 180 KB

(To receive a report from 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 focussed where it can be of greatest benefit)

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from the Scrutiny Officer, which provided 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 was focussed where it could be of greatest benefit. The Committee noted that the Coroners Service Annual Report and a Prevent Review Report would be on the next agenda.

 

RESOLVED:    That the Committee Work Programme be approved.

31.

SITTING AS THE CRIME AND DISORDER SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - Modern Slavery pdf icon PDF 173 KB

(To receive a report from Jonny Goldsmith, Community Safety Strategy Coordinator, and Clare Newborn, Acting Joint Head of Safer Communities, which provides an overview of both the current and impending statutory requirements placed upon Lincolnshire County Council within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. In addition, the report provides an overview of how Lincolnshire County Council is supporting the work of the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership in relation to Modern Slavery)

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from the Community Safety Strategy Coordinator, and the Acting Joint Head of Safer Communities, which provided an overview of both the current and impending statutory requirements placed upon Lincolnshire County Council within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. In addition, the report provided an overview of how Lincolnshire County Council was supporting the work of the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership in relation to Modern Slavery.

 

In conjunction with the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership and Adults Board training team a new online e-Learning course entitled 'Understanding Modern Slavery' had been developed, that was due to be launched in October 2020 and would be available to both Lincolnshire County Council staff and partners across Lincolnshire. A Modern Slavery Charter had been developed, outlining 6 steps, which were applicable to all partners and the intention was for this to be launched in January 2021.

 

Lincolnshire specific resources had been developed to raise awareness of Modern Slavery amongst both professionals and local communities. Those resources would be available in October 2020. In addition, a social media campaign led by Lincolnshire County Council had been run during the week leading up to Anti-Slavery on 18 October.  Alongside the campaign, the National Crime Agencies 'Invisible People' exhibition was displayed outside Lincoln Cathedral. The campaign had been supported by partners on Anti-Slavery Day and Lincoln Cathedral had been illuminated yellow to 'shine a light' on the issue. In conjunction with Lincolnshire Police, a Police Partnership Operation Report had been developed which allowed partners to share information with Lincolnshire Police when they had information relating to vulnerable children or adults. In partnership, the County Council was working to develop a victim response pathway for adults.

 

It was noted that there were, at present, no accurate figures on the extent of modern slavery in Lincolnshire, however obtaining this information was a key piece of future work.

 

A member asked how possible cases of slavery could be reported. In response, two Apps were highlighted which provided a mechanism for members of the public to be able to report concerns in confidence. One was the Unseen App which also had a Modern Slavery helpline number which members of the public were able to call to report concerns and / or seek help. The second one was Clewer Initiative's 'Safe Car Wash App'. This was a tool designed to help gather intelligence around the prevalence of Modern Slavery within hand car washes which had historically been recognised as a high risk industry. There were a series of questions to answer when you had used a hand car wash and all information was then passed to the relevant enforcement agencies. The Community Safety Strategy Coordinator undertook to send further details on the Apps to members of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED:

1.    That the Committee notes the report and supports the work being undertaken in respect of Modern Slavery;

2.    That a further update be presented to the Committee in six months time.

 

 
 
dot

Original Text: