Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J L King and A N Stokes.

It was noted that the Chief Executive, having received notice under Regulation 13 of the Local Government (Committee and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, had appointed Councillor T R Ashton to replace Cllr A N Stokes for this meeting only.

No declarations of members’ interest were made at this stage of the proceedings.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny meeting held on 19 April 2022 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Executive Councillors, Executive Support Councillors and Senior Officers.

(To receive a report from Many Ramm, Funding and Investment Manager, Infrastructure Investment and Thea Croxall, Adult Learning & Skills Manager, Economic Development, which invites the Committee to consider a report regarding the Multiple Adult Numeracy Programme in Lincolnshire, which is due to be considered by the Executive Councillor for Economic Development, Environment and Planning between 13 – 17 June 2022.  The views of the Committee will be passed on to the Executive Councillor as part of their consideration of this item)

Consideration was given to a report from Mandy Ramm, Funding and Investment Manager, Infrastructure Investment, which invited the Committee to consider the Multiply Adult Numeracy Programme in Lincolnshire, which was due to be considered by the Executive Councillor for Economic Development, Environment and Planning between 13 and 17 June 2022.

The Chairman invited Mandy Ramm, Funding and Investment Manager, Infrastructure Investment, to present the item to the Committee.

In guiding the Committee through the Executive report detailed at Appendix A, reference was made to: the County Council’s appointment as Lead Body for the Multiply Adult Numeracy Programme, and the requirement of the Council to submit an Investment Plan to the Department for Education by 30 June 2022, to  outline how the £4m will be spent in the county; that the new numeracy provision would be targeted at residents aged 19 years and over who did not have grade C/level 4 or above in GCSE maths; the benefits of the programme as a key component of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda to ensure that by 2030 a number of people would have successfully completed high quality skills training; numeracy in Lincolnshire, details of which were provided at paragraph 1.7 of the report; the intended benefits of the Multiply Programme in Lincolnshire; and details of the funding allocation spend.

In conclusion, the Committee noted that the £4m Multiply Programme provided an excellent investment opportunity to improve adult numeracy provision within Lincolnshire and provided a variety of benefits to drive wider skill provision in the county.  It was noted that this was in line with the Council Plan objectives particularly around enhancing the skills of the county’s communities and meeting the needs of businesses and the economy.

During discussion, the Committee raised some of the following comments:

·       Officers clarified that every upper tier council across England had received an allocation for the programme based on need.  Confirmation was given that officers had liaised with peers across East Midlands, and had participated in several webinars that the Department for Education had organised for Local Authorities to keep informed of developing and innovative activity and to share best practice;

·       Members were pleased to hear that the plans took into consideration engaging individuals furthest from the labour market and those who were expected to be reluctant to step forward and engage, due to negative social perceptions relevant to the lack of numeracy skills.  It was noted that this would be achieved in the first instance in collaboration with employers (particularly smaller ones) to address the lack of numeracy and literacy skills of employees, incorporated into activities undertaken as part of their work duties (e.g., money management, stock control, weighing and measuring, cookery etc).  Officers reassured the Committee that all different ways of engaging and working with community organisations were being explored.  It was highlighted that pilot activity funded through the Councils UK Community Renewal Funding award would be used to inform approaches to delivering the programme.  This included Abbey Access Training, which led a consortium of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

(To receive a report from Monica Stark, Chair Citizens Advice Lincs and Jenny Barnett, Chief Officer Citizens Advice Lindsey, which provides the Committee with an update on the performance of Citizens Advice services across Lincolnshire during 2021/22)

The Committee considered a report, which provided the Committee with an update on the performance of Citizens Advice services across Lincolnshire during 2021/22.  The information provided by Citizens Advice Lincolnshire provided members of the Committee with an understanding of demand levels across a range of services, and the impact achieved from the grant funding provided by the Council to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire.

The Chairman invited Monica Stark, Chair Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire, and Citizens Advice Lincolnshire (CAL) Liaison with the County Council and Jenny Barnett, Chief Executive Officer, CA Lindsey and cover for CA Lincoln and District to present the item to the Committee.  Michelle Andrews, Assistant Director, Integrated Care System was also in attendance for this item.

In a presentation to the Committee, reference was made to:

·       It was reported that AdviceLine had seen a significant increase in the number of calls it was dealing with, which was mainly due to cost of living enquiries.  It was highlighted that demand for the service was unable to be met, due to a lack of resource. Details pertaining to AdviceLine were included on page 28 of the report.  It was highlighted that of the 42,224 calls made by Lincolnshire residents to Adviceline, only 15,428 (36%) calls were able to be answered;

·       The Committee was advised that there had also been an increase in accessing the core service, and the number of clients supported with debt issues.  Details of which were shown on pages 29 and 30 of the report. It was reported that there had also been some trends for increased support regarding Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Housing Benefit; 

·       The Committee was advised that CA worked in partnership with organisations in Lincolnshire, and that partnership working was key going forward, and that more needed to be done across Lincolnshire.  Some of the CAL’s current partnerships included: foodbanks locally and nationally through work with the Trussell Trust; membership of the Lincolnshire County Council Financial Inclusion Partnership; District Councils to distribute Housing Support Fund and support for refugees and asylum seekers.  It was highlighted that the CAL was hoping to work with the NHS, to provide advice in health settings;

·       The value of the service to society.  It was highlighted that it was impossible to set out a financial value on everything, but where the service could it had used a treasury approved model to do this.  The service was also able to separately consider the financial benefits to the people helped and the community;

·       Research and Campaigns.  The Committee noted that some of the campaigns for the year had focussed on Universal Credit, Scams, Pension Credit, access to free legal advice, big energy savings; domestic abuse; and housing; and

·       Reference was also made to a case study; the help provided; and feedback received from clients about the service.  Details of which were shown on page 44 of the report presented.

During consideration of this item, the Committee made some of the following comments:

·       Thanks were extended for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

(To receive a report by Kiara Chatziioannou, 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)

The Chairman invited Kiara Chatziioannou, Scrutiny Officer, to present the report, which invited the Committee to review the work programme as detailed on pages 52 to 55 of the report pack and to highlight any additional scrutiny activity to be included for consideration in the work programme.

Appendix A to the report provided the Committee with an extract from the Executive Forward Plan relating to the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee was advised that the 19 July agenda would now be: Service Level Performance Reporting against Performance Framework for 2021/22 – Quarter Four; the Integrated Risk Management Plan for 2020 to 2024, Yearly Update;  Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, Proposed Changes to Duty Arrangements;  Fire and Rescue Service Attendance at Flooding Incidents – Annual Report on Performance;  Libraries Year 6 Update (2021/22,) Progress and Development, which would include an update on the Ermine Library Hub; and the Committee sitting as the Crime and Disorder Committee would also be receiving a report regarding the Re-Commissioning of Domestic Abuse Services, which was a pre-decision item.

It was also highlighted that for the 20 September 2022 meeting, the Committee would be receiving a further update report from the Fire and Rescue Service concerning Duty Arrangements; and that Serious and Organised Crime Fraud and Modern-Day Slavery had been removed from the September 2022 Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee agenda.

During consideration of this item, the Committee put forward the following comments/suggestions:-

·       The potential attendance of the Police Commissioner at a future meeting to discuss the concerns regarding public confidence in the police.  The Committee was advised by the Executive Councillor for People Management. Legal and Corporate Property that he was the Council’s representative on the Police and Crime Panel, and that he was happy to raise any concerns from the Committee.

RESOLVED

That the work programme presented be received subject to the inclusion/deletion of the items mentioned above.

The meeting of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee ended at 11:44am.

(To receive a report from Vicky Salmon, Community Safety Strategy Co-ordinator, which provides the Committee with an update on the work taking place within Lincolnshire County Council to reduce the impact of fraud, as a host and contributing partner to the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership Crime and Disorder Priority Group)

SITTING AS THE CRIME AND DISORDER SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Consideration was given to a report from Vicky Salmon, Community Safety Strategy Co-ordinator, which provided the Committee with an update on the work taking place within Lincolnshire County Council to reduce the impact of fraud, as a host and contributing partner to the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership Crime and Disorder Priority Group.

The Chairman invited Vicky Salmon, Community Safety Strategy Co-ordinator, to present the item to the Committee.

During the presentation, the Committee were made aware of:

·       Fraud being a priority for the Council and the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership (SLP);

·       Reference was made to the prevalence of fraud in Lincolnshire and to the fact there had been a 27% rise in fraud offences in the last year; 

·       The effect of fraud on vulnerable residents, reference was made to the Councils responsibilities under the Care Act to protect adults;

·       Technology advances that were transforming fraud, examples given were romance fraud perpetrated on social media or through dating apps and investment fraud committed through fake websites and cloned websites;

·       Prevention activity, it was noted that engagement had been made on social and traditional media, training had been provided to frontline staff, and officers had attended community events.  It was noted further that another key part of the Councils prevention activity was the partnership working with Lincolnshire Police in forming a Safter Together Partnership, and as part of that Partnership, a Fraud Prevention Officer had been appointed within Lincolnshire Police, and their job was to focus on prevention activity across the County, and complement the post hosted within the Council of a Scams Prevention and Intervention Officer; and

·       Partnership working arrangements in place to tackle fraud.  It was highlighted that partnership working was key, and that no one organisation could tackle fraud alone.  Reference was made to Lincolnshire being a founding partner in the pilot for the Home Office Multi-Agency approach to Fraud, which had led to the establishment of the SLP Fraud Core Priority Group, which comprised of a wide membership from a range of organisations.  It was highlighted that it was essential to make sure that victims of fraud received centred support, to help avoid repeat victimisation, but to also help support their health and wellbeing.  It was highlighted further that during the last year the Scams and Prevention Intervention Officer had supported 70 individuals who were considered the most vulnerable.

In conclusion, the Committee noted that the report demonstrated the Council’s contribution to the fraud agenda within the County and the steps being taken to keep vulnerable people safe.  Members of the Committee were encouraged to look at additional information on fraud and scams by completing the online learning course, and then ‘Take a Stand Against Scams’.

During discussion of this item, the Committee raised some of the following comments:

·       Clarification was given that the Fraud Prevention Officer within Lincolnshire Police, was responsible for delivering community based activity and training and that the figure for the number of training sessions provided  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.