Agenda and minutes
Venue: Board Rooms 3, 4 & 5 - Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ
Contact: Toby Howes, Senior Democratic Services Officer 020 8937 1307, Email: toby.howes@brent.gov.uk
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Declarations of interests Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda. Minutes: None declared. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 101 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 26 November 2014 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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Matters arising Minutes: None. |
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Safer Brent Partnership Annual Report 2013 - 2014 PDF 53 KB The Annual Report of the Safer Brent Partnership is attached for the committee’s consideration. The Safer Brent Partnership is the statutory community safety partnership established under section 5 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The council has a legal responsibility to consider the impact of crime and disorder in relation to council services and to collaborate with local partners to reduce crime, disorder, substance misuse and reoffending. The Scrutiny Committee is legally required to consider the work of the Safer Brent Partnership at least once during each municipal year. Additional documents: Minutes: Chris Williams (Head of Community Safety and Emergency Planning, Environment and Neighbourhoods) gave a presentation on the Safer Brent Partnership (SBP) that comprised of the council, Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, National Probation Service, Community Rehabilitation Company and NHS Brent Clinical Commissioning Group. Chris Williams advised that the six priorities for the SBP strategy for 2013 – 2014 were:
· Reducing crime · Reducing violence against women and girls · Reducing anti-social behaviour · Reducing the use and misuse of drugs and alcohol · Preventing and reducing youth offending and reoffending · Increasing confidence and satisfaction.
Chris Williams then referred to some of the success of the SBP’s work in 2013-14, including a reduction in robbery and burglary of 23% and having one of the highest performing partnerships on substance misuse in London. A successful ‘gang call-in’ in South Kilburn that involved engaging with the most problematic gang members had led to zero offences in this area since May 2014, whilst the Home Office had identified the SBP’s work on gangs as a ‘success story’. The SBP had also developed an increasingly successful Prevent Strategy to build resilience within the community against the threat of radicalisation. Members heard that there were also a number of initiatives that had been developed in 2013-14, including the establishment of a new Integrated Offender Management partnership, the commissioning of new domestic violence services and the development of new risk based models for anti-social behaviour to manage prolific offending and protect the most vulnerable victims. In addition, an innovative prostitution project had been commissioned to help sex workers exit from this lifestyle, whilst a Safer Neighbourhood Board had been established to hold the police to account for its performance by the public.
In respect of trends in Brent, Chris Williams advised that whilst crime overall was reducing, violence involving injury was increasing, as it was across London as a whole. The committee heard that town centres in the borough continued to be crime hotspots and Brent was a significant national gang hotspot, with many of its gangs operating all over the country. Domestic incidents were also on the increase, although there had not been a corresponding increase in reported domestic violence which was markedly more prevalent in the south of the borough. Chris Williams then informed members of the agreed priorities of the SBP for 2014-17, these being:
· Violence against women and girls · Gang related offending · Anti-social behaviour · Reducing reoffending
Chief Superintendent (Ch Supt) Mick Gallagher (Brent Borough Commander, Brent Metropolitan Police) then addressed the committee. Ch Supt Mick Gallagher advised that there were a number of ‘hotspots’ underpinning incidents of domestic abuse and invariably these were located in areas of high deprivation. The population in the borough was changing and had bought about increases in reports of domestic abuse in some areas, such as Kilburn. Members heard that domestic abuse across London was increasing and often women did not report abuse until it had happened on a number of occasions. However, reported domestic abuse in the borough had fallen ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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Interim feedback from the Budget Scrutiny Task Group PDF 107 KB The Budget Scrutiny Task group has held discussions with each of the Strategic Directors and the Deputy Leader regarding the proposed Budget options for 2015 – 2017. They will provide their initial feedback on the Budget options presented to Full Council in December which are currently the subject of consultation.
Minutes: Councillor A Choudry, Chair of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, introduced the report and invited Councillor Pavey (Deputy Leader of the Council) to respond to the draft task group report.
Councillor Pavey thanked members for the report and stated that he agreed with most of the points that it had raised. He welcomed the task group’s support for a two year budget that would provide more freedom of movement in the medium and longer term. Councillor Pavey then set out the areas in which he was in agreement with the report, in particular:
· The need for greater voluntary sector involvement · Focus on digital solutions · Attracting investment · Addressing issues relating to the number of interim and temporary council staff which were being looked at in each service area
In respect of prevention, Councillor Pavey advised that there were already a number of initiatives that were being undertaken, such as those in public health. Members heard that the Cabinet report on 15 December 2014 had been candid in terms of equalities implications and Councillor Pavey felt that the savings were feasible.
Councillor Pavey then stated that he did not agree with the comment in the task group report that there had been a limited choice in budget options, adding that there had been a far larger number of options outlined than was necessary and he felt they were realistic.
Members then discussed the task group report. A member sought clarification with regard to the total budget savings over the two year plan and whether the funding figures as set out in table one of the report included council tax receipts and were these receipts expected to increase. Another member asked if council tax receipts would increase due to the rising number of residents and properties in the borough. A question were raised as to whether there would be increased revenue from higher parking fines. On the subject of treasury activity, the total income raised from the last year was requested and was the figure comparable with other London boroughs such as Camden and Ealing. Views were sought on how robust and effective the consultation on the budget had been to date and could more be down to improve it. It was also commented that there had been a feeling amongst some residents that their feedback from the Borough Plan consultation had not been reflected in the budget proposals. Concerns were expressed that the council would not have the capacity to address the impact on vulnerable residents as a result of Government savings on healthcare and welfare benefits. In addition, it was asked what was expected from the voluntary sector to help in this area and whether it had the capacity to undertake this and were there any budget figures available on this. The committee asked if there were any anticipated or potential shortfalls based on spend so far this year and was the budget essentially on target. It was also queried whether changes were being made too quickly for the council to ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Scrutiny Committee Forward Plan 2014/15 PDF 50 KB The forward plan for the scrutiny committee is attached for members’ consideration. Minutes: Members discussed the Scrutiny Committee Forward Plan that was before them. For the 10 February meeting, it was agreed that the items on future of inpatient mental health services and the update on the working with families project and children’s social care be circulated for information only so as to allow for an item on winter resilience for the NHS Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to be added. It was also agreed that there should be a detailed presentation on Social Care performance at a future meeting. In respect of the Customer Access Strategy, consideration would given as to whether this would go the 11 March meeting or a later one and that it would include information on how it would impact upon different groups. Consideration would also be given as to whether NHS Brent CCG commissioning intentions could be added to the work programme. |
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Any other urgent business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services Manager or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 64. Minutes: None. |