SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (COMMUNITY WELLBEING
AND SAFETY)
MINUTES of a meeting held on 12th
March, 2007.
Present: Councillor Mrs. M.E.J.
Birch (Chairman); Councillor K.R. Stockdale (Vice-Chairman);
Councillors R.J. Bertin, Ms. R.M. Birch, Ms. L. Burnett, Mrs. J.E.
Charles, P. Church, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey, H.J.W. James, G.C. Kemp,
Mrs. A.J. Moore, Mrs. A.J. Preston, B.I. Shaw and J.W. Thomas.
Also present:
Councillors S.C. Egan, G.John, N. Moore and
Mrs M.R.Wilkinson.
901
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE –
These were received from Councillors A.G.
Powell and W.C. Vaughan.
902
MINUTES -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the
meeting held on 12th February, 2007 be approved as a
correct record.
903
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -
There were no declarations received.
904
REPORT OF A MEETING - HOUSING SUB-COMMITTEE: 15TH
FEBRUARY, 2007 -
The following report of a meeting of the
Housing Sub-Committee held on 15th February, 2007 was
received:
Present: Councillor K.R.
Stockdale (Chairman); Councillors Mrs. M.E.J. Birch, Ms. R.M.
Birch, R.J. Bertin, Mrs. J.E. Charles, P. Church, Mrs. A.J. Preston
and J.W. Thomas.
Also present: Councillors G.
John and E. Hacker.
(a)
Apologies for absence -
No apologies were received.
(b)
Minutes -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the
meeting held on 18th January, 2007 be approved as a
correct record.
(c)
Declarations of Interest -
No declarations were received.
(d)
Penarth Central Renewal Area: Progress Report (DCS)
-
John Hardy, Principal Housing Renewal and
Grants Officer, indicated that the
Penarth Central Renewal Area (PCRA) was
shown to meet the necessary criteria and conditions for declaration
of a renewal area as set out in Section 90(1) of the Local
Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Directions, Specifications
and Determinations in Annex C1 of Welsh Office Circular
59/96. Following the allocation of Supplementary Credit
Approval from the Welsh Assembly Government, the PCRA was declared
by Council resolution on 1st November, 2000. The
renewal area had a life of 10 years.
The aims of a renewal area were
to:
·
improve housing
·
improve general amenities and the local environment
·
develop partnerships
·
increase community and market confidence
·
maximise external investment into the area
·
reverse the decline of an area.
The declaration of a renewal area
signalled the recognition of a local community’s problems and the
Council commitment to a long term programme of sustainable
activity. Group Repair Schemes were the main tool of renewal
areas and involved the complete renovation of the external envelope
of a group of houses and flats in one project. Renewal areas
also incorporated wider regeneration issues with community and
environmental benefits that enhanced the appearance of an
area.
In recognition of the wider regeneration
issues and following the appointment of a Renewal Area Officer, a
new management structure was established to facilitate corporate
leadership of the initiatives with the aim of “joined up” working
by the Council and its many partners. A Steering Group was
used to prioritise schemes and determine an Action Plan for the
area. Schemes were proposed by the Area Renewal Groups with
comments and active participation of the Old Penarth Community
Forum (OPCF). Housing, Environmental and Community Renewal
Area Groups had been established to identify the needs of the local
community and to develop and implement projects to meet them.
Community and environmental projects were presented to the Old
Penarth Community Forum, at the local residents group for comments
and to the Renewal Area Steering Group for prioritisation and
allocation of funding. The OPCF had been extremely effective
in prioritising and allocating suitable funding for the projects
and the Steering Group had fully endorsed their decisions.
The Forum had also raised funds to match-fund some of the schemes
making the Council’s budget go further. They had also been
consulted in relation to the Penarth Heights development.
Since the start of the renewal area, a
number of new businesses had opened and privately financed schemes
had been carried out. These included the Charlie Power
Entertainment Agency in Glebe Street, a new hairdresser and beauty
salon in Glebe Street, new build town houses in Coronation Terrace,
the conversion of the Royal Hotel in Arcot Street into flats with
coach houses to the rear, the redevelopment of Belle View Court
into 6 apartments and new build of 2 houses in Salop
Street.
The works in the renewal area were funded
by annual bids to the Welsh Assembly Government and the Council’s
capital programme. Consultation had been integral to the
entire renewal area process with the Environmental and Community
Area Renewal Groups generating multiple projects and the Old
Penarth Community Forum prioritising and allocating the funding for
the projects. The focus of action in the area would help to
address health inequalities, social exclusion and other issues
affecting the health and wellbeing of the residents in and around
the Penarth Central Renewal Area.
Resources had been allocated for a
neighbourhood renewal assessment to determine whether the area
between Dock View Road and Holton Road from the Gladstone Road
Bridge to Hill Street met the criteria to be declared a renewal
area. This study was being combined with a town centre living
study, which would examine the shopping area of Holton Road to
formulate a sustainable Strategy, Action Plan and Programme of
Regeneration which would create a location where town centre living
was an attractive option. The study would also seek to
identify options and a preferred mechanism to create a coherent
critical mass of shops that was sustainable and which included
converting surplus retail floor space to other sustainable and
attractive uses where appropriate.
A report was likely to be completed by the
end of 2007. If another renewal area was to be declared it
was expected that there would be an overlap with the Penarth
Central Renewal Area. As the Penarth project came to a
conclusion it was hoped the new renewal area could
commence.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T
H A T the progress to date be noted and the Principal Housing
Renewal and Grants Officer be thanked for his informative and
interesting presentation.
(2) T
H A T a site visit be arranged to view the improvements in the
Penarth Central Renewal Area.
(e)
Private Sector Property Appreciation Loans (DCS) -
Capital allocation to private sector
housing renewal had declined and as a consequence, the Council had
prioritised its budgets and limited the availability of grant aid
to Disabled Facilities Grants and properties in the Penarth Central
Renewal Area. The last renovation grant that was awarded
outside these criteria was in July 2003. Since this time the
Council had no mechanism by which to assist vulnerable owners who
were struggling to maintain their homes and across the Vale there
were many properties falling into disrepair.
The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance)
(England and Wales) Order 2002 enabled local authorities to offer
various forms of assistance to their communities to assist housing
renewal. By utilising this legislation the Council could
offer loan products to its clients. To explore this
opportunity further and develop a private loan scheme, the Council
joined with other South Wales authorities to form the South Wales
Loans Consortium. Ms. Elen Probert, Environmental Health
Officer for Cardiff Council, had been joint funded by the local
authorities which formed the Consortium, Swansea, Cardiff,
Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Torfaen, to consider a number of
options to deliver a pilot loan scheme:
·
the administration of loans by the Council
·
one local authority providing the service with other local
authorities tapping into this expertise
·
working with a third party to administer loans on behalf of the
Council.
In view of the lack of financial expertise
available within the local authorities in the Consortium, the third
option had been the preferred choice and the Consortium had been in
consultation with ART Home Ltd.
ART Homes Ltd. was a not-for-profit
special purpose organisation. It had been established in 2000
by Aston Reinvestment Trust and was supported by Birmingham City
Council. It had since been taken over by Mercian Housing
Association. The primary purpose of the organisation was to
offer financial assistance to low income homeowners who were not
able to secure affordable loans on the high street to repair and
maintain their property. ART Homes Ltd. was the only special
purpose organisation of this kind offering loan products and
services across the UK. It was currently working with 12
local authorities across the Midlands, Merseyside, Scotland and
Wales. To date the organisation had completed over £4.5
million of loans. ART Homes Ltd. continue to research the
market and develop products suitable for the clients and local
authorities it served. The main product ART Homes Ltd.
offered was the Property Appreciation Loan (PAL).
Working with ART Homes Ltd. had several
advantages over the other options which included the
following:
·
The offering of financial assistance was regulated by the
Financial Standards Agency (the FSA). ART Homes Ltd. had FSA
approval. This approval not only acted to protect the
client’s financial well-being but also offered protections, and
reduced the risks, to the Council’s reputation from mis-selling and
maladministration.
·
The area of lending being considered was specialised. ART
Homes Ltd. had expertise in this area having developed products to
specifically meet the needs of the client base. Working in
partnership with ART Homes Ltd. would enable the Council to utilise
this expertise and again reduce the risks of mis-selling and
maladministration.
·
ART Homes Ltd. worked with several local authorities and had
been doing so for over 5 years. This had enabled the
organisation to gain experience working with local authorities,
their process, procedures and rules. This experience would
enhance the partnership working relationship between the Council
and ART Homes Ltd. to the benefit of the service provided to
clients.
The PAL was basically a mortgage and would
only be available to households on a low income who were not able
to access funding from high street lenders. The PAL enabled
the client to borrow the free equity they held in their home.
The client’s property was valued and the amount they could borrow
was calculated. When the loan was offered to the client it
was secured as a percentage of the property’s value as a registered
charge. The loan had no monthly repayments and relied upon
the exchange of the property’s ownership for repayment. The
interest the loan gathered was not based on a standard interest
rate, or APR, but was based upon the increase in value of the
house. The loan could only be used to finance work to repair
and maintain the client’s property. However, it could also
support the Disabled Facilities Grant by financing the cost of
works above the mandatory grant of £30k., client contributions and
discretionary works.
The sustainable scheme would require
Council funding from the Consortium. Each member would need
to give money to ART Homes Ltd. as a grant who in turn would ring
fence that funding as a loan fund for that particular local
authority. When loans were recovered the money would be
returned to the original loan fund for re-use in offering
assistance to further clients in that local authority’s area.
It was through this recycling that the burden on a local
authority’s capital resources would be reduced. However,
because this recycling relied upon property sale and house price
rises, at present no estimation could be given about the timescales
involved to model the impact of recycling. A capital bid of
£50,000 had been made through the Council’s bidding process to
enable loans to be offered across the Vale.
In addition to capital funding the local
scheme would require revenue funding. ARTS Homes Ltd. would
offer their services in a pilot for a fixed cost. This cost
would include the cost of development, set up fees and the
administration of a set number of loan referrals. The number
of loan referrals would be calculated from the grant given to ART
Homes Ltd. and the estimated average cost of a loan.
In addition to ART Homes Ltd. contract
there would be additional revenue costs to both the Council and the
client. For the clients ART Homes Ltd. charge for the
property’s valuation and solicitors fees. These fees would be
approximately £400/£500 per application. It was the local
authority’s discretion as to whether the fees were added to the
loan or the local authority paid them as a grant. In the Vale
it was likely that it would be recommended that the fees be
included in the loan.
The Welsh Assembly Government were seeking
to contribute 25% of the resources the Council would be committing
to the two year pilot scheme. A survey by one of the members
of the Consortium found that 30.3% of owner occupiers would be
prepared to release equity from their home under certain
circumstances and 11% of owner occupiers stated that they would be
prepared to use equity release under all circumstances.
Results showed households living in older dwellings were more
willing to use equity to fund repairs. Loan parents or
households with children were more willing to use equity schemes
whilst pensioners were less willing.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T
H A T the Scrutiny Committee (Community Wellbeing and Safety) be
requested to recommend to Cabinet that the concept of Private
Sector Property Appreciation Loans be supported and capital funding
be considered by the Budget Working Group.
(2) T
H A T Ms. Elen Probert be thanked for her attendance at the meeting
to update Members on the Property Appreciation Loans pilot
project.
Reason for recommendation
(1) In order to pilot the Property
Appreciation Loan to the most vulnerable homeowners throughout the
Vale of Glamorgan.
___________________
Having considered the report the Scrutiny
Committee (Community Wellbeing and Safety)
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the report be accepted.
(2) T H A
T in respect of Minute (e) recommendation (1) - Private Sector
Property Appreciation Loans - Cabinet be recommended to
support the concept of Private Sector Property Appreciation Loans
and Capital Funding be considered by the Budget Working Group.
905
REVENUE AND CAPITAL MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL,
2006 TO 31ST JANUARY, 2007 -
The report before Committee advised that the
current forecast for services within the Committee’s remit was for
a surplus of £150,000 on the Housing Revenue Account budget and a
deficit £4,634,000 on General Fund Services. It was also
noted that there was an unresolved arbitration case with a Care
Home provider within the Vale, the decision of which was expected
soon. The Interim Manager for Social Services advised that the
Department was currently in negotiations with the provider to reach
an “out of court” settlement as suggested by the arbitration
hearing. He agreed to keep Members apprised of the situation on a
regular basis.
In respect of the Housing Revenue Account, the
report noted that the account was anticipated to outturn with a
surplus of £157,000 which was £150,000 more than anticipated.
The surplus was largely due to staff vacancies and additional
rental income as a result of the Right to Buy sales being less than
anticipated. Members raised concerns in respect of the number
of staff vacancies and were advised that the freeze on posts had
been lifted. In respect of Private Sector Housing, the current
estimate was to underspend by £200,000 at the year end which was
also mainly due to staff vacancies.
The Children’s Services budget was showing a
projected deficit of £1,481,000 which was mainly attributed to the
current projected cost of children’s external placements (£1.251m.)
and Court expenses (£0.166m.). The probable outturn for
Community Care and Health showed a deficit of £2,558,000 which was
reported as mainly due to an over commitment on the provision of
community care. The projected deficit did not however take
account of the costs that could be incurred as a result of the
arbitration case with the care home provider.
The Interim Manager for Social Services
advised that the Department was currently in the process of
reassessing services, and their value for money. Further work
was also being undertaken on the following:
§
to consider reducing dependence on independent fostering
agencies
§
to reassess all Out of County Placements to ensure that they meet
the clients’ needs;
§
to look at all other Children’s Placements and ensure that they
meet the needs of the child;
The Interim Manager also advised Committee
that he wished to discuss in detail with Members the role of the
Council as a parent and he would report to a future meeting on this
matter.
In undertaking the change process, the Cabinet
Member for Social and Care Services was asked whether he was
confident that the figure of £2m.that had been quoted could be
achieved He responded by advising that the next 2 - 3
years would be a difficult time for the Council however he was
confident that £2m. could be achieved and that closer working
arrangements with outside organisations including the Voluntary
Sector and the Health Service could facilitate this.
The report noted that the Catering budget was
also showing a projected deficit of £130,000 due to losses incurred
by the Trading Account as a result of a decrease in the number of
meals being provided and increased pressures in meeting Assembly
requirements on nutritional standards.
Appendix 2 to the report detailed the
financial progress on the Capital Programme as at 31st
January, 2007.
The Committee was advised that for Housing
Services a recent report had been sent to the Welsh Assembly
Government detailing the use of the available 2006/07 funding of
£2.7m. Cabinet had been requested to approve the inclusion of
the balance of £0.3m. in the Capital Programme in order that
further major improvement works could be completed in the current
financial year. At the 14th February 2007 meeting
of Council, approval had been granted for a virement of £78,000 to
fund Disabled Facilities grants within the Penarth Renewal
Area. A further £8,000 had also been included in the Capital
Programme for Building Safer Communities 2006/07. The funding
had been secured from the Home Office to install a security gate at
Barry Island car park entrance in order to reduce crime and
disorder. The Capital Programme had also been amended to
reflect the grant of £169,323 from the Welsh Assembly in respect of
Flying Start which was a WAG initiative to improve the life chances
of children by targeting services at 0-4 year olds living in the
most deprived areas.
Appendix 3 to the report provided
non-financial information on capital schemes. The report
further highlighted that the overspend of £4.634m. would have to be
met from the General Fund balance. However, the General Fund
balance at 31st March, 2007, was predicted to stand at
about £4m. and as a result a substantial amount of the overspend
would have to be found by un-earmarking specific reserves as would
any cost resulting from the arbitration report. Members
queried the funds that would be un-earmarked to deal with the
overspend and were advised that at the year end, the Council would
be able to consider its financial position and make the necessary
recommendations to Cabinet as to which reserves could be
un-earmarked.
The significant costs in relation to Harbour
View were of great concern to Members but they were advised that an
application had recently been made for planning permission on the
site. During the discussion Members also suggested that an
Air Quality Assessment should be completed on the site and on all
new future high density developments.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the Revenue and Capital Monitoring report for the period
1st April 2006 to 31st January 2007 be
noted.
(2) T H A
T the Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources) be requested to
recommend that an Air Quality Assessment on the Penarth Heights
development site be undertaken and that studies also be made when
new developments are proposed within the Vale of Glamorgan.
Reasons for Recommendations
(1) To apprise Members.
(2) To ensure Health matters are
addressed.
906 THIRD QUARTER
PERFORMANCE MONITORING REPORTS -
The Third Quarter Performance Monitoring
information was presented to the Committee. The reports
contained details of PI performance whether achieved or not.
Children and Family Services and Community
Care and Health
The Interim Manger for Social Services
commented that in his opinion a number of the Performance
Indicators did not provide Members with the most useful information
with which to scrutinise the service. Descriptions for some
PI’s would also be useful in order to understand the PI and he
suggested that the reports be amended to provide Members with more
meaningful information.
The Operational Manager – Corporate Policy and
Communications advised that a new software package was being
developed throughout Wales in the form of a ‘traffic light system’
which would be more user friendly, suitable and quicker for
Members. The system would also be available on the website and
training would be provided. It was envisaged that the system
would be “up and running” by September 2007.
Members raised concern as to the assumption
under some of the Performance Indicators that the Council was not
adhering to its statutory obligations.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the changes to the reporting format for Performance Management
Information be welcomed.
(2) T H A
T the reports be noted.
Reasons for Recommendations
(1&2) To apprise
Members.
Strategy Performance Management and
Commissioning
The Head of Service presented the report and
advised that under sub ref 4 the Local Commissioning group had been
suspended by joint agreement.
RECOMMENDED -
T H AT the performance monitoring report
be noted.
Reason for Recommendation
(1) To apprise Members.
907 EXIT INTERVIEWS
-
The Committee had previously requested to
receive an annual update on Exit Interviews which had been
undertaken within the Community Services Directorate.
The report outlined that the Council had
implemented an Exit Interview System in September 2002 which
enabled leavers / transferees to comment on their reasons for
leaving their current employment. Since August 2004, the
process had been undertaken as detailed below:
§
Exit Questionnaires - a questionnaire was sent by Human Resources
and Equalities to all leavers / transferees for completion.
The system enabled easy analysis and feedback from the written
questions;
§
Exit Interviews - an employee may request an exit interview to
complete the questionnaire with a Line Manager or a Personnel
Officer.
It was noted that within the Directorate of
Community Services, all leavers / transferees were encouraged to
complete an Exit Interview. The findings of both the
questionnaire and interview were fed back to individual managers in
order that issues could be addressed within a particular
team. The findings were also collated to determine if there
were any issues which needed to be addressed across the whole
Directorate.
During the period 1st January 2005
to December 2005, there had been 188 leavers within Community
Services, of which 99 were voluntary resignations, as compared to
87 voluntary resignations the previous year. The
remainder it was reported had left the service for the following
reasons:
§
Ill health
§
Voluntary early retirement
§
Retirement
§
Voluntary redundancy
§
End of temporary contracts
§
Transfer to other employers.
The report also highlighted that in some
instances there were “hard to fill” posts which were due to
national shortages and local issues. The report summarised
that the main reasons for staff leaving their jobs were detailed as
below:
§
Personal / family / social reasons
§
Salary improvement
§
Career development
§
Better working conditions.
Members welcomed the report and requested that
consideration be given to identifying ways in which the numbers of
those participating in Exit Interviews could be increased.
One suggestion was to offer support to an employee, for someone to
accompany them to an interview and that awareness be raised of exit
interviews and their importance to the service. Members also
wished to receive more detailed information in respect of the
interviews and were advised that this would be forwarded to them in
due course.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Committee welcomed
the report and that the findings be noted.
Reason for Recommendation
(1) To apprise Members.
908
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE MONITORING -
The Third Quarter Performance Monitoring
report was presented by the Head of Service and detailed the
actions, reasons for slippage and the corrective actions required,
together with a summary of PI performance.
Committee raised concern in respect the
number of people who were living with relatives or sleeping on
friends’ floors and as such were not classed as homeless as a
result. The Head of Service advised that the department would
be looking into this area aswell as considering new initiatives for
example leasing properties to assist with the homelessness issue.
Members were also pleased to note that to date no families from the
Vale had had to be placed out of county in bed and breakfast
accommodation.
It was also noted that a policy review of
Homes 4 U would shortly be undertaken which would initially be
reported to the Housing Sub - committee and then to the Scrutiny
Committee.
In respect of affordable housing Members
proposed that officers pursue the possibility with developers of
increasing the percentage from 20% to an appropriate figure when
future developments are proposed.
The Head of Service also advised that the Work
of the Councils Homeless Prevention Team had been commended by
Excellence Wales at their second awards ceremony on 9th
March 2007. The Team had been commended under the category “ Our
Homes – Homelessness Services and Related Support “ and had been
awarded a hand crafted sculpture.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T a letter
be forwarded to the members of the Homeless Prevention Team
offering the Committees congratulations on their award from
Excellence Wales.
(2) T H A T the
Planning Committee be requested to recommend that officers pursue
with developers increasing the affordable housing percentage on
future site developments.
(3) T H A T the Performance
monitoring report be noted.
Reasons for Recommendations
(2) To pursue an increase in the
percentage of affordable housing.
(3) To apprise Members.
909
IMPROVEMENT REVIEWS 2007/08 (CX) -
The purpose of the report was to seek
endorsement from the Scrutiny Committee to suspend Scrutiny Reviews
undertaken by the Improvement and Development Team from the Forward
Work Programme in order to support the actions for which the team
members had a role within the Social Services Change Plan.
All Scrutiny Committees would be receiving the report during the
month of March.
As a result of the impact of the significant
overspend on Social Care Services, it had affected all other
service areas and there was therefore an urgent need to undertake
the work outlined in the Social Services Change Plan. The
Forward Work programme for each Scrutiny Committee would normally
be agreed during April of each year and would include a number of
reviews covering their respective areas. However, with the
impact of the Social Services Change Plan on the Improvement
Development Team, the reviews had been reduced. It was noted
that the Change Plan would be reported to the Scrutiny Committee
(Community Wellbeing and Safety) and also the Scrutiny Committee
(Corporate Resources).
Members noted the contents of the report but
relayed their concerns at the reduced support for the role of
Scrutiny over the forthcoming 12 months. However they
accepted that the Social Services change plan required extensive
assistance but considered that it should not be at the expense of
Scrutiny Reviews. It was noted that the Scrutiny Committee Economy
and Environment had itself established a number of Task and Finish
Groups where significant Member involvement was evidenced and
Committee considered that this was a proactive way forward.
RECOMMENDED –
T H A T the Committee recognises the need for
the Improvement and Development Team to be involved in the Social
Services Change Plan and that the Committees work programme, to be
confirmed at the next meeting, be considered with regard to the
report.
Reason for recommendation
To ensure that the Social Services Change Plan
is supported and the Scrutiny committees work programme
considered.