Agenda and minutes

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

The Board received the following supplementary information that was subsequently made available on the Council’s website:

·  A breakdown of Council funded Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) per Ward. (Minute no. 36 refers)

The Board also received the following exempt supplementary information:

·  Police Community Support Officers in Leeds – background relating to current city-wide allocation.  (Minute no. 36 refers)

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during part of agenda item 8, ‘Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Leeds – background relating to current city-wide allocation’, which has been designated as containing exempt information, as defined in Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4 (7) ‘information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime’. (Minute No. 36 refers)

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests declared to the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

An apology for absence was submitted by Councillor D Collins.

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2015.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2015 be approved as a correct record.

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the progress made in responding to the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Inquiry on tackling domestic violence and abuse.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which outlined the progress made from the Scrutiny Inquiry aimed at tackling domestic violence and abuse.

The following were in attendance for this item:

-  Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Housing

-  Supt Sam Millar, Chief Officer (Community Safety)

-  Gail Faulkner, Head of Social Work, Children’s Social Work Services

-  Louise Hackett, Domestic Violence Breakthrough Programme Lead, Safer Leeds.

The key areas of discussion were:

·  An update on support for male and same sex victims of domestic violence.

·  Ongoing initiatives to address adolescent to parent abuse, with particular reference to the PACT programme which had now received additional Family Valued funding to help increase capacity.

·  The newly established Front Door Safeguarding Hub which aimed to provide an immediate pro-active response to all high risk cases.

·  Advocacy and support to those victims which required school places for their children.

·  The new perpetrator programme funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner which was expected to be available in Leeds from December 2015. 

The status of recommendations were agreed as follows:

·  Recommendation 1 – It was agreed by the Scrutiny Board in February 2015 that this recommendation had been agreed

·  Recommendation 2 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 3 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 4 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 5 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 6 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 7 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 8 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 9 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 10 – It was agreed by the Scrutiny Board in February 2015 that this recommendation had been agreed

·  Recommendation 11 – It was agreed by the Scrutiny Board in February 2015 that this recommendation had been agreed

·  Recommendation 12 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 13 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 14 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 15 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 16 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable.  Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 17 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable.  Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 18 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 19 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 20 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 21 – It was agreed by the Scrutiny Board in February 2015 that this recommendation had been agreed

·  Recommendation 22 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 23 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 24 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 25 – Not fully implemented (Progress made acceptable. Continue monitoring)

·  Recommendation 26 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 27 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 28 – Achieved

·  Recommendation 29 – Achieved.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the above status of recommendations be approved.

(b)  That a further tracking report be brought back to the Board before the end of the municipal year.

To consider a report from the Director of Environment and Housing presenting a series of summaries of community safety related issues identified by the Scrutiny Board.

The Director of Environment and Housing submitted a report which presented a series of summaries of community safety related issues identified by the Scrutiny Board.

The following were in attendance:

-  Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Housing

-  Supt Sam Millar, Chief Officer (Community Safety)

The key areas of discussion were:

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)

·  The role of West Yorkshire Trading Standards in tackling NPS.

·  The need to review best practice of other local authorities in tackling this issue.

·  Making best use of existing legislation to adopt a proactive response to tackling NPS.  The Board requested to be kept informed of progress linked to the new Psychoactive Substances Bill, due to be law in early 2016, and the implications surrounding the new legislative powers.

·  An update on the police response to NPS at local festivals.

Human Trafficking

·  An update on human trafficking in Leeds. The Board noted that West Yorkshire Police had undertaken a major investigation over the last 18 months involving an organised operation.

·  Initiatives in place to address the interconnected safeguarding issues.

·  The important role of the UK Border Agency in terms of working more closely with partners in tackling human trafficking.

Prostitution

·  A continuing decline of visible prostitution in terms of street sex work.

·  The need for greater intelligence regarding the extent of indoor sex work and impacts on individuals, families, businesses and communities.

·  An update on progress made in tackling prostitution in Holbeck and the effectiveness of a managed area approach.

·  The need for more practical support to address issues in the Holbeck area.  In particular, the need to invest more street cleansing resources and improve pathways to housing support for individuals wanting to exit prostitution.  It was requested that the directorate formulates proposals aimed at addressing the additional support needs of the Holbeck area and reports this back to the Scrutiny Board by the next Community Safety themed meeting.

·  Concern about the responsiveness of the 101 non-emergency service.

·  Acknowledgement of the positive work undertaken by the Third Sector in engaging with sex workers, particularly in terms of improving relationships with the Police and increasing confidence to report a wide range of safeguarding concerns. 

Leedswatch

·  Confirmation that concerns had been expressed by Community Committees about the costs levied by BT for cameras in their areas.  The Board was advised that the service was aiming to move towards a more cost effective solution in 2018 when the current contract came to an end.

·  The Board requested to receive a scoping report outlining potential future options for delivery of this service.  Linked to this, the Board also requested comparator information in terms of CCTV systems operated by other local authorities.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)

·  The current allocation and deployment of Council funded PCSOs across Leeds.

·  That the original cohort of 294 budgeted PCSOs at the beginning of 2014/15 had continued to reduce as vacancies were not being filled (the current number of PCSOs across Leeds is now 230). However, it was noted that vacancies involving  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

To consider the Board’s work schedule for the forthcoming municipal year.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which invited Members to consider the Board’s work schedule for the 2015/16 municipal year.

The Board received a brief verbal update on migration following a discussion at the most recent meeting of Scrutiny Board (Citizens and Communities).  It was highlighted that the minutes to the meeting would be shared with Board Members.

In relation to the Board’s request to set up a working group meeting regarding the provision of PCSOs, the Chair advised that arrangements for this meeting would be made as soon as possible and communicated to Board Members in due course.

RESOLVED – That the work schedule, as amended, be approved.

(Councillor M Lyons left the meeting at 4.45pm during the consideration of this item.)

Tuesday, 17 November 2015 at 1.30 pm (pre-meeting for all Board Members at 1.00 pm)

Tuesday, 17 November 2015 at 1.30 p.m. (pre-meeting for all Board Members at 1.00 p.m.)

(The meeting concluded at 4.47pm)