The verbal update will include:
· Recent Portfolio Events
· Libraries
· Flood Emergency
· Troubled Families
· Youth Justice Conference
· Facing the Challenge
Minutes:
(1) The Cabinet Member for Community Services reported the following information to the Committee:
(i) Alan Pughsley had been selected as the new Chief Constable of Kent Police and this would be confirmed at a meeting of the Police and Crime Panel later in the month.
(ii) He thanked officers for the work that had been done within the Directorate and the successes that had been achieved.
(iii) The Libraries Deep Dive report would not be received today as originally planned. Library Services work undertaken by the Directorate had been put on hold and had been overtaken by the Transformation programme. Before any decisions were taken on the matter it would be discussed by a Committee.
(iv) A new cultural hub in Tunbridge Wells had been mooted along the same lines as the Beaney in Canterbury. If it were to proceed it would bring together several cultural services.
(v) The recent floods had been well managed thanks to the measures put in place over the years. Some evacuations did take place and had been well managed.
(vi) Mr Hill thanked the Emergency Planning Team for their work during the recent floods. Some evacuations had taken place and these had been well managed.
(2) The Corporate Director for Customer and Communities reported the following information to the Committee:
(i) Troubled Families – the programme continued as a priority for the Directorate and the Council as a whole. The programme now engaged with 1500 families and more than 12,000 contacts from the Family Intervention Project (FIP) to families with, often complex, needs.
(ii) That she and the Cabinet Member had visited two families, who had both reported positive changes as a result of the programme.
(iii) A conference would be held in February 2014 to establish how the work undertaken could be embedded further.
(iv) Youth Justice Convention had been held in Birmingham this year. Both the Corporate Director and the Cabinet Member attended. A green paper relating to young offenders leaving custody was expected in the New Year and was awaited with interest.
(v) The convention also reviewed the alternatives to custody. It was well documented that once young people entered the custodial system they often struggled to break the cycle. Work continued with magistrates to ensure that any alternative to custody was viable.
(vi) Finally, the convention addressed the issue of Looked After Children entering the prison population. 25% of the adult prison population had once been Looked After Children and work was being undertaken with Surrey County Council to improve the experience of those children in care and care leavers.
(viii) Transformation – It was clear that the transformation programme would have a significant impact on the Customer & Communities Directorate and she thanked staff for their continued hard work in difficult circumstances.
(3) Following comments received and questions raised the following further information was provided for the Committee:
(i) That the Troubled Families programme would remain as a complete programme despite any changes implemented by the Transformation programme. It would not be fragmented.
(ii) The programme worked across all relevant agencies including social services. Where children became Looked After Children and were then returned to home the Troubled Families programme would become involved where appropriate, and for as long as appropriate.
(iii) Children’s Centres were involved in the multi agency work that linked into the Troubled Families Programme.
(iv) Community Justice Awards had ceased to exist as the national NVQ programme no longer recognised them as part of their accreditation system, owing to a lack of success in other areas of the country. Work continued to establish an alternative.
(v) That 12 services were subject to review and market testing within the first phase of the Transformation programme and this information was provided in more detail in the ‘Facing the Challenge’ papers to the Council.