AD and JW Invited to Attend South East Briefing Next Week

/ Community ServicesLOCAL AREA PARTNERSHIP CHAIRS GROUP
DISCUSSION RECORD
Purpose of meeting: / To discuss cross locality area issues / Date of Meeting: / 11th November 2015
Attendees: / Cllr Peter Price(Chair),Cllr Pat Midgley, Cllr Josie Paszek,
Cllr Mick Rooney, Cllr Andrew Sangar, Cllr Richard Crowther,Martin Hughes, Christine Appleby(Notes)
Guests: / Yvonne Asquith and Andrew Bunn, Creative Sheffield, Nick Partridge, Library Archive and Information Service Manager,
Alex Shilkoff, Community Development & Voluntary Sector Relationship Manager
Apologies: / Cllr Isobel Bowler, Cllr Steve Jones, Dawn Shaw,
Items Discussed:
1. / Notes and Actions from the Last Meeting
The notes were agreed as a true record.
Actions from the last meeting:-
Tackling Youth Employment

MH circulate an email toLead Council Officers reminding them of their role and responsibilities around tackling local priorities with and supporting ward councillors
LAP Chairs to decide if wish to invite Sam Martin to attend Local Area Briefings

Litter Campaign

MH provided list of Ward Priorities for Areas and community Group Contacts to Anita Dell.
AD and JW invited to attend South East Briefing next week
LAP Chairs not had response from AD regarding issues raised. MH to chase up AD actions from last meeting

Section 106

Richard Holmes invited to attend Member Briefings for Central, South East and South West Member Briefings.
LAP Chairs to decide if they want RW to attend their area member Briefings

Summary of action or conclusion reached:

MH to contact to Lead Council Officers
MH to chase up AD actions from October meeting

2. / Supporting Local Businesses
Yvonne Asquith and Andrew Bunn from Creative Sheffield attended the meeting and gave a background to Supporting Local Businesses. An information pack was circulated at the meeting.
Business Sheffield support anybody from pre start stage to large established businesses in the city with the following:

Gateway – deals with all business enquiries providing initial and ongoing diagnostic.
Business Start Up Advisers – providing coaching sessions for start-ups which allow individuals to understand if their business idea is viable.
Information Sessions – a series of information sessions on all aspects of running a business aimed at early stage businesses and businesses looking to grow. Run either by Business Sheffield or the private sector. Our quarterly mailing list is sent out for the following quarter at the end of each quarter and is shared with each Councillor via email.
In addition to Legal and Accountancy drop in sessions on a monthly basis.
Networking event on a quarterly basis – the last networking event we did was in conjunction with the MADE festival and was well attended.

Business Sheffield’s resource is limited and most of the activity is undertaken in the city centre so we have piloted in conjunction with Small Business Saturday a series of five workshops in areas with a high concentration of independent businesses, details below:

Using a business with premises to host the workshops and acting as Ambassadors to promote the workshops to their neighbour businesses.
The businesses are as follows:
Strip the Willow – Abbeydale Road area
Eyefinity, Woodseats
Cupola Contemporary Art Ltd, Hillsborough
Firehouse Fitness, Holbrook
Full Mote, Atterliffe

Launched by Councillor Leigh Bramall in the Town Hall on 4th November which was well attended by small businesses
The workshops focus on how to promote your business for Small Business Saturday and beyond.
Presence in the city on the day of Saturday, 5th December

Comments and responses to questions were:-
Business Sheffield work with SOAR through the Gateway – cross referral. Business Sheffield working with managed workspace across Sheffield to try and offer drop in sessions with Business Advisers for tenants.
Funding for Business Sheffield has in the past been ERDF, but is currently Council funded, currently working in partnership on the Growth Hub and new ERDF funding pots under the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub which will start 2016/17.
Business Sheffield contributes to the funding of a SME Loan Pot, handled by Finance for Enterprise which typically lends between £15 – £50,000.
Link to the Chamber – Some of Business Sheffield Business Adviser Team are still employed by SCCI, which is a historical situation created by the old LEGI (Local Enterprise Growth Initiative programme).
YA reported that they work closely with Libraries and hold sessions in Libraries.
Musicians in city – could Business Sheffield help. It was suggested that they attend an information session. Start-up information to be sent to music studios.
Route into Council confusing for new and existing businesses how link to services - route through Business Rates and Licensing.
It was reported that Business Sheffield are working with a number of LAPs (Central and South were referenced).
MH reported that the LAP’s have Facebook, Twitter and Blogs that could be used to promote Sheffield Business. Communication and Information to be included.YA reported that they had 10k followers on Twitter. MH to send area lists.
Summary of action or conclusion reached:

MH to forward twitter details to YA

3. / Libraries Progress Report
Nick Partridge, Library, Archive and Information Service Manager attended the meeting. Presentation Slides were circulated as an update on where Libraries are at re the Library Review and Associate Libraries.
NP reported on the extensive review of Libraries provision which culminated with Cabinet Report in 2014. A firm Needs Analysis was undertaken to ensure delivery of a comprehensive and efficient service. Libraries suffered a Challenge against the Needs Analysis resulting in Judicial Review which the judge ruled as Not Found. No Library has closed in Sheffield since the implementation of the Libraries Review in 2014
Library provision:

11 Hub Libraries run by SCC
5 Co Delivered Libraries – SCC help with running costs
10/11 Associate Libraries (Tinsley to become Associate Library after lease agreement comes to an end in March 2016)
Mobile Library Service closed August 2014
Development of the Home Library Service with numbers increasing
£262K available to support Associate Libraries for 3 years, ends March 2017
Archive & Heritage awarded national Accreditation. Only 44 in the Country. Sheffield is the first in Yorkshire
Schools Library Service retained – Traded Service from Education
Hospital Service based at Weston Park Hospital
World Metal Index – Index and database of metal standards
Records Management Service - based at Acres Hill

Five Co Delivered Libraries – SCC pay for costs but not for staff.

Burngreave the last to to be picked up, is now being run by SOAR

Associate Library Group – volunteer led Libraries

Grant covers running costs. SCC help with major repairs.
Review of funding for volunteer led Libraries in 2016/17. Work will be focussed on making them more sustainable in the future
SCC Support meeting for all Associate Library groups. –every 2 weeks
Trained 1000 volunteers on using SCC Library Management System,

Councillors queries that a Library can’t function without a paid Co-ordinator. How has future been planned for Co-Delivered and Associate Libraries? NP reported that:

Co Delivered offered 15 hours support per week from SCC staff
Associate Libraries – some are very independent and have a personal approach to the Library
SCC Manage a Volunteer Co-ordinator Post who supports training initiatives and gives regular updates on what is going on.
A group employs a Co-ordinator themselves but raise their own funds to pay for them.

Other news / queries –

New SCC hub library to be built in Woodseats in partnership with GP Practice
Sporting Memories – helped older men talk about their memories.Two successful sessions held at Crystal Peaks, others planned elsewhere.
Work with Activity Sheffield – who hold 1-1’s with people who are referred who may benefit from more activity – helps links people in the area to their library as a community hub.
Update on Wi-Fi - NP reported that people expect Wi-Fi to be available. SCC have received a Grant from the Arts Council England to fit wifi into all their libraries and Archives, including Central and Hub Libraries. Service to be provided by third Party (O2). Access to Internet to be filtered and controlled. Associate Libraries have sorted Wi-Fi for themselves. SCC did offer to procure on their behalf but this offer was not taken up.
Schools Library Service – any change in service re academies? More coming into the Service. Operates good service - links well with the Sheffield Children’s Book Awards
Sheffield Directory - it was confirmed that Sheffield Directory is now hosted by Customer Services. Councillors were keen that the Sheffield Directory was made available at libraries. NP to ensure this happens

Summary of action or conclusion reached:

NP to ensure the Sheffield Directory is promoted at libraries

4 / Relationship with Voluntary Sector
Alex Shilkoff, Community Development & Voluntary Sector Relationship Manager attended the meeting to report on the different ways we work with the voluntary sector. Suggested ways of working with the Voluntary Sector were circulated with a Summary copy of Sheffield Compact.
Alex had put together a list of questions and the Chair asked that Chairs respond to AS giving examples.
Comments raised were:-

Insurance – Concern raised regarding the need for Third Sector groups to have insurance which will affect older people, food outlets and food banks. Due to changes in legislation people can come back to SCC for compensation through a third party, therefore we need to help third sector organisations have adequate insurance.
Social prescribing – some in Community Organisations do this already and SCC Community Support Workers are a social prescribing scheme. All schemes should keep a record of what people are signposted into and where there might be gaps so that thisintelligence can be fed back into commissioning cycle. It is as much about making best use of what we have got and seeing what is popular as it is seeing where there might be gaps.
Support for groups to be more aware of what makes a good quality tender is going to be looked into with VAS
How Politicians organise themselves on how they work with Voluntary Sector makes a difference to community development and collaboration between voluntary groups.
Things are happening that people do not know about. We need to let people know what is already there (part of the role of social prescribing schemes)
Groups to liaise so activities are not all held on the same day – Lunch clubs, bingo
People made redundant/retired could have lots of skill to offer. Promote voluntary sector. Map skills to opportunities
NP reported that Libraries are planning to promote Life Events – Find Out - First Step - go to Library – help people to get started.

Activities for Young people are available but they are not promoted well and people do not know about them.
AS reported that she is to meet with VAS re Volunteer Action Plan Strategy. Raise local issues and promote volunteer opportunities.
Councillors felt that we need someone with expertise to go out and support community groups. MH reported that Dawn Shaw is looking at the Council’s ‘Community Development’ offer. He mentioned that the Locality Officers could provide more support if some of their time was freed up(e.g. they spend a lot of time on administering the ward budgets). We need to look at how the resources we have available can be targeted.

Summary of action or conclusion reached:

None

5. / Any other Business
MH reported on allocation of Ward Budgets. Ward Councillors need to be encouraged to allocate before the 15th January to allow for the funding to be spent by the recipient organisation before the 31st March. There is still £235K to be allocated.
Cabinet in the Community starting with South West tonight and the
South East at the end of the month.
6. / Date of Next Meeting
Wednesday 9th December 11.00 am – 1.00pm, Town Hall Committee Room