Multi Agency Forum
Agenda
Item
/Item Description
/ Ownership / Decisions made23rd September 2015
Attendance : Bob Allison (Chair), Duncan Clegg (Sponsor), Clare Thomas, Ness Holbrook, Roger Head High Sheriff (HS), Denys Young, Tony France, Laura Davis, Lindsay Baker, Graham Spencer, Valerie Webb, Damon Blandford, Andy Macualy(The Rock)
Apologies : Jan Courtney (GHLL), Fran Embleton-Smith (The Churn) Fairshares, Emma Trigwell (Families First), David Honeybill, Vikki Walters (GCC) , Donna Potts (Skill Zone)
Apologies / Noted above.
1 / Introduction and Review / Chair / Previous notes agreed and Chair welcomed Laura Davis (Infobuzz), and Andy Macualy (The Rock). Action outstanding to find a way of recording activities and interest on a web forum carried forward from last meeting. (Action carried forward)
Agreed that the Agenda for this meeting would be switched around to accommodate new member’s presentations and existing members needing to leave early.
2 / Presentation by New Member(1) / The Rock / Andy,provided a background to the work The Rock undertake to support young people. Located at St Peters Church Hall, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham. Andy provided a power point presentation providing an overview of the structure at the Rock and activities provided. The presentation is attached to this email. Action
In short The Rock aims to:-
Re-engage vulnerable young people by providing daytime and evening activities aimed at inspiring young people between 9 to 17 years with a wide range of interventions. The Rock also go out to students in mainstream and referral education addressing groups of 10 to 13 year olds. The aim is to provide a ‘hub’ for the local young people of Gloucestershire.
3 / Presentation by New representative Member (2) / Police and Crime Commissioners Office
Damon Blandford / The Chair welcomed Damon as a new member representing the Police and Crime Commissioners Office. Damon outlined his approach to Crime Prevention through people centred work. To illustrate this work Damon provided an overview of a project in Kingsway community located near to Quedgeley Headquarters. This is aimed at a relatively new community and attempts to connect and mobilise the residents to become active in their own area from a crime prevention perspective. A co-ordinator has been appointed to identify what contributions local people can make and aims to galvanise skills and passions in the area to support the local community. Damon gave details of support from the Constabulary in the form of donating a piece of land to provide a ‘Man Shed’, This is a central point where expertise from the community can be accessed by residents, such as conservation and practical skills. This provides a link with core police work to a community. Responding to a question about the portability of the project to other communities Damon said that other models exist the project has yet to be evaluated. Roger Head (HS) asked if Travellers in the County have been considered as a target group. Damon informed the group that he knew of a project in Greater Manchester who were skilled up to support this community group. Roger Head (HS) took an action to discuss traveller’s issues in the County to PCC. Action
4 / A view from the Front / Tony France and
Laura Davis / This agenda item is an action from the last meeting and was designed to illustrate the work of Head Space at Infobuzz and provide a ‘Story from the Front’
Tony France introduce Laura to the group. Laura outlined her personal circumstances and her experience of mental health services in Gloucestershire as a child and an adult.
This was a powerful and enlightening story of how the support services in Gloucestershire designed to help young people and adults can fail to identify needs and level of support to assist in the recovery programme for young people suffering from mental health issues. Laura praised the work Infobuzz, the Isis women’s centre and Rethink have provided, but access to any help appears disjointed and individuals needing help may not be in a position to work through the process to access the correct sort of help.
Laura was thanked for her frank and honest personal account of her experiences
Tony France raised the issue of the need for a day centre facility for young people with mental health. Provision on a ‘drop in’ basis where they could access information on support agency but also gain the social interaction that they may require. Tony suggested this would provide a central hub where access to outreach services for the whole county could be available in the form of a directory.
Discussion surrounding the possibility of this multi-agency group taking the opportunity to generate interest and support from the Lord Lieutenant and the Police and Crime Commissioner to support the need for a central directory of voluntary agencies. In addition this central directory could support a directory for voluntary organisations seeking financial help providers such as trusts and information on complementary 3rd sector groups in the County. Action
Clare Thomas, Hope Services is aware that Herefordshire have a service supported by the local authority who provide a similar service and will provide the group with further information. Action
5 / AOB / All / The group agreed that Mental Health would continue to be the main focus going forward
Duncan Clegg suggested that this being the case ISIS women’s centre and Nelson Trust should be invited to the next meeting Action
It was suggested that the Gloucester Association for Voluntary and Community Action (GAVEA) Should also be invited as an interested party Action
Graham Spencer expressed some disappointment that not all agencies were represented at this meeting and lack of new members. Group discussed that time may prevent attendance for each meeting but all agencies should be provided with minutes and continue to be invited. Roger Head (HS) suggested accessing the details of agencies who have received financial support from the High Sheriff fund for future members. Action
Clare Thomas announce that Hope Services have received the Queens Award for Voluntary Services and invited all members to the award ceremony being held on 20th October at Ross Baptist Church, Ross on Wye HR9 7EA at 6.30pm. Clare also reported that the Highnam Court Summer event was a huge success and raised £1400.
Chair suggested we may need a monthly contact letter to all members. Action
It was agreed that Countess Sarah Bathurst (2016 High Sheriff) and Dame Janet Trotter (Lord Lieutenant) will be invited to the next meeting Action
The team thanked Donna Potts for her support during her time as secretary and also for providing the venues for our meeting which much appreciated.
6 / Date of Next Meeting and
Action Points / Chair / The next meeting will take place in January 2016, date and location to be confirmed.
Action Points
1. Action outstanding to find a way of recording activities and interest on a web forum carried forward from last meeting. Action carried forward from last meeting, Chair
2. The Rock presentation to be forwarded to all members.
Action secretary (emailed Andy at the Rock 27.9.2015) done
3. Discussion and report back at next meeting issues surrounding travellers in the County to PCC.
Action Roger Head
4. Make contact with PCC and Lord Lieutenant to discuss support for the formation of a project to deliver a central services directory for mental health issues and agencies.
Action Roger Head
5. Contact Herefordshire Local authority who provide a central directory service for charities
Action Clare Thomas
6. ISIS women’s centre,GAVCA and Nelson Trust to be invited to the next meeting
Action Secretary
7. Contact to be made with High Sheriff office for details of Gloucestershire projects who have received support from the High Sheriff fund.
Action Secretary
8. Chair suggested we may need a monthly contact letter to all members.
Action Chair
9. Countess Sarah Bathurst (2016 High Sheriff) and Dame Janet Trotter (Lord Lieutenant) will be invited to the next meeting
Action Denys Young and Roger Head
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