Tuesday 1st April 2014 - MINUTES
Attendance
Chris Smith, Erimus Housing (CHAIR)
Kathryn Warnock, Principal Corporate Development Officer, Middlesbrough Council
Jo McNally. Partnership Coordinator, Middlesbrough Partnership
Richard Parker, Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust
Mark Fishpool, Middlesbrough Environment City
Paul Crawshaw, Teesside University
Yvonne Bradbury, Jobcentre Plus
Edward Kunonga, Public Health
Dinah Lane, MVDA
Julie Cordiner, Middlesbrough Council
Richenda Broad, Middlesbrough Council
John Feeney, Cleveland Fire Brigade
Sharon Thomas, Middlesbrough Council
Clare Elliott, Middlesbrough Council
Carol Bromyard, Middlesbrough College
Catherine Simpson – Independent Consultant
Apologies
Gordon Lang, Cleveland Police
Kevin Parkes, Middlesbrough Council
Mike Robinson, Middlesbrough Council
Craig Blair. South Tees CCG
Ed Chicken, Cleveland Police & Crime Commissioners Office
Richard Horniman, Middlesbrough Council
Zoe Lewis, Middlesbrough College
Agenda Item 1: Welcome & Apologies
Chris Smith opened the meeting and welcomed all present. Apologies were received from Gordon Lang, Kevin Parkes, Mike Robinson, Craig Blair, Ed Chicken, Richard Horniman and Zoe Lewis
Agenda Item 2: Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a true and accurate record.
RP provided an update to the group regarding on Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust and the Community Rehabilitation Company. RP informed the group that the fundamentals are currently being worked on with CRC, case allocation is progressing and a shared risk assessment has been completed. The transfer of staff is underway with the National Probation Staff managing high risk offenders and CRC managing low/medium risk offenders. Tenders for the contracts are due late summer/autumn and the preferred providers will be awarded their contracts in January 2015. CS informed the group that a joint consortium ARC has been established to bid for the contract in Durham Tees Valley.
KW informed the group that she had met with all of the workstream leads except David Jackson. EK requested that Richenda Broad as Chair of RAG and himself be included in the meeting with David Jackson.
Agenda Item 3: Crime Update
An update on crime will be provided at the next meeting of WIMP.
Agenda Item 4: Education Update
- Map Task & Finish Group Updates
- Attainment Event
JC provided an update on the Middlesbrough Achievement Partnership.
MAP is addressing the priorities within Aim 2 of the HWB Strategy through the work of its Task & Finish Groups. There are 4 TFGs:
- SEN & Disability;
- Place Planning;
- Data & ICT;
- Early Help
Beech Grove, a primary school judged by Ofsted as Requires Improvement, is in a catchment area with significant social problems. Following a discussion at MAP SG, a multi-agency working group was set up to trial a new approach to early help at this school. Data analysis is identifying children at risk of problems, using known indicators, as a preventative approach. Services are being reconfigured around the school and early signs are promising. This will need to be evaluated before any further roll out.
MAP has been awarded £1.2m from Public Health and schools are contributing £0.5m from Dedicated Schools Grant to support a range of interventions to address health & wellbeing. We are also in the process of defining the in-kind support already provided by schools, e.g. Parent Support Advisers, Family Liaison Officers and other support to enable children in poverty to access services and take up opportunities that other children have, in order to narrow the attainment gap and improve health & wellbeing outcomes. EK stated that educational attainment and employment are high on Public Health’s agenda and Public Health would be happy to invest in this if we can demonstrate that interventions are having an impact.
KW informed the group that an event is being planned in June, which will focus on attainment and how organisations can work to improve attainment.
Agenda Item 5: Employment
RB presented a paper on Youth Employment in Middlesbrough which had recently been approved by the Corporate Executive Team of Middlesbrough Council to the group. The report recommends that the following areas needs to be addressed;
- Need to look at how we enable people who would probably get a job anyway to get a better one
- Need to help people from Middlesbrough obtain jobs outside of Middlesbrough
- Need to help people from Middlesbrough get jobs in Middlesbrough that people from outside are getting
- Need to apply money to achieving strategic outcomes, but this is not really about qualifications – especially when it comes to young people
CE also presented a proposal “Improving our Approach to Youth Employment” to the group. It is proposed to develop strategic group to provide leadership, oversee the approach, ensure consistency, coordination and challenge where necessary. The group would report progress to both WIMP and MAP delivery partnerships for various strands of work.
The key priority for the strategic youth employment group will be to prepare a long term offer for all young people which focusses on skillsincluding employability skills to enable young people aspire and access jobs at different points in the job market this will
- Define overall offer that includes and embrace employers, training providers, schools, colleges and employability support services
- Develop accessible repository of information for use by parents, young people , teachers and employers
- Identify education and training provision including apprenticeships and traineeships in Middlesbrough to ensure a coordinated response and to identify any gaps
- Identify the approach and provision for NEET young people
- Identify the approach to vulnerable groups
In order to progress the long term offer for all young people it is proposed to undertake a one year pilot project to start to test out what the offer for young people would look like . Currently there are different partners working to similar agendas, at times with differing views, lack of joint working and some misconceptions. A pilot will enable us to identify how joint working, communication and engagement can demonstrate how to do what we need to do better.
It is proposed to work with two secondary schools at different ends of attainment spectrum (to be agreed by MAP), Middlesbrough College, Teesside University and a small number of employers (to be identified).
The pilot will;
- Identify key issues to resolve
- Ensure all relevant partners are involved
- Identify how issues can be resolved by partners
- Ensure an appropriate evaluation process is established to demonstrate success
- Develop a plan for roll out following pilot
- Provide effective and evidence based information, advice and guidance for students including careers advice
- Support effective work experience provision for schools and colleges
Discussions took place around both papers and points raised included;
- Passport to Employment
- Need for a 14-19 Strategy
- Audit in relation to education, employment and training
- How do we connect young people with employers
- Linking in with the work being carried out by the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
- Links to new developments within the town (eg, Sainsburys)
- JCP sector based academies
- Strategic approach – how we procure services
- Use of Business in the Community
Following the discussions it was agreed that RB will lead on the Employment Workstream and a meeting will be convened between RB, CE and JMc to progress
Agenda Item 6: Environment/Transport
MF provided an update on the Environment/Transport workstream. MF reported that he has met with the people who would be responsible for providing information on the performance indicators. MF also informed the group that work would need to be carried out over the coming year to update the Affordable Warmth Action Plan and the Food Sustainability Action Plan.
Agenda Item 7: Housing
ST informed the group that she would deliver the housing presentation on the 10 point action plan at the next meeting of WIMP. ST will also provide an update on the Landlord Licensing Scheme at the next meeting.
Agenda Item 8: Poverty
- National Child Poverty Strategy
- Impact of Welfare Reform on Mental Health
KW informed the group that she has met with Nigel Sayer to discuss the poverty workstream. KW discussed widening the focus of the Corporate Welfare Reform Group. It was felt that the membership of the Corporate Welfare Reform Group needs to be widened to include colleagues from health.
KW and JMc will be attending the North East Child Poverty Network meeting tomorrow to discuss the consultation on the National Child Poverty Strategy. KW will produce a draft response to the meeting and asked the group to consider how we discharge the arrangements for the National Child Poverty Strategy in Middlesbrough.
The Impact of Welfare Reform on Mental Health was presented for information only due to Kay Stephenson from Mind being unable to attend the meeting.
Agenda Item 9: Workstream Monitoring
KW presented the Workstream Monitoring form and asked the group to agree to provide monitoring feedback using the form at future meetings. It was agreed by the group to trial the form.
Agenda Item 10: H&WBB – Meeting Calendar
This item was presented for information only
Agenda Item 11: Any other business
EK informed the group that Middlesbrough is 1 of 20 local authorities who have secured funding for Local Alcohol Action Area’s , an update will be provided at a future meeting.
YB informed the group that Middlesbrough is 1 of 6 pilot areas to look at entrenched worklessness through funding from the Social Justice Department. The pilot will last for 1 year and will work with people who have been unemployed for 3 out of 4 years and living in the North Ormesby and Brambles Farm area of Middlesbrough.
Agenda Item 12: Date & Time of Next Meeting
Wednesday 2nd July 2014,3-4.30pm, Board Room, Fabrick Offices, Hudson Quay, Middlesbrough