Agenda item

To consider the latest quarterly scrutiny recommendation tracker and progress that has been made since the previous meeting with implementing these recommendations.

(Report attached).

Officers reminded Members of the purpose of the Quarterly Monitoring Recommendation Tracker and explained that the recommendations were in chronological order.  Members’ attention was drawn to the following:

·         Installation of a canopy over the ramp access to Shopmobility continued to be outstanding and no further updates had been provided.

·         The introduction of exhibition space at the Palace Theatre and the Abbey Stadium. Space had been made available at the Abbey Stadium for some time and officers were pleased to report that it would also be available at the Palace Theatre from 8th September 2015.

·         All recommendation from the LGBT Task Group had been endorsed by the Executive Committee who had complimented the group on its informative report.

·         The Leader had already written to Worcestershire County Council in respect of recommendation 2 from the LGBT Task Group and a positive response had been received back from them.

·         Councillor Joe Baker, Chair of the Task Group, had met with the LGBT Hate Crime Forum and received positive feedback on the content of the report.  The Forum had been appreciative of the support and funding which would be available for future LGBT History Month events.

Members congratulated Councillor Baker and the Task Group on an excellent piece of work, which had already had a positive impact on the LGBT community in Redditch.

The Committee debated the recommendation in respect of the ramp access to Shopmobility.  Concerns were raised as to whether this item would ever be completed, with Members noting that the recommendation had been made in August 2012.  Consideration was therefore given as to whether it should be removed from the tracker.  However, Members’ were mindful that this had been agreed by the Executive Committee and that implementation of this proposal could lead to positive outcomes for residents and visitors with physical disabilities.  Members therefore requested that officers speak to the Kingfisher Centre and an update on the current position be provided as soon as possible, detailing reasons why the delay had occurred.

Concerns were also raised in respect of the recommendations from the Voluntary and Community Sector Task Group, with particular regard to the recommendation for an apprentice to support the Council’s grants programme.  Officers explained that due to staff sickness absence a decision had been taken to postpone recruiting to the apprenticeship post as there was no resource to support an apprentice available in the grants programme.  Members accepted these difficulties but questioned whether the post could initially be created in the Policy Team, as there had originally been a proposal for the apprenticeship to be shared between the grants programme and the Policy Team, with the apprentice taking on duties in the grants programme at a later date once this was an option.  Members stressed that the Council’s Grants programme was important and needed to have sufficient support to operate effectively and to ensure that the grants were reach those that needed them the most within the voluntary and community sector.

Officers suggested that it might be helpful for the Committee to receive a report at its next meeting providing more detailed information in respect of administrative support for the Grants Panel and a time scale of how this could be resolved.  It was highlighted that parts of this report might need to be considered in confidential session.

RESOLVED that

1)    Officers contact the Kingfisher Centre and an update be provided in respect of Recommendation 2 of the Access for Disabled People Task Group – Installation of a canopy over the ramp access to Shopmobility;

2)    a report be provided to the next meeting of the Committee in respect of the Council’s grants programme; and

3)    the latest edition of the Quarterly Recommendation Tracker be noted.

(During consideration of this item Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information.  It was therefore agreed to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that information would be revealed relating to identity of an individual.  However, there is nothing exempt in this record of the proceedings.)