Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Mr M Shaw and Ms S Ashmead.  Mr J Hollis attended in place of Ms S Ashmead.

There were no declarations of interest.

Of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 13 May 2019.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 May were agreed by the Cabinet Members to be factually accurate.  However, Ms A Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills requested an amendment to Item 10.

Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 2019.

Cabinet Member for Education and Skills requested an amendment/supplement to Item 10 which would be added as a supplement to the minutes.

Support for Carers Indepth Review - Recommendation number 5 (Education) – ‘That the Council lobby Government to include a question about the number of young carers identified at school as part of the annual school census return’  was not agreed and Mr M Appleyard, the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at the time of the meeting had provided revised wording for the response as follows:

‘We agree to lobby government but need to understand before doing so:-

• Whether information was available elsewhere – Schools/NHS.
• What the numbers would be used for.
• Describe how services would be able to cater for new demand.’

RESOLVED:  The minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 2019 were AGREED as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman. 

Cabinet NOTED the supplement to the minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 2019.

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services highlighted the recently opened second new children’s home in Aylesbury; there were now three in the County.  Children’s Services were halfway through a capital investment programme to improve provision in the county and the next stage was to build a children’s home in High Wycombe.

Cabinet Member for Resources mentioned the recent opening of the new Japanese restaurant ‘Miya’ in the old police station headquarters; an imaginative and stylish venue had been created which would contribute to the regeneration of Aylesbury town centre. 

Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing reported that the Princes Centre in Princes Risborough and Bourne End had been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.  L Hazell thanked Councillor Bendyshe-Brown and Councillor Etholen for their hard work and congratulated everyone involved.  The award would be presented by Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher. Mr G Williams, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement and Public Health, added that there had been a record number of 10 Community and Voluntary organisations in the Queen’s Award in Buckinghamshire.  The Chairman mentioned that 17 people from Buckinghamshire had been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment  highlighted that Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) was one of the top enforcers of fly tipping in the country and would be  featured in a new documentary on Channel 5 starting on 13 June 2019, called ‘Grime and Punishment’ (the BCC item would be shown on 11 July 2019) .  The programmed followed a hidden army of enforcement officers working tirelessly up and down the country and Buckinghamshire had been selected due to its zero tolerance to fly tipping. 

There were no questions.

For Cabinet to consider the Forward Plan

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

For Cabinet to consider the Select Committee Work Programme

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

Cabinet is asked to NOTE the progress update in appendix 1, as presented to the TEC Select Committee on 4 June 2019.

Mr G Williams, Cabinet for Community Engagement and Public Health, reported that the Transport, Environment and Communities (TEC) Select Committee had provided a report on the progress to date on the eight recommendations agreed by Cabinet in April 2019. 

Mr Williams highlighted the following points:

• The prominent position of the modern slavery statement on the BCC web page. 
• The Training Strategy had been finalised; officers had carried out training for staff at BCC and the district councils.
• To date, over 840 professionals had been trained; 150 from BCC. 
• More training days were planned for 2019. 
• There would be an ‘Anti-slavery Day’ on 18 October 2019; materials from the Willow Project would be used.
• Single points of contacts (SPOCs) were available for front line teams. 
• Members should continue to receive training.
• An article was published in the Evening Standard regarding a successful modern slavery raid in Buckinghamshire.
• 80 referrals had been received from 1 September 2018 to 23 April 2019.

Mr Williams summarised that there had been referrals from many organisations; people were aware of modern slavery and how to report; there had been successful prosecutions and the Select Committee were happy with the progress.

Following the report Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

• In response to a question from the Chairman on how well the Service worked with neighbouring police forces; Mrs A Sarchet, Communities, Engagement and Safety Manager, acknowledged that there was scope for improvement.  Mrs M Edwards, Communities Project Manager, added that the Willow Project covered the Thames Valley area and the police joined forces in operational work at a national level.  However, there were always further improvements that could be made.
• It was agreed that Modern Slavery should be part of the member induction programme for the new Buckinghamshire Council.
• Ms Cranmer asked when the evaluation of the Willow Project would be published.  Mr Williams reported that review work would be carried out before March 2020 but no firm publication date was known.
• Lin Hazell asked about the process for individuals found to be modern day slaves.  Mrs Edwards explained that if the victim had been identified via the national referral process they would be supported until a decision was made.   In terms of local support, the Willow Project would support victims for however long was required. 
• The victims were from a wide range of backgrounds.  The County Council had a clear process and guidance for making referrals via the national referral mechanism and for notification of potential victims of modern slavery.
• Mr Chilver asked for information on the follow up action of any referrals and whether there had been any prosecutions.  Mrs Edwards stated she did not have the data on how many victims had been through the national referral process.  However, victims would have received help via the Willow Project which provided long term support to individuals and families.  Mrs Sarchet added that the contract was new and that the data was unavailable at the moment.

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the progress update in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Cabinet is asked to NOTE the actions taken to date to meet the Prevent Duty and the proposed next steps.

Mr G Williams, Cabinet for Community Engagement and Public Health, reported that Prevent Duty had been before the Transport, Environment and Communities (TEC) Select Committee and highlighted the following key points:

• The Authority had a legal duty to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. 
• The Authority was responsible for assessing risk, creating an action plan and setting up a Channel Panel to deal with referrals for individuals at risk of radicalisation. 
• Funding had been received from the Home Office for a Prevent Co-ordinator and a Prevent Education Officer.  These positions had transferred from Wycombe District Council to the County Council. 
• Internal monitoring had been improved.
• Training was essential and had been provided to a number of organisations and providers.  As of 31March 2019, 82% of the BCC workforce had undertaken Prevent training including through ELearning.
• There had been threats nationally to schools and a process for responding to any such concerns locally had been developed and launched.
• Guidance was issued to users of council-owned premises.
• Referrals were continuing to be made to the Channel Panel.
• A new counter-terrorism strategy was published in 2018; A review of Prevent had received Royal Assent in February 2019 with an expectation of commencing within six months.

The priorities for coming year included:

• To establish a Prevent Board under the new Buckinghamshire Council.
• To assess performance against the prevent tool kit.
• To examine best practice from other authorities.
• Training and developing resources for employees.
• Member involvement.
• Community roundtables to discuss the broader remit of community safeguarding; an event would be held in Aylesbury in July 2019.

Following the report Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

• The Chairman stated that the Prevent Duty programme was targeted against far right extremism as well as other threats. 
• Lin Hazell praised the work undertaken by the officers concerned.
• Mr Chilver commented that paragraph 9 stated that Wycombe District Council’s Prevent Board had delivered a co-ordinated approach with partners and asked how the approach would continue.  Mrs Sarchet explained that many of the people involved attended the same meetings and the action plan work was still being carried out.  There would be another forum to keep the actions open and work closely with the district councils and schools.  The Community Safety Partnership also had oversight of the work.
• Mr Chilver asked what form the three community roundtables would take.  Mrs Sarchet stated these were a condition of grant and would include other community safety/safeguarding topics too.  Looking forwards there would be consideration of how to continue to engage communities on these issues including through the Communities Boards proposed for the new Buckinghamshire Council.
• Local members would be invited to attend the community roundtables along with a representative from their local community; a roundtable was being held in July 2019. 
• The Home Office was keen to hold a member development session later in 2019. 
• Prevent Duty would be included in the new member induction programme for the new Buckinghamshire Council.
• Mrs Shimmin added that there had been a very determined  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded for the following item which is exempt by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

To agree the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 2019.

RESOLVED:  The confidential minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 2019 were AGREED as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

8 July 2019

8 July 2019.