Meeting documents


Document: 2002-07-24 SCRUTINY COMMITTEE LEISURE, SAFETY AND HEALTH

 

PRESENT: Councillor Mrs Pearce (Chairman);  Councillors Baldwin, Cadd, Chapple, Ghent, Mrs Hannelly, Searle and Mrs Willetts (in place of Mohammad).  Councillors Foster, Mrs Jamieson, Miss Reynolds, Rowlands and Sherwin attended also.

 

APOLOGY:  Councillor Mohammad.

 

1.

MINUTES

 

RESOLVED –

 

That the Minutes of 29th May, 2002 be approved as a correct record.

 

2.

SOCIAL INCLUSION – STAGE 3

 

Members received the Stage 3 report regarding Social Inclusion in Aylesbury Vale.

 

The Head of Environmental Health Services defined social inclusion as the outcome of tackling the problem of social exclusion.

 

Members discussed the detail of the report and it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

That the following matters be referred to Cabinet for further action:-

 

(a)

That comments made by the invitees to the previous Scrutiny Committee meetings showed that there was work being undertaken in the Vale to promote social inclusion and that there were both practical and policy changes that could be considered from this scrutiny review.

 

(b)

That links with the Primary Care Trust at a strategic level had already been strengthened and the Primary Care Trust had indicated that they would like the Council to consider and potentially adopt their policy on equality, which was currently being produced.  When the policy was prepared it should be considered with the appropriate Cabinet Members for submission to Cabinet.

 

(c)

That the lack of uptake of drug counselling services in ethnic minority groups was marked and it was recommended that a jointly funded project to investigate and recommend action to improve access to drug counselling services be established.  The Primary Care Trust, Addiction Counselling Trust as well as AVDC would all be joint funders of this research.  Funding of £5,000 would be required and sources were currently being investigated.

 

(d)

That support for local schemes seeking to address “access needs” within rural communities might be provided through the Council's grants schemes and it was proposed that the Matching Funding Scheme be promoted through the Rural Transport Advisor to those organisations seeking matching funding.  That this priority be promoted through a wide range of communication lines including the Parish Newsletter, and that consideration be given to targeting funding to rural wards that have identified social exclusion relating to access.

 

(e)

That Cabinet consider the means by which it could encourage the use of community facilities in the rural areas to enable counselling services to be provided across the Vale.

 

(f)

That Cabinet consider the use of the District Link to promote Vale Volunteers so as to encourage more “volunteering” in the community.

 

(g)

That Cabinet consider a separate review of community development work and how this might promote social inclusion across the District.

 

(h)

That Cabinet seek to strengthen the links between AVDC and voluntary bodies within Aylesbury Vale.

 

(i)

That Cabinet be advised that this Committee would be carrying out further work on this subject in the future.

 

3.

BEST VALUE STAGE THREE REPORTS – IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

 

Members received the Stage 3 report – The Improvement Plan of the Best Value Review into Environmental Health Services which had been considered by Cabinet on 21st May, 2002.

 

Members considered the decisions of Cabinet and it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

That the following comments be passed to Cabinet:

 

(a)

That this Committee is of the opinion that, in co-operation with the taxi operators, the provision of taxi services should be reviewed with an aim to achieving a better standard of customer care.  Some of the items which need to be considered are:

 

·

uniform livery for vehicles operating as taxis

 

·

the age of vehicles operating as taxis

 

·

a code of conduct for taxi operators and drivers

 

·

an agreed limit to the daily working hours of drivers

 

(b)

That this Committee felt that the use of Plain English in correspondence with customers was important.

 

(c)

That further fact sheets, to be produced, on sustainability issues should have a targeted distribution.

 

(d)

That further efforts should be made to publicise the grant and loan schemes which would enable the achievement of better energy efficiency.

 

(e)

That re-consideration be given to the proposed discontinuation of the Immigration Inspection Service.

 

(f)

That the Head of Environmental Health Services should investigate the numbers of staff employed by the Addiction Counselling Trust to reassure this Committee that numbers are sufficient to deal with the growing pressure on the service.

 

(g)

Members also wished to congratulate the authors of the report for its thoroughness.

 

4.

WORK PROGRAMME

 

RESOLVED –

 

That the updated work programme attached to these Minutes be approved.