Agenda and draft minutes

No Declarations of Interest were made.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion held on 28^th April, 2014, were considered. 

 

The Cabinet Member received matters arising updates in relation to the items on the previous agenda.

 

Resolved: -  That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed as an accurate record. 

 

Kiveton Park – Miners’ Welfare Grounds Management Committee -

Councillor Whysall (Ward No. 18 (Wales)).

 

South Yorkshire Forest – Members’ Steering Committee -

Councillors Sangster and Wyatt.

 

South Yorkshire Forest Environmental Trust Ltd -

Councillor Sangster.

 

South Yorkshire Joint Committee On Archaeology

Cabinet Member and Adviser.

 

South Yorkshire Joint Committee On Archives -

Cabinet Member, plus and Adviser, with the Cultural Services Manager (or an officer from Archives and Local Studies).

 

Swinton lock activity centre -

Councillor Doyle (1 representative Ward 16 (Swinton)).

 

Treeton Community Centre, Playing Fields And Memorial Scheme Committee -

Councillors from Ward 11.

 

Treeton Miners’ Welfare Bowling Green Management Committee -

Councillors from Ward No. 11 (Rother Vale).

 

Yorkshire Libraries and Information -

Cabinet Member, together Elenore Fisher, Cultural Services Manager and Bernard Murphy, Manager, Library and Information Service.

 

Boston Castle and Parklands Project Board -

Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, Councillor Hussain (Chair)

Advisers, Communities and Cohesion;

Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways and Street Scene Services, Councillor Smith;

Senior Adviser, Planning, Highways and Street Scene Services, Planning, Highways and Street Scene Services;

Councillors Hussain, McNeely and Wootton (Ward No. 2 (Boston Castle)).

 

Rotherham Local Development Framework Members’ Steering Group -

Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion – Councillor M. Hussain.

 

LGYH - Local Authority Commission on Asylum And Migration -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion. 

 

Mosque Liaison Group -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion.

 

Rotherham Citizen’s Advice Bureau – Trustee Board -

Councillor E. Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion.

 

Rotherham Diversity Festival Steering Group -

Waheed Akhtar, Community Engagement Officer.

 

South Yorkshire Community Foundation – Rotherham Advisory Group -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion plus the serving Mayor (2014), Councillor B. Dodson. 

 

Women’s Strategy Group -

Adviser, Communities and Cohesion.

 

Equality Champions’ Group - 

Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion: - Councillor Hussain.

 

Voluntary Action Rotherham Board - 

Adviser, Communities and Cohesion;

Zafar Saleem, Community Engagement Manager.

 

Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance Board -

Councillor E. Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion;

Zafar Saleem, Community Engagement Manager;

Waheed Akhtar, Community Engagement Officer.

 

Parish Council – Joint Working Group -

Advisers.   

 

Mining Museum Board  -

Cabinet Member. 

 

South Yorkshire Bio-diversity –

Cabinet Member. 

 

South Yorkshire Nature Partnership –

Cabinet Member. 

 

Rother Valley Country Park Members Steering Group -

Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion;

Cabinet Member, Planning, Highways and Street Scene Services, Councillor G. Smith, (also Ward 6 (Holderness));

Ward 6 (Holderness):-  Councillors Pitchley and Robinson;

Ward 11 (Rother Vale):-  Councillors Lelliott, Reynolds and Swift;

Ward 18 (Wales):-  Councillors Beck, Watson and Whysall.

 

Trans-Pennine Trail -

Vice-Chair of the Planning Board, Councillor B. Dodson (substitute Councillor G. Smith). 

Resolved: -  (1)  That the following appointments be made to the Panels, Working Groups and Outside Bodies: -

 

Kiveton Park – Miners’ Welfare Grounds Management Committee -

Councillor Whysall (Ward No. 18 (Wales)).

 

South Yorkshire Forest – Members’ Steering Committee -

Councillors Sangster and Wyatt.

 

South Yorkshire Forest Environmental Trust Ltd -

Councillor Wyatt.

 

South Yorkshire Joint Committee On Archaeology -

Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Finance, and Councillor Astbury, Adviser, Communities and Cohesion.

 

South Yorkshire Joint Committee On Archives -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, and Councillor Astbury, Adviser, Communities and Cohesion, with the Cultural Services Manager (or an officer from Archives and Local Studies).

 

Swinton Lock Activity Centre -

Councillor Sansome (1 representative Ward 16 (Swinton)).

 

Treeton Community Centre, Playing Fields And Memorial Scheme Committee -

Councillor Lelliott and Swift (Ward No. 11; Rother Vale).

 

Treeton Miners’ Welfare Bowling Green Management Committee -

Councillor Lelliott and Swift (Ward No. 11; Rother Vale).

 

Yorkshire Libraries and Information -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, together Elenore Fisher, Cultural Services Manager and Manager, Library and Information Service.

 

Boston Castle and Parklands Project Board -

Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, Councillor Hussain (Chair)

Advisers, Communities and Cohesion;

Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways and Street Scene Services, Councillor Smith;

Councillors Hussain, McNeely and Wootton (Ward No. 2; Boston Castle).

 

Rotherham Local Plan Steering Group -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion.

 

LGYH - Local Authority Commission on Asylum and Migration -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion. 

 

Mosque Liaison Group -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion.

 

Rotherham Citizen’s Advice Bureau – Trustee Board -

Councillor Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion.

 

Rotherham Diversity Festival Steering Group -

Waheed Akhtar, Community Engagement Officer.

 

Women’s Strategy Group -

Councillor Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion, and Councillor Astbury, Adviser, Communities and Cohesion.

 

Voluntary Action Rotherham Board - 

Councillor Astbury, Adviser, Communities and Cohesion;

Zafar Saleem, Community Engagement Manager.

 

Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance Board -

Councillor E. Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion;

Waheed Akhtar, Community Engagement Officer.

 

Parish Council – Joint Working Group -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, and Councillor Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion, and Councillor Astbury, Adviser, Communities and Cohesion.

 

National Coal Mining Museum for England - Board  -

Councillor Wallis, Senior Adviser, Communities and Cohesion, and Councillor Astbury, Adviser, Communities and Cohesion (Substitute).

 

South Yorkshire Bio-diversity –

Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Finance.

 

South Yorkshire Nature Partnership –

Councillor Wyatt, Cabinet Member for Finance.

 

Rother Valley Country Park Members Steering Group -

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion;

Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member, Planning, Highways and Street Scene Services (also Ward No. 6; Holderness);

Ward 6 (Holderness):-  Councillors Pitchley and Robinson;

Ward 11 (Rother Vale):-  Councillors Lelliott, Reynolds and Swift;

Ward 18 (Wales):-  Councillors Beck, Watson and Whysall.

 

Trans-Pennine Trail -

Vice-Chair of the Planning Board, Councillor Tweed (substitute Councillor Smith). 

 

Unity Centre Steering Group –

Waheed Akhtar, Community and Engagement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

 

·         32 signatures received supporting : -

 

o   We the undersigned petition the council to We, the undersigned, call on Rotherham Borough Council to prohibit the culling of badgers on council-owned land and invest in vaccination programmes locally. We ask this because we believe culling to be inhumane, inefficient and unscientific.

Councillor Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion, noted receipt of an electronic petition containing 32 signatures stating: -

 

“We, the undersigned, call on Rotherham Borough Council to prohibit the culling of badgers on council-owned land and invest in vaccination programmes locally.  We ask this because we believe culling to be inhumane, inefficient and unscientific.“

 

The Cabinet Member also noted comments from a member of the public in relation to the intention of the petition, which was for the Council to consider the issue of a vaccination policy and issuing a statement of policy in relation to culling. 

 

Resolved: -  (1)  That the receipt of the petition be noted. 

 

(2)  That the petition be referred to Officers in the Leisure and Green Services, Environment and Development Services, to investigate the matters raised and report back at an early meeting of the Cabinet Member.   

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Community Engagement Manager (Community Engagement, Housing and Neighbourhood Services, Neighbourhood and Adult Services Directorate) that outlined a proposal to merge the Area Partnership Team, currently within the Housing and Communities Service, with the Corporate Community Engagement Service, thus creating a ‘hub’ for community engagement and involvement activity.  The report outlined the benefits of merging the two functions, including the removal of potential duplications, ensure area-based activity was managed and delivered in one place and also ensure that a small number of posts were re-located to areas that better reflected where activity was delivered, co-ordinated and managed. 

 

The intended hub would help to promote activity focussed on the deprived communities agenda, broader neighbourhood management activity and community engagement and development.  Allied to this, the proposed merger would enable the further development and innovation of modern methods of community engagement and on-line communications, strengthen intelligence sharing and enhance support offered to Elected Members. 

 

The Community Engagement Manager outlined the projected savings within the proposal. 

 

Following consideration by the Cabinet Members for Communities and Cohesion and Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods, the next stage would be for formal consultation to be undertaken with staff members and trade union representatives. 

 

Discussion ensued and the following issues were raised: -

 

·           How the issues intersected the portfolios of both the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion and Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods;

·           The new model was structured so that Services would be bought-back, did the Council have contingency plans for if the required level of buy-backs was not achieved?

 

Resolved: - (1)  That the report be received and its content noted. 

 

(2)  That the proposed merger of the Area Partnership Team functions into the Corporate Community Engagement Service be supported in principle and the proposal go on to formal consultation. 

The Head of the Rotherham Integrated Youth Support Service reported that the Service restructure had concluded during June, 2014.  The Cabinet Member requested a report to be submitted to his next meeting outlining the Service following the implementation of the new structure. 

 

Discussion also ensued on the frequency of updates that were required now that the formal restructuring process had concluded. 

 

Resolved: -  (1)  That a further report be brought to the next meeting of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion on 21^st July, 2014. 

 

(2)  That, not including items for decision or where an urgent situation had arisen, the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion receive quarterly updates from the Head of the Integrated Youth Support Service on the progress of the Service. 

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Youth Justice Manager (Integrated Youth Support Service, Schools and Lifelong Learning, Children and Young People’s Services) that provided a performance update on the key performance indicators for the Service (YOS 1 – YOS9) to the end of December, 2013.

 

The key headlines from the report were that there had been an increase in the number of first time entrants into the system. 

 

Areas of performance where further improvements were required included violent crime, the 14-15 age-group, and reducing the rate of re-offending within two-months from the initial offence. 

 

The Youth Justice Service was undertaking a self-audit to be submitted to the Youth Justice Board. 

 

The Cabinet Member thanked the Youth Justice Manager for his update and to the Service for their continued good performance. 

 

Resolved: - (1)  That the report be received and its content noted.

 

(2)  That the Cabinet Member receive briefing updates in relation to the Youth Justice Service’s self-audit. 

 

·         Monday 21^st July, 2014, to start at 12.00 noon in the Rotherham Town Hall. 

Resolved: -  That the next meeting of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion take place on Monday 21^st July, 2014, to start at 12.00 noon in the Rotherham Town Hall.