To receive a statement from the Leader of the Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.
Minutes:
During his statement, the Leader recalled that he had spoken before the summer about the sad death of Marcia Grant, one of the Council’s foster carers. He noted that yesterday a guilty plea was entered at court by a thirteen-year-old boy, to the charge of death by dangerous driving. He noted that in his time as Leader the Council had been through some very sad and difficult times, but this was one of the most tragic incidents that he could remember. He wanted to send thoughts and prayers to Marcia’s family, and he knew that the deepest sympathies of all in the chamber would be with the family at this time.
Over the summer the GCSE and A Level, results were released, and congratulations were sent to all students across the borough, who had worked so hard for their exams.
Nearly 90,000 people attended Clifton Park for the annual Rotherham Show, which was widely regarded as the most successful for many years. Thanks were offered to all the team who made it such a success year on year.
The Council had started to see some of its investments come to fruition. He attended Maltby for a visit with the Northern Housing Consortium two weeks ago, visiting some of the residents in around 130 Council properties there, benefiting from a retrofit programme, new doors windows and insulation who could save tenants as much as 400 pounds a year on their energy bills.
He was at Maltby Academy the week before, with the Chief Exec and Maltby Learning Trust, Dave Sutton to see the transformation of the old grammar school building, which had taken place. The project was not just saving a local landmark but also creating new facilities, business and teaching spaces that would stand the community in good stead and generate jobs and opportunities for years to come.
He visited Swinton opening the new show homes of the Ben Bailey development in the centre of that community. The homes looked great and investment in the Civic Hall had been completed. The revamped building was open and work on the new library was underway.
But, colleagues, it was also over the summer that we learned the Government's had single Rotherham out, as the only part of South Yorkshire to be facing a cut to long term funding for survivors of sexual abuse. He noted that whilst neighbours would benefit from an extension to the government's rape and sexual abuse support fund. Rotherham was being left behind and Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service were facing a shortfall in their funding, as a result. He had written to the Minister raising his concern that Rotherham, of all places should be a priority for government funding, not an afterthought but they did not understand. He had asked officers to look at how the Council may be able to step up and fill some of that gap, and a proposal would be brought on that basis over the forthcoming weeks.
Councillor Ball shared the Leaders sentiments regarding Marcia Grant, and it was good to see that justice was being done. In regard to Maltby he was pleased the Leader had visited. He noted that the funding for transformation of the old grammar school building at Maltby, through the levelling up fund, had been provided by the Government rather than the Council.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester sought clarification regarding the lost funding regarding CSE, and whether it was relative towards support services for survivors post or regarding investigation measures.
Councillor Reynolds objected to the use of the term ‘they did not understand,’ whoever ‘they’ were. To suggest that ‘they’ did not get it because funding was being removed, was wrong because it was Rotherham Borough councillors who did not get it, right at the start and created the mess in the first instance.
In response the Leader noted he was always happy to thank the Government for additional investment and noted a significant amount of funding had been made available to Rotherham town centre by the Government, however he noted that half the Council’s budget was also funding by the Government, but it was Council decisions that had made that funding available for the wide range of projects and communities.
He clarified that it was not specifically funding for survivors of CSE, but it was funding for survivors of sexual violence, in the many forms that it took. This was one of the big Government funding streams that went directly to providers of those services based on a competitive bidding process. As a result of that process, neighbours in Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield were successful in securing that funding and the providers in Rotherham were not, which meant they would be, without any other source of income, reducing the services made available.
In response to Councillor Reynolds point, the Leader clarified that some of the members involved then were still members who held their hands up and commissioned the Jay report at the beginning. Some members had led the process of improvement through that period of time. Some members had only been elected for a number of months when it was announced and had taken responsibility to bring about those improvements. He was not allaying the failings of the past, they were real and happened and a lot of money and effort had been put in to put those things as right as was possible. They would continue to shout to ensure those services were as heavily funded as possible, so the people of Rotherham did not lose out. He expected that the Government, regardless of who held the power, would want to work with Rotherham to address this and ensure services were right going forward. He indicated that he would keep raising this when he felt it was needed.