Agenda and minutes

Councillors Chowdhury, Woodbyrne, Khondoker, Khurana and Spall

None

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a) Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation
  carried on for profit or gain.

(b)   Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c)   Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d)  Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e)  Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or  
 longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

None

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4 April 2019 be confirmed and the Chair be authorised to sign them

The Chair informed Members that the next meetings of the Committee will be held on 18 June and 25 July 2019

The Chair added that the Scrutiny Review topics for next year would be considered at the next meeting of the Committee, and it has been proposed that Performance of Council services should be a topic for consideration

For members of the public to ask questions relating to any subject on the meeting agenda under Procedure Rule 70.5. Alternatively, the Chair may opt to accept questions from the public during the discussion on each agenda item.

The Chair outlined the procedures for Public questions and filming and recording at meetings

The draft recommendations, and proposed amendments, were laid round for consideration by Members

During consideration of the draft recommendations the following main points were made –

·         Reference was made to the amendment to Recommendation 6, as laid round

·         It was stated that additional recommendations should be added to reflect the problems faced by the self-employed and sole traders in claiming UC, particularly as there are a large number of these in Islington

·         Reference was made to Recommendation 7 and that there should be a statutory requirement on the Government on private landlords to provide evidence of tenancies

·         It was stated that it was felt that either PPS or Housing Scrutiny Committee should keep under review the level of rent arrears caused by UC and to look at measures that may need to be taken by the Council to address this. Councillor Gallagher stated that he would e mail in a request in this regard

·         It was also stated that amendments should also be made to recommendation 8 to reflect the need for data to be provided to Local Authorities, on the number of hardship payments, claimants that do not receive the full amount within the timescale, number of Food Bank referrals and why a claim is made late

·         Members concurred with the proposed amendments laid round

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the above amendments and those laid round, the final report be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee for approval

Councillor Una O’Halloran, Executive Member Community Development was present and made a presentation to the Committee. Kevin Turner VC Development and Equalities Co-ordinator was also present

During discussion of the presentation the following main points were made –

·         The Community Development portfolio focuses on building strong, cohesive, and resilient communities and supporting local communities, and residents, to engage in their community and help each other. Specific areas of responsibility are – VCS, community development and resident engagement, ward partnerships and Local Initiative Funding, Equalities and Community cohesion, no recourse to Public Funds, and refugee and migrant communities in Islington

·         Collectively the VCS sector makes a contribution to every one of the Council’s 7 key priorities, and as a Council we are committed to support an independent, vibrant and dynamic VCS, and recognise that this sector had reach beyond our services, and that can respond in ways which the Council cannot

·         The Council has a localities programme and want to establish a new system partnership with the voluntary sector to co-ordinate local activity, networks and opportunities to make best use of the strengths and assets of our communities

·         There is a Community Strategy 2020-24 that will aim to see a whole community working in partnership and collaborating effectively to achieve a fairer and more equal borough. This will replace and build on the current VCS strategy, and the Council are currently working with Islington CCG to map a collective £100m spend on ‘people focused’ services

·         VSC Grants programme provided £2.6m per annum in core funding to organisations identified as being of strategic importance to the Council and the borough. In 2018 Islington VCS brought in over £19m from external funders to deliver services that benefit the local community

·         The current VCS Partnership Grants Programme is due to end on 31 March 2020. The Council has made a commitment to protect levels of Council grant giving to the local voluntary and community sector. The programme will be designed around the Council’s Corporate Plan 2018-22

·         The Council gives funding to advice groups in the voluntary sector, and this ensures residents can access independent and impartial advice on welfare benefits, debt, housing and immigration services which help improve household income, tackle indebtedness, sustain tenancies and secure residency

·         Funding and finance advice is offered to the voluntary sector, and the VCS Development Team has actively sought opportunities to advise and support commissioners to ensure that the VCS is playing an active role in delivering commissioned services

·         In addition, a social value framework has been developed that ensures our contracts achieve social value for the community and VCS

·         The Council is also reviewing its discretionary rate relief programme and preparing a successor programme for 2020 onwards

·         There is also a small grants programme, the community chest and Local Initiatives Fund

·         The Committee noted that during 2018 the Community Development Team have carried out intensive work to assess and appraise buildings at estate based community facilities, and 3 new community spaces have been opened since February 2018,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted

It was moved by Councillor Heather, and formally seconded –

RESOLVED:

That a vote of thanks be accorded to the Chair, Councillor Champion, and the former Chair Councillor O’Halloran for the services rendered by them to the Committee in the current municipal year