Agenda and minutes

None.

A Member stated that they had spent lot of time with groups in Pill and works with the Helping Caring Team (HCT) as consultant, and other charities who have asked their views to be expressed. This was asked to go on the record.

The Head and Law and Regulation clarified that this is not a declaration of interest.

The minutes of the Meeting held on 29 January 2021 were recorded as a true and accurate record with the following amendments:

·       Page 4 – “This could have a large effect on individual schools in terms of teacher numbers and support.” It was requested that this to be amended to – “This could have a large effect on individual schools in terms of teacher numbers and support staff”, as this affects the support staff as they don’t have same protection as teachers.

Matters Arising:

·       Comment was raised that there was no action sheet included in the agenda and no updates on recommendations from the meeting. The Scrutiny Adviser replied to the committee that these would be included in April’s agenda.

Invitees;

Gareth Price Head of Law and Regulation

Rhys Thomas Regulatory Services Manager

Sergeant Mervyn Priest Gwent Police

Claire Drayton Community Protection Manager

Cllr Ibrahim Hayat Pillgwenlly Ward Councillor - Newport City Council

The Regulatory Services Manager presented the report for the PSPO. The previous PSPO in place in Pill had expired in the middle of 2020, and due to being mid-pandemic, this has been the first chance to bring a remodelled proposal.

The PSPO has been worked on by community protection officers and in partnership with police. The aim is to identify the previous restrictions, consider whether they were effective and if they need to be amended, and consider if any additional controls are needed. This PSPO being proposed for 2021 will see an increase in restrictions in the PSPO, to increase the ability of enforcement between community safety wardens and Gwent Police. The aim of the PSPO is to prevent low level anti-social behaviour and respond to issues, being able to issue a fixed penalty notice if required.

The Committee is being asked to consider the PSPO, whether it needs to be re-implemented, and the conditions of the PSPO. The committee need to consider if they are satisfied with the public consultation process. It was mentioned as a point of clarification that this is a draft to proceed on consultation.

Sergeant Priest echoed the comments of Mr Rhys Thomas, agreeing with what was presented. Sgt Priest remarked he would welcome any questions as the consultation proceeds.

Councillor Ibrahim Hayat, representing the Pill Ward, commented that the PSPO has been effective in making Pill a better place to live. It is important to make the area a more pleasant place. As a council we should want to encourage local business to invest in the area (i.e. Commercial Road). Investment has started to come back in since the PSPO. Need to ensure this PSPO is extended and reinstated, giving people the confidence to live and invest in the Pill ward.

Members asked and discussed the following:

·       A member commented that he fully supports the Pill councillors in wanting to reinstate the PSPO. It was commented as important to recognise the particular pressures faced in the Pill ward. The report provided mentions that previous sanctions were minimal (page 22), and that there have been minimal fines issued, particularly in relation to those involved with sexual exploitation. Why are the fines still being included if there have been minimal fines in the past?

The Regulatory Services Manager replied that in addition to the police, community safety wardens have also used the PSPO powers. Both the police and the community safety wardens have used these enforcement measures. Sgt Priest advised that the issuing of FPNs is not the only work that would be done with the sexually exploited females, who are not the target of this PSPO.

·       A member asked how ‘minimal’ in this report is being defined?

The Regulatory Services Manager replied that there have been 8 PSPOs and 10 FPNs issued  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Invitee:

Rhys Cornwall, Head of People and Business Change

The Head of People and Business Change presented the report regarding responding to the new normal. There has been a large change in the way we operate as an organisation. Service delivery has still continued in many ways, for example, schools have been open for a variety of purposes. We have also shown that we have been able to continue service provision whilst working remotely. The purpose of bringing this to scrutiny is to begin the conversation about what will take place over the coming months. It was mentioned that it is unlikely we will return to new normal for another few months still. We need to determine what normality will look like and feel like as an organisation. The plan is to bring this to Cabinet over next 3 to 6 months to consider what our new model is going to look like.

Within a few days at the end of March, there were approximately 1200 employees working from home. Most council staff had laptops already and Office 365 had already been implemented. Microsoft Teams also came into use and Net Motion facilitated mobility of networks for remote working. We were already in a reasonably good position to be able to do remote working. I could be considered why we hadn’t done more remote working before? Staff have been provided with work-from-home equipment to ensure they can work from home safely and effectively. We still have some staff working in the Civic Centre for essential services, but the fewer people the better. There have also had to be some changes to policy, for example the suspension of flexi-time, which has resulted in paying people overtime instead. It is also important to consider the impact on carbon reduction- the mileage claimed for journeys has been significantly reduced. Parking and congestion has also been better around the city.

There has also been an impact on recruitment- there are challenges associated with bringing people on board, leading them, training them, and informing them of organisational culture. However, this type of home working does appeal to people who may find this arrangement more attractive for personal reasons. Home working has provided opportunities to do things differently, for example promoting a better work-life balance. Being able to work in a more flexible way is useful. One of the key challenges is staff and member wellbeing. Coming into the workplace and being with colleagues brings a huge advantage, due to the social element, as well as having support for work-related issues. The need to support wellbeing is paramount.

As a council, we additionally have a wider obligation to the city of Newport- we want the centre to be thriving, we want people to be there. There is a potential impact on less of the workforce coming into the civic centre, therefore utilising the city centre and high street less. We will need to consider a flexible model upon returning to the new normal. This increased flexibility  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Attendees:

· Neil Barnett (Scrutiny Adviser)

a)    Forward Work Programme Update

The Scrutiny Adviser presented the Forward Work Programme, and informed the Committee of the topics due to be discussed at the next two committee meetings:

30 April 2021, the agenda items;

· Pill PSPO - 2021-2024 (Public Spaces Protection Order)

3 June 2021, the agenda item;

· Annual Corporate Safeguarding Report

· New Normal