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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Civic Centre. View directions

Contact: Neil Barnett  Scrutiny Adviser

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None.

2.

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 8 February 2023 pdf icon PDF 142 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 8th February 2023 were accepted as a true and accurate record.

3.

Safer Newport Community Safety Partnership pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Invitees:

-          Rhys Cornwall (Strategic Director)

-          Janice Dent (Policy and Partnerships Manager)

-          Dr Carl Williams Local Policing Area Commander, Chief Superintendent – Gwent Police)

 

The Strategic Director and the Policy and Partnerships Manager gave a brief overview of the report.

 

Members asked the following:

 

·         The Committee asked if the Safer Newport Partnership considers environmental hazards and if Natural Resources Wales (NRW) should be included in the partnership.

 

The Policy and Partnerships Manager explained that they are part of the One Newport Partnership, but it only includes statutory partners. The Strategic Director clarified that the Community Safety Partnership has a specific role.

 

·         The Committee emphasised the importance of designing areas with the environment in mind, prioritising safety over preventing crime.

 

The Strategic Director explained that while the partnership doesn't specifically focus on design, they work closely with the police and encourage collaboration with them on security issues. The Local Policing Area Commander highlighted that the police can influence planning in terms of designing out crime. They also suggested that Natural Resource Wales could be incorporated into the Strong, Resilient Communities Partnership. The Committee reiterated the crucial role of designing communities with safety in mind.

 

·         The Committee acknowledged the significant focus on the city centre but questioned the partnership's approach to rural areas.

 

The Policy and Partnerships Manager explained that there are subgroups focusing on the city centre and Newport-wide projects, with Safer Streets projects targeting specific areas of concern. The Local Policing Area Commander added that individual officers also focus on certain areas and raise issues internally within the police tasking processes. The Policy and Partnerships Manager emphasised that feedback from the different groups is shared with the Intelligence Hub to avoid a reactive approach and enable a more targeted use of resources.

 

·         The Committee requested police involvement in regeneration projects to address existing issues before new projects are implemented.

 

The Local Policing Area Commander agreed that officers should attend these meetings and can be included in incidents where they haven't been previously.

 

·         The Committee enquired about the partnership's funding and obligations to use resources to address issues.

 

The Strategic Director explained that funding is available on a case-by-case basis, with some additional funding secured for specific projects in recent years. The Local Policing Area Commander noted that there are statutory duties to follow, and the partnership has a responsibility to use its resources effectively. The Policy and Partnerships Manager added that the Police and Crime Commission is responsible for ensuring the partnership delivers on its commitments. The Strategic Director emphasised that NCC and Gwent Police work well together operationally, not just to meet statutory requirements.

 

·         The Committee asked about the source of funding for keeping the streetlights on and whether it is ongoing or capital funding that supports the Safer Streets work.

 

The Policy and Partnerships Manager explained that the funding comes from capital funding. The Strategic Director noted that there have been challenges in balancing statutory requirements with making the streets safer, especially with additional lighting and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Education Achievement Service (EAS) Business Plan 2023 - 2025 pdf icon PDF 146 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Invitees:

-          Ed Pryce - Education Achievement Service (EAS) Assistant Director: Policy and Strategy

-          Marc Belli – Education Achievement Service (EAS) Principal School Improvement Partner

-          Sarah Morgan – Chief Education Officer – Newport City Council

-          Sarah Davies – Deputy Chief Education Officer – Newport City Council

 

The Education Achievement Service Assistant Director and Chief Education Officer gave a brief overview of the report.

 

Members asked the following:

 

·         The Committee asked if the budget is analysed every year.

 

The Education Achievement Service (EAS) Assistant Director: Policy and Strategy explained that the budget is based on a model from 2012, with the size of the school being the biggest determinant of the budget, and other socio-economic factors also playing a role. The Chief Education Officer mentioned that the budget is determined through the SLA (Service Level Agreement), and a charge is given, which NCC has to accept or decline based on its affordability.

 

The committee clarified that the services paid for are the ones they are provided

The Education Achievement Service (EAS) Assistant Director: Policy and Strategy highlighted that over the last 10 years it has remained consistent with how much each local authority has agreed to pay. The Education Achievement Service (EAS) Assistant Director: Policy and Strategy further highlighted efficiency savings are offered up to the other Local authorities (LA), a 10% cut was proposed with 3 agreeing to this to this cut.

 

·         The committee asked about possible reports to review. The EAS Assistant Director noted that reports are shared with the local authority first but can be presented to the committee. The Chief Education Officer highlighted monthly meetings to ensure quality support for schools. EAS has shifted focus to longitudinal studies on impact, evaluating school quality instead of just attainment. The Committee supported the school-centered approach and Welsh Government's efforts to monitor child progress.

 

·         The Committee requested information on pupil attainment to meet EAS Value for Money criteria.

 

The EAS Assistant Director explained that assessments were devolved into clusters of schools and areas, with EAS having a role in their development. The Principal School Improvement Partner emphasized the importance of each setting having a curriculum and assessments tailored to individual learners. The Cap 9 score is returning to help understand school performance. Center-determined or predicted grades were used due to Covid-19. The Chief Education Officer noted that governing bodies have access to data and are responsible for holding schools accountable. It was reinforced that the data may be used by schools to compare privately but not as a method of comparison publicly.

 

·         The Committee enquired about EAS's self-evaluation process.

 

The Chief Education Officer explained that the value for money aspect was evaluated in the business plan. The EAS Assistant Director noted the use of a QR code feedback system for teacher training evaluations, with roughly 6,000 evaluations generated. Teachers are contacted 6 months later for feedback on their improvement, with a 30% response rate. The Committee thanked EAS for their support to schools.

 

·         The Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Scrutiny Adviser Reports pdf icon PDF 135 KB

a)      Actions Plan (Appendix 1)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Invitee:

-          Neil Barnett – Scrutiny Adviser

 

The Scrutiny Adviser informed the Committee of the Actions sheet.