Agenda and minutes

Venue: Health, Wellbeing and Partnerships Scrutiny - Hybrid Meeting - Conference. View directions

Contact: Geoff Durham 742222 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES

Minutes:

There were no apologies.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest stated.

3.

MINUTES OF LAST MEETING pdf icon PDF 213 KB

To consider the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 2 March, 2020.

Minutes:

Resolved:     That the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 March, 2020 be agreed

as a correct record subject to the inclusion of apologies from Councillors’ Panter and Wright.

4.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE AND RECOVERY PLAN pdf icon PDF 408 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report providing Members with a Covid-19 update in terms of issues arising and actions taken within the service areas that fell under this Committee’s remit.

 

The Council’s Chief Executive, Martin Hamilton advised Members that the Council had been busy over the last couple of months responding to the pandemic and preparing for recovery.

 

Mr Hamilton stated that he had been chairing an Incident Management Team every morning at the beginning of the lockdown but that had now moved to two meetings each week.

 

Considerable effort had gone into protecting the vulnerable, homelessness and rough sleeping.  A helpline had been set up for vulnerable people which was being manned by staff from J2.

 

Bereavement Services had been extremely busy and the culture and leisure provision had been severely impacted upon.

 

Vulnerability:

 

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Wellbeing, Councillor Maxfield stated that the team had worked incredibly hard to ensure that vulnerable residents were being looked after.  Members’ attention was drawn to paragraph 2 of Appendix 2 which stated that there were other vulnerable groups and Mrs Maxfield stated that the Council needed to ensure that people were not being overlooked.

 

The Executive Director for Commercial Development and Economic Growth, Simon McEneny stated that since lockdown there had been a concerted effort working with partners to help the vulnerable.

 

The temporary closure of J2 had provided manpower for the Council to set up its own call centre to provide help and advice.  Over the weeks, calls had reduced but deliveries of food parcels and prescriptions were still ongoing.

 

The Council’s Partnerships Manager, Sarah Moore advised that the Realise Foundation, partners and Support Staffordshire had been excellent and they had direct contact with approximately eight and a half thousand vulnerable people straight away.

 

Councillor Gardner advised that she had had interaction with the Realise Foundation and other organisations which had been very positive although she did have concerns about the heavy reliance on volunteers.

 

Mrs Moore assured that this had not gone amiss and the matter had been discussed with colleagues at the County Council.

 

Councillor Moffat congratulated the officers of the Council and its partners for their work through a difficult period stating that the Council had ‘done itself proud’. In addition, the communities of Newcastle should be applauded for their great spirit. 

 

Mrs Moore agreed that communities and town and parish councils had all stepped up.

 

Mr McEneny stated that there had been enormous support from volunteers and that this needed to be taken forward.  The support that some residents had received had provided reassurance and comfort and this should not just stop after lockdown.  A way needed to be found to harness this.  There was now a good database of where help was needed.  The Council should continue to enhance and embrace the community support.

 

Councillor Northcott stated that the Council needed to be clear with the communication that volunteers were still needed.   If this was not done, on a weekly basis, people  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

URGENT BUSINESS

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.