Agenda item

Councillor Sue Burke, Portfolio Holder for Reducing Inequality:

a)    presented a report to Performance Scrutiny Committee covering the following main areas:

-       Welfare and Benefits Advice

-       Welfare Reform, Covid 19 and Cost of Living Support

-       Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support

-       Discretionary Rate Relief Policy

-       Financial Inclusion

-       Skills and Training (Including Adult Learning and The Network)

-       Homelessness and Rough Sleeping

-       Asylum Seekers and Refugees

-       Neighbourhood Working

-       Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour Team

-       CCTV Service

-       Lincoln Community Lottery

-       Lincoln Social Responsibility Charter

-       Holocaust Memorial Day

b)    Invited members comments and questions.

Questions: Members asked how the £200k was spent on neighbourhood working and was it justified.

Response: Investing in neighbourhood working was different to running a business as its as much about building community capacity as it is about delivering projects. A questionnaire had been sent out to try and gather data in the area on the impact of the initiative.

Question: Members asked why so little legal enforcement action was being taken for PPASB.

Response: A lot of action was taken in the form of engagement first. Warnings were issued to offenders before formal enforcement was actioned. A lot of investigation needed to take place before a fixed penalty notice was issued.

Question: Members asked if PPASB were being proactive regarding fly-tipping.

Response: The PPASB team were part of a wider team run by the Environment Agency to help tackle fly-tipping, but with limited resources within the team, each case had to be prioritised against other work demands.

Question: Members asked what engagement had taken place to try and stop fly-tipping.

Response: There had been engagement in hot spot areas in the past which proved effective. Leaflets had been handed out. There were some re-source issues, but the team were trying to be persistent.

Question: Members asked what the staff morale was like for dealing with complaints.

Response: Staff morale was fairly good and staff had received training on how to deal with difficult customers.

Question: Members asked if temporary accommodation was in the city.

Response: Temporary accommodation was spread around the city and the type of accommodation would depend on what was needed. There were arrangements in place with landlords to keep properties empty in case they were needed.

Question: Members asked whether staff and members were up to date with regards to safeguarding knowledge/training.

Response: There was a detailed training path which was tiered down staff depending on the customers that they dealt with.

Question: Members asked if there were any plans to extend CCTV coverage.

Response: This would depend on funding as a lot of the expansions that had taken place was due to external funding that was received. There were in excess of 500 cameras in the system now.

Question: Fifteen out of twenty-one actions had been completed on Equality and Diversity, with six being carried over into the following year. Members asked whether this had an effect on the 2022/23 workload.

Response: Some actions were delayed due to covid recovery. An update would be forwarded to the committee.

RESOLVED that the annual report be noted.