Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 23rd July, 2020 2.00 pm

Venue: Virtual meeting - Webcast at https://manchester.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/485332

Contact: Rachel McKeon 

Media

Items
No. Item

27.

Chair

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee Support Officer informed Members that the Chair had sent his apologies for the meeting and asked for nominations for a Member to chair the meeting.  A Member nominated Councillor Rawlins, which was seconded by another Member and agreed by the Committee.

 

Decision

 

To appoint Councillor Rawlins as Chair for the meeting.

28.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 214 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 25 June 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision

 

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 June 2020 as a correct record.

29.

Update on COVID-19 Activity pdf icon PDF 174 KB

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

 

This report provides a further update summary of the current situation in the city in relation to COVID-19 and an update on the work progressing in Manchester in relation to areas within the remit of this Committee.  Further detail on specific issues will be available as required.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided a further update summary of the current situation in the city in relation to COVID-19 and an update on the work progressing in Manchester in relation to areas within the remit of the Committee.

 

Officers and Executive Members referred to the main points and themes within the report, which included:

 

  • the impact and challenges relating to residents at risk, community resilience and equality and inclusion;
  • Key planning and recovery activity being undertaken in relation to these areas; and
  • the residents and communities workstream which aimed to enable residents and communities affected by COVID-19 to live independent and fulfilling lives.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

  • Support for the approximately 2200 Manchester residents who had been receiving a food box from the national government scheme, but not local food support, when the national scheme was paused on 31 July 2020, including communication with the affected people, whether the Council had capacity to support them and whether there was any ward-level data on the number of residents affected by this and the number of people receiving support who were medically vulnerable rather than financially vulnerable;
  • How domestic abuse victims could seek help and children affected by domestic abuse could receive support during lockdown;
  • Request for more information on the Sanctuary Scheme;
  • Digital exclusion and work to address this;
  • What the definition of most vulnerable should be in the Our Manchester Strategy and that the Committee might want to consider this more at a future meeting;
  • The valuable role of volunteers during the pandemic and how this could be recognised;
  • Whether services had been resumed to residents who had previously been able to have library books delivered to their home;
  • What measures were being put in place to ensure that play areas in parks could safely re-open;
  • The re-opening of leisure centres and whether changes such as classes only being available at some leisure centres could have a greater impact on people with some protected characteristics;
  • Summer youth provision;
  • the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, including areas that the Committee would like to consider in a future report; and
  • How COVID-19 was impacting differently on different groups.

 

The Head of Work and Skills assured the Committee of the Council’s capacity to cope with additional demand from residents who had previously received support through the national government scheme.  The Head of Neighbourhoods reported that the national government had already written to the affected people a few weeks ago and the Council was now following this up with a letter reiterating the support available locally.  She advised Members that GPs had also been contacting their patients who were affected by this.  The Head of Work and Skills reported that the Council had been mapping levels of need for food support across the city and had a good understanding of this.  The Head of Neighbourhoods confirmed that the Council also had data on the number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

30.

Overview Report pdf icon PDF 249 KB

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

 

This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report also includes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit was submitted. The overview report contained a list of key decisions yet to be taken within the Committee’s remit, responses to previous recommendations and the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee was asked to approve.

 

Decision

 

To note the report.