To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 5 September 2023.

Decision: That the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 5 September 2023, be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Joint Director of Equality and Engagement - NHS GM Integrated Care (Manchester locality) and Manchester City Council.

This report explores the inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ communities and the support provided by Council services to improve access, experience, and outcomes.

The committee considered a report of the Joint Director of Equality and Engagement - NHS GM Integrated Care (Manchester locality) and Manchester City Council which explored the inequalities faced by LGBTQ+ communities and the support provided by Council services to improve access, experience, and outcomes.

Key points and themes within the report included:

• The Council’s equality commitments through the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED);
• The key strategies and plans that aim to make Manchester a more equitable place to live and work;
• An overview of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ population, provided through the 2021 Census;
• The quality of life and feelings of acceptance, comfort, and satisfaction of LGBTQ+ residents;
• The intersectional approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion;
• Education, employment, housing and healthcare;
• Case studies to demonstrate the delivery of the Council’s Equality Objectives; and
• Areas for further work to support the Council’s workforce to lead high-quaity, culturally competent community engagement work.

Key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussion included:

• Thanking guests for their attendance and their work;
• Noting that the Council had passed a motion to ‘Make HIV History’ but that there remained difficulties for residents in accessing HIV testing kits, and querying why this was;
• How many GPs were yet to register with Pride in Practice;
• If any investigation into a possible causal link between overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ people in the youth homeless population and higher incidences of mental health issues and suicidal ideation in young LGBTQ+ people had been undertaken;
• Whether any up-to-date data was available on the number of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) LGBTQ+ people experiencing racial discrimination from within the LGBTQ+ community, noting that recent figures were from 2018;
• The overall rate of workplace conflicts for LGBTQ+ people, and whether this was improving;
• How the Council was tackling instances of ‘gatekeeping’ in the Gay Village;
• Requesting more extensive data on the number of LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness;
• The lack of information on sexual health services within the report and lack of data around patient satisfaction;
• Noting that anti-trans sentiment is higher amongst cisgender men than amongst cisgender women, despite the transphobic narrative being that trans people pose a threat to cisgender women’s safety;
• Noting that the rapid decrease in public support for trans people was the result of a hostile media that platforms transphobic voices;
• How many schools in Manchester had signed up to the Rainbow Flag Award;
• Noting that Neighbourhood Investment Funding had been allocated to support the first-ever Withington Pride, which took place in September 2023 and was attended by a large number of people from across the local community;
• Whether trans inclusion training would be offered to everyone in the Council; and
• What the LGBT organisations would like to see brought forward.

The Deputy Leader stated that this was an important report to identify the inequalities faced by the LGBTQ+ community and expressed that the Council wanted to ensure suitable support was available and that communities felt comfortable, supported and that they could thrive in Manchester.

The Joint Director of Equality and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

Report of the Director of Housing Services.

This report covers three areas of the Homeless Service:

·         The Homeless Review and Strategy for comments.

·         The requested update on last year's cold weather provision, and the plan for this winter.

·         The data and update on equalities as requested by Members. 

The committee considered a report of the Director of Housing Services which detailed the Homeless Review and Strategy, provided an update on last year’s cold weather provision, and plans for this winter, and included data on equalities which had been previously requested by the committee.

Key points and themes within the report included:

• The development and aims of the Homeless and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-27;
• When severe weather was activated in 2022/23;
• The winter accommodation offer in 2022/23;
• The proposed model for winter 2023/24, including communications;
• Data around households presenting as homeless due to domestic abuse, broken down by ethnicity;
• Factors influencing why more people with a minority ethnic background than those who are white British are in homeless accommodation;
• Homelessness amongst young people; older people; those with a physical disability; those with mental health concerns, acquired brain injury, learning disabilities and autism; and the LGBTQIA+ community;
• Staffing equalities within the Homelessness Service;
• Information on the Housing Register and demand for social housing; and
• Information on wait times for properties.

The key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussion included:

• How the Council had achieved the elimination of bed and breakfast accommodation use for families;
• Whether the Housing Solutions telephone helpline was available 5 days a week;
• How many call handlers were employed in the service, and whether this would increase;
• When the service could expect to be fully staffed;
• Whether there was any particular reason for the rise in the number of Black people presenting as homeless;
• Noting the issues caused by wait times for those using Pay-As-You-Go mobile phones;
• Suggesting that the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy included ways to support those at risk of becoming homeless;
• What prevention methods would be included in the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, particularly for those with mental health issues and complex needs;
• Noting that the Housing Solutions Service was trialling case panels with Manchester Communication Academy to discuss a number of households who have indicated to the school that they have a housing issue and that this would be rolled out to schools in Moss Side and Wythenshawe, and expressing hope that this would be successful and could be rolled out in primary schools;
• What work was being done with landlords to encourage participation in the Sanctuary Scheme; and
• Noting that Local Housing Allowance rates had not increased and calling on the government to provide fair funding for housing.

The Deputy Leader explained that the report included information on a number of areas which the committee had requested during the previous Homelessness Update report, and she noted that it was also World Homelessness Day. She acknowledged that the Council continued to face challenges with homelessness despite the brilliant work undertaken by staff.

The Assistant Director for Homelessness explained that the Council had a legal duty to develop a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and the current Strategy would expire at the end of 2023. He stated that the Strategy would be framed around three principles –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods).

This report introduces the Building Stronger Communities Together Strategy 2023-26 for Manchester City Council and highlights the key priorities for the next three years.

The committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which introduced the Building Stronger Communities Together Strategy 2023-26 and highlighted the key priorities for the next three years.

Key points and themes within the report included:

• Providing an introduction and background to the Council’s social cohesion work;
• The consultation carried out as part of the development of the Strategy and the findings of this;
• The strategic priorities of the Strategy
  • Relationships;
  • Participation; and
  • Belonging
• How progress would be measured; and
• Pilot activities to be tested and delivered in the north, central and south of the city in the next 12 months.

The key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussion included:

•  Noting the need for a Community Cohesion Strategy, and welcoming this work;
• Noting that the Strategy would be a great starting point to deliver and measure progress;
• The need to identify what works well in communities and what could be improved on; and
• The importance of monitoring the progress delivered through the Strategy.

The Director of Communities explained that the reset of the Our Manchester Strategy provided an opportunity to review the approach to social and community cohesion and how this was embedded in terms of delivery. She stated that the changing nature of Manchester provided a strong background to develop the Council’s first Community Cohesion Strategy and explained that a 12-week online and face-to-face consultation had been undertaken, with around 700 responses received.

The three priority areas of the Strategy were highlighted and focused on relationships and building trust within communities; participation; and belonging. The Director of Communities explained that place-based action plans would be developed with the Belong Network and would contribute to the key themes of the Strategy, with this due to formally launch in December 2023.

The Deputy Leader highlighted the fantastic communities within Manchester and the importance of residents having a sense of belonging. She noted that the action plans would be key in the delivery of progress and against the themes and priorities of the Strategy.

The Director of Communities explained in response to members’ points that the Strategy would be a live document that would evolve over time.

The committee also wished to place on record their thanks to the Prevent and Community Cohesion Coordinator, who could not attend the meeting, and the wider Community Cohesion team for their work on this.

Decision:

That the committee

1. endorses the Building Stronger Communities Together Strategy 2023-26 for approval by the Executive;
2. requests further information of the wards where the pilot activities will be tested and delivered;
3. requests a further report on the development and key priorities of action plans for the Building Stronger Communities Together Strategy 2023-26 in 6 months’ time; and
4. requests a further report on the progress of the Building Stronger Communities Together Strategy 2023-26 in 12 months’ time.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit.

The monthly report includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

The committee considered a report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which 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.

In response to a query regarding a previous recommendation requesting further information on the Council’s new CRM system, the Governance and Scrutiny Team Leader endeavoured to get a response to this for the next meeting.

A further query was raised regarding the recommendations made under the Domestic Abuse and Safety of Women and Girls report at the meeting on 5 September 2023. The Governance and Scrutiny Team Leader confirmed that officers were making enquiries on these recommendations and that the information would be shared with members once available.

Decision:That the report be noted, and the work programme agreed.