To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2018.

The Chair informed Members that the information the Committee had requested on the Council’s reserves would be considered by the Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee, as this fell within its remit.  A Member requested clarity, when considering budget proposals, on which areas fell within the Committee’s remit.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2018 as a correct record.

Report of the Strategic Lead/Lead for OMDP

This report provides an overview of progress, challenges and achievements in relation to the OMDP and an update on other disability-related projects such as the Disability Confident scheme.

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Lead/Lead for OMDP which provided an overview of progress, challenges and achievements in relation to the OMDP and an update on other disability-related projects such as the Disability Confident Scheme.

The Strategic Lead (Adult Social Care) provided an overview of the OMDP and the work taking place as part of the Health and Social Care workstream.  Jackie Driver, the Co-Chair of the OMDP Board, outlined her background and her involvement in the OMDP Board.  She reported that this work was unique within the UK and recommended that it be showcased more widely.  Michele Scattergood from Breakthrough UK provided an overview of the Work and Skills workstream.  She thanked the Work and Skills Team for their contribution and outlined the challenges involved, including the challenge of getting more organisations to contribute.  Richard Jones, the Chair of the Engagement Group, outlined the Group’s role in ensuring that the Council, partners and organisations led by disabled people were involved in and influencing strategy.  He emphasised the importance of all those involved taking responsibility for communicating the OMDP in an accessible way to people across the city.  He reported that, going forward, the Group needed to do more to engage with disabled people across Manchester but that time and resources were limited so support from the Council was important.  He shared his experiences as a Deaf person, outlining some of the barriers facing Deaf and disabled people in day-to-day life. He reported that the OMDP aimed to break down these barriers and give disabled people a quality of life equal to that of non-disabled people and he thanked those involved.

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

• How this work could be showcased more widely;
• What was being done to ensure that disabled people who were living in residential care homes and were socially isolated were included;
• Whether the impact of the work was being measured;
• Request for more information on the Disability Confident Scheme; and
• Whether the Work and Skills workstream was aligned with sector demand.

Jackie Driver suggested that this work could be showcased through organisations such as the Local Government Association and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.  Michele Scattergood informed Members about a project that her organisation, Breakthrough UK, was running to support isolated disabled people to establish themselves in their community.  The Strategic Lead (Adult Social Care) reported that it was now recognised that supporting disabled people living in residential care by, for example, providing independent living equipment, should not be solely left to the care provider. 

Michele Scattergood reported that the focus of the OMDP work at present was on getting people involved rather than producing statistics on outputs.  The Strategic Lead (Adult Social Care) informed Members that a Research, Data and Policy Group would be developed in future.  She reported that the need for an evidence base was recognised but that attitudinal change was needed first.  The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

The Committee received reports of the Deputy Leader and the Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure which provided an overview of work undertaken and progress towards the delivery of the Council’s priorities as set out in the Our Manchester strategy for those areas within their respective portfolios.

The main points and themes within Deputy Leader’s report included progress and outcomes in relation to:

• Our Manchester;
• Social inclusion;
• The Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS);
• Homelessness and rough sleeping;
• Equalities;
• International relations; and
• The Local Government Association (LGA).

The Deputy Leader informed Members that one of the city’s homeless shelters had had to close due to an electrical fault but that, with the help of partners, sufficient capacity had been identified elsewhere.

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

• Request for further details of the Adverse Childhood Experiences pilot taking place in Harpurhey; and
• What aspects of Brexit should concern this Committee.

The Deputy Leader reported that training was being given to help staff from a range of agencies understand the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on people, stating that this approach had resulted in a 70% reduction in exclusions in one school.  She highlighted the impact of Brexit on community cohesion, citing the increase in hate crime after the referendum, and the impact on European Union nationals in the UK who would need to be supported through administrative process to remain in the UK.

The Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure referred to the main points and themes within his report, which included progress and outcomes in relation to:

• Libraries, culture and parks; and
• Young people.

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

• What was the new approach to the implementation of capital projects, which was referred to in the report; and
• The impact of the roll-out of Universal Credit on Free School Meals.

The Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure confirmed that there would be an impact on Free School Meals from the roll-out of Universal Credit and informed Members about software which had been provided to Manchester schools to enable them to check whether a pupil was eligible for Free School Meals.  He reported that the new approach to capital projects involved one officer from the Parks Team and one officer from the Capital Projects Team working together to progress capital projects in parks.

Decision

To note the reports.

Report of the Chief Operating Officer (Neighbourhoods)

This report identifies the strengths of Manchester’s event offer and the need to think differently about how Manchester focuses its investment - differentiating investment into events that are aimed principally at supporting communities and animating the city and those which generate significant economic value and profile for the City through the development of the visitor economy. It sets out the vision, principles and aims for the strategy and the need to develop a refreshed and more coherent events offer that provides an authentic connection to the place inspired by the city and its people.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Operating Officer (Neighbourhoods) which identified the strengths of Manchester’s event offer and the need to think differently about how Manchester focused its investment - differentiating investment into events that were aimed principally at supporting communities and animating the

city and those which generated significant economic value and profile for the city through the development of the visitor economy. It set out the vision, principles and aims for the strategy and the need to develop a refreshed and more coherent

events offer.

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

• An analysis of the current situation, including best practice from other cities worldwide;
• The vision and aims of the Events Strategy;
• The Events Programme; and
• Next steps.

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

• Whether further information could be provided on the Council resources required to develop, deliver and facilitate the events listed in the Core Events Programme 2019/20 – 2020/21;
• The importance of ensuring that an ethical approach was taken to the bidding process;
• What could be done to ensure that the employment arising from large events met minimum standards, for example, avoiding the use of zero hour contracts;
• Whether more funding could be invested in community events; and
• Whether the criteria for funding community events had been reviewed through a co-design process, using an Our Manchester approach.

The Strategic Lead (Parks, Leisure and Events) reported that an ethical, fair and transparent bidding process was used and that one of the aims of the new Events Strategy was Collaborative Leadership and Good Governance which included an ethical approach to decision-making.  He informed Members that the Strategy aimed to attract more events which would remain in the city for a number of years, rather than one-off large events, and this would enable the Council to use its procurement process to ensure better employment opportunities for local people, for example, avoiding zero hour contracts.  He reported that work was taking place with both the universities in the city to ensure that Manchester had the skills to support the delivery of these events.  He informed Members that Manchester was not currently investing as much in events as some comparator cities in the UK.  He advised the Committee that he would identify the best way to provide Members with further details of the Council resources being invested in core events without compromising commercially sensitive information.

The Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure reported that he had been trying to increase the allocation of funding for community events and that he recognised the value of these events on neighbourhoods and community cohesion.  He reported that new groups were being encouraged and supported to apply for funding for events and that the Council was looking at ways to secure more funding for community events.  The Strategic Lead (Parks, Leisure and Events) reported that one of the ways the Council was looking at to do this was to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

This report provides members 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.

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.

The Chair recommended that the Committee receive a report at its March meeting on how Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had prioritised the additional police resources funded through the precept and how this had benefited residents.  A Member requested that the Committee also receive a report on Community Events at its March meeting, to which the Chair agreed.

Decision

To note the report and agree the work programme, subject to the above amendments.