Agenda item

The Assistant City Mayor (Neighbourhood Services) will update the Commission on progress with the task group review of Ward Community Meetings.

Councillor Master, Assistant City Mayor – Neighbourhood Services, updated the Commission on progress with the task group review of Ward Community Meetings.

Councillor Master drew particular attention to the following points:-

·           Those undertaking the review had been very aware that different Wards currently had different approaches to Ward Community Meetings;

·           It was proposed that each Ward should hold three engagement meetings per year, but that a fourth could be held if required.  It was anticipated that the fourth one would be issue-based;

·           The proposed three engagement meetings per year were not included in other issue-based work that Members could be involved in in their Ward;

·           The proposals saw a move towards an on-line application system for Ward Community Grants, but there still would be the option of using paper-based applications for those not comfortable with applying on-line;

·           Although applications for grants over £500 would be considered in three batches during the year, there was discretion to consider these applications at other times if required;

·           A major change proposed was to the form that publicity for Ward Community Meetings would take, as canvassing would no longer be undertaken; and

·           Voluntary Action LeicesterShire had not had a profile at Ward Community Meetings, so consideration was being given to how this could be changed.

Some concern was raised that information on these proposals had only been tabled at the meeting, but it was noted that this was because the last meeting of the Task Group had taken place after the agenda for the Commission meeting had been circulated.

The following comments were then made in discussion on this item:-

o    The requirement for recipients of grants to complete a monitoring form needed to be applied consistently;

o    The proposal to produce an annual report was welcomed.  As well as providing an opportunity to monitor the use made of Ward Community Grants, which currently was not done in all Wards, it would be a useful way of sharing good practice;

o    It was anticipated that the first annual report would be produced in 2017;

o    The annual report could be promoted through the Leicester Link magazine, including highlighting good news stories about what Ward Community Grants had been used for;

o    There would always be a significant number of people who would not be able to complete on-line application forms for grants, so the facility to use paper applications needed to be kept;

o    It would be useful if Community Engagement Officers could identify days when they would be in particular areas and available to help people complete application forms for Community Ward Grants;

o    All front line staff at Council premises would be briefed on how to complete application forms for Community Ward Grants;

o    The reduction in the number of Community Engagement Officers following the recent review of Neighbourhood Services was a concern, both in terms of their capacity to work with Ward Community Meetings and of the pressures that this would place on individuals;

o    Residents’ perceptions of the work that Community Engagement Officers would be able to undertake following the reduction in their numbers would have to be managed carefully;

o    It was important to keep the facility to consider applications for grants over £500 at other times of the year than the three dates specified;

o    Requiring officers to attend Ward Meetings was not always a good use of their time.  Councillors therefore should be encouraged to take a more pro-active approach to reporting on local issues;

o    Voluntary Action LeicesterShire was a large organisation that could help grant applicants in various ways, such as assisting with setting up a bank account or writing a constitution; and

o    Consideration could be given to requiring Voluntary Action LeicesterShire to visit each Ward a minimum number of times each year as part of the conditions of the annual grant it received from the City Council.

AGREED:

1)    That the Assistant City Mayor – Neighbourhood Services be asked to consider the points raised above when finalising the recommendations of the task group review of Ward Community Meetings;

2)    That the Assistant City Mayor – Neighbourhood services be asked to consider what aspects of the work that Voluntary Action LeicesterShire is contracted by the City Council to provide can be used to assist in Ward-based work, such as assisting applicants for funding from Ward Community Grants;

3)    That Voluntary Action LeicesterShire be asked to submit a report to either the next meeting of this Commission or the one following that on the work that Voluntary Action LeicesterShire has undertaken over the last five years, to enable Members to scrutinise its association with the communities of the city;

4)    That the Head of Neighbourhood Services be asked to provide this Commission with a review of the effectiveness of the new arrangements for Community Engagement Officers in six months’ time; and

5)    That the Assistant City Mayor – Neighbourhood Services be asked to provide this Commission with a review of the effectiveness of the new arrangements for Ward Community Meetings in 18 months’ time.