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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone. View directions
Contact: Christine Henderson 01622 602489
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Gooch, Greer, Mortimer, Paine, Mrs Whittle, Hughes and Mr Dave Ashdown.
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Minutes of the Meeting held on 25 June 2012 Minutes: Cllr Garland welcomed
everyone present to the meeting of the Maidstone Locality Board, 1
October 2012. Apologies for absence
and substitutes were noted as listed above. Minutes of the last meeting 25 June 2012 were agreed as a true record with no amendments.
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Matters and Actions Arising Minutes: ZC noted the following updates: · Defined amount has been agreed for youth service provision; · Youth Services transformation update – paper attached; · Work progressing to define libraries funding approach – to bring back to December meeting; ·
Locality Board approach to housing associations – to be taken
forward; · MLB priorities updates – incorporated into today’s presentations.
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Maidstone Locality Board priorities and dashboard update Mr Gary Cooke, Kent County Council and Chair of Maidstone Locality Board Priorities Focus Group
Minutes: The paper circulated to the MLB sets out three priorities endorsed by the Locality Board on 25 June 2012. Sub-groups to be set for each of the three priorities, with the strategy, action plan and dashboard ensuring there are measurable outcomes against each priority. The priorities are:
· Community Budgets; · Tackling worklessness and poverty: with a focus on unemployed young people in the Maidstone borough and lessening the gap for those defined as living in poverty. GC suggested inviting the Margate Task Force to present at a future Locality Board meeting, who have developed focused work supporting tackling worklessness and poverty. · Local Environmental Improvements.
Recommendation: for the Maidstone Locality Board to endorse the strategy and action plan for delivering the Tackling Worklessness and Poverty priority.
Discussion: DE: KCC circulated the performance dashboard supported by two report cards for the priorities; tackling worklessness and poverty and local environmental improvements. As some indicators can only be measured annually, KCC is proposing to update the dashboard once a year (and not six-monthly as stated in the report). IC: Could we highlight/incorporate empty retail/office properties based in Maidstone town centre? JT: This information is available and collated by Maidstone Town Centre Management and can be circulated by the Chamber of Commerce. GC: Unclear how this information could be used and represented – no direct correlation between empty properties and employment rates. Both rates can be extremely variable. Our focus needs to be on growing the employment base. FW: Need to fully understand the Local Environmental Improvements priority – how do we propose to develop the outcomes more broadly. With regards to Tackling Worklessness and Poverty, we need to ensure that skills and training reflect the job market/job creation.
Decisions: · The draft strategy and action plan included in the Tackling Worklessness and Poverty Report Card; · Margate Task Force to be invited to present at a future Locality Board meeting; · Development of the Local Environmental Improvements Report Card; · Development of the Locality Board dashboard and regular reports for the Board on how these indicators are changing for Maidstone; Set up sub-groups for the 3 priorities to agree, progress, monitor and report on actions.
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Priority: Tackling Worklessness and Poverty Presentation: A young person’s perspective
Presentation: Maidstone’s offer to co-ordinate support into employment, Zena Cooke and Ellie Kershaw, Maidstone Borough Council
Presentation: Maidstone Integrated Local Area Workfoce Strategy (InLAWS), Karen Morse, Skills for Care
Minutes: Overview: Background: youth offender, peer pressures, resided in an ex-offenders’ hostel, young family/dependents. Challenges: Value not recognised by adults and peers, lack of positive activities to develop life skills and give options, false aspirations from school, no support from local peers, lack of ‘on the job’ education and training opportunities – academic route is not the only way, Jobcentre Plus too prescriptive – deterrent to work. Opportunities: Allocation of a key worker providing one to one support, KCC apprenticeship scheme, support by Kent Youth Service, volunteering - building self-esteem, confidence, better understanding of the working world, local/wider, develop long term aspirations and goals.
Discussion: LC: Young People are a priority for JCP things have improved – see young people every week, training and volunteering should not affect benefits. GC: Agreed that there needs to be a more joined up approach across agencies and unemployed young people. COF: VAM working with JCP – developed a volunteering champion with support from KCC to help promote volunteering and a good understanding between agencies/members of the public re. benefits and unemployment. Guidelines need to be made clearer. JB – agencies need to be involved and engaged in understanding the needs and supporting the aspirations of young people. MR – young people need to be able to tell agencies what their needs are and agencies need to listen. MA – 60 volunteers supporting KFRS over next few months – see it adding value and a valuable resource, enables a different level of service and different perspective to the delivery of the service. MR – How can we support 15 year olds, who are due to leave school and would benefit from volunteering to help support them into the work place, rather than wait until they are 18 years old because of legal barriers.
Actions: To support actions/dashboard, DE/AJ/EK to; · Identify which agencies present issues/ barriers etc. and how these can be addressed. · Identify how schools and young people (particularly 14-19 year olds) can be supported with volunteering placements.
Presentation: Maidstone’s offer to co-ordinate support into employment, Zena Cooke and Ellie Kershaw, Maidstone Borough Council
Overview: Maidstone Borough Council is
keen to co-ordinate and map all of the
employment support available, linking closely with Kent County
Council, ascertaining what makes it difficult for young people to
get work and stay in work. ·
Barriers and proposed actions - through consultation with local
young people, Youth Forum, schools and local networks, EK has
identified a number of barriers to young people entering the job
market (from qualifications, experience and skills development, CV
writing to travel barriers e.g. costs);
Recommendations: · Create a matching website for skills training, volunteer and apprenticeship opportunities; · Work with business to create a starter guide to setting up your own ... view the full minutes text for item 25. |
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Priority: Local Environmental Improvements Presentation: Improving local environments, improving local economies, Lou Kizwini, Regional Director, Groundworks (South)
Minutes: Groundwork is a community charity, which works alongside
communities, public bodies, private companies and voluntary sector
organisations to create and improve the
local environment (safer streets, greener spaces). Groundwork
supports people to gain confidence and skills to get involved in
what's going on around them, to ensure they have a say in decisions
made by the local council, the housing association and the business
community. Groundwork focuses its activity on disadvantaged
communities where it can make most difference. As part of its remit
Groundwork can help improve job prospects by offering training and
employment opportunities. Generic characteristics – high crime, degradation of area, businesses moving out of area. Planning for success: partnership involvement (public and private) and investment (new and existing), agreed plan, creation of training and employment opportunities within areas regenerated, ongoing leadership, work with local people.
Discussion: MR: Provides a good example of local environmental improvements at a grassroots level and highlighted the work Groundwork undertook in Park Wood ward through the Neighbourhood Action Planning programme. SB: Concern around the number of groups providing the same service in the borough.
Recommendation: For the Maidstone Locality Board to support a Task and Finish Group to finalise/agree a set of priorities and actions that link into the Environmental Improvements priority.
Decision: The Maidstone Locality Board endorsed the recommendation to establish a Task and Finish Group to incorporate, develop and support the priorities and actions for Environmental Improvements.
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Discussion Item: Youth Services Transformation Update Mrs Paulina Stockell, Kent County Council and Chair of Maidstone Locality Board Youth Services Focus Group
Minutes: Paper circulated. CG: Two issues raised at previous meeting; to incentivise schools to open their doors at evenings and weekends and to tackle rural isolation in terms of transport.
Action: AJ to follow up. PH: No consultation or work with KALC which covers 49% of the Maidstone area. AJ: KALC nominated a representative to be included in the Task and Finish group. |
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Any Other Business, including Information Items: Minutes: Information Items The following papers had been circulated with the agenda: · KCC’s Draft Commissioning Plan for Education Provision (2012-17) update – the Board noted the latest position; · Future Kent Libraries Provision update – the Board noted the work done to date and the progress being made; · Review of Local Strategic Partnership thematic groups – Decision: The Maidstone Locality Board endorsed the recommendations outlined in the report as follows;
Phase 1: Implemented by October 2012 The Health and Wellbeing group and Safer Maidstone Partnership (the statutory crime and disorder reduction partnership for Maidstone) will retain their existing chair arrangements, continuing a direct governance and reporting line into Maidstone Borough Council. Where appropriate, the groups and their sub-groups can be tasked to attend, undertake actions and projects arising through the Maidstone Locality Board Priorities Focus Group. The groups can utilise the Locality Board to champion and provide strategic support for their work programmes. The Economic Development and Regeneration group will dissolve in order to make way for the establishment of a strategic independent Borough-wide Maidstone Business Partnership, potentially incorporating existing partnership arrangements for example, the Economic Development and Regeneration delivery group, Maidstone Economic Development Forum, Business Group and the Developer’s Forum. The Environmental Quality group will re-establish itself as a task and finish group with a direct reporting line into the Maidstone Locality Board, supporting, if and when required, key actions arising from the Maidstone Locality Board priority to support Local Environmental Improvements. Links to be made to the Borough Council’s neighbourhood action planning programme.
Phase 2: Implemented April 2013 onwards Due to the changing national and local environment, the Local Children’s Trust Board chair arrangements, governance and reporting are currently being reviewed across the county by Kent County Council. Consultation is due to be completed in October 2012, with a clearer approach for local arrangements being implemented in the new financial year (April 2013).
The new Health Act and the establishment of Health and Wellbeing boards at county level, together with future changes to the delivery of public health will require the existing Health and Wellbeing group to be reviewed in April 2013 to ensure it reflects the changing health landscape.
Review as a future discussion item, the potential to incorporate the advisory function of the Joint Transportation Board, an established forum for consultation between Kent County Council and Maidstone Borough Council on policies, plans and strategies related to capital and revenue funded works programmes relating to highways, road traffic and public transport with the Maidstone Locality Board priorities as a sub-group.
· Make Kent Quicker Campaign update – the Board noted the latest position regarding the campaign; · Household Waste Recycling Centres – the Board noted KCC’s policy changes affecting household Waste Recycling Centres to be implemented from 1 October 2012.
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Duration of Meeting Minutes: 2.00 p.m. to 4.20 p.m.
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