Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Miss Katie Chaplin.  Commander Griggs and Martin Huxley also sent apologies.

There were no declarations of interest.

To hear questions to the Committee received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Wednesday 19^th October 2011 and to respond.

There were no questions from Councillors or Members of the Public.

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting of Public Protection and Safety PDS Committee held on 20^th September 2011.

The Chairman highlighted a number of amendments to the minutes:

Minute 139 – Update following the Recent Public Disorder in Bromley, the final sentence of the third paragraph should read:  “In total 16 wards were affected.”

Paragraph 11 should read “…a further uniformed presence on the streets.”

The Chairman requested that the following be added to the end of paragraph eighteen:  “Mr Cleverly also gave a general overview of events in Greater London during the riots”.

The second bullet point following this paragraph should also read “The Emergency Planning Team”

The Portfolio Holder also noted that the minutes did not reflect that he had been present at the meeting.

There were a number of other typing errors in the minutes which the Democratic Services Officer had corrected and these corrections would be circulated to the Committee following the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 20^th September 2011 be agreed, subject to the amendments outlined above.

Report RES11111

Members considered matters arising from previous meetings. 

The Chairman noted that the update on the Drugs Action Team would be presented by Mr Prebble at the November 2011 meeting.

The report on the effectiveness of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Acceptable Behaviour Commitments was awaiting further information from Central Government and would be presented once this information was received.

A report on the Out of Hours Noise Service would be presented in January 2012.

The Chairman noted that the report on the Partnership Budget continued to be a “work-in-progress” and would be considered at the Committee’s November 2011 meeting.

The Chairman thanked Members for attending the recent SLAM visits and reported that there was an open invitation to all Members to accompany Officers on food safety visits.

Prior to September 2009, the then Portfolio Holder, Cllr.Colin Bloom, made a grant of £5,000 to an organisation known as Baseline to enable Baseline to expand their activities in the field of youth work.  Since September 2009, despite a number of requests to Baseline for an account of to which use the funds were put no such account has been received nor any verbal explanation of same been given.  Initially a representative from Baseline stated he was not available on Tuesdays to attend the PDS Meetings.  A request that another person from the organisation attend in his stead was ignored and a letter sent some two/three months ago has remained unanswered.  The Chairman stated his intention of seeking guidance from the Legal Department with a view to recovering the £5,000.

RESOLVED that matters arising from previous meetings be noted.

The Chairman reported that he was minded to change the date of the next meeting of the Public Protection and Safety PDS Committee from 22^nd November to 29^th November 2011.  The Committee agreed to this change of date.

As the Borough Commander and his Deputy had sent their apologies there was no Police Update.

DC Mary Henshaw attended the meeting and provided an update on the work undertaken by the Police to protect elderly and vulnerable residents through the Public Protection Unit.

DC Henshaw outlined her role as a specific point of contact for people who were supporting vulnerable adults.  The priority for the first year had been to develop communication channels which were a key part of the work being undertaken by the Public Protection Unit.  Strong links had also been developed with a range of partners including Trading Standards, Social Workers and the Safeguarding Adults Manager.  A specialist police unit to deal with vulnerable adult crime had now been established as had a unit to handle major crimes at the Royal Bethlem Hospital.

DC Henshaw reported that she sat on the Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board and was a Member of the Sub-Group that developed and implemented protocols.  DC Henshaw also attended Case Conferences as the principal aim of the unit was to prevent crimes against vulnerable people.  In the second year of the Unit, contacts were being established with Care Homes and Care Managers.

In response to a question, DC Henshaw reported that good links had been established with Safer Neighbourhood Teams.  The Teams were aware of the protocols for referring cases to the Unit.  The ‘Merlin’ system was also used to refer cases to Social Services to ensure that the correct courses of action were taken.  If necessary, PCSOs were asked to visit vulnerable people to provide reassurance.  Cora Green reported that when PCSOs undertook reassurance visits, particularly after burglary, it was customary for a referral to be made to Victim Support.

In response to a question from the Chairman, DC Henshaw reported that the Public Protection Unit was very small and the issues being handled were challenging but the Unit had been making some headway.  In terms of the work undertaken in Care Homes, the Unit had investigated thefts and reports of assaults.  Care Homes were encouraged to report incidents at an early stage in order to enable investigations to take place.  Where incidents were reported the Unit proactively investigated.  One recent success had involved using CCTV to prosecute a carer who had been caught stealing.

DC Henshaw reported that once a referral had been made, contact was made with victims within 48 hours and support provided.

The Chairman thanked DC Henshaw for attending the meeting and providing an update to the Committee.

The Head of Trading Standards gave a presentation on the Protecting the Elderly Portfolio Initiative (Attached at Appendix 1).

The Head of Trading Standards outlined the work of the Ma Kelly Theatre Group which had been set up in 2002.  The Group gave advice about door step crime and distraction burglary and was able to provide a focus on specific local problems.  It was essential to advertise the Group in order to encourage people to attend.  As the digital switch over would be implemented in Spring 2012, it would be appropriate to run the Theatre Group  ...  view the full minutes text for item 154.

To hear questions to the Public Protection and Safety Portfolio Holder received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Wednesday 19^th October 2011 and to respond.

There were no questions from Councillors or Members of the Public.

The Committee noted decisions taken by the Public Protection and Safety Portfolio Holder since the Committee’s last meeting on 20^th September 2011.

The Chairman provided an update on the Out of Hours Noise Service and reported that information from the Police suggested that Special Constables had only been arranged for three weeks and that it was unlikely that this time scale could be extended.  The Chairman reported that further enquiries would be made of the police, but if Special Constables were unavailable Option 3, as agreed by the Portfolio Holder in July 2011, would be unsustainable and further options would have to be reviewed.

The Portfolio Holder reported that a further report would be presented to the Committee in January 2012.  In the meantime, the service would be continued with two Members of staff until the first week of January 2012 at which point the service would be suspended.  Any problems that arose from the suspension of the service would need to be closely monitored and further information would need to be sought from Commander Griggs.

The Assistant Director for Public Protection reported that sufficient funds remained to sustain the service for this financial year and the report in January 2012 would provide a further update for Members.

RESOLVED that the decisions be noted and that enquiries be made of Bromley Police regarding the Out-of-Hours Noise Service.

The Public Protection and Safety Portfolio Holder to present scheduled reports for pre-decision scrutiny on matters where he is minded to make decisions.

Report ES11135

The Committee considered a report which gave an update on the latest budget monitoring position for 2011/12 for the Public Protection and Safety Portfolio based on expenditure and income to 31^st August 2011.  This showed a balanced budget.

Members noted that the variation in licensing income had been offset by an underspend in third party payments and that spending associated with stray dogs was now under control.

RESOLVED that the latest 2011/12 budget projection for the Public Protection and Safety Portfolio be endorsed.

Report ES11134

The Committee considered the proposed Environmental Services Enforcement Policy, which sought to set out how the Council would approach its enforcement responsibilities in the future, and reassure residents and businesses that a consistent and measured approach to enforcement would be taken.

The Head of Food Safety, Occupational Safety and Licensing introduced the report and stressed that the purpose of the Enforcement Policy was to reassure businesses and anyone else who came into contact with the Council how issues would be handled.  The Committee heard that formal action was taken against very few businesses and the vast majority of enforcement work involved providing support, advice and guidance.

Following a question from the Chairman, the Head of Food Safety, Occupational Safety and Licensing reported that very few complaints were received but that one recent appeal had surrounded enforcement action that had been taken under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The Chairman noted that the Enforcement Policy contained a number of checks and balances to prevent abuse and that the Local Authority was required under statute to have an Enforcement Policy.  In reviewing the Principles of the Enforcement Concordat on page 45 of the report, the Chairman asked that a further heading of “Accountability” be added to the list.

RESOLVED that

1)  The Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the proposed Environmental Services Enforcement Policy.

2)  That the proposed Environmental Services Enforcement Policy be referred to the Environment PDS Committee for consideration.

3)  That the request to indemnify all Officers authorised under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 be approved.

Schedule to be tabled at meeting.

The Democratic Services Officer undertook to circulate the Schedule of Visits the following day.

RESOLVED that the schedule of visits be noted.

Report RES11079

The Committee considered its Work Programme for 2011/12.  Members noted that the next meeting would be held on 29^th November 2011 and that an update on the recent Youth Offending Team Inspection would be provided.

The Democratic Services Officer would also continue work to arrange a visit to the Drug Action Team.

RESOLVED that the Work Programme, including the above additions, for the Public Protection and Safety PDS Committee be approved.