Meeting documents

+ Cllr  Richard Brooks - Chairman

+ Cllr Bruce Mansell - Vice-Chairman

+ Present

- Apologies for absence presented

Also present

Councillors Chris Pitt, Ian Sams and David Whitcroft.

Martin Goad - Borough Manager, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service

Lynne Kendrick - Surrey County Council

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23rd November 2004 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman welcomed Martin Goad who had attended to make a presentation on the work of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and Lynne Kendrick who would address issues relating to Child Protection.

PART I

(public)

The Committee received a presentation from Martin Goad, Borough Manager for the Service, on the role of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service in the Borough, focusing in particular on non-emergency work.

In the period 2001/02 to 2003/04, property fires had increased, although most property fires responded to in the Borough had been small.  There was a downward trend in vehicle fires, the incidence of which were already significantly lower than the national average.

The incidences of secondary fires had risen. These tended to be in grassland or in rubbish bins, and were influenced by seasonal changes, both in terms of the weather and increased occurrences during holiday periods.  Arson was suspected in many cases and was a significant issue in the Borough.

The Service had attended 100 road traffic accidents attended in 2003/04, which had involved dealing with fuel spillages, extrications and some fatalities.  There had been an increase in automated fire alarms triggering.  The Service had sought to address this problem in co-operation with the companies producing the alarms and business owners.

The Reorganisation of the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service was now completed and the Service was now consulting on its Integrated Risk Management Plan for 2005/06.  The focus for the Service was prevention, protection and intervention. The initiatives identified, including work with Crime-stoppers to establish a reward scheme to appeal to young people, visiting schools, leafleting all households in the Borough and providing free homefire risk assessments, were all part of an overall strategy to address the causes of fire before they occurred.

Members welcomed the many initiatives and agreed to publicise the homefire risk assessment service to community organisations and householders.  The officers were asked to investigate the possibility of circulating Surrey Fire and Rescue Service leaflets with Heathscene.

RESOLVED, That the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service initiatives and the avenues through which the Council can assist be noted.

The Committee received a presentation from Lynne Kendrick from Surrey County Council’s Social Services Department on child protection issues as these impacted on the Borough.

The Surrey Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) was a multi-agency body which co-ordinated child protection in Surrey.  Currently chaired by Surrey County Council’s Social Services Department, the ACPC translated national guidelines for local application and provided advice and guidance.  It maintained the Child Protection Register and arranged child protection training.

There were four local ACPCs in Surrey.  The Northwest Surrey ACPC, which Lynne Kendrick chaired, consisted of some thirty professionals from a range of specialist areas, including doctors, nurses, teachers, educational psychologists and police.  Surrey Heath Borough Council was represented by the Housing Needs Manager.

The ACPC met every three months at least and kept all professionals abreast of new developments/good practice.  An Assessment Team, consisting mainly of education professionals, provided a range of services from the Woking Family Centre.  The Children’s Team would be based initially in the Camberley Offices, Frimley Road, Camberley until refurbishment work was completed, allowing the range of children’s services to be based in new offices in Woking.

The Assessment Team had three Referral and Information Officers handling up to a total of 600 calls per month, whilst being monitored by care managers. Some 120 to 125 calls per month resulted in Social Worker visits.  Some investigations are wholly carried out by Social Services, and others by Surrey Police, but there was close co-operation and this resulted in a number of joint investigations.  Social Services currently held 45 strategy meetings each month with Surrey Police, either to set up, update or close cases.

Members noted that the numbers of children on the Child Protection Register was low, in comparison to the national average. The ACPC had a professional adviser who could assist on the changes and challenges which impacted on the Council.  The Children Act 1989 and other related legislation sought to ensure that children were healthy, stayed safe, enjoyed good lives, received and made positive contributions and achieved economic well being.  A framework was being developed in Surrey to achieve this.

The Protection of Children Act 1998 led to a protection of Children Register being produced in each county to list people suspected of or convicted of being a danger to children.  The Soham murders had emphasised the need both to integrate databases and share intelligence.

Members noted that the emphasis was on ‘joined up’ working.  Surrey County Council’s Social Services were developing stronger linkages in Surrey Heath, but it was acknowledged that there was some way to go.  Child protection needed to be integrated into all aspects of Council work and where Social Services and the Borough Council had issues in common, it would be helpful to meet in forums, to develop joint and consistent practices.

RESOLVED, That the Executive be advised to consider establishing a forum for proper dialogue between Surrey County Council and Surrey Heath Borough Council to investigate how the Councils can interact to provide a better service and be mindful of recent child protection legislation and to ensure that officers are mindful of the requirements of the Children Act 2004.

The Committee received an oral update from the Chairman of the Services for Young People Working Group.

Members welcomed the significant achievements of the Working Group, focusing in particular on the development of websites to assist both young people and professionals and on the strong links which were being forged between the various disparate agencies which had been brought together by the Council through this initiative.

The Committee was advised that a further report would be submitted to the next meeting.  The Group was invited to hold this meeting in the Connexions Centre in Victoria Avenue, Camberley.

RESOLVED, That the report on the work of the Services for Young People Working Group be noted.

The Speed Management Working Group had been established to monitor and review traffic and speed management targets through consultation with Surrey County Council and Surrey Police and to make proposals to the Committee on possible recommendations to the Executive.

The Chairman of the Working Group reported that the Group had made progress and was now seeking to meet Inspector Mark Adams, PC Mark Barry, the local speed management officer, and a speed management officer from Woking, together with Graham Hodgson from Surrey County Council.  The Working Group had identified a need for police accident blackspot data and feedback from residents on traffic speed.

Members welcomed the achievements of the Working Group and noted some initiatives in the Borough including the use of speed awareness equipment on the Portsmouth Road, Camberley which indicated the speed at which traffic was moving on a large flashing light display.

The Working Group Chairman indicated that an initial report would be submitted to the Committee on 22nd March 2005, with a completed report including proposals and the potential impact thereof being submitted to the Committee in November 2005.

RESOLVED, That the report on the work of the Speed Management Working Group be noted.

The Committee received a report which outlined the programme for the remaining meeting of the municipal year but also sought Members' input to the work programme for the municipal year 2005/06.

Members noted that it would be beneficial to consult the Executive in advance on areas of work it would wish the Committee to focus on and all Members were asked to notify the Committee Administrator as soon as possible of any issues they would wish included on the Committee work programme.

RESOLVED, That

CHAIRMAN

ANNEX A

EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS SELECT COMMITTEE

DRAFT COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME

2004/05

Other Issues to be allocated:

Housing - Peerless Housing Group - first meeting of 2005/06 municipal year. (Originally scheduled for 22nd March 2005)

Local Public Service Agreements

Surrey County Council inputs (Local Director)