Agenda item

Summerwood Day Centre

Councillor Maria Watson asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

 

As everyone in this Council is no doubt aware, we have long championed and supported the continued operation of Summerwood Day Centre in Clifton.  The work that Summerwood undertook was invaluable and we can say from personal experience that the staff that worked there are utterly incredible.  The excellent service provided by the staff created a safe and supportive environment for dozens of users, empowered them to explore their aspirations, granted them independence and helped them flourish, and helped their families cope in otherwise extremely difficult circumstances.  Will the Leader of the Council join us in saying a massive thank you for all the years dedicated to the people of Clifton and for all of the positive differences they’ve made in the lives of both service users and their families?

 

Councillor David Mellen replied as follows:

 

Thank you to Councillor Watson for her question and her support for adult social care services. Whilst I am happy to pay tribute and thank the Summerwood staff, and indeed all social care staff working across the City both in units like Summerwood or in our homes of our residents of the City, it is important that Council know that Summerwood has not been an exclusive Clifton facility and that many residents both from Clifton and across the City have benefited from those services offered there, which Councillor Watson rightly described as of high quality, and they will continue to do so but from a different venue. Summerwood is scheduled to close on the 29 October and citizens and colleagues transfer to their new base Spring Meadow, in the Meadows. Plans are underway for groups to continue to access activities in the Clifton area and continue to benefit from the long standing support received from the local community. I acknowledge the hard work of the staff at Summerwood and am pleased that they will continue to provide support from the Spring Meadows base. I applaud the work of all care staff supporting vulnerable citizens, particularly in the last couple of years, and their families across the City, thanking them for their ongoing commitment to the communities of Nottingham.

 

Fly-tipping

Councillor Kirsty Jones asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Cleansing Services:

 

While we applaud the work that the City’s tireless cleansing teams and the volunteer clean champions do in trying to keep Nottingham looking its best, it seems that rubbish and fly tipping especially are out of control.  As Nottingham Clean Champions ourselves, I am sad to say that many are beginning to feel disheartened about the whole situation.  While we recognise the increase in prosecutions for fly-tipping, this just goes to show that offences are increasing at a time when resources are steadily decreasing.  The reductions in numbers of frontline Community Protection Officers is a particular concern in this area.  Can the Portfolio Holder reassure us that actions are being taken not just to prosecute offenders, but also to prevent these offences from happening in the first place?

 

Councillor Rosemary Healy replied as follows:

 

I thank Councillor Jones for her question. Enforcement of fly-tipping doesn’t actually fall in my Portfolio but, as we hold regular joint meetings, I am happy to answer this question.  Firstly, can I thank all the ‘Clean Champions’ for the sterling work that they do.  The City is really lucky to have them. Colleagues in Waste Services support the volunteers with regular meetings, and helpful advice and support. 

 

We know high visibility patrols in hot spot areas deter and catch offenders and whilst Community Protection Officer (CPO) numbers have reduced, the new transformation programmes will enable CPO’s to interrogate Firm Step data, which is a record of the hotspots and all of the collections that have taken place, and find out where those hotspots are. That way we can have officers that are in the right place at the right time more often.  This will also be the case for the use of CCTV cameras. So far this year CPO’s have issued 56 £300 fly-tipping penalties and will continue to use the higher tariff fines where appropriate.  We always promote these fines on our social media channels to make sure the wider public are aware of our actions and potential offenders know what the consequences are.  We are currently looking at restorative practice as well as fiscal fines, as making offenders clean up their rubbish and more will be more of a deterrent to some than a fine. With regards to other prevention methods, we are currently reviewing our waste strategy management and exploring possible alternative waste collection methods such as underground refuse systems where commercial bins are sunk down, which then prevents fly-tipping around them and in some areas we are also looking to implement design changes that will help to restrict fly-tipping hotspots.  This might include bollards, fences and better lighting. This work will run in parallel with a review of the waste collection methods and we will continue to deliver an anti-fly-tipping communication education plan. We appreciate that these actions will not resolve the current fly-tipping concerns immediately, but it is hoped that in time this action will start to reduce fly-tipping and improve the cleanliness of the City. Thank you Lord Mayor.

 

EnviroEnergy

Councillor Kevin Clarke asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste Services:

 

Less than 12 months ago Robin Hood Energy collapsed leaving taxpayers to pick up anticipated losses of more than £38m.  In the years approaching this collapse, Nottingham City Council lent the company loan after loan in attempts to prop up what was clearly a lost cause, and despite repeated requests from the Opposition to re-evaluate this approach.  The Council is now advocating borrowing money to fund the upgrade of Enviroenergy’s aging district heating system, upgrades estimated to cost at least £17.5m.  This borrowing is on top of the £11m loans to EnviroEnergy that its most recent accounts show remain unpaid, AND the nearly £1bn worth of debt Nottingham City Council already holds.  Can the Portfolio Holder guarantee that we are not seeing the slow death of Robin Hood Energy being repeated with EnviroEnergy?

 

Councillor Sally Longford replied as follows:

 

Thank you Lord Mayor and thank you Councillor Clarke for your question.  I would like to reassure him, Council and the citizens of the City that we are not in the same situation as with Robin Hood Energy and it is really unfortunate that recent reporting, which lacked context and included some inaccuracies, has led him to ask this question. The infrastructure of the District Heating System is indeed aging but it is a City Council owned asset. The company EnviroEnergy does not actually own the pipe work and heat station, it merely uses the Council’s infrastructure to deliver the heat and energy to the users of our very successful system. The £17.5m investment that is required will maintain the system safely and provide metering and billing improvements, bringing a reliable service to our 5,000 local customers, including citizens and businesses in the Castle, Mapperley, Sneinton and St Anns wards.  The investment will cover the period from 2022 to 2026 and is in line with maintenance costs for similar district heating systems of its age, protecting people from the potential failure of the system upon which they rely.  It is essential spend, but there is no plan to borrow the money which should be available through capital receipts.  As Councillor Clarke will be aware, we now have a voluntary borrowing cap in place which will ensure we do not increase our overall borrowing requirement. 

 

The district heating scheme must be seen in the context of the overall waste disposal system and it is linked to our use of the Eastcroft incinerator operated by FCC.  Our arrangement with them enables us to benefit from a much lower waste disposal cost than other councils enjoy, which would not be available if the district heating scheme were not part of a system. It provides a net financial benefit to the Council over the same period and will save £20m in avoided landfill. 

 

As we have discussed previously, the £11m loan relates to the outstanding balance of accumulated historic debt between 2001 and 2013 for STEAM.  EnviroEnergy has successfully reduced this balance during the period 2014 – 2020, through repayments to the Council. 

 

District heating is a significant contributor to the Council’s aspirations for carbon neutrality by using the energy recovered from waste collected in the City rather than sending our residual waste to landfill.  District heating is an integral part of our statutory obligations to dispose of this waste and should not be separated for the purposes of determining value for money.  Overall, there is a net financial benefit for the Council in comparison to alternative solutions from which all Nottingham citizens benefit.  Maximising this financial benefit is why the Council is currently reviewing the appropriateness of the Company’s current structure with a view to bringing EnviroEnergy in-house to better reflect the value and benefit brought to the citizens of Nottingham from continuing to deliver and improve the current service for many years to come.

 

Nottingham Castle

Councillor Andrew Rule asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

 

Does the Leader share my concern that the recent adverse media coverage in relation to the cost of entry to Nottingham Castle suggests Nottingham families will be priced out of visiting one of the main attractions in their City?

 

Councillor David Mellen replied as follows:

 

Thank you Lord Mayor.  Can I thank Councillor Rule for his question.  Firstly, I want to acknowledge the enormous achievement that has taken place over the Covid pandemic period to ensure the completion and transformation of the Castle. The Ducal Palace site opened its doors just over 11 weeks ago and so far we have seen 55,041 people visit the site since the end of August.  This figure is over and above the attendances predicted by the Nottingham Castle Trust when required to revise its business plans in light of Covid, and to try and predict what the visitor take-up might be as the City and County started to emerge from the lockdown restrictions. 

 

It is important to state that the pricing for Nottingham Castle is set by the Trust.  It is an independent not-for-profit company not in the control of Nottingham City Council. Clearly, when the Council placed the concession agreement with the Trust to operate the site, it was important to us that the pricing set was fair and reasonable and in line with pricing of other similar visitor attractions locally and regionally, and looked at the price compared with other similar types of attractions so that it is not vastly different. But we do know that after two months of trading there are some lessons that can be learned that we have already flagged to the site’s new Interim Chief Executive, with whom we are working. I am pleased to say that, following these discussions, the Trust Board is planning to review prices, particularly for City residents, which we hope will be announced shortly.  I have, myself, made representations to the Chair of the Trust, particularly in regards to the best bit of the Castle visit for children, which I think, in addition to the adventure playground, is the Robin Hood gallery which currently people have to pay more for.  I’d rather it was in the price to give a good deal for our children.  It is important to acknowledge that when the agreement was made by the Council back in 2016 to engage an external operator to manage the site, it required the operator to have in place a sustainable business plan which would cover running costs and the site’s future developments. This has enabled the City to no longer have to provide a subsidy for the running and upkeep of the Castle.  I am pleased to see that the Trust agreed to participate last week in the National Heritage open days that provided free access for the people to Nottingham Castle and I hope that will be much repeated in future.

 

Memorial Gardens at the Embankment

Councillor Andrew Rule asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Cleansing Services:

 

Can the Portfolio Holder confirm whether she will ensure the restoration plans for the Memorial Gardens at the Embankment include plans to restore the paddling pool at the Victoria Embankment Playground?

 

Councillor Rosemary Healy replied as follows:

 

Thank you Councillor Rule for your question.  The restoration plans for the Memorial Gardens is restricted to the area defined by Historic England’s Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and the surrounding areas.  With this in mind, we have not been able to include the paddling pool in the Memorial Gardens Restoration Project.  However, we do appreciate the disappointment that the closure of the paddling pool may have caused for many this summer and as part of our wider park’s improvement plan we are currently working on plans to start a public consultation regarding the future restoration and improvement of the paddling pool area.  We hope to start the consultation and fund raising process later in the autumn, and hope to have a confirmed project plan in early 2022. 

 

Adult Social Care Workforce

Councillor Andrew Rule asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Adults and Health:

 

Does the Portfolio Holder agree that the current staffing pressures in Adult Social Care could be alleviated in part by developing a closer relationship with the City’s universities and further education institutions to develop placement programmes allowing students to gain first-hand experience of social work in the hope that persuades them to take up a role on completion of their studies?

 

Councillor Adele Williams replied as follows:

 

Thank you for your question Councillor Rule.  We are highly aware, unlike the Government it seems, of the pressures in the adult social care work force.  Unlike the Government, which has been content to see funding fall drastically and done nothing, nothing at all, to improve the terms and conditions of the care work force, we are working very, very hard, in partnership with our colleagues in health, to make social care an attractive career path to go into.  So, in detail to answer your question, we are part of the D2N2 teaching partnership with Nottingham, Nottingham Trent and Derby Universities with a seat on the Teaching Partnership Board.  We offer placements for social work and occupational therapy students from our partnership universities and the placements are an opportunity to get really valuable experience working directly with citizens, overseen importantly by registered social workers and occupational therapists working across adult social care.  It is the model of social work education. The placements offer a chance for people to gain significant experience of working within the Council and are really successful when people have worked within our organisation in getting people to stay and apply for work at the City Council once qualified.  A recent example is that of the eight newly qualified social workers that were recruited recently, six of them came from the D2N2 universities.  A number of adult social care colleagues give training opportunities to students studying at those universities and learning opportunities are also offered to students on the Council’s Children’s Services frontline programme.  In Adult Social Care, we run an Occupational Therapist Apprenticeship Scheme, a Grow Your Own Social Worker Programme and work is underway to develop a Social Work Apprenticeship Scheme in order to support increased recruitment and retention within Adult Social Care.  There are currently seven colleagues completing qualifications as occupational therapists and social workers, whilst continuing to work in frontline roles within the Department.  Four additional occupational therapists will start in January 2022.  This is an integrated approach towards career pathways in health and social care, and is being developed with social care partners.  The aim of this is to improve the profile of, and respect for health and care workforce and to improve recruitment across the wider health and care sector.  Alongside this, following the successful application for funding to the European Funded Pathways, a project is being developed that will engage local colleges and education establishments to further promote working with us and more broadly in the sector. It is really important that we understand that part of the reason that there is a crisis in the health and care workforce is that staff in those areas feel tremendously undervalued and unrewarded and I hope you will join with us in working to rectify that.

 

Universal Credit

Councillor Audrey Dinnall asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources:

 

Does the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources know how many people, by ward, will be affected by the Government’s cut to Universal Credit and is there any assessment of the impact this would have on Nottingham children?

 

Councillor Sam Webster replied as follows:

 

Thank you Lord Mayor and thank you Councillor Dinnall for raising this important issue on behalf of your residents in Leen Valley ward and, indeed, on behalf of families across Nottingham.  I can tell you Councillor Dinnall that there were 32,600 households in Nottingham City in receipt of Universal Credit in May 2021.  This included 38,200 adults and 25,000 Nottingham children.  The majority of those adults were either in work with Universal Credit topping up low wages or had caring responsibilities or health conditions.  Recent Working Tax Credit figures also show an additional 7,900 families also claiming Working Tax Credit who will also be affected on top of those other people.  This includes 6,200 households containing 12,800 children.  So in total this means about 40,500 households in Nottingham, containing at least 46,000 adults and 38,000 children, will lose out by up to £1,000 per year when the uplift is removed.  Just consider that for a moment: 38,000 children, up to £1,000 lost per year when the uplift is removed.  Clearly a cut to household income of this magnitude will have a catastrophic effect on residents we all represent.  All Parties in this Chamber, all wards are affected.  All low income families are affected. Indeed, it will be the biggest overnight cut to the basic rate of social security since World War 2.  Nationally, half a million people will be pulled into the official category of ‘living in poverty’ when the cut is imposed.  Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that families with children will be disproportionally impacted.  For someone like me who was raised in a single parent household, it is especially shocking to learn that 6 in 10 of all single parent families will experience their income falling by the equivalent of £1040 per year because of the cut.  That’s the majority of single parent families in this Country losing the equivalent of just over £1000 per year.  Pretty shocking.  We know that some of the wards most affected in Nottingham will be Bestwood, Bulwell, Aspley, St Anns and Clifton, but in almost all wards thousands of people will be hit.  I will send a written response to you Councillor Dinnall with the ward by ward breakdown with all the numbers.  Let’s remind ourselves that Universal Credit supports low paid working people in our City:  tens of thousands of children (38,000 children) and people who are entitled to support with housing costs, some of whom have lost their jobs during the Covid pandemic.  So the consequences that you asked me about will often be felt by Nottingham children most acutely, who are growing up in families where there already isn’t much money around, families who will be living in poverty.  Now we know how important that £20 per week is.  £20 per week can make all the difference to struggling families.  It can be the difference between being able to afford enough food or having to visit a food bank; it’s whether you need to take out a loan to get the washing machine fixed; it’s whether a family can have a day out; it’s whether the household bills are being paid or whether they are stacking up; it is things like the pair of shoes for back to school this September; and very importantly it’s the difference between being able to afford the rent or not being able to afford the rent.  It is all of these things and much more.  It’s absolutely clear that if the Conservative Party persist with this policy they will have broken an election pledge on National Insurance that Councillor Williams mentioned in response to a previous question, they will cut social security by the biggest amount since World War 2 and they will be, at the same time, presiding over record home energy cost increases as we go into winter.  Just think on those three things going into winter.  A combination of these three factors will have serious consequences for our residents.  Boris Johnson’s flagship Levelling Up policy will be rendered meaningless when this triple whammy for families hits.  In fact, the Government’s policy will do exactly the opposite of levelling up.  It will put more families into poverty.  They know it and they seemingly don’t care.  Well, we do care and Nottingham Labour councillors will continue to campaign hard on behalf of our residents to stop this appalling cut to living standards, and we’ll campaign for residents who we don’t represent in Clifton and Wilford and other parts of the City. We will be lobbying and campaigning for all residents in Nottingham City as we always do, and so will our three Labour MPs.  They will continue to vote against this policy in Parliament and we’ll do all we can to support those people who will be affected most.  It is a short sighted policy that will take tens of millions of pounds out of the local economy and have a devastating impact not just on families themselves but local businesses and jobs too. The 38,000 children affected, many of whom come from the poorest households in Nottingham, should be being targeted for additional support not targeted for cuts. Thank you.

 

Afghan Refugees

Councillor Ankunda Joel Matsiko asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion:

 

Many residents have seen the unfolding evacuation crisis in Afghanistan and many in the City have raised concerns with councillors and MPs about loved ones seeking evacuation or ways in which to help Afghan refugees once they are in the UK.  What provisions and actions have the Council done to assist those affected and those seeking to help Afghan refugee arrivals in Nottingham, including any progress with the County for plans to resettle Afghan refugees in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire?

 

Councillor Neghat Khan replied as follows:

 

Thank you Lord Mayor, and can I thank Councillor Matsiko for asking this question this afternoon.  The images that have emerged from Afghanistan over the past month have been tragic.  In Nottingham we want to stand and help our fellow humans in crisis.  The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme is for those who have worked for the Ministry of Defence in Afghanistan during the 20 years we were there and their immediate families.  Many were translators or held security, catering and maintenance roles on bases.  The Government has asked that a handful of families move to each Council area.  Nottingham is a diverse city that welcomes those in need of refuge or shelter.  It is not possible to state with confidence how many families we will resettle as this is dependent on offers coming forward for homes, but rest assured we will provide refuge for those who seek it.  Lord Mayor, we have made an indicative pledge to the Home Office to resettle 24 people, approximately 5 families.  This commitment was made when the expected arrivals for 2021 were 3000 people, but there are now 6,300 in the UK awaiting relocation.  We have already welcomed two families to the City and we will be supporting them with housing, English as a Second Language education and employment support so that they can integrate and play their part in the diverse and vibrant city we call home.  As a Council, we facilitated a meeting with residents who were deeply concerned about family members still stuck in Afghanistan with their local Nottingham MPs who were able to get the relevant information required to get Nottingham residents back from Afghanistan before troops left.  Can I thank Councillor Matsiko for all his efforts in organising and chairing that meeting.  This Programme is grant funded by Central Government and will provide a one year package of integration support delivered through community partnership with the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum.  The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum has been running since 2000 and supports asylum seekers and refugees in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to gain just outcomes, rebuild their lives and integrate into society.  Citizens who wish to support Afghan refugees, or any asylum seekers and refugees, can visit the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum website where they can make a donation, sign up to volunteer or find out more about other organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Nottingham.  Nottingham City Council manages the scheme for Broxtowe, Rushcliffe, Gedling, Newark and Sherwood Borough Councils by administrating the grant, identifying properties and grant aiding support by Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum as well as providing specialist education and community integration support via private rented properties.  I have a meeting with the Home Office tomorrow where I will raise concerns around the access to trauma and mental health support and getting the right NHS staff to the table. Thank you Lord Mayor.

 

BTEC qualifications

Councillor Georgia Power asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

Is the Leader aware about Government plans to scrap the BTEC qualification and what does he think the impact will be on young people in Nottingham?

 

Councillor David Mellen replied as follows:

 

Thank you Lord Mayor and can I thank Councillor Power for her question.  BTECs, for those who don’t know, are vocational further education courses taken after GCSEs.  They span a range of subjects and are designed to provide work-based skills in areas including health and social care, engineering and creative arts.  Earlier this month, the Department of Education confirmed that apprenticeships, A Levels and T-levels (new 2 year technical course), which are the equivalent to 3 A Levels, will become the main options for pupils in England after GCSEs.  As a result, funding for BTEC qualifications will be removed.  Despite numerous calls to reverse the plan, the Government has indicated that they will go ahead with the process to defund BTEC courses as part of scheduled reforms to Britain’s further education system.  They estimate that at least 30% of 16-18 year olds studying for a level 3 qualification in England (equivalent to A-levels) are doing vocational qualifications such as BTECs.  Research carried out by the Social Market Foundation described BTECs as, and I quote, “engines for social mobility” and found that 44% of working class white students started university with at least one BTEC qualification and 37% of black students enrolled with BTECs alone.  The Department of Education has confirmed that following consultation with educators, students and parents the new system will be phased in in the next two years between 2023 and 2025.  In this time BTECs will gradually be shelved to make room for a new system that exclusively involves apprenticeships, A Levels and T Levels.  BTECs have given many disadvantaged young people, including those living here in Nottingham, an established route to higher education, apprenticeships and future careers.  Nottingham is 0.8% below the national average for 16 and 17 year old young people in full time educational training.  That is 86.6% against an England average of 87.4%.  So schemes to engage our young people and to give them a pathway to higher education, where that is appropriate, are vital.  The Government’s own analysis shows that their plans to scrap qualifications will disproportionately hit BTEC courses taken by disadvantaged students and those with Special Educational Needs and disabilities.  The same students who have been outstripped in this year’s GCSE results and BTEC results.  The Government admits that these young people will be unfairly disadvantaged by these changes but they are going ahead.  Universities report that scrapping BTECs will also likely put barriers in places for students who want to get into university.  Since 2011, the number of students applying for university with BTEC qualifications has nearly doubled, where previous research has found 44% of working class students entered university with at least one vocational qualification.  So Councillor Power, I believe that the removal of BTECs will have a detrimental effect on the educational prospects of many of Nottingham’s young people.  We will do our best to make the T Levels accessible to young people, but the Government has made that job a lot harder.  As in many other things, the Conservatives are once again turning their backs on Nottingham’s young people.  In order to make apprenticeships and T Levels a success, we need to be aware that they are heavily dependent on the involvement of employers.  We will need to work with our local employers to encourage them to get behind both apprenticeships and T Levels to ensure that we have enough local opportunities.  We need to work proactively with local providers to source funding, to increase trainingships locally and develop study foundation programmes to give more alternatives to young people as a pathway to level 3 qualifications.  Within the powers available to us we will do that, but I would call on the Government, even at this late stage, to review this decision to scrap the BTEC qualification that has served the people of this City well.