Agenda and minutes

The Forum received a presentation from Councillor Omar, Chair of the Community Premises Review, which highlighted the findings and recommendations of the Community Premises Review Group. The cross-party Review Group had researched the current situation with regard to Community Premises, paying particular attention to how well community premises met the needs and wishes of local residents. The Review had also sought to identify areas for improvement, and noted that this in turn could help strengthen the Council’s priorities.

It was noted that the Grants Advisory Panel had recommended, at its meeting held on 8 March 2006, that Cabinet consider the findings of the Review, and that Cabinet, at its meeting held on 16 March 2006, had resolved to undertake further research into the issues raised in the report, as well as technical feasibility studies and detailed analyses of the financial implications of the recommendations.

In the discussion that followed the presentation, a number of points were made:

·         Community Development Trusts and other independent bodies could effectively develop sites to be used for community premises, a model already employed by some other London boroughs, such as Ealing and Waltham Forest;

·         Voluntary organisations needed a variety of spaces to meet their diverse needs;

·         A new vision of community premises was needed, as some members of the Forum felt that the Council had not attained what it had set out to do 10 years ago;

·         The voluntary sector needed to become more independent and no longer expect the Council to meet all its needs;

·         There was fear that the decision by Cabinet to further review the Review would slow down action on the recommendations of the Review Group.

Members of the Community Consultative Forum endorsed the recommendations of the Community Premises Review, which fully supported the views forcefully expressed by the representatives of the community groups present at the meeting, and

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (To Cabinet)

That the recommendations of the Community Premises Review be implemented.

[REASON: To convey to Cabinet the views of representatives of the community groups with regard to the findings and recommendations of the Community Premises Review.]

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Member:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to the business transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED:  That (1) in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the following agenda item be admitted late to the agenda by virtue of the special circumstances and grounds for urgency detailed below:-

(2) all items be considered with the press and public present.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2005, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2005, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Brief consultation exercise on Harrow Museum

The Forum received a presentation by Fritha White, of Continuum, in relation to Harrow Museum. The presentation explained that Continuum, a specialist consultancy with expertise in heritage sites and visitor attractions, had been appointed by the Council to examine ways to improve the Harrow Museum site.

In response to questions, the Forum was informed that the works undertaken at the Museum were a long-term series of improvements, and that the purpose of the consultation was to determine what the public wanted from the site.

The officer confirmed that around £1million had already been spent on the restoration of the Manor House, and that completion of the restoration would require a similar sum again. It was also noted that the Council already had funding to undertake improvements in other parts of the site.

Fritha White confirmed that the Heritage Fund required the Council to produce an Audience Development Plan, which addressed the accessability of the site, both in terms of physical access to the buildings, but also in the layout and colour of information provided. This would ensure that the Museum was as inclusive as possible. The officer stated that the Tourism Strategy aimed to ensure that visitors were attracted to not just one, but several sites around Harrow. A Member noted that placing the buildings that made up the Museum into a broader historical context could draw more visitors to the site. A representative of a community group noted that new technology, interactive elements, or even a picnic area at the site, could encourage people to lengthen their visit to the Museum.

The Forum was given the opportunity to express their views more fully by completing and returning questionnaires, tabled at the meeting, to Fritha White.

RESOLVED: That the above be noted.

The Forum was invited to a brief tour and presentation of the First Contact Centre to take place immediately following the meeting. This explained the purpose of the First Contact Centre, and provided a progress update on the building works.

RESOLVED: That the above be noted.

Verbal update on how Harrow is implementing the Every Child Matters government guidance

The Forum received a presentation providing information on the Children and Young People’s Plan. The Director of Children’s Services stated that the Plan was to span a three-year period, with the possibility of being updated and improved on an annual basis. Once published in April 2006, the next phase would be to determine how to realise the vision for all children in Harrow that it encapsulated.

In response to questions from the Forum, officers stated that although the Council was not strong in providing services to children above the age of sixteen years, the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood had been addressed in the Plan. Some disappointment was expressed in relation to the Government’s view that councils should start preparing children at around fourteen years of age for the drop in services that they would experience from the age of sixteen years, but it was acknowledged that this was a view that had to be worked with.

Officers confirmed that there were plans to build nine new children’s centres. These would be places open to any child, despite the fact that some would specialise in particular areas of care. As well as focusing on the way in which facilities and services were offered, the Council would also need to work on the communication of information about these services to residents, to ensure they were aware of what was on offer.

Officers explained to the Forum that the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) had been developed following a recommendation by Lord Laming, that agencies devise systems to share information more effectively. The CAF would mean that all information on a child and their family would be held by a lead professional from either the Council or other agencies. Officers also confirmed that two thirds of the funding for Children’s Services from the Local Area Agreement would go to the voluntary sector, in order to enable voluntary groups to employ staff and grow their capabilities. The Harrow Association for Voluntary Services would work with the Local Authority to establish a panel system to ensure voluntary agencies accessed the funding to support the outcomes laid out in the LAA. Although the Plan specifically addressed children, officers confirmed that it would also comprise strategies for meeting targets of the number of young people going on to further education.

The view was expressed by some members of the Forum that investment in children in their early years would lessen the demand for resources in later years, and that success would require involvement of the community and voluntary sectors.

RESOLVED: That the above be noted.

Presentation by Cllr Omar (Chair of the Community Premises Review)

(See Recommendation 1 above).

There were no issues brought to the Forum.