Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Offices, Station Road, Wigston

Contact: Veronika Quintyne - Email: veronika.quintyne@oadby-wigston.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

9.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Councillor A Bond               (Oadby & Wigston Borough Council)

Councillor Bhupen Dave       (Oadby & Wigston Borough Council)

Mrs Sharon B Morris           (Oadby & Wigston Borough Council)

Jo Knight                          (Women in Oadby and Wigston)

Chris Huscroft                              (Oadby & Wigston Food Bank)

Jan Bryars                         (Oadby, Wigston and South Wigston Multicultural Group)

Cath Bayley                       (Community Services)

Reverend Leslie Gill             (Helping Hands)

Garry Burnside                             (AGE UK)

Eilidh Kerr                         (Clockwise)

Peter Owers                       (Christians Against Poverty)

Fred Jennings                              (Christians Against Poverty)

Liz Steiner                         (CAB-Citizens Advice Bureau)

Karen Storey                      (AGE UK)

Caroline Holden                  (Age UK)

Reverend Chris Johnson       (Helping Hands South)

Leslie Gill                          (Chair of Trustees - Helping Hands South)

10.

Welcome by Chairman, Councillor Jeffrey Kaufman

Minutes:

Councillor Jeffrey Kaufman chaired the meeting. He welcomed attendees to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance.

11.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting held on 12 June 2018 pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as a true record.

12.

Matters Arising pdf icon PDF 26 KB

Minutes:

Page 2 - Action 1:

 

It was agreed that future Community Engagement Forum meetings would be held within daytime working hours.

 

Page 3 – Action 2:

 

Colleagues were reminded that at the previous meeting agencies had decided to go away and work up proposals, which they would wish to submit the Council.

Such proposals might address the needs of vulnerable people taking a joint approach. Such proposals would form the basis of discussion at today’s meeting and focus on how a Community Engagement funding stream could be assessed.

13.

Community Engagement Forum Funding

Minutes:

Councillor Boyce provided a brief background about Council streams past and present. He identified current funding streams such as those that sit within the three Residents Forums, contractual agreements and existing core funding being provided. He emphasised that going forward some work was required to identify issues and priorities, which required a more joined up approach.

 

Helping Hands Service has raised some issues regarding Universal Credit and the potential impact on vulnerable people and proposed a project. It informs and provides an opportunity to work with the Council.

14.

Dementia-Friendly Training

Minutes:

A hard copy of this presentation was circulated at this meeting.

 

An emphasis was placed on the need to create Dementia friendly communities.

 

Statistics were provided about the impact of Dementia in society.

 

Dementia is one of the Council`s health priorities.

 

Five key messages about Dementia were given.

 

Activities need to be considered and relevant.

 

The fear and stigma around Dementia should be challenged and only one simple action needs to be taken in addressing it.

 

Police Community Support Officers have been trained as Dementia Friends.

Over 100 Dementia Friends exist.

 

More than twenty local businesses and organisations are involved in Dementia Friends work locally.

15.

The Campaign to End Loneliness in England - Andy Nazer, Cambridgeshire (Case-Study) pdf icon PDF 11 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Andy Nazer the lead Officer working on the England Campaign to End Loneliness gave a presentation at this meeting. An electronic copy of the presentation was circulated, hard copies were provided at the meeting. He added that a new Government strategy on this agenda is coming in the next six weeks. It will provide some answers to address in this agenda.

 

Discussion outlined interventions and joined up working taking place in the Borough. For example the introduction of Chatter and Natter tables. This project first started in Yorkshire and now is replicated in the Borough.

 

Costa Café staff have been asked to acknowledge lonely people using the service.

 

Places of worship link the Offerings taken by church groups.

 

A colleague stated she had contacted primary schools to find out how they were engaging with children with Dyslexia on this campaign issue. She awaits a response. Dyslexia books it was commented have been offered.

 

Other aspects of loneliness being addressed are; Weatherspoon’s Café offers a refillable hot drink for £1.20 pence.

 

Safe spaces such as Bingo Clubs and Working Men’s Clubs are closing down.

 

Leicestershire County Council has an inclusion Support Service to which families can be referred. However, there is a waiting list.

 

The Department for Work and Pensions has databases, which Work Coaches can access. They wish to see organisations listed on these databases as Work Coaches.

 

Grandparents as an intergenerational intervention were noted as key, to supporting young people. Libraries are addressing the re-introduction of intergenerational Information Technology programmes.

 

Barriers to engagement need to be better understood by some providers. Cost can disempower people.

 

Voluntary organisations and community groups were seen as key to breaking down cultural barriers within a wide range of areas, whether, religious, or cultural. Cultural differences have not yet been fully explored within the Campaign for Loneliness. A role is now developing in this void.

 

The Department for Work and Pensions noted that, monthly people get together for training sessions on mental ill health and specific sessions on learning disability. This is to raise awareness and receive pertinent education on such issues.

At the close of the presentation and discussion, the Chair thanked Andy Nazer.

16.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

A NOCN Level 1 Award in Community Development is being offered to local community groups and voluntary organisations. This is through joint work with Oadby and Wigston Council and the PCYA (Pakistani Community Youth Association) Leicester. There are currently seven places still available. Three people have expressed an interest in accessing the course. The course is for ten weeks and is free of charge. For further information, contact the Community Engagement Officer by email. Veronika.quintyne@oadby-wigston.gov.uk.

 

A funding and bid writing workshop is planned for Wednesday 14 November 2018, from 1:00p.m.until 3:00p.m. The venue is Oadby and Wigston Borough Council Office, Council Chamber, Bushloe House, Station Road, Wigston, LE18 2DR. For further information, contact the Community Engagement Officer by email. Veronika.quintyne@oadby-wigston.gov.uk

17.

Date of the Next Meeting

Minutes:

Future meeting dates are as follows:

 

·           Tuesday 04 December 2018, Time: 1:30 p.m. until 4:00p.m.

·           Tuesday 12 March 2019, Time: 1:30 p.m. until 4:00p.m.

The Venue for all meetings is Oadby and Wigston Borough Council Office, Council Chamber, Bushloe House, Station Road, Wigston, LE18 2DR.

Civico Meeting Broadcasts
Watch live and previous meeting broadcasts and more on our Civico platform.

Modern.Gov App Available
Access meeting documents on the Apple, Android or Windows app.