Motion 1
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor Rachel Madden and seconded by Councillor David Martin, as follows:-
“Ashfield District Council is committed to providing exciting events that bring our communities together. The Council’s “Summer of Fun” was hugely successful and brought together thousands of residents in a variety of Council organised and Council supported events.
This year, the Council and partners have organised popular Food and Drink Festivals in Hucknall as well as the 100th Anniversary of Titchfield Park. The recent Hucknall Film Festival was an enormous success.
The first ever Ashfield Day saw over 12,000 residents came together on Sutton Lawn to celebrate everything that is great about our District.
In the Selston Parish, popular events included the outdoor cinema and fun day and the “Party in the Park” to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee hosted at Selston Country Park. Councillors were also involved in organising the popular Underwood Festival.
In Kirkby-in-Ashfield, the Council has organised several flag raising ceremonies to mark days of commemoration including Armed Forces Day, Merchant Navy Day and the 40th Anniversary of the end of the Falkland’s War.
Ashfield District Council will continue to support Remembrance Sunday events across the District, continue marking the Green Flag status at Brierley Forest Park, Kingsway Park, Portland Park, Selston Country Park, Sutton Lawn and Titchfield Park, Hucknall and organise Christmas Festivals in Hucknall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield and support stakeholders in other events across the District.
Ashfield District Council is committed to playing a central role in the life of our communities. We therefore pledge to continue to organise events and look for more opportunities that bring our communities together and support others.”
Motion 2
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor Jason Zadrozny and seconded by Councillor Matthew Relf, as follows:-
“Ashfield District Council welcomes the recommendation of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority that will lead to the “Conversion of Ashfield (Fire Station) from one day shift crewing and one On-call appliance to one wholetime and one On-call appliance.”
This Council notes the announcement by Councillor Jason Zadrozny, Chairman of the authority’s community safety committee on April 29th 2022 of a full-scale assessment of resources across Nottinghamshire’s fire station network, with the review also assessing whether each station has sufficient equipment to serve their communities.
This Council acknowledges the role of the Ashfield Independents who have been campaigning relentlessly since 2018 to ensure the people of Ashfield have a fully staffed, 24 hour Fire Station.
Ashfield District Council believes that this decision will save lives and therefore instructs the Leader and Chief Executive of Ashfield District Council to write to the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority formally asking for this decision to be implemented as soon as practically possible.”
Motion 3
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor Daniel Williamson and seconded by Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, as follows:-
“The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care headed by Josh McCallister published in May 2022 a final report and recommendations that included:
“Government should make care experience a protected characteristic” and “New legislation should be passed which broadens corporate parenting responsibilities across a wider set of public bodies and organisations.”
On Protected Characteristics for Care Experience – (Care Review May 2022)
“Many care experienced people face discrimination, stigma, and prejudice in their day to day lives. Public perceptions of care experience centre on the idea that children are irredeemably damaged and that can lead to discrimination and assumptions being made.
One young person told the review that a teacher had told them “You’re smart - for a kid in care”, another young person said “I don’t want people to point out that I am in care if I don’t want that mentioned. It makes me so cross – that shouldn’t happen.”
This stigma and discrimination can be explicit, and often comes with assumptions about the likely characteristics of children and adults that have care experience. They can also be implicit and are evidenced in the way care experience is discussed in schools, workplaces, and the media.
At its worst this can lead to care experienced people being refused employment, failing to succeed in education or facing unfair judgements about their ability to parent when they have children and families of their own.
Hearing testimony from care experienced people sharing the discrimination they have experienced, even from a very young age, it is clear that such discrimination can be similar in nature to other groups that have a legally protected characteristic under the Equality Act (2010). So, while there may be ways that society can help reduce stigma and discrimination, including creating greater public consciousness on these issues, just as with other areas of equality, there is a case to go further. Therefore, the government should make care experience a protected characteristic.
Making care experience a protected characteristic would provide greater authority to employers, businesses, public services, and policy makers to put in place policies and programmes which promote better outcomes for care experienced people. It will make the UK the first country in the world to recognise care experienced people in this way. As a measure, it will bolster and pave the way for a number of the recommendations in this chapter.”
Care Review May 2022
Ashfield District Council notes that
2. For the purposes of Section 2 (1) (a) of the Children and Social Work Act 2017. The services that may assist care leavers in, or in preparing for, adulthood and independent living include services relating to;
(a) health and well-being;
(b) relationships;
(c) education and training;
(d) employment;
(e) accommodation;
(f) participation in society.
3. On Corporate Parenting Principals Ashfield District Council accepts that it is a relevant local authority in England by virtue of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 Section 1 (3) (b) and in carrying out functions in relation to the children and young people who are care leavers as defined at paragraph 4 of this motion must have regard to the need;
(a) to act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and well-being, of those children and young people;
(b) to encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings;
(c) to take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people;
(d) to help those children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners;
(e) to promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for those children and young people;
(f) for those children and young people to be safe, and for stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work;
(g) to prepare those children and young people for adulthood and independent living.
4. Children and care leavers relevant for the purposes of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 Section 1 (2) (a) (b) and (c) are;
(a) children who are looked after by a local authority, within the meaning given by section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989;
(b) relevant children within the meaning given by section 23A(2) of that Act;
(c) persons aged under 25 who are former relevant children within the meaning given by section 23C(1) of that Act.
5. Ashfield District Council acknowledges that Children entering the care system are often split from their siblings and placed outside their home Local Authority Area. That they don’t choose to enter the care system, that they don’t choose to be split up from their siblings and don’t choose to be placed outside their local area.
6. Ashfield District Council believes that
(a) Care experienced people face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives;
(b) Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;
(c) Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships employment and in the criminal justice system;
(d) Care experienced people often face a postcode lottery of support;
(e) As corporate parents, councillors in a district council have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible support and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by a local authority and who are leaving the care system;
(f) All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people and to consider their needs in any aspect of council work;
(g) Councillors should be champions of our looked after children and care leavers and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;
(h) The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics;
Ashfield District Council is proud that
7. It published the first joint Local Offer in England in partnership with Mansfield District Council, Bassetlaw District Council, Rushcliffe District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council and Broxtowe Borough Council and;
(a) That the council tax exemption policy for care leavers across our district and all other districts of Nottinghamshire provides equality of opportunity because it includes care leavers that may have moved into our districts from other Local Authority Areas.
(b) That our district and all other districts of Nottinghamshire has a free leisure centre membership offer for all Care Leavers up to the age of 25
(c) It is a signatory to the Nottinghamshire Looked After Children and Care Leavers Partnership Strategy 2022-2025.
Ashfield District Council Resolves to.
8. That when making any decisions in relation to its policies or formulating its Council plan that it recognises that care experienced people are an oppressed group who face discrimination;
9. That it recognises that Councils have a duty to put the needs of oppressed people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;
10.That it Includes people with care experience within the Council’s Equality Impact Assessment process as a voluntary addition to the 9 protected characteristics.
11.That in the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and the annual publication of information relating to people who share a Protected Characteristic in services and employment in so far as available data allows for meaningful monitoring.
12.To formally call upon all other bodies to treat care experience as a protected characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation.
13.To formally call upon all other bodies to adopt the corporate parenting principal until such time as it may be introduced by legislation.
14.For the council to proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care experienced people when developing new policies based on their views.
15.That in accordance with the Care Leavers Agreement across Nottinghamshire this council aims to remove the Local Connection area test for Care Leavers as defined at paragraph 4 of this motion
16.That where a care leaver is found intentionally homeless consideration of additional priority will be given through the Housing Register to ensure suitable accommodation can be secured.
17.For this council to increase participation in democracy for Care leavers of all ages by inviting them to attend to give their views and experiences at relevant scrutiny committees.”
Minutes:
Due to the lateness of hour and in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 23.1, the notice of motion, moved by Councillor Rachel Madden and seconded by Councillor David Martin, stands adjourned to be considered at the next available meeting of the Council.