Minute
North Lanarkshire Council · 5 May 2023
Back to Wellbeing and Tackling Poverty Committee — 5 May 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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WELLBEING AND TACKLING POVERTY - 5 MAY 2023 40 5 May 2023 at 10 am. A Meeting of the WELLBEING AND TACKLING POVERTY COMMITTEE PRESENT Councillor Woods, Convener; Councillor Costello, Vice-Convener; Councillors Ashraf, Barclay, Cairns, Currie, Goldie, Jones, Keltie, Khan, Leckie, Loughran, McBride, McNally, McPhilemy, Mitchell, Nolan, Smith, Stevenson, L. Stubbs and Thomas. ALSO PRESENT In accordance with Standing Order 64(A) Councillor Fisher attended as a substitute for Councillor Reddin. CHAIR Councillor Woods (Convener) presided. IN ATTENDANCE The Chief Officer (People Resources); Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice); Development Officer (Equalities); Business Manager, Social Inclusion and Wealth; Business Finance Manager (Strategy); Senior Education and Families Manager (Social Work), and Democratic Services Manager. APOLOGIES Councillor Reddin. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE ETHICAL STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE ETC. (SCOTLAND) ACT 2000 1. There were no declarations of interest. MAINSTREAMING EQUALITY REPORT 2. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer (People Resources) (1) informing the Committee that every two years public bodies, which are covered by the Public Sector Equality Duty, are required to publish a number of reports and information to evidence how they are meeting the needs of people whose characteristics are protected by the Equality Act 2010; (2) attaching, as Appendix 1 to the report, the Public Sector Equality Duty composite report 2023 which was split into three main sections (a) Mainstreaming Equality Report 2023; (b) progress in achieving the Council's Equality Outcomes 2021/25, and (c) the Council's Employment Profile; (3) explaining that the Council's Equality Strategy 2019-2024 sets out five key underpinning objectives and associated enablers for the successful mainstreaming of equality into its day to day work; (4) reporting on how the Council has delivered on those five objectives since 2021, together with other specific areas of work undertaken to advance equality; (5) setting out the progress made by the Council in achieving its Equality Outcomes 2021//25, and (6) outlining a number of next steps required to tackle particular areas of inequality and disadvantage that may exist.
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WELLBEING AND TACKLING POVERTY - 5 MAY 2023 41 Decided: (1) that the information contained in the composite report, which details how the Council is successfully mainstreaming equality into its work, be noted; (2) that the progress made in relation to delivering the Council's Equality Outcomes 2021/25 be noted; (3) that the information gathered in respect of the Council's Employment Profile be noted, and (4) that the mainstreaming of the equalities composite report for publication on the Council's website be approved. TOWARDS A FAIRER NORTH LANARKSHIRE - TACKLING POVERTY STRATEGY 2020-2023 3. There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) reporting on the delivery and conclusion of the Tackling Poverty Strategy 2020-2023 and the improved outcomes achieved; (2) providing an update on the development of the new Tackling Poverty Strategy 2023-2026 and the Local Child Poverty Action Report 2022-23; (3) indicating that the Tackling Poverty Strategy Alliance co-ordinates resources across the Council and partners to ensure effective delivery; (4) highlighting that, to deliver the shared ambition of inclusive growth and prosperity, the Strategy had focussed on the Plan for North Lanarkshire, in particular, five complimentary priorities as detailed in the report; (5) outlining other work undertaken within the Council including the 2021 Tackling Poverty Officer Action Group and the Member/Officer Task and Finish Group; (6) recalling that, in September 2022, the Policy and Strategy Committee had approved the updated "Towards a Fairer North Lanarkshire – Tackling Poverty Strategy (Action Plan)" and the report had been submitted to this Committee in November 2022 for consideration, and (7) noting that the Tackling Poverty Strategy had been written and published prior to the Covid 19 pandemic and, as a result, some of the actions were accelerated, some had to be revised, and others would need to be revisited. Decided: (1) that the delivery and outcomes achieved from the Towards a Fairer North Lanarkshire – Tackling Poverty Strategy Action Plan, as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report, be noted, and (2) that it be noted that the report has also been referred to the North Lanarkshire Partnership Strategic Leadership Board for its consideration. TACKLING POVERTY FINANCIAL SUPPORT UPDATE REPORT 4. There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) reminding the Committee that in September 2022 the Policy and Strategy Committee had approved the use of the Council's Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery Fund, provided by the Scottish Government, for assisting residents with financial support to assist recovery from Covid and with the cost of living crisis; (2) providing details of decisions made by the Policy and Strategy Committee in September 2022 in relation to the allocation and use of the funds provided to the Council by the Scottish Government; (3) informing of progress in relation to the utilisation of the various payment and grant schemes; (4) indicating use made of the cost of living helpline for the period 30 November 2022 to 31 March 2023, and (5) detailing the total financial support budget, together with redistribution of funds, which has taken place to meet additional costs or increasing demand.
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WELLBEING AND TACKLING POVERTY - 5 MAY 2023 42 Decided: (1) that the outcomes of the financial support provided to residents from the Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery Fund via the Council's NL Child Payment, Fuel Hardship Payment and Pensioner Fuel Grant be noted, and (2) that the distribution of the underspend of the funds to Pensioner Fuel Grant, Scottish Welfare Fund and the Flexibility Budget for Additional Tackling Poverty Initiatives June 2023/24 be endorsed. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL TRAUMA FRAMEWORK IN NORTH LANARKSHIRE 5. There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) advising that the Transforming Psychological Trauma: Knowledge and Skills Framework has been developed by NHS Education Scotland to support the delivery of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint policy which had the intention to create a trauma-informed workforce; (2) explaining that being trauma-informed is about long-term culture and system change across the Council to create the conditions in which staff feel supported to care for, and respond to, citizens in ways that recognise the impact of trauma and create relationships that heal and resist re- traumatisation and which supports the delivery of the ambitious changes within the new Programme of Work; (3) setting out the actions being taken by the Council to embed the Framework in North Lanarkshire whilst also highlighting areas of practice where a trauma-informed approach is already making a positive difference for children and adults, and (4) outlining a number of next steps to ensure that North Lanarkshire becomes a leading trauma-informed Council including (a) the introduction of a Leadership Pledge of support for organisations that demonstrate commitment to supporting and embedding the trauma-informed culture across their workforce and services; (b) the introduction of mandatory training for employees, and (c) the appointment of an Elected Member Trauma Champion. Thereon, the Committee received a presentation which explained the importance of organisations and their staff being trauma-aware. Decided: (1) that the approach to the implementation of trauma informed practice across the Council, as detailed in the report, be endorsed; (2) that the whole workforce be trained at the trauma-informed level as part of a suite of mandatory training; (3) that an Elected Member trauma champion be appointed to support the work to promote a vision for North Lanarkshire becoming a leading trauma-informed Council, and (4) that the Council sign up for the National Leadership pledge of support. STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK – LATEST PERFORMANCE RESULTS FOR THE TACKLING POVERTY SERVICE 6. There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Children, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) providing the Committee with an update on the latest results of the Strategic Performance Indicators used by Children, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) to inform service delivery and underpin operational decisions, and (2) attaching, as an Appendix to the report, a high-level performance overview as at March 2023. Decided: that the high-level performance overview presented in Appendix 1 to the report, and the supporting data contained within a linked Excel spreadsheet, be noted.