Agenda item

To receive updates from our key partners.  Some reports have been received and are included in the pack.

·         Wiltshire Police

·         Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

·         Local Youth Network

·         BA13+ Community Area Partnership

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire

·         Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Town and Parish Councils

The Area Board received the following updates from key partners:-

·                Wiltshire Police   It was noted that ways of developing the Community Policing Team had been instigated including several staff engagement sessions and also meetings with a number of community groups and all the various views had been listened to.  Improved ways of communicating with the public were being looked at including the use of social media in addition to face to face meetings.

It was noted that elections for the post of Police & Crime Commissioner were due to take place on 5 May 2016.   Members asked for any information about potential mergers with other Police Forces, and in particular a question was asked if there were any future plans for a merger with the Dorset Force, similar to the merger of the two Fire & Rescue Services.   The Clerk was requested to consult the Police & Crime Commissioner to seek answers to these questions.

The Area Board was informed that Horizon Victim and Witness Care had been established in October 2014 to ensure that every victim of crime benefitted from the best possible integrated support service according to their needs.  Members asked what level of support this new service was receiving from victims and the Clerk was asked to request that this information be made available in the next report.

·                Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service   It was noted that the Westbury crew responded to 47 incidents between 1 January and 14 March 2016. These included two domestic property fires, two domestic property fires and a fire in a car spray booth.

Several responses were made in respect of fire alarms sounding and also to two road traffic collisions.

·                Local Youth Network   The Area Board was informed that Phoebe Brazier would be leaving her post as Community Youth officer in the Westbury area on 24 March 2016 and on behalf of the Area Board, the Chairman expressed his thanks and appreciation for all the work she had carried out as a youth worker over the years.

·                BA13+ Community Area Partnership  Carole King, Chairman of the Community Area Partnership (CAP) reported that a wide-ranging network of community organisations, groups, clubs, societies, schools, churches and businesses had been established in order to connect with as many local people as possible.  Regular Partnership Meetings were increasingly popular and were attracting speakers and presentations on a wide range of themes, each of which was in line with the Westbury Community Plan.

The Community Plan covered the period 2014-2017 and was based around the core themes of the Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Housing, Transport, Culture & the Arts, Leisure, Children & Young People, Economy, Jobs & Skills and Community Safety (incorporating Speedwatch, Neighbourhood Watch and Safe Places).

In particular it was noted that two grants of £250 had been awarded to the Anybody Can Cook project which offered cooking tuition to families. Westbury Infants School had generously offered school accommodation during the Summer holiday period for the course to take place.

It was noted that the next Partnership meeting would be held on Thursday 19 May when the main theme would be based on business & industry and housing.

·                Healthwatch Wiltshire   An update report was received and noted.  Attention was drawn to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust in June 2016 and that the Commission would like to receive information from local people about their experiences of the services provided, both good and bad.

·                Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group  An update report was received and noted. 

Cllr David Jenkins referred to Wiltshire’s plan to tackle obesity and reported that Wiltshire Council’s vision was that by 2020 Wiltshire would be a place where all individuals, families and communities were informed, enabled, motivated and empowered to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.  It would be achieved by targeting action at key points in the life-course.  Variations in access to services would be addressed and attention would be given to ensuring that communities were engaged in maintaining a healthy weight. Furthermore, a greater focus would be made on prevention and early intervention.    

·                Wiltshire Wildlife Trust  Jessica Thimbleby, Community Engagement Officer (Waste) - Recycle for Wiltshire from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust provided an update on the work of the Trust regarding recycling of waste in the Westbury area. 

She explained that for over 10 years Wiltshire Council had been funding Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to educate and encourage school children and communities throughout Wiltshire to reduce, reuse and recycle more of their household rubbish.  Since spring 2015 the Trust had been working in Westbury with local groups, businesses and schools to reduce and reuse rubbish and increase recycling in the town.  During this time the Trust had

o   Educated 1350 pupils at Westbury Schools

o   Engaged with 2037 adults and 1478 children during activities & events

o   Knocked on 667 doors to answer questions about waste and recycling 

Jessica Thimbleby went on to explain various initiatives that had been carried out such as waste workshops, tour of materials recovery facility & landfill at Lower Compton, improving green spaces in school grounds and trashion shows with Year 7 pupils.