Agenda and minutes

The Chairman Cllr Richard Britton welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Southern Wiltshire Area Board.

Apologies for absence were received from:

·       Cllr Leo Randall

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 30 January 2020.

Decision

The minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 30 January 2020, were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were none.

To receive Chairman’s Announcements including:

·         Health & Wellbeing Event

·         Our Community Matters Conference – 2 April, 7.00pm at Trafalgar School, Downton

·         CATG – Next meeting 15 April (submissions in by 1 April)

The Chairman made the following announcements:

·       There had been a change to date of the next Board meeting which had been set for 7 May, this meeting would now take place on Tuesday 2 June at Winterslow Village Hall.

·       A Health & Wellbeing event was being planned around the theme of ‘Celebrating Age’ if anyone had a special contribution to make, then please contact Karen.

·       The ‘Our Community Matters’ conference scheduled for 2 April, 7.00pm at Trafalgar School in Downton – This was where people were invited to come and consider statistics for the community area and set future priorities.

·       Community Area Transport Group (CATG) – The next meeting was scheduled for 15 April. A budget of £6867 was still available for small schemes. Any submissions should be received by 1 April.

·         Wiltshire Council Updates:

1.    Community Governance Review

2.    Changes to Kerbside Collections

3.    Coronavirus – advice & info links

4.    Better deal for bus users

5.    Council Tax online

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire

·         Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Current consultations

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations.htm

The Board noted the following written information papers attached to the agenda:

·       Wiltshire Council Updates:

1.     Community Governance Review

2.     Changes to Kerbside Collections

3.     Coronavirus – advice & info links

4.     Better deal for bus users

5.     Council Tax online

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Clinical Commissioning Group

·       Current consultations:

·       http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations.htm

a) Grants Showcase – Update from James Dwyer, Funding Manager at God  Unlimited (GUL): Outdoor therapy – expansion of services

b) Community Policing – local issues and priorities

      In attendance: Inspector Pete Sparrow/PC Matt Holland

c) Community Engagement Manager Updates:

·         Great British Spring Clean (GBSC) 2020 litter picking initiative

·         Community Payback

·         Smartwater Pilot scheme

·         Eco-friendly villages project update

Grants Showcase

The Board received an update from previous grant applicant, James Dwyer, from GUL (God Unlimited).

GUL had been awarded £5,000 towards an expansion of services at their outdoor therapy centre which was based in Shrewton. The centre provides outdoor activities for young adults with learning difficulties, which come to them via referrals from 50 schools across the county.

Staff work with these young people who are struggling for a variety of reasons and provide activities in the outdoors.

Last year 108 users came from the Southern Wiltshire area. 

User breakdown:

·       70% had mental health conditions

·       20% had physical conditions

·       10% other

The funding helped to provide a new low rope course with 15 elements. This was used for all different types of therapy and was proving to be a huge benefit and asset to the centre.

A new roof on the barn meant that there were now no leaks and it had enhanced the whole site, whilst also creating a dry corridor where they were now able to display information.

The site toilet block had also been refurbished and upgraded.

James thanked the Board for the funding and welcomed anyone that wished to visit the site to come along.

Questions:

• Do you have any info on outcomes – case studies?

Answer: Yes, we conduct annual surveys and collate information on everyone that comes through the site.

• It is good to see your hands-on attitude

Answer: We are proud to have built the site from scratch ourselves.

• Where are you based?

Answer: We are based in Shrewton, opposite Appleford School.

Community Policing – local issues and priorities

Pete circulated a written report at the meeting, and made the following points:

Stop & Search – as detailed in the report, Salisbury CPT had the highest number of stop searches outside of Swindon. This was all down to county lines drug dealing. This showed the demand that it has on our resources.

Business Burglary – Teams had made an inroad here, with three significant arrests. The number of new offences had now significantly dropped.

Distraction Burglary – There had been a recent spate in incidents where people had pretended to be an electrician. Investigations took us to an individual in Bristol, when we made an arrest we found details of the addresses which had been targeted.

An event was being held on 19 March at City Hall, Salisbury – this was for anyone running a hotel or bed and breakfast, with the purpose of educating people how to identify at an early stage people who were extorting under age individuals for sex.

Questions:

·       You report a success in tackling burglaries to business, has there been any increase in policing in the rural areas, as in Redlynch there have been some incidents?

Answer: We are aware of those incidents; however Redlynch had a difficulty geographically due to the time it takes to get there. We are out there and we are patrolling it.

·       Was there an update on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

Organisation and resourcing of Community Police Teams in Wiltshire

In attendance: Deputy PCC, Jerry Herbert, and Inspector Pete Sparrow                                

Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner, Jerry Herbert and Inspector Pete Sparrow, gave a presentation on the organisation and resourcing of Community Police Teams in Wiltshire.

Operation Uplift is the national announcement of a further 20,000 Police Officers to be achieved by March 2023. The Police service had been asked to introduce 2,000 extra Officers by March 2020, rising to 6,000 extra by March 2021.Operation uplift was also known as ‘Boris’ Bobbies’.

A year ago, there were 934 warranted Police Officers in Wiltshire. That number would rise to 1050. It would take time before those Officers were available and delivering on the street. We recruit and train Officers here in Wiltshire and had an intake of 20 new Officers that came in last year.

Those Officers were on a 12 week tutorship programme that finished this year and were now on a probationary period for a further 2 years.

The reality was that 150 Officers were required to be in and trained in one year to achieve to the desired numbers.

Allocation of Community Policing and Resources

Until recently we had 7 CPT across Wiltshire and Swindon. This model was revised in 2019 and Swindon was split off under a new model.

The South Policing team had split in to two, with the Amesbury area and the Salisbury area. There were now eight areas overall now.

Also investing heavily in those Officers that you will most frequently see in your communities and looking at how Neighbourhood Policing (NHP) works within particular areas. This has allowed us to re-distribute our Officers.

Now in the South, Pete had 7 Sergeants in the neighbourhood area, 40 PC’s, 7 Local Crime Investigators and 15 PCSOs.

There was now the right mix of Officer’s to support the range of demands we have.

The back page of the Police report included a list of the Team in more detail.

There was more work still to be done, but hopefully this information helps to show where we are going with NHP, the direction given to the Chief Constable was to support Community Policing.

The Chairman noted that the Police and Crime panel exercised a degree of oversight over the allocation of resources, on how and why they change.

Questions and comments included:

·       You may have increased the Officer numbers by 2 but I cannot see anything that says you are going to give me more rural patrols.

There are some serious issues around drug dealing in Salisbury which need to be prioritised. Think you do a pretty good job.

The Board is asked to approve the programme of works as detailed in the attached draft report.

The Board considered the programme of works as detailed in the attached draft report. The document had already been circulated to all parish councils for information.

Question: There were areas with roads that need repairs due to the impact of the weather we have had. These were not currently on the lists; do you think there would be more money from central government to help with this?

Answer: There were a lot of areas that needed work, there was likely to be some more money, but that would not be enough to cover all of the extra erosion.

Decision

The Board approved the Highways Investment Programme for the Southern Wiltshire Area for 2020/21.

Please help us explore:

·         how dementia friendly villages are in this community area

·         examples of local dementia friendly activities and groups

·         the challenges involved in encouraging more people living with dementia to attend local events, and groups

·         how we can all work better together to overcome those challenges and achieve more for people living with dementia

Presenters so far confirmed:

• Babs Harris, Chief Executive – Alzheimers Support Wiltshire
• John Bartlett – Laverstock Memory Group
• Jeremy Parsons – Downton & Barford Day Centre
• Julia Whitmarsh – Good Companions

Karen Linaker, Community Engagement Manager introduced the themed item and explained that the Board wished to explore what was currently available in terms of dementia friendly provision in the community area.

Speakers from local groups were in attendance to share examples of local activities provided by their group, and the challenges involved in encouraging more people living with dementia to attend.

The aim of the item was to look at ways to work better together to overcome those challenges and achieve more for people living with dementia.

Babs Harris, Chief Executive – Alzheimers Support Wiltshire

We run services across the whole county, where we support people in their own homes as well as in organised groups. We are sponsored equally by the NHS and Wiltshire Council.

The GPs make referrals to our Dementia advisors. When a referral comes in, we call the person within three days and make an appointment to go and visit them in their own home. Sometimes we are told that there is a support network in place, a spouse or family members. We usually check back in 6 months, as quite often the picture has changed. At that point we can point the person to the right resources.

Our three individual day clubs are our flagships. There will also be one in Salisbury in Scotts Lane before the end of the year. Every day is governed by what the users want to do. We have many community activities.

We did carry out a gap analysis and thought the area was covered, however we are happy to come and put something on if a gap is identified.

We have also worked with Laverstock Memory group for many years.

We have a one to one home support service. Matching people with dementia to something that interests them most.

Elizabeth Bartlett – Laverstock Memory Group

Alan and Judy were group members. They spoke about the benefits of attending the group to themselves.

Alan explained that he had been diagnosed 10 years ago. One thing he enjoyed about the sessions at Elizabeth’s house was that there were about 10 people in the group, all with the same condition. He explained that you learn to live with dementia, but that one of the changes was that you lose your driving license. Suddenly when that happens, the difficulty that presents.

The carer is vitally important and the effect on that person needs equal consideration as the person living with dementia. The couple of hours I get to spend in my group are the only 2 hours a week I get to spend without my wife.

I have concerns that my wife is trying too hard to look after me, and my wife gets to spend two hours with the other carers each week which is valuable.

Judy was a nurse and had moved to the village. Her daughter was then transferred out of the area, which left her with no one. The GP referred her to the group and since then it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

Remaining budgets for 2019/20:

·         Community Area Grants - £5,395

·         Youth Projects - £250

·         Health & Wellbeing – £5,200

·         Community Area Transport Group - £6,867

The Board will consider applications for funding as detailed in the report attached to the agenda, and listed below:

Health & Wellbeing Funding

The Board is asked to consider earmarking funds from its Health & Wellbeing 2019/20 budget to assist with future projects and events relating to older people’s loneliness, isolation and other associated priorities, including strengthening dementia friendly villages and support for carers, as set out in the attached report.

Officer: Karen Linaker, Community Engagement Manager

The Board noted the remaining budgets for 2019/20 which were:

·       Community Area Grants - £5,395

·       Youth Projects - £250

·       Health & Wellbeing – £5,200

·       Community Area Transport Group - £6,867

The Board considered three applications for funding as detailed in the

report attached to the agenda.

Winterslow Village Hall – requested £5000 towards a new heating system.

The Parish Council had contributed £5000 towards the project.

The required radiators would be on a 16 week delivery, so if deferred until the next Area Board meeting, that would mean that they would not arrive until after the summer holidays and the applicant intended to use the holidays to complete the installation.

Cllr Devine supported the project, adding that the hall was the hub of the community.

Questions:

·       Have you considered solar panels? – Answer: Yes our roof is covered in them.

The Chairman proposed the board should support the full £5000 from the new financial year 2020/21 budget.

Decision

Winterslow Village Hall was awarded £5000 (from the 2020/21 budget) towards the new heating project.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2019/20.

Odstock Parish Council – requested £6000 towards Nunton’s children’s playground replacement.

Within the recreation ground there was a playground used by the under 10’s. It was also used for other events. The playground had to close before Christmas due to safety grounds. The timber supports had severe rotting.

We also need to get the orders in for a 12 week delivery, so we also cannot defer the funding request, as we need to have the installation done in time for use in the warmer weather.

We think the total will cost would be about £25K and we are £6k short.

Questions:

·       We do need to make sure that parishes are planning ahead for these sorts of repairs. I would urge all parishes to look ahead.

The Chairman proposed that the project be awarded the remaining funds from the Community Area Grants budget of £5395 and the remaining funds in the Youth Budget of £250, to allow this project to go ahead.

Decision

Odstock Parish Council was awarded £5395 (CAG budget) + £250 (Youth budget)  towards the Nunton children’s playground replacement project.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2019/20.

Laverstock Memory Support Group requested £1500 towards the Group transition.

John Bartlett gave an overview of the service which had been provided this from his home for last 11 years.

We aim to work together with Alzheimer’s Support in a transition to best move the provision forward. The application was for the transition work.

Questions:

·       Did the transition phase have a start and a finish date? Answer: Summer term, new financial year, then end when the responsibility had moved across.

·       This money is to induct co facilitators, what does that mean? Answer:  the group needs to be run, currently my wife leads one group and I lead the other. We also produce newsletters each term.

·       We should be proud to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

Future meeting dates:

·         12 March – Alderbury VH

·         2 April – Our Community Matters Event – Trafalgar School, Downton

·         7 May – Winterslow VH

·         10 September – venue tbc

·         28 January – Whiteparish Memorial Centre

·         11 March – Coombe Bissett VH

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.