Issue - meetings

ORDERED that Executive

1.     Notes the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Board Task and Finish Group into Community Cohesion and the accompanying recommendations; and

2.     Approved the Action Plan prepared by the service in response to the recommendations.

ORDERED that Executive

1.     Notes the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Board Task and Finish Group into Community Cohesion and the accompanying recommendations; and

2.     Approved the Action Plan prepared by the service in response to the recommendations.

An Overview and Scrutiny Board Task and Finish Group had submitted entitled Community Cohesion. A copy of the full report was attached. The Task and Finish Group had made twelve recommendations upon which a response was sought from the relevant service area. 

The recommendations of the Task and Finish Group were:

1.     To ensure Scrutiny contributes to Community Cohesion agenda: - Develop a Community Strategy as quickly as possible with quarterly progress updates brought to scrutiny.

2.     A draft of the Community Strategy should be brought to Scrutiny as the earliest opportunity before it is finalised.

3.     To mitigate the risk of future unrest: - An early warning system, such as a Community Cohesion dashboard, should be developed to alert the Council and relevant partners of community tensions.

4.     To ensure a robust Community Cohesion offer: - that the Council embeds initiatives created because of Home Office funding as part of its business-as-usual operations. An update should be brought back to Scrutiny on this during the 2027/2028 budget setting process.

5.     As part of the Council’s approach to improved youth participation: - a specific plan be created that includes demonstrable, and quantifiable, actions to engage young people about the dangers of misinformation.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods submitted a service response to the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group. A copy of the action plan was appended to the report.

The lead Member of the Task and Finish Group introduced and presented the Scrutiny report and summarised the recommendations of the Panel.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods provided a response to the Scrutiny report and presented the Service Response.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods stated he welcomed the report and stated that some of the recommendations were already being addressed and, in some cases, were being built upon.

Members discussed the importance of community cohesion, and how the Council was actively working with local communities across the town to achieve effective community cohesion.

ORDERED that Executive

1.     Notes the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Board Task and Finish Group into Community Cohesion and the accompanying recommendations; and

2.     Approved the Action Plan prepared by the service in response to the recommendations.

REASONS

It was a requirement that Executive formally considered the Scrutiny Panel’s report and confirmed the service area’s response to the accompanying plan.