Agenda and minutes

Culture and Communities Scrutiny Panel - Thursday 18th November, 2021 1.00 pm

Venue: Virtual

Contact: Susie Blood 

Items
No. Item

21/7

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest.

Minutes:

There were no Declarations of Interest received at this point in the meeting.

21/8

Minutes - Culture and Communities Scrutiny Panel - 21 October 2021 pdf icon PDF 160 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Culture and Communities Scrutiny Panel held on xxxx were submitted and approved as a correct record.

 

21/9

Middlesbrough Community Learning Employability- update pdf icon PDF 848 KB

In 2019, the Panel undertook a review into Middlesbrough Community Learning Employability. Claire Kemp, Head of Community Learning and Employability will be in attendance to provide a brief overview of the service; changes; provide an update on the panel’s recommendations and provide good news stories from the Employability Initiatives.

 

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Claire Kemp, Head of Community Learning to the meeting. In 2019, the Panel undertook a review into Middlesbrough Community Learning Employability, however due to Covid had been unable to receive an update on the recommendations for some time.

 

The Head of Community Learning was accompanied by a number of her colleagues, as many of the recommendations were looking at ways of positive impact and since 2019, the programmes and initiatives have moved on and made excellent progress on residents in the town. A participate from the Routes to work programme was also in attendance to give his story.

 

In terms of the recommendations, the panel were provided with the following updates:

 

Recommendation

Update

  1. That the Panel receive an update on the progress made within Adult Skills and Community Leaning in 6 months’ time. The Panel would be keen to learn more good practice in Middlesbrough in relation to partnership working/ positive outcomes

 

Covered within the meeting

2.    In terms of the Youth Employment Initiative, the panel is keen to develop closer working relationship with Middlesbrough College, with this in mind, the panel recommend that YEI be provided with one single point of contact within the STEM centre for learner referrals to courses.

COMPLETE

There is now a Key contact within the Youth unemployment team within the college and the teams meet up regularly to discuss the programme.

 

Within the adult learning sector, there is a lead within the College and they meet regularly with community learning to ensure there is now duplication in provision and that they complement one another.

 

The Head of Community Learning has strong links with the Principle of Middlesbrough College and meets on a quarterly basis.

3.    Routes to Work project be added to Middlesbrough Council’s Armed Forces Directory and information on the project be passed to the transition service.

COMPLETE

Community leaning was now part of the Armed Forces directory and the teams actively engage with Hardwick House. The panel had been provided with a case study for their information regarding community learning’s involvement with ex- veterans.

4.    That the panel receive a further update on the Routes to Work project in 6 months’ time, with regard to the number of participants since staff recruitment and success stories

 

Covered within the meeting.

 

.At the time of the Panel’s review, the community learning service sat within the communities directorate, however has now moved to sit with children’s services.

Due to the delays in update, the Head of Service provided the panel with some headliners:

 

       January 2019 Introduction of 50 Futures Work- Established as the empower commitments and launched as part of the Middlesbrough opportunity strategy with the aim of providing high quality career pathways which was linked to through work placements/ volunteering. This provided those struggling to find work and from disadvanged communities, the opportunity to have work experience within the Council .  Initially we set out to change 50 lives , which went to 100 and the aim was now  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21/9

21/10

Culture and Communities Scrutiny Panel- Future meetings

The Democratic Services Officer will discuss with the Panel the work programme for future meetings.

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Officer provided the Panel with an update on the work programme and a proposed future schedule for meetings. The panel were aware that Covid was still very much on the increase and therefore the visit to the locality hubs would be discussed with the Head of Stronger Communities.

 

AGREED- That the schedule be noted

21/11

Chair's OSB Update

Minutes:

The Chair provided a verbal update on discussions raised at the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting on 9 November 2021.

 

AGREED- That the update be noted.

21/12

Any other urgent items which in the opinion of the Chair, may be considered.

Minutes:

No items.