Agenda item

The Area Council Manager introduced the Quarter 4 performance report which included the start of the lockdown period and would be the final report showing the outcomes set as part of the contract with each provider.  Members were informed that contracts were unable to be adhered to in the lockdown period so they weren’t able to be monitored against set criteria, the report highlighted the changes made to these flexed contractual arrangements.

Members were informed that under the Environment priority no particular issues or concerns had arisen and the provider was still achieving outcomes from activities with businesses and young people involved in such things as design of local environment.  Under the Economy priority local spend was still quite high at 90%.  The number of volunteer hours was also high with an additional 112 volunteer opportunities being created.  It was noted that no new full time employment positions had been created due to there being no new contracts.  Members were highlighted to the fact that the Community Car Share Scheme showed particularly high numbers, this was due to Dial A Ride now including journeys that had not previously been recorded.  The support to young people was highlighted as needing to encourage new contracts as there were low numbers of young people in volunteering and activities for the under 18s.

The Area Council Manager provided Members with a presentation outlining the COVID-19 recovery planning and outcomes of the impact of the lockdown.

Members were informed of the exceptional community response to the pandemic with 9 networks established plus several smaller groups within the first 3 weeks of the lockdown via groups and parishes.  The Area Team had created a good relationship with parishes and had offered support and resources to aid these groups including providing Love Thy Penistone with card readers for shopping trips.  Major supermarkets and local suppliers had contributed food donations and Huskar Helping Hands had set up a Just Giving Page to support the community.  The larger established groups such as Love Thy Penistone and the Huskar Helping Hands had been able to develop databases, volunteer tracker apps and volunteer protocols for training future volunteers in order to keep them safe.  In meeting with these groups a number of issues of concern had been identified in the community such as social isolation, individuals living with financial hardship and mental health issues across all age ranges plus a number of other issues.   It was noted that some volunteers had built up relationships in the community and were continuing to link up with people they had befriended.  Whilst being proactive out in the Community it had enabled the volunteers to engage with people who may have been too proud to ask for help but who needed it.

Members were informed that Age UK continued to maintain links with community organisations and individuals by providing 417 interventions, engaging 94 older people and utilising 39 volunteers during the Covid-19 lockdown period and taking on 32 new referrals of the most vulnerable members of the community.  Moving forward Age UK planned to utilise digital technology such as Zoom and Skype to run some virtual activities for those able to partake.  They intended to hold socially distanced chair-based Tai Chi groups, address the increased risk of falls due to reduced mobility resulting from the lockdown and additional mental health support to service users.  There was a hope to resume the Men in Sheds sessions once St Andrews Church re-opens.

Members heard how Twiggs had been asked to support BMBC neighbourhood services by providing targeted clean ups and litter picks during the lockdown period and how they had been innovative in maintaining contact with businesses and volunteers providing support to groups by socially distanced meets and holding virtual training to aid volunteers to maintain areas they had taken responsibility for.   Moving forward it was noted that Twiggs were continuing to support these volunteers and that the work with Neighbourhood Services would likely cease towards the end of the month.  It was reflected that the Area Team had received feedback from the community appreciative of the work carried out and it was noted that there had been an upsurge in new volunteers coming forward resulting in plans to possibly provide equipment for community volunteers to use for the purpose of community work.

Members were informed that Dial advice and information services had fluctuating demands during the period with 126 clients accessing the service compared to 63 last quarter resulting in new volunteer support providing the additional offer of the safe and well checks to known clients.  Feedback had revealed that the calls had helped reveal an increase in loneliness and isolation but that the calls had helped alleviate this to some degree.

The CAB service was similar to the Dial service in that it suspended it’s face to face contact from 24^th March and offered support through the advice line and virtual services.  Members were informed that on average there were 17 client contacts per quarter, this rose to 51 in this period resulting in the need to provide additional resources by working 5 days in comparison to their contracted 2 half days per month funded by CAB themselves and consequently not maintainable.  The Area Council Manager made members aware that this contract ceases at the end of September 2020.  There was growing evidence that many people had not yet dealt with their resulting debt from the pandemic and this would likely come to light as organisations started to unlock and recover their debts and baliffs offices and courts start to open.  There had also been an increase in employment advice issues with people asking for advice in relation to claiming benefits for the first time and a predicted increase when the furlough period comes to an end.  It was suggested that members may wish to look at this contract as a priority spend.

Members received an update on the South Pennine Bus Transport contract which had officially ended but an emergency extension was granted to the 30^th June.  It was reported that it had been a lifeline for vulnerable people who felt safer travelling on smaller buses and that it had been utilised so drivers were able to deliver supplies to those shielding.  During the lockdown South Pennine had assisted in food bank deliveries and that any surplus food had been offered to passengers.  Members were informed that the South Pennine Service was likely to provide a role in the recovery process for the Penistone Area contributing in aiding the elderly and vulnerable to leave their homes and that the number 25 Service would continue as long as it was able to but that no grant requests had been received to date.

Members were provided with an update to the impact on the other Area Council Priorities arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the next steps for consideration by members.  Support to the Local Economy through Principal Town funds was still ongoing for Penistone, and several initiatives have been offered from the main BMBC services in support of business and members will need to consider this when looking at local priorities.  Support for young people had been available but this was an area for future consideration by members as part of the review of priorities. 

RESOLVED:-

(i)         that a workshop be organised for Age UK, Dial and CAB to provide presentations to discuss outcomes of their provision and services leading into discussions surrounding the new priorities for spending to assist in the recovery process in the area as soon as possible; and

(ii)        that a workshop be organised to provide greater detail on business and economy support as soon as possible.