Greasby, Frankby, Irby, Upton and Woodchurch Area Forum Area Co-ordinator’s Report Monday 1st October 2007 Name Michelle Gray Community Engagement Co-ordinator Tel: 0151 691 8213 Fax: 0151 691 8159 Email: [email protected] www.wirral.gov.uk Minicom: 0151 691 8480 Community Engagement Team Corporate Services, Town Hall Brighton Street, Wallasey, Wirral CH44 8ED Section One Minutes from last Meeting June 2007 3 - 9 Section Two Local Updates: 10 Safer and Stronger Communities ¾ Alleygates 11 ¾ Bogus Callers 12 ¾ Agencies combine to tackle underage alcohol sale 12 Healthier Communities and Older People ¾ Older People’s Parliament News 13 Children & Young People ¾ Wirral’s students are celebrating 14 ¾ Teenagers' challenge of a lifetime 14 - 15 ¾ Youth Service Update 15 - 18 Economic Development & Enterprise ¾ Wirral company’s passion leads to local jobs boost 19 ¾ Wirral Council is the first authority in the northwest to launch online web 19 - 20 casts of Planning Committee Meetings. ¾ Licensing Act 2003 20 Section Three Partner Updates 21 ¾ Community Safety 22 ¾ Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service 23 ¾ Merseyside Police 24 - 25 ¾ Wirral Primary Care Trust 26 - 28 Section Four Local Transport Update 29 - 36 Section Five Community Initiatives Fund 37 - 41 Area Forum Funding Progress Report 42 Section Six Local Area Forum Plan Update/Progress 43 - 44 Section Seven Streetscene & Waste Update 45 - 50 Section Eight Equalities and Diversity 51 - 53 2 Section One Minutes from last meeting and any matters arising from the previous forum 3 Minutes - Area Forum (Greasby/Frankby/Irby, Upton, Woodchurch) 13 June 2007 Present Chair Cllr Sue Brown Ward Councillors John George , Jean Quinn , PTC Reisdorf Community Ron Green (GOAL) , Bert Grunnill (Upton Churches Together) , John Representatives Smith (Greasby Community Association) Lead Officer Marie Stacey (Head of Branch, School Effectiveness) Area Service Co-ordinator Michelle Gray Wirral Primary Care Trust Kathy Doran (Chief Executive, Wirral PCT) Merseyside Police Inspector Kate Cunningham Merseyside Fire & Rescue John Davies Service Wirral Hospital Trust Michael Monagham (Deputy Chief Nurse) Council Officers Jenny Naylor (Co-ordinator, Woodchurch Neighbourhood Management Programme) , Brian Smith (Technical Services) , Jim Thompson (Community Safety Team) Apologies Cllr Gill Gardiner , Cllr Tony Smith Index to Minutes Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions & apologies Minute 2 - Minutes & matters arising from previous February forum Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinators report - Area plan update Minute 4 - Older peoples parliament Minute 5 - Wirral Hospital Trust – engagement strategy Minute 6 - Partner updates - Woodchurch neighbourhood management progress to date - Study of Greasby progress to date - Merseyside Police - Merseyside Fire & Rescue service - Wirral Primary Care Trust Minute 7 - Public open forum Minute 8 - Any other business Minute 9 - Date of next meeting Monday 1st October 2007, to be held in the Greasby, Frankby & Irby ward venue to be confirmed Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions & apologies The Chair, Councillor Sue Brown, opened the meeting and welcomed forum members and 16 members of the public to the Area Forum meeting in Woodchurch. She invited forum members to introduce themselves. Minute 2 - Minutes & matters arising from previous February forum The minutes of the Area Forum meeting of 6 February 2007 had been incorporated into the Area Co-ordinator’s report and agreed as a true record. Matters Arising included updates on issues raised at previous forums and there was also the regular updates on: St Benedict’s School site, the Pelican Public House site, and an update on the alterations to the junction near Sainsbury’s, and on the litter problem in Arrowe Park Road. Minute Decision : Resolved: That the minutes of the Area Forum meeting of 27 February 2007 and the reports on matters arising be noted Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinators report - Area plan update The Area Co-ordinator presented her report. Section one had already been covered under agenda item 2. Section 2 contained information on council initiatives, recent press 4 releases, and the expansion of council services in all the one stop shops; Section 3 contained progress reports on projects that have received Community Initiatives Funding in the past; Section 4 gave an update on local area plans; Section 5 reported on Streetscene and Waste Management, and a new Section 6, Equality and Diversity had been included. The availability of grants from the Community Initiatives Fund in the current financial year had been widely advertised with a closing date for applications of 15 June. The forum would particularly welcome updates and sharing of information from local community groups that they would like to see included in the Area Co-ordinators Report. The new look area plans feature three main sections – an introduction; statistical information; and a local priority action plan. The document will be produced electronically in future and will ‘go live’ on the Internet after the June/July round of area forums. The Chair recommended the document to all those who live and work in the area. The agenda and area co-ordinator’s report can be downloaded from the Internet at www.wirral.gov.uk; alternatively, a paper version will be sent on request to any member of the public who wishes to attend a future meeting. Minute Decision : Resolved: To thank the Area Co-ordinator for the report. Minute 4 - Older peoples parliament In a presentation, Phillipa Rough, an elected representative on the Older People’s Parliament, explained that the Older People’s Parliament had come into being as a result of close co-operation between Social Services, Age Concern and the Local Authority. The purpose of the Parliament is to give a voice on matters of concern to Older People in Wirral, namely anyone over the age of 50. The Chief Executive of Wirral, Steve Maddox, had addressed the inaugural meeting in January when Jack Cuffe had been elected Chair. The Parliament holds regular meetings in Wallasey Town Hall and seven committees have been formed for dealing with Standards, Health & Safety, Social Services & Health, Crime and Respect, Housing, Environment and Transport. So far, three issues of a Newsletter have been produced, giving members’ contact details. Older people are invited to raise issues which will be referred to the appropriate committee. Minute Decision : Resolved: That Philipa Rough be thanked for the presentation on the Older People’s Parliament. Minute 5 - Wirral Hospital Trust – engagement strategy Michael Monagham, Deputy Chief Nurse, gave a presentation on Wirral Hospital Trust Engagement Strategy. The development of the Engagement Strategy marks the second phase of the Trust’s commitment to engage more closely with the communities it serves. The first phase in February 2006 involved a major consultation programme, A Change for the Better, in relation to the Trust’s application for Foundation Trust Status. The 5 consultation laid out service plans for the following five years. The trust is half-way through its application for Trust status and it was felt that now is the right time to engage again with communities. In the coming months the Trust will be talking – and listening – to Area Forums and community groups throughout Wirral on ways in which hospital services are changing. The focus of the presentation this evening would be on Who we are, Why we are changing, and How we are changing. The responses from the consultation will be feed into the strategy. Unlike current NHS trusts, Foundation Trusts have Members and Governors. Members elect Governors to represent them and to set direction for the organisation. The membership and Assembly of Governors is a key part of the engagement strategy. The Trust is aiming to have 13,000 public members – currently it has 6,000. The Trust would welcome anyone who wishes to become a public member or attend Assembly meetings – details are published in the local Press from time to time. A campaign will be launched in the coming weeks to encourage members of the public to become Members of the Foundation Trust. Michael Monagham responded to questions raised on the practicalities of reducing demand for in-patient beds and for people who need specialist services; the opening hours for the single point of access and out of hours service; the role of the district nursing service; infection control measures in place and the monitoring arrangements; and the Trust’s policy on single sex wards. Members of the public commented on their personal experiences in accessing intermediate care and other NHS services. At a personal level, the Chair expressed her appreciation to the NHS Hospital Trust for the level of care she had received, adding that she had only praise for the Trust and its staff. Minute Decision : Resolved: That Michael Monaghan be thanked for the presentation. Minute 6 - Partner updates - Woodchurch neighbourhood management progress to date - Study of Greasby progress to date - Merseyside Police - Merseyside Fire & Rescue service - Wirral Primary Care Trust Woodchurch neighbourhood management – Jennifer Naylor Neighbourhood management is an initiative that aims to improve local services in small geographical areas. The scheme has been operating as a pilot in Woodchurch for about a year and through an open forum gives local residents an opportunity to set their own agenda, decide the issues that are critical to them, invite speakers, and engage with training. There is support for a wide range