Birmingham City Council

BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL

PUBLIC

Report to: CABINET MEMBERS FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE AND FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY AND EQUALITIES, JOINTLY WITH THE CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF ADULT SOCIAL CARE AND HEALTH

Report of: Service Director for Adult Social Care & Health Commissioning

Date of Decision: 13 February 2018

SUBJECT: MIFRIENDLY CITIES

Key Decision: No Relevant Forward Plan Ref: N/A

If not in the Forward Plan: Chief Executive approved (please "X" box) O&S Chair approved

Relevant Cabinet Member(s) or Cllr Paulette Hamilton, Health and Social Care Relevant Executive Member: Cllr Tristan Chatfield, Community Safety & Equalities

Relevant O&S Chair: Cllr John Cotton – Health and Social Care Cllr Mohammed Aikhlaq – Corporate Resources and Governance

Wards affected: All

1. Purpose of report: 1.1 To provide details of the outcome of the joint regional bid submitted to the European Commission’s “European Regional Development Fund” for Urban Innovation Action. This is to support the development of migrant friendly cities in Birmingham, and over a three year period from 1 st March 2018. 1.2 To request the acceptance of funding and accompanying project responsibilities in order to deliver the MiFriendly Cities project in Birmingham, from 1 st March 2018.

2. Decision(s) recommended: That the Cabinet Members for Health and Social Care and for Community Safety & Equalities, jointly with the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health:-

2.1 Authorise the Head of Service for Commissioning to accept funding on behalf of the Local Authority to progress, implement and deliver the MiFriendly Cities project in Birmingham and the region.

Birmingham City Council

2.2. Enter into a partnership agreement the Coventry County Council, which is acting as the accountable body for the MiFriendly Cities project and European Commission. 2.3 Authorise the City Solicitor to negotiate, execute and complete all necessary documents to give effect to the above recommendations.

Lead Contact Officer(s): Kalvinder Kohli Head of Service - Commissioning Telephone No: 0121 303 6132 E-mail address: [email protected]

Austin Rodriguez Commissioning Manager Telephone No: 07557287605 E-mail address: [email protected]

3. Consultation:

Consultation should include those that have an interest in the decisions recommended

3.1 Internal

3.1.1 There have been two phases on internal consultation. The first was in April 2017 before Coventry City Council submitted the bid to the European Commission. This involved officers from Public Health and Commissioning, in the Adult Social Care & Health Directorate.

3.1.2 The second phase of consultation has followed the notification of the successful proposal in November. Since then the Adult Social Care & Health Directorate Leadership Team has been briefed and consulted on the project and Councillor Tristan Chatfield, as Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Equalities has also been briefed about the project.

3.1.13 In addition a cross-Council group has met to share details and discuss the scope and implications of the project. This group consists of officers from:- Finance; Public Health; Neighbourhoods & Communities; Libraries; Employment & Skills; Press & PR; Procurement; Education; International Team; Community Safety; Children’s Services; Policy & Strategy.

3.2 External

3.2.1 In December 2017 members of the Birmingham Migration Forum were briefed and consulted on the delivery of the MiFriendly Cities Project. This Forum consists of approximately forty organisations (mostly in the voluntary sector) which are active in working with and supporting refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants in Birmingham. The terms of reference for the Migration Forum, which will be an important part of the MiFriendly Cities projects delivery in Birmingham, is attached in Appendix 2.

Birmingham City Council

3.2.2 West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership, which is currently hosted by Birmingham City Council, has also been briefed and consulted on the plans for delivering the MiFriendly Cities project in Birmingham.

4. Compliance Issues:

4.1 Are the recommended decisions consistent with the Council’s policies, plans and strategies?

4.1.1 The project’s aims and outcomes align strongly with three of the Council’s four priorities. These include: “Children: a great city to grow up in”; “Jobs and skills: a great city to succeed in”; “Health: a great city to grow old in”.

4.1.2 The project also aligns well with the Birmingham Community Cohesion Statement, which was published by the Council in September 2016. This is intended to encourage participation by migrants in society.

4.1.3 In addition in February 2017 Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet, approved and adopted the City of Sanctuary Statement. This outlines the Council’s commitment to welcome asylum seekers and refugees to Birmingham.

4.2 Financial Implications

4.2.1 As a delivery partner for the project, Birmingham City Council has been allocated €388K from within the ERDF over the three year project life. At the current exchange rate (1:1.12) this equates to £347K. The use of the funding is prescribed in the approved funding application, meaning that there is little flexibility in how the Council commits what has been proposed. For example, 72.5% of the budget must be spent on Birmingham City Council staff costs. A full breakdown of the project budget is attached in Appendix 3.

4.2.2 The annual allocation is approximately £116k per annum. The Council is not required to commit any additional financial resources. The Council will be required to provide a match-funding of 20% so that the total financial and in-kind investment is £436K or £145K per year. The additional 20% can be delivered in-kind through existing resources. Any time spent by officers in supporting the project, can be considered as our match-funding contribution.

4.2.3 At the end of the project’s three year life-span, there are no expectations to continue the activity which would have been delivered and resourced through it. This applies to posts which are funded through the project, which will also come to an end once the project has finished.

4.2.4 The funding provided by the European Commission will not be affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in 2019. This covers two scenarios. Firstly, the UK’s financial contribution to EU Structural Funds lasts until 2020. This money provides the funding for the European Regional Development Fund and subsequently the Urban Innovation Action programme (and the MiFriendly Cities Project). In the event of the UK leaving the EU on a transition arrangement, then that funding contribution would remain in place for that period.

4.2.5 Secondly, in the scenario that the UK leaves the EU with no agreement in March 2019 then the UK government has agreed to underwrite all existing EU funded projects based Birmingham City Council

on some simple criteria which this project would be able to comply with. There is further information about this commitment available via https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-certainty-on-eu-funding-for-hundreds-of- british-projects .

4.3 Legal Implications

4.3.1 Section 1 of the Localism Act 2011 is a general power of competence for local authorities in England. It gives these authorities the same power to act that an individual generally has and provides that the power may be used in innovative ways, that is, in doing things that are unlike anything that a local authority - or any other public body - has done before, or may currently do.

4.3.2 Under Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972, a local authority has the power to take action which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of its functions.

4.3.3 Section 1 of the Care Act 2014 sets out the general wellbeing duty local authorities have towards the relevant population. The wellbeing of individuals in that population is considered under Section 1 (2):

(a) personal dignity (including treatment of the individual with respect); (b) physical and mental health and emotional well-being; (c) protection from abuse and neglect; (d) control by the individual over day-to-day life (including over care and support, or support, provided to the individual and the way in which it is provided); (e) participation in work, education, training or recreation; (f) social and economic well-being; (g) domestic, family and personal relationships; (h) suitability of living accommodation; (i) the individual's contribution to society.

4.3.4 Para 1.13 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance (2014) states that the well-being principle should be considered by a local authority “when it undertakes broader, strategic functions, such as planning, which are not in relation to one individual”.

4.3.5 As one of the project’s delivery partners, Birmingham City Council will be required to sign and commit to a legally binding partnership agreement with the accountable body for the project, which is Coventry City Council. This agreement is under development and will be subject to review by the Council’s Legal Services before a commitment is made to sign it.

4.4 Public Sector Equality Duty

4.4.1 A Full Equality Analysis (EA002635) was carried out in January 2018 for MiFriendly Cities - Migration Friendly Cities. This is attached as Appendix 4. The initial assessment of the project is that it will have a positive impact upon both migrants and the wider community. The support offered to migrants will improve outcomes in health, housing and jobs. Encouraging migrants to be more engaged within society. The intention is to complete a full Equality Analysis once the project is operational to identify any negative impacts following mobilisation in places and communities.

Birmingham City Council

5. Relevant background/chronology of key events:

5.1 In April 2017 Coventry City Council submitted a proposal to the Urban Innovation Action Fund for the European Commission. This was a partnership proposal with support from Birmingham and Wolverhampton City Councils, as well as eight other delivery partners in the voluntary and private sectors. In November 2017, Birmingham City Council was notified of the European Commission’s intention to award funding to the MiFriendly Cities Project.

5.2 Details of the project are set out in the project briefing (appendix 1) and the overview of Birmingham City Council activity and budgets (appendix 3). The project will run for three years, starting on 1 st March 2018 and ending in February 2021.

5.3 In order to be able to deliver what is required in the project a recruitment process will need to start imminently to provide the necessary capacity to deliver what is required in Birmingham, but also for the project as a whole. This includes project deliverables in Birmingham, leading the coordination of one of the work packages on behalf of the region, as well as fulfilling the project governance and reporting requirements. Authorisation is needed to accept the funding in order to undertake the necessary recruitment process.

5.4 Recruitment to the project is dependent on several variables, which may change the nature and type of posts which are possible. In the first instance a Project Manager needs recruiting to provide overall project coordination and delivery. The process to recruit for this role will begin on authorisation of this report. The post will be at a GR5 level and a three year fixed term contract. Additional project support and migrant engagement roles will also be required but the scope of these will be dependent on additional funding which is to be confirmed by the Ministry for Housing Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), as well as the availability of suitable interns or apprentices. On the latter point, migration is an issue which has been identified as one which a number of university students, graduates and post-graduates are interested in working in.

6. Evaluation of alternative option(s):

6.1 Birmingham City Council could decide not to accept the funding and take no further part in the MiFriendly Cities project. However this would both withdraw much needed resources in Birmingham which can better support the resettlement and integration of migrants, as well as undermine the project’s overall capacity and feasibility in the region. This would likely lead to the European Commission withdrawing its support for the project overall.

7. Reasons for Decision(s):

7.1 To allow the MiFriendly Cities project to progress in Birmingham and allow officers to begin the recruitment of staff to provide the necessary capacity for its delivery.

7.2 To formally authorise receipt of the funding and to fulfil Birmingham City Council’s obligations within the overall project’s specification – both in Birmingham and in the West Midlands.

Birmingham City Council

Signatures Date

Councillor Paulette Hamilton ..Date Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care

Councillor Tristan Chatfield.Date. Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Equalities

Graeme Betts....Date.... Corporate Director of Adult Social Care & Health

List of Background Documents used to compile this Report:

1. Birmingham City Council Vision and Priorities 2017-20: Making a positive difference 2. Birmingham City Council Cohesion Statement, September 2016 3. Birmingham City Council City of Sanctuary Statement, February 2017

List of Appendices accompanying this Report (if any):

1. Briefing MiFriendly Cities, January 2018 2. Birmingham Migration Forum Terms of Reference 3. MiFriendly Cities BCC Activity and Budgets 4. Equality Analysis

Report Version Dated

V0.7 8th February 2018