Cabinet Members There Are Some Issues I Will Look to Consider with Other Cabinet Members, Where the Issue Appears to Cross Over Portfolios

CABINET MEMBER UPDATE REPORT Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills – 15 March 2016)

COUNCILLOR PORTFOLIO DATE Patricia Hardy Communities and Housing March 2016

NEIGHBOURHOODS AND PARTNERSHIPS Strategic Partnerships

Area Partnerships Area Partnership priorities are as follows:- Sefton East Meeting held 28 January 2016 which focused on reviewing progress against current priorities and discussing new priority areas. The Dementia Friendly Communities priority is being delivered as part of the reestablished Sefton Dementia Action Alliance work. Updates will continue to be provided to the Partnership. It was agreed Young People, particularly in relation to positive activities, should be a future priority. Formby Meeting held 8 January 2016 which focused on reviewing progress against current priorities and discussing new priority areas. It was felt work on Formby Hub and Duke Street Park projects had progressed well and so could continue as standalone sub groups, with update on progress occasionally provide to the Area Partnership. New priorities were agreed as: Young People - isolation and engagement - intergenerational work

Crosby Work continues on consideration of future meeting structure and priorities and how work with the Operational Group is integrated into this. Southport Next meeting to be agreed. Work ongoing re: developing a Partnership event.

South Sefton Next meeting to be agreed

Sefton Safer Communities Partnership (SSCP) • The Disarm cross border work with Kirkdale continues. Operation Elmsdale is underway which involves both Sefton and Liverpool working in partnership regarding issues with HMP Liverpool. • Sefton continues to approach the issue of Tackling Female Involvement in Organised Crime. The group has met on two occasions since the previous update and they have identified a small cohort of individuals that will be targeted for support. • The Multi Agency Response to Gun and Gangs (MARGG) continues to use a holistic approach to tackle and disrupt families who are involved in these illegal activities. The Sefton MARGG has received its Home Office Peer Review report and the findings were positive. The report has been circulated to the SSCP, DISARM and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. A number of actions will be undertaken to ensure the lessons learnt from the review are delivered. • The SSCP has commissioned the Get Away N Get Safe (GANGS) project to deliver 15 x 5 week sessions within our hotspot areas with Year 6 primary school children and some High Schools. There has been an excellent response from the schools to the programme and those that have taken part so far have requested further programmes and commended the projects effectiveness and content. • The SSCP is currently reviewing the Sefton’s Strategic Needs Assessment (SSNA) and will produce its priorities plan for its meeting in March 2016. • Finally, the installation and use of SMARTWATER in the Litherland area to prevent and deter destruction of the CCTV cameras and columns is now in place and it will be piloted for six months.

Neighbourhood Co-ordination Anti-Social Behaviour Unit (ASBU) The table below highlights performance figures of the Sefton Anti-Social Behaviour Unit as at January 2016.

ASB Incidents reported on HUB (Police, Registered Social Landlords 118 (RSL’s), Elected Members etc.) ASB Incidents reported through Sefton Contact Centre (Victim self- 70 referrals) Current Active Cases (2 staff) 76 Current LIVE Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Orders 9 Criminal Behaviour Orders – Pending 6 Live 5 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (A.B.C.’s) – Pending 19 Live 33 Parental Control Agreements (P.C.A.’s) – Pending 0 Live 16 Closures – Pending 0 Live 4 Public Spaces Protection Order – Pending 0 Live 2 Tenancy warnings – Pending 0 Live 7 Community Triggers (threshold met) 2

Incidents of Significance:

 Sefton Community Justice Panels will be operational early 2016, this restorative justice project will be a beacon service in the North West, community volunteers will be trained to deliver the Justice Panels which as part of the Ministry of Justice Pilot in 2011-14 reduced ASB by up to 30% in some areas. The panels also encourage community resilience and the panels will be owned and delivered by the community whilst under the management of SMBC.  Training for volunteers for the Community Justice Panels will take place on 25th, 26th of February and 4th of March, currently 30 people are booked for the training. A certificate award ceremony with media coverage will take place on the 4th of March at Bootle Town Hall, both the deputy PCC and Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing will award the certificates.  We have increased the use of the new Community Protection Notice; this power enables ASB officers to issue warnings for anti-social behaviour of an individual or business, and on breach issue a fine of up to £75, non-payment may lead to more formal court action.  A closure order has been made in South Sefton Court on 3/2/16 63 Daley Rd in relation to: o Drug dealing o Cars being driven at high speed o Noise o Motor bikes driving on pavements o Threatening behaviour & Anti-Social Behaviour in front of residents children o Two assaults on residents o Residents feeling Intimidated o People entering and leaving number 63 Daley Rd with Tasers o Smell of cannabis and other unknown substance in the area.

This was a police led closure order to which we contributed community impact statements

Neighbourhood co-ordination Neighbourhood co-ordination activities have continued in the areas with recent involvement including:

• Work has been ongoing with the residents of Wood Avenue, HMP Liverpool, Police and Derby Ward members to deal with ASB issues in the area. There have been young people accessing gardens to throw packages into the grounds of HMP Liverpool. This is causing distress to residents. The alleyway they are accessing has been relit, rubbish removed and a CCTV camera has been installed on a temporary basis. Meetings are ongoing with the Police, Neighbourhoods and HMP Liverpool to discuss progress and a long term plan.

• A Well North meeting has been held with Catherine Taylor and Davina Hanlon around communities in the Linacre and Church Ward area. We are working together to look at ways to consult with community and advising contacts in the areas.

• Meetings have been held with Police, ASB and elected members about 107 Benedict Street. All night drinking and parties are disturbing local residents. The landlord of the property has been asked to contact his tenants about their behaviour. • Following successful launch of “Waterloo and Seaforth Cares” it is intended that a Crosby Hub will be established to address loneliness and social isolation across Crosby. It is intended there will be greater engagement with local business sector in order to harness businesses as a community asset, and to train staff for early identification of loneliness, isolation and/or dementia. • Work around the Leeds-Liverpool Canal Bi-Centenary continues to progress. A programme of celebratory events has been devised comprising of flotilla of barges, family fun day, historic event and family fun run around Aintree Racecourse. These events will take place within Sefton East Parishes areas between June and July 2016. • Members of Formby Hub continue to meet on a monthly basis in order to plan and implement events within Formby. • The first meeting of Operation Beach safe was held in February. Partners will continue to meet on a monthly basis until October, to ensure safe use of Sefton’s beaches; and to address related issues such as car parking. • Working on a three year plan of spend for the L30’s Million Project to submit to Local Trust before the end of March. • Starting the commissioning process for projects and activities to be funding in the local area. • Booking a series of Outdoor Cinema events for St Oswald, Netherton & Orrell ward funded by area committee and One Vison Housing for Killen Green Park and Netherton Park Neighbourhood Centre. • Working with Highways on parking issues on Sterrix Lane which includes installation of posts and shrubs. • Working with Springwell School and local residents to design a memorial for William Jones Klondyke to be installed at Springwell School. • Carried out discussions with Ainsdale Community Care and Youth & Community Partnership to ask them how they might improve or change their service in order to provide Adult Social Care services which help or delay people deteriorating and ultimately presenting to Council as a referral. The business plans they produced helped each organisation to be awarded £40k (£20k each) through Lauren Sadler’s Adult Social Care fund. • Area Committee funding and Southport BID contributed towards targeted free parking in Southport over Christmas. • Ward funded Community Skip arranged for Preesall Close, Southport in January collecting 1 tonne.

Town Centres  Bootle investment Strategy has been unveiled to partners and stakeholders at the end of January.  Waterloo Town team are working with a local resident to establish a “Waterloo Festival” in the Sea Front Gardens in June.  A special Southport Area Committee was held to discuss the draft Southport Town Centre Development Strategy produced by Nexus, which allowed residents to have their say on the document whilst in draft. The meeting was attended by Margaret Carney who promised to take away many of the residents’ comments for inclusion in the final report.  Nick White, The Southport BID Assistant Manager, is leaving his role to take up the post of City Centre Manager in Chester.  Sefton Trees Team have secured funding via Area Committee to plant 18 trees along Lord Street to replace the numbers felled recently.

Halloween and Bonfire Night Planning  Sefton was the safest borough in Merseyside for secondary fires with only 36 incidents in 2015 compared to 37 incidents in 2014. This amounted to a 3% reduction in secondary fires and was the only borough to see a reduction across Merseyside.  Sefton had no Violence at Work incidents in 2015; a 100% reduction compared to 2014 when Sefton had 1 incident.  Anti-Social Behaviour logs across 30th and 31st October saw a 12% reduction in ASB incidents in 2015 compared to last year, but more impressively a 26% reduction on 30th October Mischief Night.  Meetings arranged with Sefton Leisure Team to discuss locations for Street Games in 2016 based on hotspots of ASB.

Community Transition Fund/Community Support Fund  This fund had a total of £1,000,193 available in September 2015.  Criteria for applying to this fund continues to focus on supporting vulnerable people and creating resilient communities.  Latest approvals include:

Organisations Project Amount Sefton Amateur Boxing Club club refurbishment works £20,000 Pride of Sefton steel for new boat £20,000 Independent travel Crosby Cooperative Learning Trust assessments £15,000 Safe Regeneration feasibility costs £30,711 Y Kids & Venus Orrell library refurb costs £50,000 Formby Library Garden Formby Parish Council project £15,000

 There is £458,482 remaining in this fund.

Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) Sector Review  Funding letters have now been sent to all VCF organisations providing them with confirmation of funding for 2016/17.  Meetings planned with Clinical Commissioning Groups to discuss commencement of the ‘100 Day Plan’ for Sefton Council and CCGs to joint commission services.

Domestic Abuse Strategy implementation  The ‘Behind Closed Doors’ multi-agency promotional material continues to be promoted across Sefton. Visit www.sefton.gov.uk/behindcloseddoors for more information.  A multi-agency partnership workshop event was held on 29 January 2016 between Sefton IDVA, SWACA (Sefton Women’s and Children’s Aid), RASA (Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre) Merseyside, and Venus to further develop common ways of working together to support victims of domestic abuse.  Sefton IDVA and SWACA are supporting the Public Health funded ‘Be a Lover Not a Fighter’ domestic abuse campaign and will be attending the event being held in Bootle New Strand on 1 March 2016.

Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Referrals

Number of Referrals Number of Repeats January 2016 41 8 February 2016 37 5

The current MARAC repeat rate is 19%.

Sefton IDVA team  IDVA Team Open Cases as at 19.02.2016, IDVA Team currently have 42 open cases.  IDVA Team Tracking Cases as at 19.02.2016, IDVA Team currently have 42 tracking cases.

Sanctuary security assessments  In the period January and February 2016, 0 Sanctuary has been installed on behalf of the MARAC. This number does not include the number of referrals made to RSL’s for target hardening to be completed on their properties.

Equalities • Membership of the Corporate Equality Group has been refreshed to reflect the recent management restructure. Chair of the group will now be Andrea Watts. • Dealing with queries from departments and networks regarding equalities issues i.e. Sefton events. • Attended meeting of the Southport Access for Everyone (SAFE) group along with staff from the Events Team. • Maintenance of Intranet pages for Corporate Equality Group, equality training and events etc. • Equality and Diversity information on Yammer. • Attending meeting with SERCO and partners on accommodation and support for refugees and asylum seekers. • Gathering information to support a corporate application for the Navajo Chartermark • Developing equalities training for elected members

Hate Crime • Hate Crime MARAC continues to meet and deal with incidents of hate crime. Training workshop delivered to 25 attendees in January with further dates planned for March, April and May 2016. • Requested to deliver short hate crime awareness session to staff at The Atkinson. • 3rd party reporting network for hate crime continues to develop, hoping to add Southport College, local CAB offices and a location in Maghull. • Updating Hate crime information on Yammer

Welfare Reform – Foodbanks  The total number of people fed across Sefton in the period to the end of January 2016 is 12,723 – 7,362 Adults and 5,361 Children.  Southport: Total people fed April 2015 to end of January 2016 3,546 – 2,191 Adults and 1,355 Children  Maghull: Total people fed April 2015 to end of January 2016 203 – 91 Adults and 112 Children  South Sefton and Crosby: Total people fed April 2015 to end of January 2016 8,974 – 5,080 Adults and 3,894 Children  Southport Foodbank has submitted a planning application for Two Porter Cabins to use as Foodbank storage. Funding to support this has been made available from the ELAS team.  Debbie Shelly met with the Trustees of Maghull & District Foodbank and they have agreed that they will merge with South Sefton & Crosby Foodbank from the 4th April. Their two distribution centres will remain open. Volunteers at Maghull Foodbank were informed at a meeting on Saturday 27 February.

Community Growing  A decision by One Vision Housing is expected by the end of February to allow the use of their vacant site to the rear of Marion Square as a community growing project. The L30’s Million team are working with the growing coordinator from Regenerus.

Illegal Money Lending  Recently began working with Migrant Workers Sefton Community (MWSC) and Illegal Money Lending Team to increase the migrant residents’ awareness of the issue of loan sharks.  Volunteers at MWSC are now trained as advocates so that they can assist residents who have presented with this problem, so that MWSC can translate for the residents when ringing the IMLT national helpline  Arranged meeting with Sefton Credit Union so that migrant residents now have a viable alternative to approaching a loan shark  Sefton’s Neighbourhoods Team, Migrant Workers Sefton Community and England Illegal Money Lending team are currently working with Multimedia Company about producing a short film which will publicise the issue of loan sharks across Sefton and placed onto social media, such as YouTube or Facebook. The video highlights that this issue can affect anybody because of the everyday financial pressures that can hit a family hard and they feel that the only place left to turn is to a loan shark.  The video will be produced in such a way so that it can be translated into any language and with the help of MWSC the video will be in English, Russian, Polish, Hungarian and Latvian.

LIBRARIES & INFORMATION SERVICES

Sefton Looking Back Sefton Looking Back is a website showing historical images from across the borough. Produced by the Library Service and paid for by the Arts Council, the website has over 1200 images dating from 1850 onwards. The website is growing in size with a team of volunteers uploading the best images from the library service collection of 40,000 historical images. One key collection of photos that has been loaded on the website is of Bootle in the blitz, with over 400 images showing bomb damage street by street. Promotion of this resource has now begun with the Communication Team launching a structured publicity campaign. The website can be viewed at http://www.sefton-digital-archive.org

Dementia Champions As part of the new Dementia Strategy three library staff have been trained as Dementia Champions. Their challenge is to make contact with 100 people and increase their understanding of the realities facing dementia sufferers and their families. These Dementia Friends will then be better placed to raise awareness across Sefton, and contribute towards the creation of a ‘dementia-friendly’ Borough. Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) The Society of Chief Librarians leads and manages public libraries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. SCL is made up of the head of service of every library authority, and advocates for continuous improvement of the public library service on behalf of local people.

Information4living Goes Live :

SCL has also launched a specialist website www.information4living.org.uk - designed as a quality site for library staff to promote local links to providers of key information. This will enable Sefton residents to access local information and services online in life-critical areas – Benefits, Business, Health & Well-being, Job-seeking, Citizenship and Personal Finance.

It is unique in that it is the only tool that currently enables people to search for accredited information using a postcode search which delivers local and national information together on the same page. It also brings together government and non-governmental sources of information, which have been researched by information professionals in public libraries, giving a level of quality assurance to the user.

Refurbishment of Meadows first floor library Following the re-modelling of the first floor space at Meadows library at the end of 2015, the final re- furbishments have been made to the non-fiction shelving and seating. These have been met with appreciation from library users.

Creative writing competition To mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the library service has co-ordinated a 1000 word writing competition. Sponsored by the Conkerton Memorial Fund in association with the Liverpool Law Society, the competition theme was the power of Justice. Entries were invited to celebrate expressions of freedom, escape and democracy. Judging is now underway.

THE ATKINSON

The Atkinson Theatre Programme Update: There were 107 events during January 2016. January is Panto season, with All Souls Dramatic Club hiring the main theatre every year for their renowned and award winning Panto, which this year exceeded all previous year’s sales. We ended the month on the sell-out show Fairport Convention. Monthly income  Box Office taking ( Studio & Theatre Sales) £52,311 (14% increase on December’s sales)  Craft & Gift Shop £32,71.73 (30% increase in sales on January 2015 sales)  Catering & Bars £18,514.08 (18% increase on December’s sales) We enjoyed our first festival of the year with ‘Love Folk’, which was a resounding success and received lots of positive feedback. It will return in February 2017

Forthcoming Events: Forthcoming highlights include the Festival of Speed, taking place from Sat 12 March until Sun 20 March. The Festival is a week of unmissable events culminating in the Land Speed Record re-enactment on Southport beach on Wed 16 March when the record breaking Sunbeam Tiger car returns to Southport 90 years after the record was broken by Sir Henry Segrave. This project looks to the future as well as the past, inspiring the next generation through an extensive learning and schools’ programme, including a project with the Bloodhound supersonic car project, which has nearly 1000 Sefton children taking part.

We also welcome top TV comedians, Dave Spikey, Chris Ramsey and Ed Byrne and support the Southport Festival (6-8May) as their main venue for performance events and activities. The Atkinson Museum Update: Monthly Museum Figures: From 28th January to 24th February 2016 total visitors = 4030 Notable acquisitions/donations: The museum has recently acquired two sets of Meccano and a metal tripod with map of Southport used by the Royal Observation Core. Esmée Fairbairn project update: Work is progressing well on this project with the condition survey almost finished and the majority of the works that required it de-framed. The forthcoming First Ladies exhibition is featuring in the March Museums Journal. The Landing update: The first exhibition opened on 5th February with Paintings by Derek Culley £270 worth of sales has been made so far. The Atkinson Galleries Update Exhibition Visitor figures for January: 6365

3 new exhibitions opened in January: Shojo Manga: World of Girls’ Manga - 9 January to 14 February The first major UK exhibition of Shojo Manga in the UK, providing a unique insight into this beautiful and moving art form. The exhibition has been a massive success for the Atkinson bringing in new visitors who had never visited before, including those who have travelled from Manchester, Blackpool, Leyland, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool and Somerset. Selection of visitor comments: “We have come all the way from Liverpool to see these paintings and it was well worth it!” “Came from Blackpool to see this exhibition – beautiful! Great to see work from international artists here. Thank you” “I truly, truly appreciate this exhibition being in Southport. I really cannot imagine anything like this even 5 years ago…. Wonderful!” “Really love the Manga exhibition a refreshing venture for the Atkinson, Southport should be proud that we have such a cultural treasure in our town” Victorian Dreamers – 16 January to mid-November Re-display of our Victorian Collections on the theme of escapism. Some of our best loved paintings are on display including Lilith by John Collier, Pygmalion and Galatea by Ernest Normand. Lord Street: Past, Present and Future We have worked with Wayfarers Arcade and the Southport Civic Society to celebrate the history and development of Lord street through to the present. The exhibition has been supported by loans and donations by local people and since it has opened has prompted even more donations. At the end of February a dress from our Lord Street exhibition will be on display in Boothroyds – where it was made – for 1 week to promote the Lord Street exhibition. . We have worked with Hugh Baird College in Bootle to set a number of live briefs for their students to contribute to the exhibition. 3 students carried out a photographic commission along Lord Street taking photographs of all the business owners. The results are displayed in the gallery and the material will be retained for our archive as it offers a fascinating portrait of Lord Street today.

School and Communities Update:  Gallery talks programmes: 98  We had 76 students from High Baird and Southport College attend a talk about the Manga exhibition.  1 outreach Egyptology schools session for Ash Grave Academy in Macclesfield.  As part of our on-going Children in the Arts and HLF funded project with 3 special schools we 25 pupils from Presfield High School in 4 separate autism friendly workshops to explore Shojo Manga.  Workshop and tour for 12 Home Start users who had not previously visited The Atkinson. Participants also signed up for library.  33 residents from One Vision Housing trust visited the museum and galleries as part of a Dementia research project with Liverpool University. National Partnerships and Awards The Atkinson has been selected by the British Museum as one of 10 museums participating in their national Learning Museum initiative. We will benefit from having an Intern recruited from a local community with current low levels of heritage and arts engagement, who will participate in a year-long support programme delivered by the BM.

The Atkinson Forthcoming Events Festival of Speed 12 – 20th March Wednesday 16th March is the 90th anniversary of Sir Henry Segrave’s Land Speed record on Southport sands: a week- long celebration of this achievement and our rich motor racing history. Segrave’s original Sunbeam Tiger racing car will return to the same stretch of beach and re-enact the record. The Tiger will be on display at The Atkinson from 12th-20th March as will its sister car, that has been generously loaned by the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. Project partners include Sunbeam Talbot Darraq Register and Aintree Circuit Club. Celebrity participants include Gina Campbell, Neville Hay plus relatives of Sir Henry Segrave. We are developing media interest from BBC North West, Classic Car Weekly and many specialist magazines, Practical Classics and British Automobile Racing Club, will be reporting on the day. We have had a great response from the local community and further afield.

INTEGRATED YOUTH SERVICES

Targeted Youth Prevention (TYP)

 This is an integrated team compromising youth service, targeted prevention services and commissioned youth providers who deliver specific pieces of work that range from 1-2-1 referrals to group work for positive diversionary activities.

 Safeguarding young people underpins the aims of the entire service the delivery enables young people to learn and be able to make their own choices.

 During 2015, there were a number of young people that accessed the service for different reasons.

No of live cases through the year 507

Number of males 217

Number of females 290

Referrals to Social care for safeguarding 6 child protection Re-referrals back from MASH team or 0 (this shows that the initial referrals have Gateway been positive otherwise a re-referral would have occurred Number of referrals to post 5pm team – 49 (following intensive work where risk has (only 2 cases referred back for intensive reduced, they are referred to post 5pm work) team for positive activity) Referrals to other agencies – ie Police, 92 Cahms (includes co-working with TYP)

Number of young people worked with by Females – 9626 the TYP engagement team and Males – 13,929 commissioned youth providers across Sefton NB – contact could be attendance on just one or a number of occasions, the figures reflect individuals Number of accreditations (linked to Accreditations – 439 governing body) and recorded outcomes (eg in house certificate of achievement) Recorded outcomes - 1874

Number of young people who have Bronze – 1169 participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Silver – 235 Award (DofE) Gold – 178 (participation doesn’t reflect those who (levels of difficulty) want complete to award level) Number of young people who have Bronze – 591 achieved DofE awards Silver – 194 Gold - 81 Number of young people attending Youth 325 Voice Projects (CVS Youth Council, UKYP)

 This data reflects the volume, the diversity of the young people and work undertaken by Targeted Youth Prevention in partnership with other services.

New Beginnings  The New Beginnings project focuses on Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender issues for young people - the project is called LGBT Questioning Intersex and is delivered at Crosby Youth Centre each Tuesday evening.

 A newly developed part of this project supports parents and carers of young people who are questioned or challenging their own sexuality. They can then achieve a better understanding of what their child or young person in their care is experiencing and be better placed to offer support.

 A transgender boy has recently fed back that because of his participation in the New Beginning programme, it’s been 369 days since he last self-harmed. His mum thanked the lead worker (Sue Logie) for everything that she had done for her son and said that their lives were in a better place having accessed the service.

Youth Offending Team (Case Management, Court and Delivery and Intervention Services)

 The National Inspection regime by the Youth Justice Board is still underway. The next possible date for the announcement of a Sefton Inspection on 27th April 16, with the actual inspection starting two weeks later.

 The teams are engaged with Pre Inspection Programme to ensure that all aspects of the statutory work is appropriately managed and evidenced to withstand any scrutiny. Feedback from auditors has been positive.

 Work has also been done with the YOT Management Board with a view to defining specific objectives to be delivered throughout 2016. This will support Sefton’s delivery of criminal justice objectives via Sefton’s Youth Justice Plan 2014 – 16.

 In previous submissions, Asset Plus, the new national assessment framework has been reported. To recap, this model has more emphasis on desistance that is strengths based approach to address how a young person can be supported to move away from crime.  This will impact on changes to practice and the usage of a new database to record a more in depth assessment and action plan. The provider has announced that the implementation date for Sefton is 6th May, so training is scheduled throughout March and into April for all staff.

 There continues to be a reduction in First Time Entrants (FTE’s) and Sefton has seen a reduction year on year since a base line was set in 2010.

 Reductions indicate that the out of court disposal methods are effective in preventing young people entering the judicial system. Tracking the Reoffending of Community Resolutions Disposals, illustrates that few young people tend to re-offend.

 Within the last two years, there have been significant developments around Restorative Justice (RJ), which involved training staff and partners, which will also be offered to residential care staff in Sefton over the coming months.

 Sefton has performed well in relation to victim satisfaction by increasing the numbers of victims contacted and recording their feedback, shown below.

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied 8 5 0 0

 Examples of feedback included that the team were very helpful and that the victims were able to talk about how they felt and what would happen. It was also noted that many of the victims declined the offer to meet the offender, nor did they want a letter of apology but were interested to hear in the outcomes.

 An additional piece of work has been undertaken across Merseyside to evidence the performance of prevention services. The conclusion outlined how effective early intervention approaches were, with a cost analysis showing an estimated saving of approximately £4.5M to the criminal justice system.

 The box below shows Sefton YOT activity.

Intervention 2012 - 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 Number of Community 156 218 123 Resolutions - triage Number of Case 245 247 150 Interventions (includes Youth Cautions)

Yot Management Board

 The YOT Management Board has engaged in a work shop to review the roles and responsibilities of the board and ensure that the priorities for 2016 / 17 are aligned with Sefton’s Strategic Youth Justice Plan, 2015 – 17.

 The overall objectives are: o Reduce first time entrants o Reduce reoffending o Reduce the use of custody o Ensure the young person services their sentence

 To build upon the work of 2015 / 16, there will be continued focus on quality and improvements to practice, based upon what the service has learned post YJB Inspections.  Margaret Carney is now the designated Chair Person of the YOT Management Board.

Reoffending Subgroup

 A reoffending subgroup has now been established with a strategy and action plan to support how partners will work together to reduce reoffending. Work has commenced in identifying individuals to case study so as to identify good practice and potentially missed opportunities to intervene.

 The group inform how partners can identify risk factors at an early stage and share information to determine an appropriate intervention to prevent offending behaviour from escalating.

Budget

 The Youth Justice Board has announced a 10% reduction in next year’s grant, which equates to approximately £40k. Work to address this is ongoing.

 There has been a significant reduction in the funding the Council can offer Commissioned Youth Providers and some have seen a reduction of 50%.

 A new specification for the youth offer across ‘hubs’ has been agreed which means that providers in a specific area, or ‘hub’ are working more closely together to ensure that adequate services for young people are offered.

 This has taken time to agree and the support of the commissioned services is valued. HOUSING

Housing Market Renewal The purchase and disposal arrangements for the Klondyke 2-3 site report has been approved by Cabinet in January. This will allow Bellway to make progress with implementing their planning approval for construction of 142 new houses on this site, together with new open space.

A report on a preferred option for the Mel Inn, Harris Drive Shops and Penpol commercial site, which the Council acquired through CPO in 2008, was approved by Cabinet in February. This will help resolve outstanding matters for the Klondyke scheme.

Housing Strategy development I have approved a draft Strategy, and a wider consultation exercise is currently being conducted. The nature of this consultation was considered by the Consultation and Engagement Panel in January.

I represent the Council at the Liverpool City Region Housing and Spatial Planning Board; which is part of the Combined Authority. The Board are looking to develop a city region housing strategy.

I have considered and supported funding bids put forward by Adactus Housing Association to the HCA, which if successful will help deliver new affordable rented homes at Beech Rd Litherland, Folkstone Rd Southport, and former Z Blocks site in Netherton.

Homelessness & Housing Options I have reviewed services for rough sleepers, and made changes to the way use specific funding streams for homeless clients.

I have also approved the procurement of a further Floating Support service for homeless clients with complex needs. This new service should be in place by April, and will be operated by the Whitechapel Centre.

Housing Standards & Private rented sector I am keen to explore options for the potential introduction of a Selective Licensing Scheme, as A PRIORITY. Funding to facilitate work to explore the feasibility of a scheme has been approved, and steps are being taken to appoint a lead officer who will lead this area of work.

Cross Over Issues with Other Cabinet Members There are some issues I will look to consider with other Cabinet Members, where the issue appears to cross over portfolios. For example; - Joint work with CM Planning and CM Regeneration & skills looking at the implications of the Governments Housing and Planning Bill. This specific topic will also be considered by Overview and Scrutiny Committee.