Council Meeting – 3 July 2012

Home , Minster (Reading ward), Peppard (Reading ward)

COUNCIL MEETING – 3 JULY 2012

1. Councillor Ayub to ask the Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority: Thames Valley Police Authority - Neighbourhood Policing Areas

Would the Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority give the establishment figures for each of the new Neighbourhood Policing areas from October 2012 giving the number of officers and the appropriate ranks?

REPLY by Councillor Page (Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority):

The attached map shows the new neighbourhood policing areas and the relevant establishment details are as follows:

Reading North Led by Inspector Binns Caversham (Mapledurham and Thames/ Peppard and Caversham) Rank Numbers Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Constables 3 PCSO 5

Reading West (Kentwood with Tilehurst/ Southcote with Norcot) Rank Numbers Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Constables 4 PCSO 5

 Please note the one Inspector covers both areas

Reading Central Led by Inspector Stacey

Dedicated Town Centre Rank Numbers Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Constables 7 PCSO 11

Abbey and Battle excluding town centre Rank Numbers Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Constables 5 PCSO 6

 Please note the one Inspector covers both areas

Reading East Led by Inspector James Reading East (Redlands with Park) Rank Numbers Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Constables 6 PCSO 5

Reading South (Minster with Katesgrove/ Whitley with Church) Rank Numbers Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Constables 7 PCSO 7

 Please note the one Inspector covers both areas

Total Numbers from October 2012

Rank Numbers Inspector 3 Sergeant 6 Constables 32 PCSO 39

I should make it clear that the current Neighbourhood Action Group arrangements are unchanged but we as an authority, working with local residents, ward councillors and the police, will need to review and re-invigorate a number of the existing NAGs. 

MapledurhamMapledurham andand ThamesThames

PeppardPeppard andand CavershamCaversham

KentwoodKentwood andand TilehurstTilehurst

BattleBattle andand AbbeyAbbey

RedlandsRedlands andand ParkPark

NorcotNorcot andand SouthcoteSouthcote MinsterMinster andand KatesgroveKatesgrove

WhitleyWhitley andand ChurchChurch

Title: Local Police Areas (LPA) Reading Borough Drg.No.: Date: 03/07/2012 Scale at A4:1:46000 Produced by GIS & Mapping Services Ref: 35075\RBC LPA - A4P.wor © Crown copyright and database rights 2012 Ordnance Survey 100019672

2. Councillor Williams to ask the Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority: Thames Valley Police Authority – Extra Resources to Tackle Burglaries

Would Councillor Page give an update on the extra resources being committed during this financial year to tackling burglaries in Reading?

REPLY by Councillor Page (Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority):

As an absolute priority on the Reading LPA, each and every officer is expected to contribute in some way to the reduction and detection of residential burglary. However, specifically, as part of our recent re-structure, the Area Commander has increased the Local CID strength by 12, taking it from 23 DC’s/PC’s to 35. A significant proportion (70%) of these resources are dedicated to burglary only.

In addition, the patrol strength has been increased from three sgt’s and 18 Pc’s to four and 22 respectively with an increased focus on quality in terms of the initial investigation at the scene.

Finally, additional funding has been provided centrally to employ eight members of staff - two analysts, four scene attenders and two support staff to work with the Integrated Offender Management Team.

3. Councillor Hacker to ask the Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority: Thames Valley Police Authority – Detecting and Disrupting Child Exploitation

Would the Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority set out the additional resources being committed during this financial year to detecting and disrupting child exploitation in Reading and adjoining areas?

REPLY by Councillor Page (Council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police Authority):

The details you request are as follows:

Dedicated Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) Resources

There are currently four dedicated Child Sexual Exploitation Officers within Thames Valley Police. Two of these officers are based within the Berkshire Referral Centre, one officer is based within the Oxfordshire Referral Centre and the other officer is based within the Buckingham Referral Centre.

Additional (non-dedicated) Resources

There are a number of other resources across the Force who are not dedicated, however they clearly contribute to the detection and disruption of Child Exploitation. These resources are detailed below.

Missing Persons Co-ordinators

There are five Missing Persons co-ordinators who are based within the three referral centres of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Part of the role of these individuals is to flag patterns of behaviour which could be indicators of Child Sexual Exploitation.

Protecting Vulnerable Persons (PVP) Intelligence Officers

There are five PVP Intelligence Officers who are also based in the three referral centres. The Officers research intelligence and information received in relation to Child Sexual Exploitation. Any key intelligence is passed to the relevant investigation team as appropriate.

Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU)

The unit conduct de-briefs of Missing Persons where concerns have been identified which may link to Child Sexual Exploitation. This is often in conjunction with Children Social Care staff.

Neighbourhood Policing and Patrol Teams

Neighbourhood Policing and Patrol Teams are often the first officers in attendance following a report of a missing person. As such, they are expected to obtain information and intelligence in relation to any suggestion that Child Sexual Exploitation may be an impact factor. These officers are also briefed to follow a specific trigger plan when a missing person is likely to have been the subject of Child Sexual Exploitation.

Additional Resources in Reading

There are two further officers (a Detective Chief Inspector and an Analyst) who are working to explore the current position in relation to Child Sexual Exploitation offences in Reading. The results of this work will be shared with the Children Social Care Unit.

Resources for further investigative action will be committed, and funded from the £500,000 which the Police Authority has assigned over an eighteen month period to expand the current work into detecting and disrupting child sexual exploitation.

Reading will be able to draw on this funding for police overtime, additional specialist resources such as retired investigators and the outsourcing of hi-tech crime work. The Force has placed overall oversight of this work within its Major Crime Team.

4. Councillor Stanway to ask the Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport: Security at Caversham Court

Could the Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport please give an update as to the funding for the closing of the Caversham Court gates by a security guard?

REPLY by Councillor Livingston (Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport):

Following representations from Cllr Richard Davies and residents in Caversham and subsequent meetings to discuss the options, I have concluded that the locking of Caversham Court Gardens should continue.

This will be funded from within existing budgets.

5. Councillor Stanway to ask the Leader: Portas Pilot

Would the lead councillor please provide an update on the Portas Pilot bid that the council made?

REPLY by Councillor Lovelock (Leader of the Council):

Reading’s bid to become a Town Team Pilot was based on the creation of meaningful partnerships for two district centres by engaging with existing business groups, property owners and community organisations. There were 371 bids to become national pilots and on 25 May DCLG confirmed that Reading’s was unsuccessful; only 12 were successful across the country.

Reading’s bid was automatically re-submitted to Round 2, which closed on 30 June and will be announced this month. If this is unsuccessful, consideration will be given to using some of the £100k High Street Innovation Fund that the Council has received as a separate but related part of the Portas Review. This will be tabled at Cabinet on 16 July.

6. Councillor White to ask the Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services: Primary School Places

I'm sure the lead member will agree that the unexpected demand for primary school places this year has been stressful for everyone involved especially families and children. Please can he inform me what steps the Council is taking to improve the modelling of demand so the Council is not caught out again?

REPLY by Councillor Ennis (Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services):

Reading is no different to other cities and towns across the country where there is an unprecedented level of demand for places. This year in Reading, for example, there have been 2,144 applications for reception year places for September 2012. As above, this is 200 more than last year and significantly higher than forecasted. That means the Council has to work with local schools to make more spaces available.

Demand has increased due to a number of factors, which are not isolated to Reading. There have been rapid population changes in urban areas which have a direct affect on the number of school places available. There has also been a substantial increase in the birth rate and 0-4 population, developments within the area have yielded additional children and migration both within the borough, from other parts of the country and internationally are having an impact on the demand for school places. These issues have been raised at Prime Minsters question time and have been the subject of newspaper headlines across the country. Pressure on school places is ongoing and set to get potentially more difficult in future years.

Whilst we have faced similar problems to other authorities, including our neighbours we have not received the same level of support as other Boroughs. Whilst Wokingham Borough has received an additional in year £6 Million we have received £70k. Therefore we have committed £2.2m of our Capital Budget in order to create the extra places needed.

We are investigating a number of different modelling options:- 1. We have met a commercial provider following a visit to Bracknell Council and we have seen a demonstration of their tools. 2. We are evaluating an additional function for our Education Management System which provides a “standard” model used across the country. 3. We are developing our in house tools and have secured access to child benefit data. We continue to pursue access to NHS GP registration data as well as investigating a joint approach with our neighbouring local authorities.

We are setting up an officer based pupil placement planning board to review data on a scenario basis to inform forecasts that will be used for future decision making. We are holding a workshop with schools in July to look at the demand for places, previous parental preference and where it is practical to develop additional capacity for 2013 and beyond.

Unlike most other Unitary Councils, Reading has kept the Cross Party School Admissions Panel which has real authority and scrutiny on the process of allocating school places and ensuring the Borough fulfils its statutory duties in providing every child a school place as well as giving parents their preference in schooling. Councillor White and any other Green Party councillor is more than welcome to attend as all other parties and the independent member are regular attendees to see for themselves how the council is working hard to alleviate this problem and not “just been caught out”.

Reading has set up well publicised consultation events at every school that is proposing to expand where officers and Head Teachers are meeting parents, Councillors and the local community to discuss the opportunities and implications in school expansion.

We intend to embark on a major consultation exercise, Working Better with You, Let’s Talk Education with schools, parents, pupils and local communities to hear from them what we have done well in school places allocations and what we can do better working in partnership.

I would finally like to thank all schools for their assistance and help in meeting this unprecedented demand in school places and I will like to acknowledge the difficult and stressful time many families have experienced in waiting for a school placement of their choice for their child.

7. Councillor Whitham to ask the Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services: Former TVU Site, Crescent Road

The Green group would like to see the old TVU site on Crescent Road used to meet local education need. Can the lead councillor please update me as to what the current situation is with this site. What land has changed hands, who currently owns what and has the Council made any progress on getting a school for children from 11 upwards on the site.

REPLY by Councillor Ennis (Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services):

I very much welcome the Green Group wanting to see the old TVU site on Crescent Road used to meet local educational need. It is a shame they opposed land at Wilson School being used for educational purposes. It seems to be one policy for the East and another policy for the West.

As at 26th June the site is jointly owned by the University of West London and the council. The Council own half of the playing field and the University owns the rest, including all of the buildings that comprised the Further Education provision. As we are aware no land has changed hands although public statements have been made by those involved with the University Technical College (UTC) bid about the plan to split the University of West London land into two parcels – one to be sold to the Department for Education for the UTC and the other to be sold to a third party. The third party has approached the council to determine if the land could be developed for residential use. The council has re-affirmed that there is an unmet need for local education and that the site is required for that purpose.

The council has formally responded to the UTC proposal by setting out a clear position that the Council does not support the proposal. Our response recognises that the educational aims are good and the opportunity would be appealing to a small number of Reading students, however the proposed location impacts significantly on opportunity for a local comprehensive school and it is not something that can be supported. The Department were invited to work with us on finding a local solution and we are still waiting for that call to be returned.

We will be consulting with parents, pupils and the local community in the autumn under the Working Better with You, Let’s talk Education process to listen to views on a comprehensive 11-18 year school and to fully consult on the UTC proposal which has not been explained to parents and the local community in East Reading.

Under the Tory led coalition national policy approach of blocking local authorities having any say in building schools it is beyond the gift of the Council alone to deliver a new secondary school without the leadership and support of both a local group and the Department of Education. We stand ready to work with any group that has the vision and passion to bid for an alternative to the UTC.

8. Councillor Hacker to ask the Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services: Primary School Places

In recent weeks parents of children starting in Reception in September 2012 have been receiving their offer for school places. As offers went out if became clear both at the school gate, and through parents contacting me, that a significant number of children in the Battle Ward, and surrounding area, were without a school place. The pressure on school places this year was known, and ‘bulge’ classes arranged but there were not enough extra places identified in West Reading. This has caused upset and uncertainty at what is already a stressful time for parents.

I ask the Lead Councillor for Education & Children’s Services to confirm:

 If all children due to start school in September 2012 now have a place?  Why so many children, especially in the Battle ward area, were not offered a school during the first wave of allocations?  What lessons have been learnt from this round of admissions?  What is being done to prevent this happening next year?  What are we doing to help parents travel to the schools they have been allocated out of their catchment particularly those with children already in a different school?

REPLY by Councillor Ennis (Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services):

 If all children due to start school in September 2012 now have a place?

All children whose parents applied for a year R place by the 16 January 2012 closing date have been offered a place at one of our primary schools in September this year. In all 2144 children have been offered places on this basis.

 Why so many children, especially in the Battle ward area, were not offered a school during the first wave of allocations?

The number of children seeking places in the joint designated areas of Battle, Oxford Road and Wilson primary school significantly outnumbered the number of school places available this year. The ratio of children to Available Places was over 2:1

 What lessons have been learnt from this round of admissions?

We are already in the process of adapting the service we offer parents by improving our telephone call handling service, by reducing waiting times at critical periods, for example following primary and secondary admissions rounds. In addition we have not only been able to identify where the additional children have presented, but also factors which make those areas most likely to support a greater number of applicants.

 What is being done to prevent this happening next year?

Work has already begun to improve our forecasting ability which shows that the increase in pupil numbers we have seen this year is likely to be sustained over the next 4 years. Initially as a consequence we are going to engage the primary school community in a discussion to produce recommendations for wider parental and community consultation to help determine where we might seek to expand the schools selected through this process. Criteria for consideration include: o Performance of the school o Proximity to pupil place demand o Ofsted rating o Parental preference o Suitability of the school site for expansion

 What are we doing to help parents travel to the schools they have been allocated out of their catchment particularly those with children already in a different school?

We have met with officers and have asked them to look at options in a timely fashion to assist those families who, through no fault of their own, face long journeys to school and, in some cases, have older children in other schools. We will be communicating with parents as soon as possible in order to resolve their situation.

As in the previous question on School Places allocations I would like to acknowledge the difficulties parents and families faced in waiting for their allocated school, particularly in the West Reading area and that we hope councillors will support the expansion of schools throughout Reading to ensure every child has a school place in Reading.

9. Councillor Vickers to ask the Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services: School Transport

Following promises to look into transport help for parents whose children have not got into their designated primary school this year because of lack of places, and in some cases face a 1.5 mile walk, can you please let us know how many children are affected, what you propose to do with regard to transport and what will this cost the council?

REPLY by Councillor Ennis (Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services):

It has been a difficult time for many families who did not get their preferences in School Places and we are committed to continue to work with these families until they either get their preferences or they are supported by the council to get to their allocated school.

There are currently 18 pupils who have been diverted to a school they did not prefer and who live over 1.5 miles from their school. The breakdown is Moorlands 2, Alfred Sutton 8, Ranikhet 4, and St Michael’s 4. Some of these applications did not include local designated appropriate schools which led to the diversion.

10. Councillor Vickers to ask the Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services: Battle Primary School

It is my understanding that Battle School has once again gone back into special measures following a damning Ofsted Inspection. This being the case going forward what measures are being taken by this council to ensure that the future of this primary school will be monitored so that this school does not lapse yet again at the next Ofsted Inspection?

REPLY by Councillor Ennis (Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services):

The School Improvement Team has been and continues to work closely with the school. An Interim Executive Board was put in place in February before the school was placed in special measures and they are working effectively to hold the school to account and to provide strategic direction. The headteacher is retiring and the school is currently being run by the Deputy Headteacher with support from a local headteacher and officers of the authority. There are weekly IEB meetings and school improvement personnel are in school on a weekly basis.

From February 2013 the intention from the Department for Education is that the school will become an Academy. The proposed sponsor is NET National Education Trust led by Roy Blatchford. The school will have an executive headteacher to start this process. We are working closely with the DfE and the sponsor to ensure a smooth transition.

The three Battle Ward Councillors and I have attended two meetings of parents and teachers to discuss the ongoing problems at the school and the parents have committed to work with the headteacher and staff to get involved in raising standards and getting the school out of special measures. I am confident that the partnership of the teaching staff, governors, parents and the local authority, along with local Battle Ward Councillors will improve standards at Battle School and get the school out of special measures quickly.

11. Councillor Ayub to ask the Lead Councillor for Community Involvement and Service Improvement: Legal Services Commission

Now that George Osborne has changed his mind on taxes on pasties, caravans and scrapping tax relief on donations to charities, can I ask the Lead Councillor if she will write to the Chancellor and our local M.P.s asking them to halt the series of cuts being made to the Legal Services Commission (LSC), which are placing Welfare Rights Services throughout the country and here in Reading under such severe pressure that their future is uncertain?

Does she agree that over the coming months and years those with a legitimate need and entitlement to benefits will be in even greater need of support from organisations such as Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit as a result of the Government's welfare reforms?

Would she also agree, just as worryingly, with some LSC funding now being diverted to telephone based services which operate as call centres, that those answering calls will have minimal benefits knowledge and will only be able to give information based on very generalised information on a screen in front of them?

Finally, would she agree with me that those in most need should not be punished for the excesses of others in society?"

REPLY by Councillor Gavin (Lead Councillor for Community Involvement and Service):

Thank you Cllr Ayub for your question, I am of course happy to write to the Chancellor and our local M.P.s asking them to halt the series of cuts being made to the Legal Services Commission (LSC), which are placing Welfare Rights Services throughout the country and here in Reading under such severe pressure that their future is uncertain.

However I fear it fall on deaf ears; the Government seem determined to cut these valuable preventative advice services to some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in society, despite the wide-ranging evidence offered to them during the ‘consultation’ on their proposed cuts to Legal Aid. Many respondents, particularly those from the not-for-profit advice sector, opposed the proposal to remove welfare benefits cases from the scope of legal aid. They argued that these cases were not simply financial claims, but claims for legitimate minimum subsistence benefits. They demonstrated that these cases were complex; that there were strict time limits for appeals against benefits decisions; and that forthcoming reforms to benefits would increase the need for advice. Evidence offered to the Government clearly demonstrated that early advice in these cases, and in related matters such as debt and housing, provided good value for money. They cited research which demonstrated that the cost of providing early advice would be recovered several times over through savings elsewhere in public expenditure

Despite these concerns, the Government has pressed ahead with the reform of legal aid. You are right to suggest that it is inevitable that some families and individuals will experience increased pressure on finances because of the changes to the benefits system. Reading Welfare Rights Unit are already reporting enquiries from individuals and families about how they can avoid debt because of decreases in their weekly income.

Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit is an excellent example of the kind of not for profit organisation that has until now received 50% of their funding from the Legal Services Commission, and 50 % from Reading Borough Council. In 2011/12 they dealt with 24,000 enquiries from 11,500 new clients, giving a range of advice from preventative to specialist legal advice on welfare benefits, debt and housing, working in partnership with a local firm of solicitors and using highly trained advisors. They also act as a resource for other local voluntary agencies that have technical questions in relation to specific clients.

Over the 18 month period to June 2012, the Welfare Rights Unit helped clients gain £1.42m in benefits and debt claims. This in turn led to increased on-going income, securing housing, relieving financial stress and pressure, enhancing employment prospects and an ability to buy into the local economy. For every £1 spent in providing help to their clients, £4.50 was generated for some of the most vulnerable in our town in unclaimed benefits.

The Community Legal Advice telephone helpline will become the mandatory single gateway for applying for legal aid in the first instance for debt, education and discrimination cases and advisors will choose from an approved list of providers. They will also provide legal aid advice in family and housing problems, but clients are not obliged to contact them in the first instance. It is not known what training will be given to operatives, but telephone advice is not an ideal mechanism for people with a poor grasp of English or lacking in confidence.

The ‘scorched earth’ approach to cuts nationally will no doubt achieve savings, but at a cost to the most vulnerable in society, they will find it ever more difficult to access free high quality advice to help get them on a sound financial footing.

We will continue to support the vital work of Reading Welfare Rights Unit in the years to come, however the very significant pressures on the Council’s finances in 2013/2014 means that we will not be in a position to make up for the loss of funding from the Legal Services Commission.