Agenda item

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance in relation to the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills), Peer Review Working Group.

Councillor Dan. T. Lewis, Lead Member of the Peer Review Working Group presented the Final Report to the Cabinet.  He placed on record his appreciation to his colleagues Councillors Carragher, Michael O’Brien and Anne Thompson, to the Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, Councillor Hardy to Mrs Ruth Harrison, Senior Democratic Services Officer and Mr. Ian Willman, Service Manager Neighbourhood and Partnerships, for all their hard work and assistance.

Councillor Dan. T Lewis referred to the excellent partnership working the Local Authority had nurtured with all partners as part of the MARSOC and placed on record his appreciation for all the hard work undertaken in ensuring that Sefton and the Region was a safe place to live, work and visit.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Safeguarding extended his appreciation to Councillor Dan. T. Lewis for the excellent piece of work undertaken by the Peer Review Working Group.

Decision Made: That:

(1)   tribute be extended to all those Partnership Members who play a vital   role in ensuring that Sefton is a safe community to live, work and visit;

(2)     the MARSOC be requested to investigate the merits and feasibility of a secure and sophisticated Information Sharing System/Programme to be shared/used by key Officers in the Partnership; 

(3)     the MARSOC be requested to approach Further Education establishments to investigate the feasibility of developing a course specifically aimed at targeting a cohort of young offenders;

(4)     the MARSOC be requested to develop a pathway leading to the signposting of services for those individuals with a desire to change their behaviour and depart from being involved with SOC (Using Partnership funds were available to invest in programmes for young people who are vulnerable or at risk to becoming adopted into SOC.  For example business training, Modern Technology Training or Mentoring);

(5)     the MARSOC be requested to speak with schools across Sefton about how the data they hold on every child can be shared between schools when the child is departing from one to another in order that schools can be alerted to SOC or vulnerability in the community;

(6)     the Youth Prevention Team and Youth Offenders Team receive, where possible support and/or funding to improve, introduce and promote the ‘Neglect Strategy’ which will further support the prevention of young adults accessing SOC while also helping young people prepare to become young adults;

(7)     the Council submit this report with feedback from success stories to the Government department and Minister to request increased funding from central Government for this borough so that there is not a decrease in some of the highest quality serious and organised crime prevention work in the UK; and  

(8)     the Head of Communities, on behalf of the MARSOC, be requested to update the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) on the progress made in relation to the implementation of recommendations on an annual basis, until the recommendations are signed off as complete. 

Reason for the Decision:

The Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, Chapter 6 of the Constitution requires that “Once an Overview and Scrutiny Committee has completed its deliberations on any matter it will forward a copy of its final report to the Head of Regulation and Compliance who will allocate it to either or both the Cabinet and the Council for consideration”.

The Working Group has made a number of recommendations that require approval by the Cabinet.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.