Cabinet Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda. 

No declarations of interest were made.

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2024.

The minutes from the meeting held on 9 September 2024 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

To receive questions from the public in accordance with the Constitution.

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five clear working days before the date of the meeting.

There were no questions from the public.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

Cabinet agreed to:

1.    Note the State of Ageing in Plymouth 2024 report;

2.    Approve the priorities outlined within the report.

Councillor Aspinall (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) introduced the item and highlighted the following points:

a)    People were now living longer than ever before, and someone aged 65 in the UK in 2024 could expect to live to 85, which was 10 years longer than their parent’s generation;

b)    One in five babies born in 2024 would live to see their 100^th birthday;

c)    The Ageing World programme sought to support people by keeping them as healthy as possible and helping make Plymouth a place where people with chronic illness or disability were able to maintain their independence;

d)    The term ‘older age’ meant a stage of life rather than a number, however the programme focussed on people over the age of 50;

e)    The earlier in the ageing process that people received support to stay active and connected, the less the likelihood that they would need health and social care interventions later in life;

f)     Everything Plymouth City Council (PCC) did around ageing well was about empowering people and ensuring Plymouth was a more accessible and inclusive city;

g)    Ageing was not a problem to be solved, but an opportunity and older people were of valued assets that made endless contributions to their families, neighbourhoods and the city;

h)    The priorities outlined in the State of Ageing in Plymouth 2024 report gave focus to healthy ageing, creating age-friendly places and spaces, ensuring relevant and good quality work and training opportunities and, making sure that people felt included and connected as they age;

i)     The report gave PCC a framework for the right opportunities and environment for people to thrive as they move into their later years.

Ruth Harrell (Director of Public Health) added:

j)     The Ageing Well programme signalled a commitment from PCC towards age-friendly communities;

k)    People living longer was a global and national phenomenon;

l)     The vision for Plymouth was for age not to be a barrier for people to be able to enjoy an outstanding quality of life;

m)  There were two versions of the State of Ageing in Plymouth 2024 report, one of which was shorter and had been published, the other was longer had included more data;

n)    The report outlined what it was like to age, and be an older person, in Plymouth;

o)    The report included information about population health and well-being, ageing, culture, employment and housing in Plymouth;

p)    The report also incorporated lived experiences and insights that had been found through working with older people to better understand what was important to people as they age;

q)    The priorities for the first phase of the programme were set out in the report as follows:

i) Focussing, through Thrive Plymouth, on how PCC could support people to age well. A large portion of this focus was around keeping active, expanding strength and looking at balance;

ii) Looking at how businesses could be more supportive to older people and create age-friendly places and spaces;

iii) Linking with strategies  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

Cabinet agreed to:

1.    Note the contents of Health Safety and Wellbeing Policy, specifically members’ accountabilities and responsibilities;

2.    Communicate and role-model positive HSW performance and leadership, and actively improve and maintain individual HSW competency.

Councillor Dann (Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure and HR & OD) introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

a)    The policy was adopted by PCC due to health and safety affecting every employee and Councillor, as well as everybody who used PCC services and the public;

b)    Statistically, more people were affected by their workplace if they did not feel well, which was why PCC had an occupational health service and promoted healthy working environments;

c)    There were eight different tiers in the policy to include health and safety for all responsibilities within PCC;

d)    The Health and Safety Executive provided a cycle, which was as follows: Plan what to do, check to ensure it was being done, act if it is not being done or if anything goes wrong. This ensured constant reviewing of health and safety policies and ensured that as working processes and practices changed, PCC was kept up to date;

e)    There would be a new HR system in place by Easter 2025 which would monitor the training happening across PCC in regards to health and safety.

Chris Squire (Service Director for HROD) added:

f)     Great health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace would result in better outcomes for Plymouth citizens;

g)    All staff had a responsibility to look after their own health, safety and wellbeing as well as those of others;

h)    He would be attending a health and safety tour of Prince Rock Depot with Councillor Dann (Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure and HR & OD) and Councillor Briars-Delve (Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change).

Kirstie Spencer (Head of Health and Safety) added:

i)     The discussions held at Cabinet had both an indirect and a direct impact on health and safety;

j)     Health and safety was an integral part of people’s roles;

k)    The policy was more explicit than previous iterations had been;

l)     Cabinet Members should familiarise themselves with the parts of the policy which relate directly to their portfolios;

m)  The policy was in line with the Health and Safety Executives best practice - ‘HSG 65 Managing Health and Safety’.

Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) added:

n)    This was a revision to previous health and safety policies which had in the past been signed off by herself and the relevant Cabinet Member;

o)    The policy ensured maximum visibility and clearly articulated roles and responsibilities.

In response to questions, it was explained:

p)    Accountability was different to responsibility in that responsibilities could be delegated down through lines of management;

q)    The Council ensured there were adequate resources for health and safety;

r)     PCC was a learning organisation which would continually improve, and quarterly updates were given at CMT (Corporate Management Team) to ensure they were adhering to key performance indications and key actions;

s)    The new HR system would mean any individual, with or without a licence, could record an incident, near miss or hazardous situation which would then be escalated to line management for investigation at a proportionate level;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

Councillor Evans (Leader of the Council) introduced the item and highlighted the following points:

a)    There had been a celebration event at the Beacon Community Hub in North Prospect, where there was an exhibition of memorabilia in North Prospect and its history, as well as the regeneration process accompanied with photos of videos;

b)    The regeneration of North Prospect had had a positive effect on not only the ward, but the city as a whole;

c)    The regeneration had prompted new business and new opportunities for local people, and had seen the standard of housing improved with heating costs in particular being reduced;

d)    Thanks were given to the people of North Prospect for their resilience during the regeneration;

e)    Thanks were given to Homes England and Plymouth Community Homes.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Co-Operative Development and Communities) added:

f)     North Prospect, or ‘Swilly’ as it was known, was developed just after the First World War by the City Council. It was the first Garden Suburb with over 1000 family homes and was described in the paper as ‘paradise for 12 shillings a week’;

g)    Decline in the area started in the 1960s, and in 1973, the Council changed the name ‘Swilly’ to North Prospect to try and improve its image;

h)    By the time of the 2001 census, North Prospect had become a place of concentrated and persistent deprivation;

i)     During the housing stock transfer to Plymouth Community Homes in 2009, North Prospect was ranked as one of the most deprived communities in England;

j)     The estate was characterised by challenging housing conditions, with poor original build quality, structural defects, damp, and 60% of the affordable housing failing the decent homes standard;

k)    The aims of the regeneration were about more than replacing buildings. They were a whole set of actions around reducing crime, increasing education and skills and, improving employment outcomes;

l)     The vision set out included the following points:

i) That children and adults were happy and health in that community and that they knew their rights and responsibilities; 

ii) Community spirit was lively and proud;

iii) That the housing and environment was high quality, safe and clean;

iv) Crime and antisocial behaviour was not tolerated;

v) That the community could raise and fulfil their aspirations, and lead fulfilled lives and have the skills they want and need;

vi) That local services were effective, responsive and co-ordinated;

vii) That there was an improved image for the estate across the city;

m)  The evaluation was funded by PCC, Plymouth Community Homes and Homes England as this was a major project;

n)    There was to be no net loss of affordable housing which posed a challenge for Plymouth Community Homes;

o)    The regeneration was done through close partnership working, including work with Homes England (Supported by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)), and Plymouth Community Homes;

p)    PCC did what they could as a council, including passing compulsory purchase orders which did not need  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

Councillor Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture and Communications) introduced the report, and highlighted the following points:

a)    The report provided an update on financial status and strategic initiatives of PCC’s Children’s Services as of October 2024;

b)    The report followed up on the Quarter One Financial Monitoring Cabinet report which was presented in August 2024, which identified a projected overspend of £4.692 million, related to placement costs of children in Plymouth’s care;

c)    The aim of the report was to inform Cabinet of the current financial pressures, the measures taken to address the challenges and the progress that had been made since the last update;

d)    The report highlighted the significant efforts and achievements in managing placement costs, including successful transitions from children from high cost residential placements to more appropriate and cost effective accommodation;

e)    The report also outlined the ongoing challenges in finding suitable foster care placements and the strategic actions which were implemented to mitigate those issues;

f)     The report discussed the broader implications for the Medium-Term Financial Plan and PCC’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of children in their care;

g)    By providing a comprehensive overview of the current financial landscape, and what proactive steps were being taken, the report aimed to support informed decision making and strategic planning within the council.

Temilola Temilola Salimon (Service Director for Children, Young People and Families) added:

h)    There was a review of children who were exploring long-term family homes twice a week;

i)     There had been a review of the fostering offer to attract more carers.

Councillor Evans (Leader of the Council) added:

j)     There was a large national variation in standards of childcare provision, with PCC having less in-house provision than other councils;

k)    It was important to understand why there was such a variation between local authorities and their ability to attract carers;

l)     It was useful to review factors such a packages and pay conditions and compare them to the best performing councils to learn and improve.

Councillor Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture and Communications) added:

m)  She would be reaching out to her counterparts across councils where the balance for foster carers was in the local authorities favour to understand what PCC might have been missing, and what about their foster care packages was more attractive;

n)    More independent foster carers were showing an interest in becoming local authority carers.

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) added:

o)    A request that in the next report, the specific actions around providing in-house residential care were included;

p)    The next report should record the actions that were being taken, and the will of PCC, in delivering residential care.

David Haley (Director of Children’s Services) added:

q)    A summit was held in June 2024 which included conversations about both the financial and support packages for foster carers;

r)    Within the Mockingbird programme there were ‘constellations’ which provided children with extended networks of support,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

Councillor Evans (Leader of the Council) gave the following announcements:

a)    A letter had been written to Kevin Orford (Acting Chair of NHS Devon) to reflect on a meeting attended by him and Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) in September 2024, where concerns had been raised around unfair treatment of Plymouth in relation to funding in the Devon system;

b)    Plymouth had been under allocated for 10 years for NHS services and this had been recognised by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who had taken steps to address it as there were health outcomes in Plymouth which were not good;

c)    The Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) Fair Shares funding was agreed in October 2023 and left Plymouth 1.8% below the needs based funding assessment, meaning the underfunding was £10.3 million;

d)    The funding that had been agreed did not take into account the deprivation of Plymouth and did not reflect the inequality of health outcomes;

e)    The request to the Chair of NHS Devon was a proper board level review to consider a policy change to ensure equality and fairness in Plymouth;

f)     Local MPs had been included in the receipt of the letter;

g)    Plymouth were the first Freeport to have committed the £25 million capital allocation on job creation projects;

h)    The MHCLG reported that Plymouth’s annual audit was exemplary in terms of process and assurance;

i)     The Freeport was surrounded by theories, including the privatisation of Dartmoor. The Freeport was solely the building of industrial premises in Plymouth and the South Hams;

j)     Money was being allocated for Port improvements at Millbay, Oceansgate innovation barns, Beaumont Way industrial units at Langage Business Park, Princess Yachts and Cattewater Harbour Commissioners;

k)    A major milestone had been reached with the Guildhall refurbishment project as a major contractor had been appointed;

l)     The refurbished Guildhall would provide a city centre music venue, with investments in the interior sound and lighting;

m)  Refurbishments at Tinside had started and were part of the £10 million refurbishment programme. The programme also included the Mount Batten Centre, the Mount Batten Tower, the public realm around Mount Batten, the Garden Battery at Mount Edgcumbe and projects at Ernesettle Creek and Firestone Bay;

n)    PCC was working with the National Lottery, the Youth Investment Fund, and the Levelling Up Fund to develop Plymouth’s iconic assets and bring back underused, buildings. This would include a new Café Terrace even space and youth hub at Tinside, a bistro, changing facilities and entrance at the Mount Batten Centre, an enhanced public realm and waterfront walkway at the Mount Batten Peninsular, a new public pontoon, the Mount Batten Tower and Mount Edgcumbe Garden Battery access and interpretation improvements meaning they would be open to the public on a permanent basis;

o)    Over 300 young people had been involved in youth projects at Tinside;

p)    There would be improvement in facilities for wild swimmers at Firestone Bay and Community facilities at Ernesettle Creek;

q)    In October Plymouth would host the Marine  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

Councillor Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture and Communications) gave the following updates:

a)    There was a major exhibition upcoming at The Box, Land, Sea and Sky, which showcased the work of Ingrid Pollard,  JMW Turner and Vija Celmins who, although worked more than 200 years apart, were connected through their close observation of nature and skilful use of materials;

b)    The exhibition included three paintings and eight watercolours on loan from the Tate, plus two watercolours and a selection of prints from The Box’s permanent collection;

c)    Often cited as one of the greatest artists of the 19^th century, Turner left a legacy of over 30,000 works on paper, oil paintings and sketchbooks after his death, and his mastery of history, landscape and seascape painting and the themes in his works had continued to inspire other artists since;

d)    23 of Vija Celmins prints and drawings would also be on display. Born in Latvia in 1938, and now based in New York, Celmins had exhibited all over the world and was best known for her photorealistic paintings and drawings of natural environments;

e)    Land, Sea and Sky was completed by a recent body of work by multimedia artist, photographer and 2022 Turner prize nominee, Ingrid Pollard. The work was acquired by The Box in 2023 by the Freelands Art Acquisition;

f)     The Freelands Art Acquisition was a unique partnership between Art Fund and Freeland Foundation which helped museums acquire work by contemporary female artists who’d won the Freelands award;

g)    Pollard’s ‘Three Drops of Blood’ drew on two years of research that unearthed folk histories of Devon’s botanical gardens and ferns. She travelled across the county exploring how flora and fauna had inspired Devon’s historic lacemaking industry. The resulting installation included framed imaged, prints and six unique ‘bark boxes’;

h)    Pollard was involved in the selection of the Turner prints from The Box’s collection and had loaned a large LED work to the exhibition;

i)     The Box would display examples of Devon lace and archival material relating to ferns from its collections;

j)     Plymouth Art Weekend would take place over three days and was a celebration of Plymouth’s rich and diverse, creative communities. The theme for 2024 was ‘Do It Yourself, Help Each Other Out’;

k)    There would be visual art, hands-on workshops and exiting events which showcased Plymouth’s home-grown talent, alongside welcoming artists from across the UK to share their work;

l)     The project received Art Council funding as well as city support from The Box and partners, including the City Centre Company, the Royal William Yard and Drakes Circus.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Co-Operative Development and Communities) gave the following updates:

m)  The housing and homelessness crisis was not just a Plymouth problem, but a national issue caused by decisions made over the past 10 – 14 years by Government; 

n)    Many more households were concerned about their security as a result of unaffordable rent increases and the cost  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

a)    There would be an update from the LGA conference in due course;

b)    The LGA had been lobbying in the run up to the budget, in particular making the case around broken local government funding;

c)    In 2025, councils would face a funding gap or more than two billion pounds.