(Members Code of Conduct – Part 4A of the Constitution)

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

Notes:

(1)          Members must consider their interests, and act according to the following:

(2)          Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(3)          Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

(4)          Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

Minute no. 86 – Notices of Motion (Support for Care Experienced People)

Councillor Sunderland disclosed a non-pecuniary interest in the interests of openness and transparency in her role as a Corporate Parent.

Minute no. 86 – Notices of Motion (Defend the right of refugees to seek safety from war and persecution)

Councillor Firth disclosed a non-pecuniary interest in the interests of openness and transparency in her capacity as a member of Keighley Place of Sanctuary.

Councillor Lal disclosed a non-pecuniary interest in the interests of openness and transparency due to her employment as an immigration specialist at the Bradford Law Centre.

Minute no. 86 – Notices of Motion (Young Carers)

Councillor Sunderland disclosed a non-pecuniary interest in the interests of openness and transparency in her role as Trustee of a Children’s Charity.

Minute no. 86 – Notices of Motion (Support for services for young people in the Bradford District)

Councillor Sunderland disclosed a non-pecuniary interest in the interests of openness and transparency in her role as Trustee of a Children’s Charity.

Recommended – That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2023 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

Resolved – That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 23 February 2023 be signed as a correct record.

To receive any apologies for absence.

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ali, Akhtar, Barker, Joan Clarke, Kyle Green, Herd, Mohammed, Mukhtar, Nazam, Salam and Stubbs.

An apology for lateness was received from Councillor Mohsin Hussain.

(To be circulated before the meeting).

A copy of the Lord Mayor’s announcements had been circulated and published on the Council’s website.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

There were no restricted items.

To consider up to five requests for the Council to receive petitions in accordance with Standing Orders. 

If any requests are received, in writing, by mid-day three working days before the meeting (Thursday), details will be circulated.

(Su Booth – 07814 073884)

There were no petitions to consider.

There are no public questions.

(Fatima Butt – 07970 411746)

There were no public questions to consider.

To consider any further motions (i) to appoint members to a Committee or a Joint Committee; or (ii) to appoint Chairs or Deputy Chairs of Committees (excluding Area Committees).

That the following membership changes be approved:

Resolved – Following his appointment at the Local Councils’ Liaison Group meeting on Tuesday, 28 February 2023, that Town Councillor James Roberts be appointed as a non-voting co-opted member on Standards Committee for the remainder of the 2022/23 municipal year.  Town Councillor James Roberts replaces Parish Councillor Caroline Whitaker who stepped down from the role having been elected as a District Councillor at the 2022 Local Elections.

A written report by the Leader of Council giving an update on key issues will be circulated before the start of the meeting.  There shall be a period of up to 15 minutes during which any Member of Council may ask the Leader of the Council (or a Member of the Council nominated by the Leader) a question on any matter arising out of the written report.

The report of the Leader of the Council had been circulated and published on the Council’s website.

To deal with supplementary questions arising from the below questions of which written notice has been given. 

Notes:

(i)         Answers to written questions shall be circulated at the commencement of the meeting.

(ii)        The Lord Mayor will have regard to the list of questions and the political composition of the Council in calling on Members to put their supplementary question to the Leader of Council and Portfolio Holders.

(iii)       A period of up to 30 minutes shall be available for supplementary questions to Members of the Executive.

1. Councillor Simon Cunningham

Would the Portfolio Holder join me in welcoming the news that £100,000 will be invested in new play facilities at Peel Park, and in thanking Friends of Peel Park for their contribution to the project and involvement in its development?

2. Councillor Paul Sullivan

Would the Leader of the Council reassure local retailers that Bradford Council does not agree with the view of Alison Lowe OBE, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, that theft should not always result in the arrest of the suspected perpetrator?

3. Councillor Susan Knox

Anti-Social Behaviour has been a huge issue for residents in the BD2 and BD10 areas of the district in recent years. The recent acknowledgement by the West Yorkshire that there was a net reduction of 50 PCSO’s over the past years is troubling in this context.

Will the portfolio holder join me in calling for the West Yorkshire Mayor and her deputy to ensure that the recruitment of PCSO’s in West Yorkshire is increased to offset the numbers retiring and leaving the force? So that residents can be assured that local neighbourhood policing teams are not being left short-handed in the fight against crime.

4. Councillor Matt Edwards

Will the portfolio holder confirm when street lights in Holmewood will be replaced with the new smart street lights and when will other out of scope street lights be replaced? Is there an estimated time I can tell residents on Ashfield off Tong Street (Ref: 0001A) that they will need to wait before their street light is finally replaced - especially as the light was removed over a year ago?

5. Councillor Luke Majkowski

Can the portfolio holder clarify whether the council have given any consideration to all vehicles automatically routed to avoid the Clean Air Zone by Sat Nav equipment or due to lack of driver understanding even though the vehicles may comply with the zone restrictions?

This is for vehicles registered within Bradford and those travelling to the district, acknowledging the council has already publicised the Clean Air Zone on a wider scale.

6. Councillor Fozia Shaheen

Could the portfolio holder give me an up to date list of activities/services which will take place for people with Learning disabilities over the Easter period, this is additional to Bradford Council Youth Services.

7. Councillor Julie Lintern

Airedale Hospital has been making an undeniable case for a rebuild for many years now and I know the Leader has made various representations on the issue. Given the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 84.

Details of the questions from Members to the Leader of Council and Portfolio

Holders and the answers given had been circulated and published on the

Council’s website.

To consider any recommendations arising from meetings of the Executive and Committees.

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

There were no recommendations from the Executive and Committees to consider.

To consider notices of motion set out below:

12.1 – Support for Care Experienced People

To be moved by: Councillor Jeanette Sunderland

To be seconded by: Councillor Brendan Stubbs

This Council notes:

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care headed by Josh McCallister published in May 2022 had a final report and recommendations that included:

“Government should make care experience a protected characteristic” and “New legislation should be passed which broadens corporate parenting responsibilities across a wider set of public bodies and organisations.”

The Inspection of City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council by Matt Reed from an inspection dated 21^st November to 2^nd December 2022 stated;

“Bradford children’s social care was last inspected by OFSTED in September 2018 and was judged to be inadequate for the experiences of children who need help and protection and for overall effectiveness. Since that inspection, the experience and progress of many children have declined. There are widespread and serious failures across all service areas. This leaves children at risk of harm, leaves some children in situations of continued harm, and for many children in care, unnecessary and prolonged delays in achieving permanence.”

This Council further notes:

Care Experienced people face significant barriers that can impact them throughout their lives;

Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

Care experienced people can often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system;

Care experienced people may encounter inconsistent support in different geographical areas;

As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an authority;

All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people and to consider their needs in any aspect of council work;

Councillors should be champions of the children in our care and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;

The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

This Council therefore resolves: 

1. To recognise care experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination;
2. To recognise that Councils, have a duty to put the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;
3. To instruct the Chief Executive of the Council to ensure that future decision, services and policies made and adopted by the Council should be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic.
4. To call upon the Chief Executive of the Children’s Trust to ensure that future decisions, services and policies made and adopted by the Children’s Trust should be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a  ...  view the full agenda text for item 86.

Resolved – That the following notices of motion be approved:

12.1 – Support for Care Experienced People

Moved by: Councillor Sue Duffy

Seconded by: Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe

That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:

This Council notes:

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care headed by Josh MacAlister published in May 2022 had a final report and recommendations that included:

“Government should make care experience a protected characteristic” and “New legislation should be passed which broadens corporate parenting responsibilities across a wider set of public bodies and organisations.”

In Bradford we have a Care Leaver Local Offer co-produced with care leavers and we offer support for care leavers such as:

-       Exemption from council tax to the age of 25, which includes our young people moving to other local authority areas

-       Priority for social housing to the age of 21

-       Support towards the costs of setting up a home

-       Support towards the costs of travel to work or training

-       Free access to leisure facilities to the age of 25 as part of our local offer

-       Joint housing protocol

-       Ringfenced apprenticeship opportunities for care leavers within the council

-       Mentoring opportunities for care leavers with the council’s senior leadership team

-       A children in care and care leavers council.

Ofsted carried out a full ILACS inspection in Bradford between 21st November and 2nd December 2022. The report was published on the Ofsted website on 31st January 2023 and the outcome of the ILACS was the judgement of Inadequate in all areas and overall.

The Council has welcomed the new Bradford Children’s and Families Trust, which is on track to start on 1st April, as part of the plan to deliver the urgent and sustained improvements that are required.

We are continually looking at how we can build on our progress to improve the experience and opportunities for care experienced people in our district.

This Council further notes:

Despite the challenges they face, with the right support care experienced people can fulfil their potential to live full and rewarding lives;

Care experienced people face significant barriers that can impact them throughout their lives;

Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

Care experienced people can often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system;

Care experienced people might encounter inconsistent support in different geographical areas;

As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an authority;

All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people and to consider their needs in any aspect of council work;

Councillors should be champions of the children in our care and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.