To consider the attached motions of which notice has been given.

 

1.         FLOODING IN BRADFORD DISTRICT                                         

 

To be moved by Councillor Griffiths

Seconded by Councillor J Sunderland

 

This Council notes the devastating flooding affecting parts of the district and expresses its sympathy to all residents and businesses who have suffered loss or harm as a result.

 

This Council applauds the response from the public, council staff, the emergency services and army but believes lessons have to be learnt from this particular incident.

 

This Council notes that extreme weather events, of all types, appear to be increasing in frequency and believes that current assumptions about the likelihood of similar events in the future may no longer be valid.

 

This Council resolves to hold an inquiry which, as well as looking at the recent events and the response to them, looks more widely at future climate assumptions, measures which might be taken to reduce the rate of water runoff into the river system, the effect of increased flooding risk on proposed development and the effect of proposed and possible future development on run off and flooding risk.

 

 

2.         FLOODING   

                                   

To be moved by Councillor Cooke

Seconded by Councillor Ellis

 

Council notes with concern the serious flooding incidents along the Rivers Aire, Worth and Wharfe on 26 December 2015 and recognises the efforts of police, fire and rescue, council staff from all departments, officers of the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and many others who worked tirelessly over the holiday period in response to the flooding.

 

Council also recognises the efforts of local communities in both flood affected areas and across the district in supporting those people forced from their homes or otherwise adversely affected by the flooding. Hundreds of local residents provided food, shelter, equipment and support with cleaning up – not just in affected areas within Bradford but in Calderdale and Leeds as well.

 

Council resolves:

 

(1)       To co-operate fully with any reviews undertaken by national government or national government agencies into flooding impact, future mitigation of flooding, flood defence investment or the wider response to flooding.

 

(2)       Undertakes to review Bradford’s preparedness for serious flooding, response to December’s floods and policies that impact on either the mitigation of flood risk or contribute to that risk.

 

(3)       That this review should seek to involve  the Police, Fire & Rescue, Environment Agency, the Airedale Inland Drainage Board, Yorkshire Water and other relevant organisations as well as local communities.

 

(4)       That the terms of reference for the review are agreed by the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee with that committee receiving the final review report prior to its submission to full Council.

 

(5)       To identify potential sources of funding and other resources that could assist in reducing the risk and impact of flooding.

 

 

3.         FLOODS       

                                   

To be moved by Councillor Green

Seconded by Councillor Val Slater

 

The Council notes the recent unprecedented flooding that has affected the District and neighbouring areas and thanks all those members of Council and partner agency staff and the emergency services and armed forces personnel involved in the response. We also thank the members of affected communities and the many volunteers and businesses who have helped out for their efforts to minimise the impact and to support those people directly affected. 

The Council recognises that there are lessons that all agencies can learn.

 

The Council requests the Chief Executive to:

(1)        Coordinate a comprehensive review of the lessons learned and the implications for flood defences and water management across the District and beyond.

(2)        Ensure that the review:

·         Includes consultation with members of those communities directly affected by the floods about what worked well and what could be done better.

·         Identifies how the Council and other Local Authorities and Partners can share learning and strengthen joint working.

·         Identifies potential sources of funding and other resources that could assist in reducing the risk and impact of flooding.

·         Is used to develop an action plan to reduce the risk and impact of flooding and to inform the response to any future incidents.

(3)        Report the outcomes of the review to Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to a future meeting of Council.

 

 

4.         ETHICAL CARE CHARTER                                     

 

To be moved by Councillor Bacon

Seconded by Councillor Berry

 

The Council believes that there should be minimum standards of safety, quality and dignity of home care that can be achieved through employment conditions ensuring the recruitment and retention of a stable workforce through more sustainable pay, conditions and training.

The Council notes:

(1)        Its’ recent work with the care sector to develop a more sustainable approach to the delivery of good quality home care

(2)        The call by Unison, the largest public sector trade union, for Council’s to adopt its Ethical Care Charter.

(3)        The considerable financial pressures on Local Authority Social Care budgets and the inadequacy of measures announced in the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review to deal with those pressures.

The Council resolves:

 

(1) To sign up to the Ethical Care Charter and work with care providers and trade unions towards its implementation which will commit the Council to ensuring that:

a)                  The starting point for commissioning visits is client need  and workers will have the freedom to provide appropriate care and be given time to talk to clients.

b)                  Visits are matched to clients needs, the same home care worker(s) is allocated to clients where possible and visits are not scheduled so that workers have to rush their time with clients.

c)                  In general, 15 minute visits will not be used.

d)                  Zero hours contracts are not used in place of permanent contracts.

e)                  Home care workers are paid for travel time, travel costs and other necessary expenses such as mobile phone use.

f)                    Eligible home care workers are paid statutory sick pay.

g)                  Regular training is available for all home care workers at no cost to themselves and in work time and all these workers will have the opportunity to meet regularly with co-workers to share best practice and limit isolation.

h)                  All home care workers will be paid at least the National Minimum Wage from April 2016.

i)                    All home care workers will be covered by an occupational sick pay scheme.

(2)        To continue, in partnership with other Local Government bodies, professional organisations and care providers, to call on the Government to ensure that social care across the Bradford District is sufficiently and sustainably funded.

 

5.         FAIR TRADE 

                                   

To be moved by Councillor Hinchcliffe

Seconded by Councillor Farley

 

This Council notes that 6^th March 2016 is the tenth anniversary of Bradford District being declared a Fairtrade Zone by the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Fairtrade Zone is comprised of Haworth, the world’s first Fairtrade Village, the Fairtrade Villages and Towns of Baildon, Bingley, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley, Keighley, Shipley and Thornton, Bradford Cathedral, the University of Bradford, Bradford College Students Union, many of the district’s churches and faith organisations, the district’s Fairtrade status schools, and many local community organisations, shops and businesses.

 

The Council resolves to continue its ongoing support for the District’s Fair Trade status and the work of the Fair Trade movement in helping to deliver social and environmental sustainability.

 

 

6.         HIV TESTING           

                                   

To be moved by Councillor Dunbar

Seconded by Councillor Greenwood

 

The Council recognises:

 

·         the importance of local action in coordinating and commissioning accessible and effective HIV testing to reach the undiagnosed and reduce late HIV diagnosis.

·         the importance of prevention and education to maintain good sexual health including reducing HIV diagnoses across the district through delivery of Relationships and Sex Education in educational settings; commissioning of specialist services to raise awareness of prevention messages; support the promotional activities to reduce HIV late diagnoses.

·         that as of 2014 Bradford District had an HIV prevalence rate of 1.2 diagnosed per 1000 residents and commits to strengthening its own provision of HIV testing services through working with local NHS partners, HIV charities and patient groups.

·         that late HIV diagnosis is a Public Health Outcomes Indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework. Late diagnosis in Bradford District is a particular concern and latest figures indicate this currently stands at 48% compared to 42% nationally.

·         the volume and quality of public health and local government guidelines and performance indicators designed to support local authority implementation and monitoring of appropriate and effective testing guidelines.

 

The Council further notes,

 

·         That an estimated 100,000 people were living in England with HIV in 2012; 22% were unaware of their status

·         That there is an impact of late diagnosis on individual health, public health and health budgets. Late diagnosis increases the likelihood of the need for complex and expensive treatment and the risk of onward transmission to others. 47% of people diagnosed with HIV in 2012 were diagnosed late (with a CD4 count <350mm3)

·         That if diagnosed early, put on a clear treatment pathway and guaranteed access to antiretroviral therapy (ART); people living with HIV can expect to have a near-normal life expectancy and live healthy and active lives.

 

Recognising the weight of evidence in favour of expanding local HIV testing services, the Council resolves to:

(1)       Act to halve the proportion of people diagnosed late with HIV (CD4 count <350mm3) in Bradford District by 2020.

(2)       Act to halve the proportion of people estimated to be living with undiagnosed HIV in Bradford District by 2020.

(3)       Ensure that rates of late diagnosed HIV are included as an indicator in its Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).

(4)       Ask the Director of Public Health to provide a report outlining what needs to be done locally in commissioning and provision of services in order to halve late diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV by 2020 including prevention and educational interventions to ensure the sustainability of any reductions achieved by this motion.

(5)       Become a supporter of the Halve It Coalition by contacting the Halve It secretariat (info@halveit.org.uk) informing them of this resolution and by agreeing to be listed as a Halve It coalition supporter.